What is metacognition?

Metacognition is awareness of one’s own thinking and learning, including planning, monitoring and adjusting it.

Thinking while learning

Before starting, a learner asks what they know; while solving, they check whether the method works; afterwards, they review the result. “I must work harder” is not a specific plan, whereas “I make errors in multiplication, so I will compare my steps with a worked example” is. Teachers can model their problem-solving aloud and gradually give learners more independence. General thinking tips without subject knowledge are insufficient.

Feedback and limits

Brief self-assessment, identifying types of errors and selecting a next strategy can help. Feeling confident should not be confused with learning; solutions and later recall need checking. EEF describes metacognition and self-regulation as approaches supported by explicit teaching embedded in subject content.