A CRITICAL STUDY OF SLECTED PROGRAMMES IMPLIMENTED IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AMONG THE STUDENTS

The child's home and neighborhood are the places where the environmental education starts . 

metacoginition

META COGINITION

INTRODUCTION

The term metacognition has its origin from the Greek work meta and the the Latin word cognition . Meta means higher or beyond, and cognition means thinking. Hence, by derivation, metacognition means thinking higher or thinking beyond. That is  think beyond the normal process of thinking.

            The term   metacognition is introduced by Flavell in 1979, to refer to ones knowledge concerning one’s own coginitive process or anything related to them. If you are thinking about the strategy to be employed for learning a theory included in your psychology syllabus, you are engaging in metacognition.

According to Flavell, metacognition is an individual’s knowledge of their own coginitive processes and their ability to control these processes of organizing, monitoring and modifying them as a function of learning.

Mayer defined metacognition as knowledge and awareness of one’s own coginitive processes.

            As given by Martinez,       metacognition is the monitoring and control of taught.

 Shortly, thinking about one’s own thinking is metacognition. It refers to learners automatic awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand, control, and manipulate their own coginitive processes. It is the ability for one to control own thought.

CHARACTERISTICS OF META COGINITION

Metacognition refers to level of thinking that involves active control over the process of thinking that is used in learning situation. The following are the important characteristics:

1.     It is a higher order of thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning.

2.     It involves awareness and self-regulation of once own learning processes.

3.       It involves knowing how to learn.

4.     It includes an awareness and understanding of how one think and uses strategies during reading and writing.

5.     It consists of two basic processes occurring simultaneously: monitoring ones progress as he learns, and making changes and adapting ones strategies if he perceives he is not doing well.

6.     IT is concerned with self-reflection, self-responsibility and initiative, as well as goal setting and time management.

7.       It involves active control over the cognitive process that is used in learning situation.

COMPONENTS OF METACOGNITION

Meta cognition is classified in to three components:

·        Metacognitive knowledge (metacognitive awareness) is what individuals know about themselves and other as cognitive processors.

·        Metacognitive regulation is the regulation of cognition and learning experiences through a set of activities that help people control their learning.

·        Metacognitive   experiences are those experiences that have something to do with the current,o n going cognitive endeavor

IMPORTANCE   OF METACOGNITION

Metacognition is an important aspect of student learning.it involves self-regulation reflection up on an individual’s performance strengths, weakness,learning and study strategies. The task of educators is to acknowledge, cultivate, exploit and enhance the metacognitive capabilitiesof all learners. Metacognition or awareness of the process of learning is the critical ingredient to successful learning. The following are the important role of metacognition in learning.

1.     Metacognition plays a critical role in successful learning .it is important to study metacognitive activity and development to determine how students can be taught to better apply their cognitive resources through metacognitive control.

2.     Metacognition helps readers monitor and control their comprehension on an on goinging basis and adjust their reading strategies to maximize comprehension.

3.     This is the process where the student takes conscious control of the learning. The learner thinks about how he is thinking in a coginitive sense.

4.     Metacognition is the foundation up on which students became independent readers and writers. It also underlies student’s abilities to generalize math problem solving strategies.

5.     Metacognition motivates the learner. It will also help him to maintain motivation to complete a learning task.

6.     It helps the learner to advance in a planned manner in his learning activities.

7.     It reduces mental fatigue, helps the learner in effective memorization and longer retention.

8.     It helps the learner to set priorities, manage time and effective utilization of resources.

9.     Metacognitive strategies will help the learner to gain confidence and became more independent as learners.

10.            It will help the learner to realize that he can pursue his own intellectual needs and discover a world of information at his fingertip.

11.            Thinking of ones own cognition will assist him in planning the way to approach learning task ,monitoring ,comprehension, and evaluating the progress towards a completion of task.

12.            Students who demonstrate a wide range of metacognitive  perform better on exam and complete work more efficiently.

13.            Individuals with a high leval of metacognitive and skill identify blocks to learning as early as possible and change “tool “or strategies to ensure goal attainment.

14.            Meta cognition enables the learner to monitor and direct their own learning processes.

15.            It help the learner to become a person who has learned to learn.

METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCESSFUL LEARNING

Strategies  for  promoting  meta cognition   include   self  questioning  thinking  aloud  while  performing  a task, and  making  graphic  representations  of one’s  thoughts  and  knowledge. Normally  three  levels  of meta cognitive  strategies  can  be  adopted  for  effective  learning. They are

1.       Awareness (a)  consciously  identify  what you already  know (b)  Define  the  learning  goal  (c) Consider  your  personal  resources (d)  Consider  the  task  requirements (e)  Determine  how  your  performance  will  be  evaluated (f) Consider  your   motivation  level   G,  Determine  your  level  of  anxiety

2.       Planning (a)  Estimate   the time required to complete the task (b) plan study time to your schedule and set priorities (c) make a check list of what needs to happen when (d) organize materials (e) take a necessary step to learn by using strategies like outlining , mnemonics, diagramming.

Monitoring the reflection (a) Reflect on the learning process, keeping track of what works and what doesn’t 1.     work for you (b) monitor your own learning by questioning and self-testing(c) provide your own feedback (d) keep concentration and motivation high.