Metacognition can be defined as an awareness and understanding of a person’s thought processes. In education, metacognition is the ability to think about one’s own learning, Playing a critical role in effective teaching and learning.

By helping students become more aware of their learning processes and strategies, metacognitive pedagogy can enhance academic performance and promote self-directed learning. Teaching practices that promote metacognition shares many similarities with those of Academic Mentorship.  

Academic Mentorship is a form of private tutoring that can be a powerful tool for promoting metacognitive development among A Level, Undergraduate and Master’s students, as they make the transition into ever more challenging academic realms.

Using a combination of pastoral, holistic and academic approaches, academic mentors support and guide a student’s understanding of critical and intentional thinking approaches to their studies. Read our guide on Academic mentorship. 

 

What research suggests 

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity, supporting educational institutions in helping reduce the trend between family income and attainment.

The EEFs’ work specifically aims at distilling the myriad of studies and research into concrete strategies and tactics for excellent teaching practice. 

It has produced extensive guidance for teachers on how to promote metacognition in the classroom. The guidance recommends a range of teaching strategies, including modelling, explicit instruction, questioning, and peer-to-peer learning.

These strategies are designed to help students become more aware of their own learning processes, and to develop the skills and strategies they need to learn effectively. 

Recent studies have provided strong evidence to support the effectiveness of metacognitive pedagogy.

A meta-analysis conducted by the EEF found that teaching metacognitive strategies had a positive impact on students’ academic performance across a range of subjects and age groups, claiming that metacognitive strategies “can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months’ progress when used well.”  

Other studies have shown that metacognitive strategies can be particularly effective for students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, or struggling academically, be it in their mandatory GCSEs, or their undergraduate modules at top universities. 

 

Peer tutoring  

In recent years, several studies have highlighted the benefits of metacognitive pedagogy for student achievement. Recent studies have explored the potential benefits of using metacognitive pedagogy within the context of academic mentoring in university.  

For example, Backer and colleagues (2011) investigated the impact of reciprocal peer tutoring on higher education students’ metacognitive knowledge and regulation.

The study found that students who participated in peer tutoring showed improved metacognitive regulation skills, including self-evaluation and planning. 

In institutions in which peer tuition can be difficult to carry out, the role of an academic mentor, as both as an experienced alumnus and professional tutor, can be a peer, developing and modelling their own study skills, research and articulate their learning processes alongside the student in tailored tutorials.

To learn more on Academic mentors, read our Academic mentorship Q&A with Gabbitas’ Director of School Placements and Higher education.  

 

English Language Development  

Another study by Al-Jarrah and colleagues (2018) investigated the attitudes of ‘English as a Foreign Language’ (EFL) students when using metacognitive strategies in their writing. Download their study here. 

This study found that students who received explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies demonstrated greater motivation and engagement in their writing, as well as improved writing skills. This is particularly pertinent for students coming to the UK to study.  

English is the global lingua-franca for business, international relations, research and the arts. Having a native, bilingual or fluent mentor upon whom a student can lean on to check the nuances of English for Academic Purposes, is hugely beneficial and provides that ‘edge’ in essays and dissertations. 

 

Enhancing Performance, Engagement and Motivation  

Dunn and Mulvenon (2009) examined much of the research on the impact of metacognitive instruction on students’ ability.

For solving maths problems, they report that students who received explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies performed significantly better on problem-solving tasks than students who did not receive this instruction.  

Perhaps students who articulated the thoughts in approaching difficult problems triggered verbal memory to recollect previous similar problems? The research concluded that “metacognitive instruction is a powerful tool for enhancing student learning in mathematics.” 

In addition to improving academic performance, metacognitive pedagogy has also been shown to enhance students’ motivation and engagement.

A study by Yan and colleagues (2018) found that metacognitive instruction increased students’ intrinsic motivation to learn and their confidence in their ability to learn.

The researchers noted that “metacognitive strategies can help students feel more in control of their learning, which can lead to increased motivation and engagement.” 

 

Practical Applications of Metacognition  

Real studies have provided compelling evidence to support the effectiveness of metacognitive pedagogy for enhancing student achievement, motivation, and engagement.

Mentorship can be a powerful vessel for exploring metacognition in learners, providing the scaffolding for a student to implement this ‘thinking about thinking’ into a student’s learning process.  

By analysing a student’s unique learning methods, and drawing upon a wealth of experience in tuition and academic study, Gabbitas Academic Mentors will provide tailored guidance and support to help students develop the skills and strategies they need to become self-directed learners and achieve their academic goals. Enquire to speak to our mentors and tutors here.  

