ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on a simple premise—that children's metacognitive development may be aided by giving them greater access to data arising from their own cognitive processes. It seems to be generally agreed that children are less aware of their cognitive processes than adults are. Certainly one important factor retarding the growth of metacognitive knowledge is the limited availability of data from which such knowledge may be constructed. The chapter explores the educational use that is coinvestigation as a way of fostering metacognitive knowledge, considered as a type of self-knowledge. Strategy learning through observation has been frequently demonstrated. The problem with many cognitive strategies is that observable behavior gives only a limited and sometimes misleading basis for reconstructing the underlying mental operations. The chapter discusses and illustrates three approaches to model-based inquiry: Induce a Simplified Version of the More Advanced Strategy, Use Tasks That Transfer Existing Strategies to New Domains and Have Students Provide Procedural Support for Others.
