Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching

Module 1 – Metacognition
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain metacognition in your own words.
2. Apply metacognitive strategies in your own quest for learning as a novice or an expert
learner.

Activity:

Answer the following questionnaire. Put a check in the column that best describes what
is true to you.

Part 1
Always Sometimes Never Your
(10) (5) (0) Score
1. I exert effort to find out why I need to do a
particular task.
2. I reward myself when I work.
3. I see to it that I give myself regular breaks
from work.
4. I am able to keep my concentration and does
not let my mind “drift away.”
5. I have ways of dealing with distractions.
6. I am willing to do the work I do not enjoy
because I see it as important.
7. I seek clarification from the teacher about her
expectations and standards.
8. I go to tutorials to improve my school work.

Part 2
Always Sometimes Never Your
(10) (5) (0) Score
1. I make a weekly timetable for the school work
I need to accomplish.
2. I make a review schedule for examination.
3. I plan to get the necessary resources and
equipment prior to starting work.
4. I submit all my assignments on time.
5. I have a place to work where I won’t be
disturbed.
 6. I have time for family commitments and
relaxation as well as studying.
7. I prioritize tasks which should be done first,
second and so on.
8. I make lists of things to do.
9. I make a list of valuable references with
bibliographic details, page numbers of quotes
and so on.
10. I review my work before submitting it.

Part 3
Always Sometime Never Your
(10) s (0) Score
(5)
1. I discuss work assignments with other
students.
2. I share resources with other students.
3. I keep cuttings from newspapers and
magazines which may be of help to me.
4. I make sure I see TV programs which may
be useful.
5. I read the topic assigned before a session.
6. I asked questions and generally take part in
group discussion.
7. I listen out for key ideas when someone is
talking.
8. When I am listening to someone, I try to
anticipate what they will say next.

Part 4
Always Sometime Never Your
(10) s (0) Score
(5)
1. I get so worried about assignments that they
make me feel ill.
2. This worry about assignments makes me
feel depressed.
3. I feel miserable about doing assignments.
4. I let these concerns about the work get on
top of me.
5. When I need to work, others always succeed
in persuading me to go out.
6. I have difficulty in talking to others about
my worries.
7. I ignore my personal fitness through
worrying about assignments.
 8. The stress of assignments causes me to get
behind and I never seem to catch up.

Part 5
Always Sometime Never Your
(10) s (0) Score
(5)
1. My notes indicate the main ideas, rather
than merely repeat what has been said.
2. I listen for key ideas when listening to a
speaker.
3. I approach tutors for help.
4. I organize or file my notes regularly.
5. I rewrite my notes under key ideas,
headings, using numbering or lettering
schemes.
6. I have a shorthand technique of my own.
7. I underline or highlight key ideas so they
stand out.
8. I decide before reading a book whether it is
vital or background reading.
9. I go over a book before diving into chapter
one.
10. I check the contents page for relevance
before reading a book.
11. I look for summaries at the end of chapters.

Part 6
Always Sometime Never Your
(10) s (0) Score
(5)
1. I see to it that I understand what is really
being asked for in the assignment/project.
2. I read other references and read about the
topic.
3. I I make an outline/plan before doing my
assignment/project.
4. I check for spelling mistakes.
5. My essays have clear introductions.
6. My essays have a conclusion.
7. I frequently check back to the title during
the writing of an essay.
8. My essay/research paper has a full set of
references and a bibliography.
9. I review project/assignment before
submitting it.
 10. I request someone else to look at/read my
project/assignment before submitting it

Scoring:
The six parts of the questionnaire pertain to the following aspects of study habits:
Part 1 Motivation
Part 2 Organizing and planning your work
Part 3 Working with others; utilizing resources and feedback
Part 4 Managing school work stress
Part 5 Note-taking and reading
Part 6 Preparing an assignment/project

Use the scoring guide below

Scoring for Part 1 Motivation
Score: 10 for Always
5 for Sometimes
0 for Never
Feedback:
Scores from 55 to 80 mean that you do not appear to have many problems in getting
down to work and keeping to it.
Scores from 31 to 50 mean that you sometimes get down to work but you can be
distracted, you might not always be certain why you have to work. You probably
could benefit from learning some techniques that help you get down to work more
consistently and keep at it.
Scores of 30 and below signify that you really do have problems in getting down to
work. Unless you develop skills in this area you are likely to have many
unsatisfactory experiences as a student throughout your life.
You need to take action.

Scoring for Part 2 Organizing and Planning your Work

Score: 10 for Always
5 for Sometimes
0 for Never

Feedback:
Scores from 70 to 100 you are well-organized and plan ahead for your work.
Scores from 40 to 65 mean you are not as well-organized as you can be. Your time
management may benefit from a closer analysis.
Scores of 35 and below mean you have little organization, probably deal with things
as they happen, constantly doing things at the last minute, often not getting work
completed.
You need to take action.

