Mobilising metacognition: A starter kit to support teacher understanding

The EEF Toolkit, and an evidence review undertaken by Professor Daniel Muijs and Christian Bokhove, show the positive potential of mobilising metacognition in classrooms.

However, understanding metacognition is only part of the process – and implementing and sustaining approaches that support metacognitive thinking and independent learning can be really challenging.

This starter kit signposts key EEF resources that could be helpful. Drawn from the key recommendations from our Metacognition and Self-regulation guidance report. It highlights a range of tools to help build staff knowledge and provides suggested activities for initial professional development on metacognition.

For many educators, metacognition offers teaching approaches that, crucially, can guide pupils towards becoming more independent in their learning. Whether it is writing an essay in history, tackling word problems in Year 2 mathematics, or debating a controversial topic – planning, monitoring, and evaluating appear to be valuable steps that we need to make explicit for pupils.