Metacognition in Learning

Goal

1. Describe metacognition.
2. Apply metacognition when you are learning in ways that lead to better results, more enjoyment, and fewer drawbacks.

What?

In general, metacognition, or “thinking about thinking”, is the awareness and understanding of your own thinking processes. It involves observing your thoughts as if you were an outside observer — monitoring, evaluating, and regulating how you think, learn, and make decisions. The aim of metacognition is to maximize the quality of your thinking in the present moment by monitoring and adjusting how you think.

In the context of learning, metacognition involves monitoring and adjusting your thinking in ways that improve how effectively you learn.

Why?

Effective application of metacognition dramatically increases the effectiveness of learning. You get better results for less effort and far less negative affect (stress, frustration, …).

How?

1. Focus: Bring your attention fully to what you are striving to learn. Gently block out distractions — including wandering thoughts, devices, or interruptions from your environment.

2. Awareness: Pay attention to your current thoughts and feelings — without judgment. Just notice them.

3. Acceptance: Accept what is happening — things are as they are.

4. Self-Coaching: Ask yourself helpful questions, like:

   • “What am I trying to learn?”
   • “Is my approach working?”
   • “What can I do differently?”
   • “What does this mean?”
   • “What are the best practices?”

5. Next Action: Choose the best next action — and commit to it.

6. Begin Again: If you get distracted or discouraged, gently begin again.

Relationships

Metacognition is closely related to the following topics, each of which supports self-regulated learning and effective thinking:

• Mindfulness

  Involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Metacognition uses similar awareness, particularly for noticing thoughts.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  Encourages accepting thoughts and emotions while committing to meaningful actions. Metacognition supports this by helping monitor and guide internal responses.

• Self-Awareness

  A broader concept that includes being aware of your emotions, motivations, and behaviors — metacognition is the thinking-specific branch.

• Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

  Metacognition is one of the three pillars of SRL, along with motivation and behavior control. It helps learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning strategies.

• Cognitive Load Theory

  Metacognitive awareness helps manage cognitive load by recognizing when working memory is overwhelmed and adjusting strategies accordingly.

• Critical Thinking

  Metacognition helps you question assumptions, evaluate reasoning, and monitor your own biases — all essential for effective critical thinking.

• Executive Function

  Metacognition supports high-level functions like planning, goal-setting, task monitoring, and inhibitory control.

• Growth Mindset

  A growth mindset encourages learners to view challenges as opportunities. Metacognition helps recognize unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more productive ones.

• Reflective Thinking (RT)

  Especially in professional or performance contexts, metacognition underpins the ability to reflect on past actions to improve future decisions.