SECTION 5

Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors in Learning

Comparison of Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors in Learning

LEARNING POINT: CONCEPTS AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT COGNITION AND METACOGNITION

One of the more important goals of the teaching-learning process is to develop successful and self-
regulated learners-learners who take charge and are in control of their learning. What are the
characteristics of successful learners?

A. Can create meaningful, coherent representations of knowledge with support and guidance.

B. Can link new information with existing knowledge in meaningful ways.

C. Can create a repertoire of thinking and reasoning strategies to achieve complex learning goals.

COGNITION- refers to all the mental processes and abilities in which people use or engage on a daily
basis. Examples of such meitoringocesses are memory learning, problem- solving, evaluation, reasoning
and decision-making. Cognition helps to generate new knowledge through these mental processes, and
also helps to use the knowledge that people have in their daily life.

METACOGNITION- is defined as thinking about thinking. It allows an individual to complete a task

through planning, monitoring, evaluating, and comprehending. Cognitive processes allow normal
functioning of individuals, but metacognition takes it to a higher level, making à person more aware of
his cognitive processes. To illustrate, a person may be able to solve a mathematical word problem using
his cognitive processes. But metacognition allows him to double check his output by monitoring and
evaluating his answer. Metacognition exercises active control over cognitive processes engaged in
learning, also known as self-regulation. This is why metacognition helps successful learning.
Type knowledge Used in the Metacognition Process

a. Declarative Knowledge. Knowledge about the self as learner, factors that influence the person's
learning and memory and the skills, strategies, and resources needed to perform a task. In other words,
knowing what to do.

b. Procedural Knowledge. It is knowing how to use strategies in different occasions or conditions.

c. Self-regulating Knowledge. Knowing the conditions as to when to apply the procedures and strategies
to ensure completion of the task.

d. Metacognitive Knowledge. Refers to general knowledge about how human beings learn and process
information as well as individual knowledge of one's own learning processes. For example, a student
may know that he will be more' productive if he studies in his room with piped-in music than when he
studies in the library.

Reporting By: SIHAWIE, ASNIMAH H.