ABSTRACT
Metacognition has three main components: knowledge, monitoring, and control. Metacognitive monitoring refers to a person’s ability to evaluate their own thinking, to know when they know and when they don’t know something, and to detect bugs and biases in their thinking. Metacognitive control refers to a student’s ability to consciously change their thinking, to alter their study tactics or their approach to problem solving, and to correct bugs and biases in their thinking. Metacognitive monitoring is particularly challenging to develop, but as they say, recognition is the necessary first step to recovery. Metacognitive control requires both metacognitive knowledge and accurate monitoring; the former provides the toolbox of solutions and the latter provides the troubleshooting. When students have both metacognitive knowledge and monitoring, they are able to adapt their learning and achieve greater success. Teaching metacognitive monitoring is useful for students of all ages, but teaching strategies for metacognitive control should be delayed until primary school.