 

To find out more on how specific metacognitive strategies tailored to an individual student can help their learning in exponential ways, email our experts info@gabbitas.com, or call +44 (0) 203 026 7443.  

 

 

This article was written by Gabbitas’ Head of Tuition, Johnny Reynolds, and is part of Gabbitas, a section providing in-depth, first-hand coverage of the UK education landscape and global market trends.    

E-learning brings a new pedagogy to the world of education, one where the classroom is re-confined to the pixels of a laptop, computer, phone or tablet. Courses conducted digitally via electronic media also means teachings and learning are not bound to a certain locale, or a traditional syllabus.

Learning methods and practices can take a new direction thanks to interdisciplinary technological advancements in communication, programs and internet cultures. Learn more about the advantages of e-learning here.

 

EdTech  

Even before the COVID-19 restrictions, the physical classroom was already being restructured around technology in order to help teachers and students alike improve the quality of education. ‘Edtech’ has helped classrooms and teachers develop a new form of learning architecture.

One where the internet becomes a powerful research and personalised tool as a means to gain more information whilst developing soft, independent research skills.  

More recently, new models of E-learning in the form of AI, AR and VR have been creeping into both social and educational spaces. With the near introduction of Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse and the debate around OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the way education is shaped around people’s lives is changing in unanticipated ways. 

The World Bank notes that learning by these means can help build interpersonal relationships, improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and increase data capture on learning performances. These elements have always been on the forefront in education – where technology is now a vessel for increased progress.   

These concepts on paper provide an optimistic lens in the introduction of technology heavy alternatives in education.  But how do they translate, in real time, for the average young person in education right now?

 

Charterhouse Online

We spoke to Karen Davies, the Principal of Charterhouse Online and the Director of International Education at Charterhouse School, to find out how the launch of their one year online A-level course is helping students connect with some of the best UK education, globally.

 

 

Davies has years of experience in education under her belt, having worked with a number of British Independent Schools include Millfield School, Cheltenham College and Amesbury Prep School. Her mission at Charterhouse Online, prevails her experience and dedication in the early developments of e-learning within educational spaces.  

Charterhouse has historically been a valuable force of providing some of the best academic and rigorous self-development approaches in education. They have always been an innovative institution both with their pedagogy and syllabus. So, it seems only right that they have introduced a new way to study. One that is not tied to the shackles of the locale nor the physical ability of a student.  

E-learning through models such as Charterhouse Online have changed the scope of studying online and its ability to be classed with the same credibility as a traditional course. Davies explains that by  “Using a unique combination of accelerated learning approaches, Charterhouse Online offers an A Level programme that can be completed in only one academic year.

Backed by the expertise of one of the UK’s leading schools we offer a choice of six A Level subjects and intensive support, including two on-site modules, that enables students to apply to some of the world’s top universities.” Find out more here.  

Developed e-learning models such as Charterhouse Online are seen to want to challenge the traditional, ‘one size fits all’ approach of learning. This has also been seen within the wider education sector, where 2022 saw an increase of 27% in home education. 

Charterhouse Online does not discredit traditional classroom-based learning. They have achieved quite the opposite – by introducing an anticipated progression to education – bring educators, classrooms and their teachings to the forefront of a global student audience. It is through this mission that the recognition of circumstance rather than choice is also validly apparent.  

With or without the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, many parents and students feel that they have been left dislocated within the architecture of traditional education.

The ADCS reported that in 2022, the top three reasons provided by parents or carers for choosing to home educate their children are as follows (in the correct order): 1) Health concerns relating specifically to COVID-19, 2) Philosophical or lifestyle choice, and 3) Health/ emotional health.   

An increase in home education is therefore a by-product of a changing socio-political landscape that can be worrisome regarding trust or accessibility of traditional avenues of education.

To combat this, the intersection between technology and education has seen to have a positive impact in the teachings and educational ability of young people. One that takes a world stage, for an increasingly online student audience – and one that is geopolitically set up to serve a globalised community.

 

Who is E-learning for?

The traditional classroom is rooted in a pedagogy of interpersonal relationships in the form of teacher-to-student and student-to-student. The syllabus and teachings are shaped through group work, participations and the physical proximity of conversation.

 

 

Arising questions are answered immediately and are heard by everyone. Teachers are also able to closely monitor students on both their academic progress and mental/ physical wellbeing.  

