Metacognitive experience in students’ strategic learning

Abstract

In recent decades, the educational focus has shifted from the passive accumulation of knowledge to the development of students’ thinking and self-regulation skills. Metacognition represents a fundamental component of strategic learning, enabling students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own cognitive processes. This article explores metathinking experiences in an educational context, highlighting their impact on cognitive autonomy and academic performance. This paradigm reorientation is essential for preparing students to manage the complexity of information in contemporary society. Metacognitive skills facilitate the transition of students from passive recipients into active and self-aware participants in their own learning processes. They do not merely assimilate facts; rather, they learn how to learn effectively. The ability to monitor their progress, identify gaps in understanding, and adjust study strategies accordingly (for instance, through the utilization of metacognitive assessment instruments such as the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI)) provides them with a substantial advantage. Consequently, the explicit integration of metathinking strategies into the curriculum constitutes not only a pedagogical trend, but also a pragmatic imperativeThe cognitive autonomy acquired empowers them to transfer these proficiencies across diverse contexts extending them beyond the school environment to real-life problem-solving and to an ever-evolving labor market.