How to use evidence to support disadvantaged students Meta-cognition and self-regulation Professor Steve Higgins, School of Education, Durham University s.e.higgins@durham.ac.uk @profstig

Overview Why meta-cognition and self-regulated learning? Evidence from the Sutton Trust/EEF Toolkit Applying evidence from research What is meta-cognition? A simple model Some practical strategies A more complex model Some challenges

Best bets (on average) from the Sutton Trust/EEF Toolkit EEF Project Best bets (on average) from the Sutton Trust/EEF Toolkit https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/resources/teaching-learning-toolkit

Meta-cognition and self-regulation Meta-cognition: explicit strategies to Plan… Monitor… Evaluate… your own learning Self-regulation External to internal regulation “Scaffolding” learning (and dismantling the ‘scaffold’) Aim is to become automatic Includes managing motivation/ perseverance

A simple model of meta-cognition Strategies to plan Key steps/ clear goal/ visualisation Notes/ diagrams Strategies to monitor Keeping on track – where will the tricky bits be? Comprehension monitoring Progress check – keeping on track Strategies to review Check criteria (outcome) What worked/ didn’t work (process) What to take forward

Making planning explicit Clear objectives/ targets Understood and explainable by learners Strategies for planning Talk partners, identifying key steps, visualisation, brainstorming Tools Diagrams/ maps/ flow charts, tree diagrams/ storyboards

Monitoring Use the plan – identify the ‘tricky’ bits Identify how to deal with these? What do you need to keep in mind? Self or peer questioning strategies Use ‘buddying’ Reminders ‘Keep on track’ mats/ organisers

Reviewing Hard to make effective Review prior to starting next time? Strategies to improve – focus on process as well as outcome Effective time to talk…

Creating learning skills so that… Planning … Monitoring … Reviewing … become habits…

Key messages about SRL and metacognition: Dignath et al. (2008) Social-cognitive theories - most effective base A focus on strategy training and selection Cognitive - elaboration and problem solving techniques Metacognitive – planning, monitoring strategies Conative/ motivational - planning and feedback strategies Group work is challenging –primary school pupils in particular need support/training.

Key messages about SRL and meta-cognition: Haller et al Key messages about SRL and meta-cognition: Haller et al. 1988; Chui 1998 Reading comprehension (9-11 year olds, in small groups) Explicit teaching of self-questioning strategies Metacognitive approaches more effective with low attainers – explicit strategies Less intensive programmes more effective than more intensive.

‘Self-Regulated Strategy Development’ (SRSD) EEF Project – based on US research Calderdale Excellence Partnership (23 schools: Y6 & Y7) Focus on writing Average 9 months additional progress Greater impact for FSM Now being examined at scale http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/using-self-regulation-to-improve-writing/

What is SRSD? Six step process Activate and develop background knowledge (e.g. content, genre) Discuss it (e.g. strategies, effort, goals, monitoring) Model it (planning, monitoring evaluating, effort) Memorise it (mnemonics, acronyms) Support it (cues, prompts, planners, mats, organisers - FADED) Independent performance (NO cues, prompts, etc.) http://www.thinksrsd.com/self-regulated-strategy-development/

The ‘Zone of proximal development’ Things you can do with help Things you can’t do Things you can do

The ‘Goldilocks zone’ for meta-cognitive development Things you can do with help Things you can’t do Things you can do

A more complex model Being meta-cognitive as a process of thinking to learn From explicit and effortful to routine and automatic Being meta-cognitive about different kinds of thinking E.g. more and less complex (higher and lower order - Bloom)

From “meta” to automatic… conscious control habitual thinking automatic thinking autonomic nervous system

Thinking about what kind of thinking? Meta-cognition: strategic & reflective thinking Engagement with and the management of thinking/learning supported by value-grounded thinking (including critically reflective thinking) Cognitive skills Information-gathering Experiencing, recognising and recalling Comprehending messages and recorded information Building understanding Development of meaning (e.g. by elaborating, representing or sharing ideas) Working with patterns and rules Concept formation Organising ideas Productive thinking Reasoning Understanding causal relationships Systematic enquiry Problem solving Creative thinking Adapted from Moseley et al. 2005 Moseley, D., Baumfield, V., Elliott, J., Higgins, S., Miller, J. and Newton D. P. (2005) Frameworks for thinking: a handbook for teaching and learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

Key Questions for MC & SR

Why does it work? Teaching strategies to succeed Makes the process of learning explicit Promotes talk about strategies for learning Learners take ownership of the strategies Learners work out how/when to choose and apply different strategies

Some challenges (1) Getting the task difficulty right Too difficult – overload Too easy – no need for a strategy Getting the level of strategic support right Too complex/ too many – overload Too simple – doesn’t help

Some challenges (2) Time What to focus on? Time to talk and make explicit Time to review so that it feeds forward Time to embed/ habituate What to focus on? Diagnosing need ‘Thorny’ problems Correcting/ re-learning

Using evidence to support disadvantaged students 1. Use the evidence as a starting point for discussion 2. Dig deeper into what the evidence actually says 3. Understand the ‘active ingredients’ of implementation