Mentor materials
Discussion - self-regulated learning and metacognition
Teaching techniques to focus feedback on
Interaction:
Discussion
Outcome:
To have developed your teachers understanding of self-regulated learning and metacognition and identified barriers to their pupils using these strategies.
Stimulus
During their online study, your teacher was introduced to metacognition and self-regulation. Discuss the information they covered. You may want to read pages 8-11 of the Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning Guidance Report (linked below) ahead of the meeting and use this during your discussion too.
Praise, probe and set precise actions
To support you in probing their understanding, you may want to discuss/ask the following questions:
- What is self-regulation and why is it important?
- What’s the difference between cognition and metacognition and how are they interconnected?
- What three pieces of knowledge are important for metacognition? (Knowledge of task, knowledge of self, knowledge of strategies to approach the task)
- How able do you think your pupils are at self-regulating their learning?
The following practise should be focused around the outcomes of the probe and precise actions, so that it is specific to your teacher’s developmental needs. However, below are some practise ideas based on the online study content to support you if needed.
Plan and practice ideas
After discussing self-regulation and metacognition with your teacher, help them to identify potential barriers to their pupils’ ability to self-regulate their learning. This could be things such as the pupil’s awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, their ability to reflect on and adapt strategies they are using, their motivation and engagement with learning. This is an introduction to self-regulation and metacognition. Developing pupils’ self-regulation and metacognition will also be built on throughout the rest of the programme.
Key questions and talking points
- Have you heard of self-regulation or metacognition before?
- Why will metacognition look different in different subjects?
Additional resources:
Education Endowment Foundation’s metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report (pages 8 to 11 would be particularly useful to read ahead of the mentor session)