Metakognitioon

Metakognitioon is the Finnish term for metacognition, the knowledge about and regulation of one’s own cognitive processes. It involves understanding how learning happens, recognizing one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and selecting and adapting strategies to complete tasks effectively.

Metacognitive knowledge is commonly divided into three parts: declarative knowledge (awareness of what one knows and does not know), procedural knowledge (knowing how to carry out tasks and use strategies), and conditional knowledge (understanding when and why to apply particular strategies). Metacognitive regulation refers to the control processes that support thinking during a task, including planning before starting, monitoring ongoing comprehension or performance, and evaluating outcomes after completion.

In educational settings, metacognition supports self-regulated learning. Learners who plan their approach, monitor their understanding, and adjust strategies tend to perform better in reading, problem solving, and testing contexts. Metacognitive skills can be fostered through instruction that emphasizes strategy teaching, reflective questioning, and opportunities to practice and receive feedback.

Measurement of metacognition often uses self-report inventories, such as the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, along with think-aloud protocols and task-based assessments. Researchers view metacognition as a domain-specific construct that can vary across tasks and contexts, and as a malleable set of skills that can be trained.

Applications include classroom practices such as modeling thinking aloud, providing prompts for planning and monitoring, encouraging reflective journals, and teaching explicit strategies for planning, monitoring, and evaluating one’s work. Limitations include measurement challenges and cultural or domain differences in how metacognition is expressed.