ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how self-theories relate to student resistance and how metacognition and metacognitive instruments can be useful tools in reducing student resistance. Downing, Ho, Shin, Vrijmoed, and Wong have argued that metacognitive strategies teach students to handle a changing world and 'successfully cope with new situations and the challenges of lifelong learning'. Thus, enhancing student metacognition of their own learning patterns can help them develop a personal template for becoming successful problem solvers, regardless of course content. Instructors can also teach students about mindsets directly in a class workshop. Feedback that does not overwhelm students with details of every mistake but that highlights key things done well and notes a few major areas for improvement with specific suggestions, especially in context of a course that has already focused on student metacognition, is likely to produce better results. Enhancing student metacognition of their own work can also be fostered by requiring later assignments or revisions to incorporate a reflective element.
