Metacognition is the awareness and regulation of your own thinking processes while learning—essentially, "thinking about thinking." Originating from developmental psychology research in the 1970s, particularly the work of John Flavell, metacognition encompasses both metacognitive knowledge (understanding how you learn) and metacognitive regulation (actively controlling your learning strategies). The planning-monitoring-evaluating cycle serves as the foundation for self-directed learning, enabling learners to become strategic, autonomous, and capable of transferring skills across contexts. Research consistently shows that metacognitive interventions produce approximately +7 months of additional academic progress (EEF, 2026), making it one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost educational strategies available.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This topic spans 12 focused tables and 107 indexed concepts. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.
Table 1: Core Components of Metacognition
Flavell's original model distinguished two pillars — metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation — but subsequent work by Schraw and Moshman (1995) clarified that knowledge itself breaks into three distinct types. Understanding all components lets learners diagnose exactly where a breakdown is occurring: not enough knowledge of self, wrong strategy choice, or inadequate real-time monitoring.
| Component | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
Self-assessment: "I learn better when I create visual diagrams than when I just read text" | Awareness of your own cognitive processes, strategies, and learning preferences — encompasses declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge. | |
"I know I struggle with abstract concepts but excel at pattern recognition" | Knowing what you know about yourself as a learner — your strengths, weaknesses, and factors that affect your performance (Schraw & Moshman, 1995). | |
"I know how to use concept mapping, spaced repetition, and the Feynman technique" | Knowing how to apply cognitive strategies — skills, heuristics, and methods available in your learning toolkit. | |
"I use retrieval practice for facts, concept maps for relationships, and elaboration for understanding" | • Knowing when and why to apply specific strategies — matching the right tool to the right task and context • the most advanced type of metacognitive knowledge | |
Check understanding mid-chapter: "Do I actually understand this concept or am I just reading words?" | Active control of learning through planning, monitoring, and evaluating — the executive management layer that directs cognitive resources. |