Learning outcomes:
- LO6: Recall the core concepts and theories underpinning student motivation and metacognition.
- LO7: Outline the impact of motivation and metacognition on academic success.
1. Introduction
One of the most common issues teachers face is keeping their students motivated and aware of their own cognitive processes during learning experiences. This is because student comprehension becomes more difficult if students lack the motivation to remain present and engaged in the construction of their knowledge. If left unaddressed, this lack of motivation can lead to poor academic performance. Another factor that can impact student comprehension and performance is metacognition. Metacognition refers to an individual’s awareness and critical analysis of their own thought processes and cognitive ability. It is an important determiner of student performance, because if students are aware of their own comprehension and cognitive processes, they are better positioned to revise or discontinue them when needed.
This set of notes explores motivation and metacognition in greater detail, by looking at the concepts and theories underpinning these phenomena. These notes also cover the roles of motivation and metacognition in determining student performance (academic success). Stereotype threat, grit and persistence, optimal difficulty, the role of emotion, overconfidence, and the planning fallacy are also discussed.