Metacognition as a tool for developing a gifted learner

Metacognition, according to John Flavell’s concept, is the ability to analyze one’s own thinking strategies, the ability "to think about thinking " and manage one’s cognitive activity. Currently, the concept of "metacognition" is widely used in various disciplines (cognitive psychology, pedagogical psychology, developmental psychology, philosophy of mind, etc.). This makes a number of researchers speak about it as the "dark" vague concept, which is often used alongside with other concepts such as "self-regulation", "self-government", "executive control ", etc. Metacognition holds a great importance for the pedagogical process. To plan a solution to a learning task, monitor understanding of the studied material and evaluate the degree of progress towards educational goals all these are the essence of metacognition. And since metacognition affects the success of training, it is also vital to be able to develop this skill.

In addition to it, there exists the question of how to explore metacognition. Among the methods of the study of metacognition can be named the following: a cover thinking aloud, an interview after the learning, cross-age learning, self-report questionnaire. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, most researchers are inclined to think that these methods should be used in combination for more reliable results.

One way to engage students in the process of evaluating their learning are estimation charts, which aim at teaching ways of adequate assessment of themselves and others. You can offer students to make brief notes – a rationale evaluation in the form of praise, approval, suggestions, etc. These methods can be defined as reflexive assessment activity.

Another way of involving students in assessment activities is the method of criteria assessment that we use in our classroom. While doing the latter, students fulfill a certain task, focusing on clearly defined criteria that will be assessed after the work performed. Students are given the opportunity of evaluating their work and the work of their classmates according to these criteria. In the process of evaluating the students see the positive and negative aspects of their work, ie analyze how their work has been performed. With this in mind, students can continue to more efficiently plan their activities.

The criteria assessment system includes formative assessment as well as summative one. Formative assessment provides preliminary data on the quality of the task performance and allows its correction, directs the progress of students, helping him to plan and organize their activities properly.

My personal experience shows that reflective practice could be effectively used in each process of educational sphere. In this respect reflective practice becomes a practical and reliable tool for monitoring virtually all the spheres of a learner’s development. In addition to it, reflection is also a relevant aspect of tracking a teacher’s personal development. If it is used competently and meets the person’s needs, it can become a powerful tool for psycho - pedagogical research, as well as a means for updating a teacher’s own personal development as well as an effective incentive for the student.

While reflecting it is important to pay attention to the three main components. First of all, we need to define - what we want to diagnose, what it will be used for in class. What role our reflection and its results should play.

Secondly, a really effective method of reflection should give an idea of  the possible reasons of changes. It is better if these causes will be set by the students themselves.

And finally, the third component is participants’ assessment of the pedagogical process so as to develop its productivity as an outcome of the interaction.

Typically, reflection is carried out at the end of the lesson in the form of summing up the results, a discussion of what have learned and how to work - that is, each assesses its contribution to the achievement of the objectives set at the beginning of the lesson, their activity, performance in class, excitement and usefulness of the selected forms of work.

Learners can be offered to express it just in one sentence, choosing phrases from the reflective screen on the board:

• Today I have learned ...
• it was interesting ...
• it was difficult ...
• I was doing the task ...
• I realized that...
• now I can...
• I felt that ...
• I learned how to ...
• I was able to ...
• I will try ...
• I was surprised ...
• gave me a lesson for
• life ...
• I wanted to ...

To summarize the lesson you can use the exercise, "plus-minus-interesting." This exercise can be done both orally and in writing, depending on availability of time.

To perform it in written form it is requested to complete a table of three columns.

In the column "P" - "plus" the learners write everything they enjoyed at the lesson, that might be information or the forms, which have caused the positive emotions, or the opinion of the student which may be useful to him in order to achieve certain goals.

In the column "M" - "minus" they write anything that they did not like at the lesson as it seemed boring, provoked hostility, remained unclear, or the information which, according to the student, seamed useless.

In the column "I" - "interesting" students enter all the curious facts which have learned at the lesson and that would still like to know on this issue or questions to the teacher.

This table came up with Edward de Bono, MD, Ph.D., University of Cambridge.

At the end of a lesson it is possible to give the learners a small questionnaire which allows them to carry out introspection, giving qualitative and quantitative assessment to a lesson. It is possible to vary or add some points, depending on to what elements of a lesson special attention is paid. It is possible to ask pupils to give arguments to their answer.

For evaluation of their activities by students and the quality of their work in the classroom can be offered to children on a piece of shareware to mark their answers:

• “V” - said at the request of teachers, but the answer is not correct
• “W” - said at the request of the teacher, the answer is correct
• “|” - Said on his own initiative, but the answer is not correct
• “+” - Said on his own initiative, the answer is correct
• “0” - did not answer.

Discussing the end of the lesson the results of their observations, students will be able to objectively evaluate their activity and performance.

In order to complete the lesson on a positive note, you can use one of the options exercise "compliment" (compliment, compliment, compliment merit, Compliment of the senses), in which students evaluate each other's contribution to the lesson and thank each other and the teacher conducted a lesson for . This version of the lesson provides an opportunity to meet the need for personal recognition of the importance of each.

One of the most effective metacognitive techniques, is a method called "Odyssey of the Mind". This model includes both critical and creative thinking, which is widely used in programs for gifted children.

It is logical and consistent, it step by step determines the direction of thought and student’s actions. It consists of six steps or methods:

• detection of the disorder (the study of the situation causing the hardship and finding a guide to its decision);
• identifying data (the collection of information on this situation, the allocation of areas to address it);
• definition of the problem (problem statement);
• finding ideas (to identify the causes of the problem and proposing ideas for solving the problem or part thereof);
• finding a solution to the problem (the choice of constructive ideas);
• Approval of all that has been found (step by step creation of a model for implementing a better way to solve the problem).

Thus, the application of this model will help develop students' higher skills of critical and creative thinking. Generate the necessary skills in learning, which can later be used in real life. Application of this model will enable gifted students to get the best results and help them understand what real thinking is hard work for the development of which requires a lot of effort and time.

In order to develop metacognitive skills in learners it is highly important to build the learning process in a different way: the student are to use and develop their higher level of thinking skills student learn to work in a team, to use the necessary resources and information. In this regard, the role of the learner undergoes radical changes: from being a sponge, absorbing knowledge, he becomes an active participant of his own learning process. Moreover, he self-consciously and of his own accord, poses harder tasks, plans and organizes his activities, as well as analyzes and gives them his assessment. This makes the learning process a highly efficient, effective, learners acquire critical thinking skills, abilities to solve real-life problems that contribute to their successful socialization.

Metacognitive theory has considerable potential in terms of assisting teachers as they seek to build teaching process on the formation of learning strategies, prove that learners can improve their performance by studying their own thinking processes. Teachers can teach learners these skills, explaining students effective strategies for solving problems as well as cognitive and motivational characteristics of thinking.

It is crucial to distinguish between cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies, as indicated in Flevell’s works. Cognitive strategies help a learner achieve a specific cognitive goal (eg, understand a text), while metacognitive strategies are used to monitor achievement of this goal (eg, self-assessment of the text comprehension) Metacognitive component, usually get activated when knowledge fails (in this case it may be lack of understanding of the text at first reading.) Such a failure will activate metacognitive processes that allow an individual to correct the situation analyzing the reasons of it so as to change the ways of fulfilling the task.