Metacognition and self-regulation approaches support pupils to think about their own learning more explicitly, often by teaching them specific strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning.
- Metacognition is the learner’s ability to be aware of, reflect on, and direct their thinking.
- Self-regulated learners apply metacognitive strategies to their learning. They demonstrate self-regulation by managing their motivation, thoughts and behaviour to set goals, monitor working, reflect and review progress.
Studies focus on equipping pupils with metacognitive strategies. This promotes learner independence. Teachers have an important role to play in the explicit teaching of metacognition and self-regulation strategies. Teachers can also model metacognition and provide scaffolding to support pupils to become better self-regulated learners.
Other toolkit strands such as Oral Language Interventions, Reading Comprehension Strategies and Collaborative Learning Approaches
are closely linked to Metacognition and Self-Regulation. These approaches feature studies that use strategies and practices similar to those in Metacognition and Self-regulation.
Metacognition and self-regulated learning is a crucial element of teaching but can be a complex topic; the EEF have produced further guidance which you may find useful, ‘Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning: Guidance Report’.
1. The average impact of metacognition and self-regulation approaches is high (+8 months additional progress) however, it can be difficult to realise this impact in practice. Teachers should be supported to both explicitly teach metacognitive strategies and to promote metacognitive skills in lessons.
2. The research evidence indicates that explicitly teaching strategies to help pupils to plan, monitor and evaluate specific aspects of learning can be effective. Research suggests these should be taught and applied to the usual curriculum content, rather than taught discretely through ‘thinking skills’ lessons.
3. Teachers can promote metacognition by modelling their thinking aloud. For example, teachers might explain their thinking when planning an exam response or breaking down a mathematical problem, alongside promoting and planning for metacognitive talk related to lesson objectives.
4. In effective studies, teachers often model the explicit use of a metacognitive strategy during a task. For example, they might co-construct a planning checklist and explain how this supports learning, or verbalise self-questioning to evaluate progress.
5. The research evidence suggests that promoting reasoning, argumentation and debate helps to develop metacognition and self-regulation. This is because it encourages pupils to reflect on their learning, the learning of others, and draw connections between topics.
The average impact of metacognition and self-regulation strategies is an additional eight months’ progress over the course of a year.
In studies that are effective, metacognition and self-regulation strategies tend to be applied to challenging tasks rooted in the usual curriculum content.
Metacognition and self-regulation strategies can be effective when taught in collaborative groups so that learners can support each other and make their thinking explicit through structured discussion. However, research suggests that this collaboration will need to be carefully structured to ensure it is effective.
Teachers can use a variety of resources to help pupils develop connections between concepts, understand sequential steps, and make criteria for success explicit. For example, teachers might use reflection questions, knowledge organisers, worked examples or success criteria. This supports pupils to plan, monitor and reflect on their learning.
Improved outcomes have been identified across literacy, maths and science. The approach is effective for both primary and secondary schools.
The impact is similar across all age groups. Studies with early years, primary and secondary age pupils show high effects.
Metacognitive and self-regulation strategies have been used across the curriculum, with approaches in mathematics very successful. However, the effect on reading outcomes is also high.
Metacognitive strategies that support reading comprehension form a large proportion of the evidence base and demonstrate a positive impact on pupil outcomes.
The evidence suggests metacognition and self-regulation strategies are effective in whole class, large, small group and one to one settings.
Some studies suggest disadvantaged pupils are less likely to use metacognitive and self-regulation strategies unless explicitly taught to do so, but broader evidence on this link is limited.
The research evidence suggests that studies with higher numbers of disadvantaged pupils had a high impact. This is a promising area of practice to work towards closing the disadvantage gap. Improved metacognition and self-regulation skills have the potential to promote learning across the curriculum and beyond.
Metacognition and self-regulation strategies work through learners planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning strategies. Effective teaching practices include:
- Explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies.
- Prompting pupils to set goals and activate prior knowledge.
- Teachers modelling their own thinking and self-talk to demonstrate metacognitive strategies.
- Providing opportunities for pupils to reflect on, monitor their strengths and areas of improvement, and plan how to overcome current difficulties.
- Providing resources such as self-questioning prompts and self-marking criteria.
- Encourage reasoning and debate to promote reflection on knowledge and draw connections between topics.
- Providing enough challenge for learners to develop effective strategies, but not so difficult that they struggle to apply a strategy.
Metacognition and self-regulation strategies appear more effective when embedded in a school’s curriculum and a specific subject lesson. For example, you may teach the use of self-questioning by applying it to your school curricula such as literacy, history and science.
Research evidence suggests that the effectiveness of metacognition and self-regulation strategies is influenced by teachers’ understanding of how to develop pupils’ metacognitive knowledge. There is some evidence to suggest that teachers should understand the theory behind metacognition and self-regulation; schools should focus on developing a shared understanding of this approach.
More information, tools and resources on Metacognition and Self-regulation can be found in the Guidance Report ‘Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning’.
There are a range of EEF/ RSN resources and exemplification around this topic that you may find useful. For example:
- ‘Seven steps to working scientifically’.
- Thinking Aloud to support mathematical problem solving.
- How to Plan a Think Aloud | Bradford Research School.
Whilst this strand includes evidence from children in the Early Years, additional EEF resources offer further support for this age group:
- Early Years Evidence Store: Self-Regulation and Executive FunctionSelf-regulation and executive function include a range of skills and abilities that give children greater awareness of and control over their emotions, thoughts and actions.
- Early Years Teaching Toolkit
When introducing new approaches, schools should consider implementation. For more information see Putting Evidence to Work – A School’s Guide to Implementation. The EEF offers further support for school in designing and implementing effective professional development, ‘Effective Professional Development’.
Overall, the median costs of implementing metacognition and self-regulation strategies are estimated as very low. The costs associated with metacognition and self-regulation mostly arise from professional development for staff.
Whilst the median cost estimate for metacognition and self-regulation strategies is very low, the range in cost of professional development training, and the option to purchase additional materials and provide ongoing training and support, means that costs can range from very low to low.
This cost estimate assumes that schools are already paying for staff salaries, materials and equipment for teaching, and facilities to host lessons. These are all pre-requisite costs of implementing metacognition and self-regulation strategies, without which the cost is likely to be higher.
Implementing metacognition and self-regulation strategies will also require staff time as staff need to develop their own understanding of metacognition and self-regulation processes to model effective use of these strategies and skills to pupils.
The security of the evidence around metacognition and self-regulation strategies is rated as high. 355 studies were identified. Overall, the topic lost a padlock because a large percentage of the studies were not independently evaluated. Evaluations conducted by organisations connected with the approach – for example, commercial providers, typically have larger impacts, which may influence the overall impact of the strand.
As with any evidence review, the Toolkit summarises the average impact of approaches when researched in academic studies. It is important to consider your context and apply your professional judgement when implementing an approach in your setting.
Have any questions?
The Teaching and Learning Toolkit is a living resource that is updated as new evidence is published. As we continue to update the Toolkit we are interested in your questions about this topic area for future content.
The evidence synthesis team will review submitted questions and, where possible, provide answers in future updates.
Guidance Reports