Leveraging metacognition to transform students’ mindset

Abstract

"Have you ever been faced with students who explain their lack of motivation in your course by hopelessly stating that they cannot imagine passing because the subject matter is simply "not their strength" or, on the contrary, by confidently claiming that they have "nothing left to learn" about it? Despite my best efforts to offer engaging learning activities, I have regularly heard these two comments—or some variation of them—from demotivated students in my English as a Second Language classes. It appeared to me that both attitudes are rooted in students’ preconceived notions about their (in-)ability to learn English (or any other skill they might consider an immutable talent), which negatively affect their motivation. The good news? Research shows that teachers can act to help students transform this so-called fixed mind set into a growth mindset, and the results of an exploratory study I conducted suggest that metacognitive ability may be the key to transforming students’ mindset and motivation in a positive way." -- AQPC