Metareflection

Metareflection is the practice of reflecting on the act or results of one’s own thinking. The term combines meta, meaning beyond or about, with reflection, meaning thoughtful consideration. It is used across philosophy, education, and the social sciences to examine not only what one believes but how one arrived at those beliefs and what their thinking implies for other areas of inquiry.

In philosophy, metareflection involves scrutinizing the grounds and standards of justification behind a belief or argument, often to reveal hidden assumptions, normative commitments, or the structure of reasoning itself. In educational settings, metareflection refers to learners’ critical assessment of their learning processes, goals, and strategies, with an emphasis on how they think as they learn. It is frequently practiced through reflective journals, portfolios, or guided prompts that draw attention to cognitive methods as well as content mastery.

In research and social theory, metareflection is closely related to reflexivity. It asks researchers to consider how their own position, values, and methods influence data collection, interpretation, and conclusions. In cognitive science and psychology, metareflection is often treated as a component of metacognition, focusing on awareness and regulation of cognitive processes themselves.

Challenges include bias, overemphasis on introspection, and the difficulty of describing internal experiences in verifiable terms. Effective metareflection often combines qualitative self-review with external feedback and structured procedures to support reliable learning, reasoning, and inquiry.