Metacognition

Metacognition (noun), refers to a higher level of thinking.  It is when one thinks about how they think and selects certain strategies for learning and problem solving.  It is the ability to actively monitor and control the thinking process.  

John Flavell, a developmental psychologist was one of the first to share his research on the theory of metacognition in 1976.   Most of his work was focused on the cognitive development of children.  

Here are some examples of metacognition from the psychologyandsociety.com website: 

• When a person learns what things help them to remember facts, names and events
• When a person becomes aware of his/her own bias in judging others
• When a person learns about their own learning style

Understanding your own style of learning, how you think about yourself and others and how you memorize is a form of metacognition. When you understand how you think about yourself and others you will take your cognitive ability to a new level.

  "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." (William James)

"Specific knowledge will not be as important to tomorrows people as the ability to learn and make sense of new information."   (D  Gough, 1991)

"To make an individual metacognitively aware is to ensure that the individual has learned how to learn."   (Garner), 1988