POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Polangui, Albay

MODULE 1: METACOGNITION

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this module, the students must have:

1. Understood metacognition;
2. Applied metacognitive strategies in your own quest for learning as a novice or an expert learner.

II. CONTENT DISCUSSION OR ABSTRACTION

A. INTRODUCTION:

Metacognition is such a long word. What does it mean? Study the advance organizer.

Metacognition
“Thinking about thinking”

Application of Learners who do not

Metacognition and Metacognition Metacognition leads use Metacognition
Development Knowledge Variables one to be an expert remain to be novice
learner learner

Teaching strategies Person Variables

Characteristics of Characteristics of
to develop
Expert Learner Novice Learner
Metacognition
Task Variables

Strategy Variables

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

B. PRE-TEST/SELF-REFLECTION
Always Sometimes Never Your
(10) (5) (0) Score
Part I
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 distraction.
6. I am willing to do the work I do not enjoy because I see it as
important.
7. I ask clarification from the teacher about her expectations
and standards.
8. I go to tutorials to improve my school work.

Always Sometimes Never Your

(10) (5) (0) Score
Part II
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 list of things to do.
9. I make a list of valuable references with bibliographic details,
page, number of quotes and so on.
10. I review my work before submitting it.

Always Sometimes Never Your

(10) (5) (0) Score
Part III
1. I discuss work assignments with other students.
2. I share resources with other students.
3. I keep cuttings from newspaper and magazines which may
be of help to me.
4. I make sure I see TV programs which may be useful.
5. I read topics assigned before a session.
6. I ask 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.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

Always Sometimes Never Your

(10) (5) (0) Score
Part IV
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 those 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.

Always Sometimes Never Your

(10) (5) (0) Score
Part V
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 note regularly.
5. I re-write 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 content page for relevance before reading a book
11. I look for summaries at the end of chapters.

Always Sometimes Never Your

(10) (5) (0) Score
Part VI
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 make an outline/plan before doing any project/assignment.
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 writing of an essay.
8. My essay/research paper has a full set of references and
bibliography.
9. I review project/assignment before submitting it.
10. I request someone else to look at/read my

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

project/assignment before submitting it.

SCORING:

The sic parts of the questionnaire pertain to the following aspects of study habits:
Part I – Motivation
Part II – Organizing and Planning your Work
Part III – Working with Others; Utilizing Resources and Feedback
Part IV – Managing School Work Stress
Part V – Note-Taking and Reading
Part VI – Preparing an Assignment/Project

Use the scoring guide below.

For Part I – Motivation

Feedback:
 Scores from 55 to 80 mean that you do not appear to have many problems in getting down and keeping to
it.
 Scores from 31 to 50 mean that you sometimes get down to word 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 a problem 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.

For Part II – Organizing and Planning your Work

Feedback:
 Scores from 70 to 100 mean you are well-organized and plan ahead for your work.
 Scores from 40 to 65 mean you are not 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.

For Part III – Working with Others; Utilizing Resources and Feedback
Feedback:
 Scores from 55 to 85 mean you make full use of resources available, listen well and take an active part in
seminar.
 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 means 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.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

For Part IV – Managing School Work Stress

Feedback:
 Scores from 65 to 80 mean that although you sometimes get stressed and worried you have the skills of
knowing how to minimize problem and look after yourself.
 Scores from 40 to 65 mean that you handle your anxieties and concern moderately well but could develop
skills to manage them more effectively.
 Score of 35 and under mean that you are likely to get overwhelmed with your problems which will make you
less effective as a student. You need to acquire the skills of managing stress more effectively. You need to
take action.

For Part V – Note-Taking and Reading

Feedback:
 Scores from 75vto 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 notes 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.

For Part VI – Preparing an Assignment/Project

Feedback:
 Score from 70 to 100 mean that your essays are thought out, researched and clearly written.
 Scores from 40 to 65 mean that there is room for improvement although you do not demonstrate some
skills.
 Scores of 35 and below mean that you probably wonder why your essays always get low marks. Resources
and support are available to help you improve your essay writing skills take action now.