Scoring for Part 3 Working with Others; Utilizing Resources and Feedback
 Score: 10 for Always
5 for Sometimes
0 for Never

Feedback:
Scores from 55 to 85 mean you make full use of resources available, listen well and
take an active part in seminars.
Scores from 35 to 50 mean you probably collect resources, but you need to ask
yourself how to use them more effectively.
Scores of 30 and below mean there are important resources around you that you are
ignoring. You may not be hearing much of what is being said. You need to know
what resources are available, and you need to find out where they are and what they
have to offer.
You need to take action.

Scoring for Part 4 Managing School Work Stress

Score: 10 for Always
5 for Sometimes
0 for Never
Feedback:
Scores from 65 to 80 mean that although you sometimes get stressed and worried you
have the skills of knowing how to minimize problems and look after yourself.
Scores from 40 to 65 mean that you handle your anxieties and concerns moderately
well but could develop skills to manage them more effectively.
Scores of 35 and under mean that you are likely to get overwhelmed with your
problems which will make you much less effective as a student. You need to acquire
the skills of managing stress more effectively.
You need to take action.

Scoring for Part 5 Note-taking and Reading

Score: 10 for Always
5 for Sometimes
0 for Never
Feedback:
Scores from 75 to 110 mean you prepare well and read efficiently, learning as you go.
You waste little time reading irrelevant materials.
Scores from 45 to 70 mean your reading and note taking skills are adequate, but could
be improved.
Scores of 40 and below mean your notes are likely to be of little use to you, if they
exist at all. You spend a lot of time reading or sitting in but come home with very
little. You need to become more selective in what you read or write down.
You need to take action.

Scoring for Part 6 Preparing an Assignment/Project

Score: 10 for Always
 5 for Sometimes
0 for Never

Feedback:
Scores from 70 to 100 mean that your essays are well thought out, researched and
clearly written.
Scores from 40 to 65 mean that there is room for improvement although you do
demonstrate some skills.
Scores of 35 and below mean that you probably wonder why your essays always get
such low grades. Resources and support are available to help you improve your essay
writing skills.
Take action now.

Analysis:
My Score in the Study Habits Questionnaire

Aspect of Study Habits My Score Interpretation

Part 1 Motivation

Part 2 Organizing and Planning your Work

Part 3 Working with Others; Utilizing Resources

and Feedback

Part 4 Managing School Work Stress

Part 5 Note-taking and Reading

 Part 6 Preparing an Assignment/Project

What did you discover about yourself using this questionnaire? What aspects are you
strong in? What aspects do you need to improve?

Abstraction:

Metacognition

What you did while answering the questionnaire and analyzing your scores is an exercise
in metacognition. You stopped for a moment and thought about how you study and learn. You
were reminded of your strengths and weaknesses, then you wrote what it is that you can do to
improve your study habits. Hopefully, this will help you start to learn more effectively.
The most important goal of education is to teach students how to learn on their own. It is
vital that students acquire the skills of how to learn; and that these skills enable them to learn not
just while they are in school but for a lifetime. This entails a deeper awareness of how one
processes information, the ability to evaluate his own thinking and to think of ways to make his
own learning process more effective. All these involve metacognition.
What is metacognition? This appears to be such a high-sounding word that some people
are confused about even before they actually spend time to find out what it really means. It is
not at all that complicated. In fact, we do metacognitive activities so often in our daily lives.
When you sense that you are experiencing some difficulty with a topic you are studying, and you
try out different strategies to learn better, you are practicing metacognition. The word may be
long, seems to be intangible but it is worth focusing on because it can help you to be a more
successful learner. When you become a teacher, it can also help your students to learn more
efficiently and effectively.
The term “metacognition” was coined by John Flavell. According to Flavell,
metacognition consists of both metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experiences or
regulation. Metacognition, simply put, is “thinking about thinking” or “learning how to learn”.
It refers to higher order thinking which involves active awareness and control over the cognitive
processes engaged in learning. Metacognitive knowledge refers to acquired knowledge about
cognitive processes, knowledge that can be used to control cognitive processes. Flavell further
divides metacognitive knowledge into three categories: knowledge of person variables, task
variables and strategy variables.
Person Variables. This includes how one views himself as a learner and thinker.
Knowledge of person variables refers to knowledge about how human beings learn and process
information, as well as individual knowledge of one’s own learning processes.
Task Variables. Knowledge of task variables includes knowledge about the nature of
the task as well as the type of processing demands that it will place upon the individual. It is
about knowing what exactly needs to be accomplished, gauging its difficulty and knowing the
kind of effort it will demand from you.
 Strategy Variables. Knowledge of strategy variables involves awareness of the strategy
you are using to learn a topic and evaluating whether this strategy is effective. If you think your
strategy is not working, then you may think of various strategies and try out one to see if it will
help you learn better. Terms like meta-attention and meta-memory are related to strategy
variables. Meta-attention is the awareness of specific strategies so that you can keep your
attention focused on the topic or task at hand. Meta-memory is your awareness of memory
strategies that work best for you.

