What is metacognition, and how can it help you choose your next step?

Metacognition means being aware of our own thinking and learning. It helps us notice what we understand, where we are unsure and whether our approach is working. We use that awareness to decide what to do next.

Imagine a family setting off on a holiday by car. They have packed their bags, booked their stay and checked the map. One winding road leads to their destination. “This is the only route,” someone says, tracing it with a finger.

An hour into the journey, they reach a junction. A sign points towards the same town along another road, one their map doesn’t show. They pull over somewhere safe. They realise they had assumed the map showed every route. What had made them so sure? A passenger checks a more recent map and asks at a nearby shop about the road’s condition before they decide how to continue.

The map has helped them get this far. Questioning their own assumption helps them see its limits. “This is the only route” becomes “This is the only route my map shows.”

Your knowledge is like that map. Learning adds to it. Metacognition helps you notice its limits and adjust how you learn. “This is all I know” leaves room to find out more.

With a huge syllabus and limited time, choosing what to study next can be difficult. You may have some idea of your strengths and weak areas. Knowing what has faded since you last studied it is harder. A familiar topic might need revision too.

Recent attempts, repeated errors and past performance can give you clues. Trying questions again after a gap helps you see what you can still use. These clues cannot tell you exactly when you will forget, but they can guide where you spend your time.

Choose a topic that needs attention and set a goal you can test. Aim to explain its main idea without notes and answer a few questions. Use your results and feedback to decide whether to practise more, change how you study, ask for help or move on. If you try a different approach, check whether it helps.

Plan another attempt later and adjust your revision as you go. Like the family at the junction, you can question what your map shows before choosing your next turn.

For teachers

Students’ practice and test results can help you identify what needs attention and guide the next step for each learner. Explain your reasons and model how you review progress. Help students interpret their attempts so they gradually learn to plan and monitor their learning independently.

MyAbhyasa’s data-oriented approach aims to support this process. Its purpose is to help students understand their learning and give teachers a basis for guiding them. Data can inform these conversations alongside what students explain and ask.

Sources and further reading

• Education Endowment Foundation. Metacognition and self-regulation (opens in a new tab).
• Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring (opens in a new tab). American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911. ERIC bibliographic record and abstract.