ABSTRACT
SUMMARY Research into the education of adults often focuses on the concept of self-direction. This frequently results in the design of learning programmes which presuppose, either directly or indirectly, that the learning endeavours of adults are not only planned by the individual, but that the whole process can be self-controlled. Since the capacity to be self-directing is not innate, any ability in this respect has to be encouraged and developed and, consequently, the learning processes of adults, although frequently seen as planned and controlled by the student, require input at some stage from educators. It is suggested that learning behaviour is a creative and dynamic process involving knowledge of the self just as much as knowledge of a subject or discipline, but that the development of this self-knowledge often needs help. With this in mind, metacognition is identified as a tool for educators which can foster awareness of cognitive processes, increase the student’s psychological control and contribute to understanding of what helps or hinders their own capacity for learning.
Following an initial theoretical discussion of the role of metacognition in the promotion of self-direction, these ideas are related to an example of a strategic programme designed to enhance metacognitive ability in adults. The Programme for Essential Learning in Communications and/or Numeracy (PELICAN), which has been developed by the Oxfordshire Adult Basic Skills (ABS) Unit, is discussed and evaluated in the light of metacognitive theory. Since the programme is validated by the Open College Network (OCN) a brief overview of the aims and operation of OCN accreditation is included, together with a description of the assessment criteria for the PELICAN programme.