Metacognitive Strategies to Facilitate Learning

Researchers such that of Fang and Cox showed that metacognitive awareness was evident
in pre-schoolers and in students as young as eight years old. Children already have the capacity
to be more aware and reflective of their own learning. However, not many have been taught and
encouraged to apply metacognition.
The challenge then to future teachers like you is to integrate more activities that would
build your students’ capacity to reflect on their own characteristics as learners (self-knowledge),
the tasks they are to do (task knowledge) and the strategies that they can use to learn (strategic
knowledge). Remember, metacognition is like any other thing you will teach. Metacognition
involves knowledge and skills which you and your students can learn and master.
Here are some examples of teaching strategies to develop metacognition:
1. Have students monitor their own learning and thinking.
2. Teach students study or learning strategies.
TQLR – This can be taught to younger students (primary grades). It is a
metacognitive strategy before listening to a story or presentation.
T is for Tune in. It is first important for the learner himself to be aware that he is
paying attention, and that he is ready to learn.
Q is for Question. The learner is given questions or he thinks of questions about
what he will soon learn.
L is for Listen. The learner then intentionally exerts effort to listen. He becomes
aware if he is momentarily detracted and goes back to listen again.
R is for Remember. The learner uses ways or strategies to remember what was
learned.

PQ4R – This is usually for older students in the intermediate levels and onwards.
This strategy is used to study a unit or chapter.
P – Preview. Scan the whole chapter before delving on each paragraph. Check
out the objectives. Look for outlines or advance organizers that will give you an idea
about the important topics and ideas in the chapter. Read the summary of the chapter
first.
Q – Question. Read the guide questions provided, or think of your own questions
about the topic.
R – Read. Check out sub headings as you read. Pay attention on words that are
printed in bold or italicized. Find out the meaning of words that are not clear to you.
Use a marker or colored pencil to highlight important words or phrases.
R – Recite. Work on answering the questions you had earlier.
 R – Review. Pinpoint topics you may need to go back to and read in order to
understand better.
R – Reflect. Think about what you read. Is everything clear to you? What are
the main points you learned? How is this relevant or useful to you?
3. Have students make predictions about information to be presented next based on
what they have read.
4. Have students relate ideas to existing knowledge structures.
5. Have students develop questions; ask questions of themselves, about what’s going on
around them.
6. Help students to know when to ask for help.
7. Show students how to transfer knowledge, attitudes, values, skills to other situations
or tasks.

Novice and Expert Learners

In the last twenty years, cognitive psychologists have studied the distinction among
learners in the manner they absorb or process information. They are able to differentiate expert
learners from novice learners. A very important factor that separates these two types of learners
mentioned is metacognition. Expert learners employ metacognitive strategies in learning. They
are more aware of their learning process as they read, study and do problem solving. Expert
learners monitor their learning and consequently adjust their strategies to make learning more
effective.

Differences between Novice and Expert Learners

Aspect of Learning Novice Learners Expert Learners

Knowledge in different
subject areas
Problem solving
Learning/Thinking strategies
Selectivity in Processing
Production of output
Have limited knowledge in Have deeper knowledge in
the different subject areas different subject areas
because they look for
interrelationships in the
things they learn
Satisfied at just scratching the First try to understand the
surface; hurriedly gives a problem, look for boundaries,
solution to the problem and create a mental picture of
the problem
Employ rigid strategies that Design new strategies that
may not be appropriate to the would be appropriate to the
task at hand task at hand
Attempt to process all Select important information
information they receive to process; able to breakdown
information to manageable
chunks
Do not examine the quality of Check their errors and
their work, nor stop to make redirect their efforts to
revisions maintain quality output
Application:

Whatever the subject area, a teacher can apply metacognitive strategies in his or her class
to facilitate learning more effectively. Watch this short video sharing how a Grade 2 teacher
taught her pupil about TQLR.

Youtube Link: http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfXdWeAzgCo

Title: TQLR metacognition in the primary grades

Description: This shows a simple song that a primary grade teacher is using to prepare
children to listen and respond to a lesson or a selection. It is very practical way of teaching
children to apply metacognition early on.

1. What did you learn from the video? How can you also apply this?

2. Make your own output: a song, chant, poster or question list on any of the seven
strategies discussed. You may also create a video. Tell about its purpose and describe
the chant or song.

Purpose:

Description of your output:

Explanation:

3. Surf the internet for additional readings on metacognition.

4. Make a collection of metacognitive strategies that can make learning more effective and
efficient.
5. Make a collection of teaching strategies that develop metacognition in students.

Assessment Task:

1. Based on the principles of metacognition, prepare your own metacognitive plan on

how you can apply metacognition to improve your study skills.
2. Write a paragraph expressing your realizations about metacognition.