ANALYSIS:

A. My Score in the Study Habits Questionnaire

Aspects of Study Habits My Score Interpretation
Part I – Motivation
Part II – Organizing and Planning your Work
Part III – Working with Others; Utilizing Resources and Feedback
Part IV – Managing School Work Stress
Part V – Note-Taking and Reading
Part VI – Preparing an Assignment/Project

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

B. Essay Writing

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

C. ABSTRACTION

What you just 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 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 process more effective. All these involve metacognition.

What is metacognition? When you sense you are experiencing some difficulty with a topic you are studying,
and you try out different strategies to learn better, you are practicing metacognition. It can help you become more
successful learner and when you become teacher, it can also help you students to leaner more efficiently and
effectively.

The term ”metacognition” was coined by John Flavell. According to Flavell (1979, 1987), 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 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 3 categories: knowledge of person variable, 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 learns and process information, as well as individual
knowledge of one’s own learning processes. For example, you may be aware that you study more effectively in the
morning than late in the evening, and that you work better in a quite library rather than at home where there are a lot
of things that make it hard for you to focus and concentrate.

Task Variables. This 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 what exactly needs to be accomplished, gauging its difficulty
and knowing the kind of effort it will demand for you. For example, you may be aware that it takes more time for you
to read and comprehend a book in education philosophy than it is for you to read and comprehend a novel.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

Strategy Variables. This 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.

These 3 variables all interact as you learn and apply metacognition. Omrod includes the following in the
practice of metacognition:

 Knowing the limits of one’s own learning and memory capacities.

 Knowing what learning tasks one can realistically accomplish within a certain amount of time.
 Knowing which learning strategies are effective and which are not.
 Planning an approach to a learning task that is likely to be successful.
 Using effective learning strategies to process and learn new material.
 Monitoring one’s own knowledge and comprehension. In other words, knowing when information has
been successfully learned and when it’s not.
 Using effective strategies for retrieval of previously stored information.
 Knowledge is said to be cognitive if it is keenly used in a purposeful manner to ensure that goal is met.

Huitt believes that metacognition includes the ability to ask and answer the following types of questions:

 What do I know about this subject, topics, issue?

 Do I know what I need to know?
 Do I know where I can go to get some information? Knowledge?
 How much time will I need to learn this?
 What are some strategies and tactics that I can use to learn this?
 Did I understand what I just heard, read or saw?
 How will I know that I am learning at an appropriate rate?
 How can I spot an error if I make one?
 How should I revise my plan if it is not working to my expectations/satisfaction?

METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE LEARNING

1. Have students monitor their own learning and thinking. Example, have a student monitor a peer’s
earning/thinking/behaving in dyad.
2. Teach students study or learning strategies:
a. TQLR – is a metacognitive strategy before listening to a story or presentation.

T is for Tune in. it is more 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.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

L is for Listen. The learner then intentionally exerts effort to listen. He becomes aware if he is
momentarily detracted and give back to listen again
R is for Remember. The learner uses ways of strategies to remember what was learned.

b. PQ4R – 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. Rea the summary of the chapter first then the whole chapter.

Q – Question. Read the guide question provided, or think of your own questions about the topic.

R – Read. Check out sub-headings as you read. Pay attention to 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/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?

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 structure.
5. Have students develop questions; ask questions of themselves about what’s going on around them.
6. Know when to ask for help.
7. Transfer knowledge, attitudes, values, skills to other situations/tasks

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOVICE AND EXPERT LEARNER

Aspects of Learning Novice Learner Expert Learner

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

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

III. LEARNER’S EXPERIENCES OR ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES

1. Based on the principles of metacognition, prepare your own metacognitive game plan on how you can apply
metacognition to improve your study skills.

2. Essay. From the module Metacognition, I realized that…

IV. ASSESSMENT/REFLECTION TOOLS

1. Rubrics
2. Essay

V. MATERIALS/REFERENCE LINKS

a. Book:
Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process
- Maria Rita D. Lucas, Ph.D.
- Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph.D.
b. Internet

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