Unit 3: Metacognition and its key role in supporting retrieval and long-term memory

There’s an old adage that says classrooms are the places where pupils go to watch teachers working hard! Certainly, when coaching teachers, one of the first questions sometimes asked is 'who is working hardest?' The answer is often ‘the teacher’, however, for effective learning to take place, we need to activate learners as owners of their own learning.

Part of this process involves equipping learners with the skills to navigate and evaluate their own learning and to respond to challenges appropriately. In this unit, we will explore key recommendations for doing this in the classroom.

• Learn what the latest research tells us about metacognition.
• Explore the challenges and opportunities when trying to develop learners’ metacognitive skills.
• Consider implications for your own practice.