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Introduction:
Most students are capable of achievement at the collegiate
level but not all come equipped with the appropriate skills
or drive necessary for success (O’Phelan, Minatrea &
Haydon, 2002). More and more freshmen are entering colleges
with “A” averages from high school, but only 34%
of fall 2003 college freshmen spent more than six hours a week
studying during their senior year (Engle, 2004). Thus, many
students may not realize the necessary skills for academic success.
You can help students improve their study skills by teaching
students how to take control of their own learning.
Metacognition is a construct that was introduced by Flavell
in 1976. It describes what one understands about one’s
own cognitive processes and outcomes (in Desoete, Roeyers, &
Buysee, 2001). It is one’s own self-awareness. Students
with high levels of meta-cognitive skills are more aware of
the way they learn, their own strengths and weaknesses, and
strategies that they need to take to ensure understanding of
difficult concepts. Through teaching students to self-regulate
their own learning and use those study skills which best suit
their personal needs, you can produce better learners in and
out of the classroom.
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