WHAT AND WHAT ARE THE METACOGNITIVE LEVELS? - SCIENCE - 2024

The metacognitive levels refer to the different levels at which a person can think about their learning processes. They are the levels of “knowing about how to learn”.

In general, individuals with high metacognitive levels are better at planning, managing information, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating activities.

Knowing the metacognitive processes and their different levels is important in learning processes, since they affect the processes of knowledge acquisition, understanding, memory and application.

Understanding the different metacognitive levels facilitate their control and regulation of operations that lead to better learning.

Although there is consensus on the fact that the metacognitive process occurs at different levels, these levels are not well established. Different authors may vary the definition of the levels, however the skills are practically the same.

Metacognitive levels

Based on different studies, four different metacognitive levels can be found:

Level 1. Tacit

People at this level are characterized by the absence of metacognition or at most by showing a slight concern about the superficial elements of texts, mathematical problems or other subjects that need to be learned.

At this level, people usually accept or reject something as they understand it or do not understand it.

It is common for people at this level not to ask themselves anything about the knowledge to be acquired and to use phrases such as "I don't know much about mathematics, so what do I do?"

Level 2. Thoughtful

At this level, people know that there are learning strategies that can facilitate their process, however they do not apply them effectively.

Regarding a topic that must be understood, people at this level tend to focus on the local coherence of the topic, but they do not know how to look at the global.

It is common to hear from people at this level phrases such as "That topic is easy" and "this topic is difficult."

Level 3. Strategic

At this level, people know that there are strategies for learning a certain topic and they are also capable of using them. These people can do most of the tasks assigned to them in a class or in a job with which they are familiar.

People at the strategic level have the tools from which they can choose the appropriate ones for the interpretation and acquisition of knowledge and its use.

The ability to observe and understand the overall coherence of a topic is characteristic of people at this level.

People at this level can make comments like “Does this topic come on the exam? If not, why do we study it? "

Level 4. Reflective

At the highest metacognitive level, people manage to reflect on the overall coherence of a topic and not just understand it. For the same reason, these people can modify this knowledge, and play with it to relate it to other knowledge.

On the reflective level, people are good at understanding topics with which they are unfamiliar and at learning in contexts other than those usually shown to them.

People at this level question all knowledge they acquire. It is common to hear them say "Why is that the case?" or "if we put it in a different situation, does it still work?"

References

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2. Davis L. Transcription: Four levels of metacognitive learners. Cambridge international examinations
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5. Olmedo CA Production of argumentative texts and metacognition. Letters. 2005; 47 (71): 63-88
6. Shetty G. Study of the Metacognition Levels of Student Teachers On The Basis Of Their Learning Styles. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME). 2014; 4 (1): 43-51.