Metacognitive skills

Metacognitive skills are, amongst, intelligence, a very powerful predictor of learning outcomes. Research shows that (highly) gifted students do not always possess these skills. This can go unnoticed for a long time. Especially when the course aren’t challenging/hard enough these students will have enough using their own intelligence. They do not need their metacognitive skills. Often problems arise, with disappointing results, once the course becomes more difficult. This could be after the transition from PO to VO or in upper secondary education. Sometimes even in the third level of education. It is therefore important that teachers recognize early metacognitive weak students and guide their development. The programme already exists, but is rarely used. In the grant project the programme will be applied at different schools by the teachers. This will be monitored by the universities and on the basis of the evaluation the methodology will be developed for teaching metacognitive skills. The training will be given by Marcel Veenman, cognitive psychologist. Sarka Portesova of JCMM will provide an impact assessment. Nelleke Wagenaar and Nathalie van der Arend, teachers SCOL, are processing the method in a manual.