A growth mindset requires noticing present learning or thinking strategy use, analysing, comparing, experimenting, gathering feedback, making changes and implementing new strategies. These ‘executive’ functions need to be in place first before any specific learning strategy training takes place in order for any strategy training to be put into effective use by the student in their own studies (Kuhn, 2000). The strategies suggested is to have students reflect on a regular basis on skills, content and learning strategies they use. Students can self-assess a skill they have used are required to use for a task. Self-assessment (Dweck, 1999) has shown to improve self-motivation and self-confidence.
|
Level 1 Novice – observation |
Level 2 Learner – emulation |
Level 3 Practitioner – demonstration |
Level 4 Expert – self-regulation |
|
Observes others performing tasks and using the skill
High levels of scaffolding from teacher needed |
Copies others performance of the skill
Medium level of scaffolding needed |
Can demonstrate the skill on demand
Minimal teacher scaffolding required |
Can teach others the skill
No teacher scaffolding required |
(Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 2000; Berliner, 2004)
The system for self-assessment of skills mentioned has a progression of skills proficiency which moves from observation (the Novice) to self-regulation (the Master). Becoming a self-regulated learner then, is not seen as the achievement of a single skill, but more as a level of proficiency of important skills of learning effectively and efficiently. One key role for teachers in this environment is to create opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiency in learning at the self-regulated level – demonstrate their Mastery through independent, autonomous action.
Students should also reflect on the content, however for better metacognitive reflection to take place students need to continuously asking themselves “what I don’t understand yet is…..?” This feedback to teachers enables teachers to be better informed for the next lesson. In my own classrooms I use this by having students leave a comment or question on the class blog in the evening. These comments and questions are at the start of the class before the lesson continues. This step keeps all students up to speed and is also a very good way of beginning the process of putting responsibility for successful learning firmly in the hands of each student (Hattie, 2009). It is then up to the students to check and make sure they understand everything as they move through the syllabus.
Reflection on learning strategies is probably the most fundamental in developing metacognition. A way for teachers to get students to start to notice learning strategies is to get them to reflect on different ways they are taught on a regular school day and consider which strategies work best for them. The key consideration for students is not which teaching methods they enjoyed most but which were most effective in helping them understand, remember and learn that particular subject matter. This in itself is a big step-forward in metacognitive development for students to separate pleasure from effectiveness in order to better identify their own best ways of learning. Performing this exercise regularly (maybe once per week) then analysis of the information generated will then allow any individual student to build up a profile of themselves as a learner and enable them to more finely calibrate their own most effective ways of learning. The results of which can then be used by the student to improve their learning performance in all their own self-regulated learning – in homework and independent study for tests and exams.
The understandings gained about personal strengths and weaknesses as a learner from analysis of one’s own experience of learning are very significant. Once a student gets an idea about how they seem to learn best they can then start to utilize their strengths in their own independent study and homework and also develop their weaknesses by trying out new techniques and strategies.
References
Berliner, D. C. (2004). Describing the behavior and documenting the accomplishments of expert teachers. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 24(3), 200-212.
Dreyfus, H., & Dreyfus, S. E. (2000). Mind over machine. Free Press.
Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self Theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.
Hattie, J (2009). Visible learning. New York: Routledge.
Kuhn, D. (October 01, 2000). Metacognitive Development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 5, 178-181.