Metacognition in science education: Defi nitions, constituents, and their intricate relation with cognition

Abstract

This chapter provides a general overview of the role of metacognition in science education. First, a distinction is made between metacognitive knowledge and skills. Metacognitive knowledge refers to the knowledge about the cognitive system, while metacognitive skills concern the regulation of cognitive processes. The historical roots, the nature of processes involved, the development and acquisition, and assessment methods are discussed for both concepts. It is argued that adequate metacognitive knowledge is prerequisite to the acquisition of metacognitive skills. Metacognitive skills, in turn, are the main determinant of learning outcomes. A comprehensive theory of metacognitive skills as self-instructions is presented, indicating that metacognitive skillfulness is not merely a response to anomalies in task performance but also includes the active, self-induced regulation of problem-solving and learning behavior. Next, the role of metacognitive skills in science education is discussed from the perspective of various learning processes involved in task performance. That is, from the perspective of how metacognitive skills are enacted in reading text, problem-solving, inquiry learning, and writing. It appears that metacognitive skills for orientation, planning, monitoring, and evaluation are equally important for these learning processes in science education. Finally, implications for the instruction of metacognitive skills are discussed. The chapter emphasizes the recurrent problems with the “fuzziness” of the concept “metacognition” and of its constituents. Nevertheless, it provides a concise review of many of the main approaches to metacognition that appear in the literature.