E-learning might seem like it takes a different approach but, this is far from truth. Learning online takes the same pedagogy of the traditional classroom – and restructures it through a digital screen.

Communication technologies such as Zoom have enabled the ability for a classroom to operate fully online. This online classroom has the potential to facilitate the same traditional pedagogy of interpersonal relationships and engagement. The only difference is the location of students and teachers. Proximity of the teachings or the conversation also holds the same weight.  

E-learning can also help develop self-resilient skills that are much harder to explore in the classroom. Davies notes that E-learning suits students that prefer an independent approach to learning. But highlights that this does not dimmish support and guidance by teachers, nor the credibility to use an online A-Level program to apply to university.  

“Charterhouse Online will suit academically ambitious, hard-working and motivated students looking to open the doors to some of the top universities in the world and who will benefit from an accelerated A Level programme.”  

These Independent and self-reliance skills that students build through an online course, provides invaluable skills that can better prepare students in their next stages at university, and career, thereafter. Building these skills early on, will only help young people’s self-confidence and self-resilience, a skill that can be harder to gain through traditional education.  

 

Is an online A-level course credible for university applications?  

Charterhouse has historically had a holistic approach to education, where student examination results are some of the best in the sector. With this in mind, students can expect the same level of support from an online course, as they would from a traditional classroom. 

Davies told Gabbitas that contrary to the belief that online courses do not offer the same credibility in the eyes of universities, Charterhouse Online offers a specialised support system for their Oxbridge applicants. Contact Gabbitas for more information on this.  

“Charterhouse Online is superbly well-placed to support each of our students in their applications to top universities, building on the vast experience of Charterhouse School’s success in preparing generations of sixth form students for the next stage of their academic careers.”  

Thinking of applying to Charterhouse Online or want more information? Speak to our team of highly experienced education consultants by emailing info@gabbitas.com or call +44 (0) 203 026 7443.

Original Source: Better Education

 

When you wave your little one off to their first day of school, the prospect of university and career choices feels light years away. But then someone presses fast forward and there you are in Year 9 having to make subject choices that could impact on your child’s opportunities later on in life. How do you know if dropping History rather than Geography will rule you out of being a future Prime Minister? By picking Business Studies over Economics means that a career in high finance may be compromised? And all of this is happening when your child is only 13 or 14 years old!

We always advise students that rather than gazing into a crystal ball it is better to take action with some career profiling; this will highlight their strengths and guide them to explore a variety of suitable options. Taking this long term perspective can be hugely helpful for making confident choices for GCSE’s or the equivalent. Objective profiling gives clear guidance and can reassure families that the subject choices made at this stage need not be life defining.

Roll forward another two years and then it is a different scenario…..the post 16 choices a student makes starts charting a much more specific course.

The first decision to be made is which curriculum to study at 6^th form (Year 12 and 13) level. The International Baccalaureate offers academic rigour and a chance to study a wide range of subjects.  However, this broad based programme is not for everyone; for some children the thought of battling on for two more years with subjects they do not want to study can be torture. And, if the end game is to achieve the highest possible grades for university entrance, then is risking low scores in subjects that do not come naturally worth the risk?  A Levels offer a more focused approach but here you are confined to studying only 3 subjects, 4 at a maximum. Is it really possible aged 16 to know which 3 subjects are going to equip you for life? Or maybe you are thinking about the French Baccalaureate system, but even here you have to pick a particular pathway which will steer you towards certain university degrees and potential career paths.

The good news is that all of these qualifications are globally recognised at universities across the world and some of them are even credit bearing for courses in the US. But how do you make such a critical decision when it’s hard to know what you will be doing next month, let alone in 10 years’ time? Again we find some objective profiling is valuable here. Assessing a students’ interest levels for particular degrees and then ‘health checking’ their suitability to study these areas can be a good way of evaluating where their strengths lie and how best to turn those to academic advantage. It is also useful at this decision making point to work out what the expectations are for the next level of education. To be a competitive applicant to study Economics at LSE, for example, it is sensible to be studying Maths at the highest possible level; and nothing is more heart-breaking than a student coming to see me wanting to study at Medical school and realising too late that the top subject requirement is Chemistry not Biology.

We are living in an age of rapid change, Oxford University predicts that 47% of today’s jobs will disappear in the next two decades and be replaced by…. who can tell? So how can you help your child to make sounds choices in such uncertain times? Gabbitas can help, contact us today to find out more about student profiling and University preparation.