Knowledge of self

Knowledge of self is our knowledge of our abilities and emotions. For pupils to be successful independent learners, they need to be aware of their strengths and limitations. Modelling self-knowledge can provide opportunities to scaffold social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Evidence from the EEF’s Improving social and emotional learning in primary schools guidance report suggests that promoting SEL skills supports pupils to manage their emotions and can lead to positive learning behaviours.

Model your own thinking

Recommendation 3 from the EEF’s Metacognition and self-regulation guidance report suggests that teachers can model their thinking as they approach a task to explicitly show the reflections of an effective learner. Independent learners draw on their knowledge of the task, strategies, and self to plan and monitor their learning. For some pupils, particularly those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, this may not happen automatically. We can explicitly teach this process through careful questioning to support independence and think alouds.

New tool

This tool provides a range of prompts that could be used by teachers when modelling knowledge of self at each stage of the metacognitive process:

It includes an editable planning tool which could be useful for teachers when considering subject specific examples.

Removing the scaffolding

Ultimately the purpose of modelling is to help novice pupils become more capable of learning independently. Over time, teachers should begin to gradually reduce the amount of modelling as pupils begin to think more metacognitively.