The Role of Metacognition in Learning Chemistry

This paper discusses metacognition, defined as thinking about one's own thinking, and its role in conceptual change and problem solving in chemistry. Educational research shows that promoting metacognition in the science classroom prompts students to refine their ideas about scientific concepts and improves their problem-solving success. Examples of how metacognition affects problem-solving success are presented, some instructional tools that have been employed to promote metacognition in introductory science courses are discussed, and possible directions for research on metacognition and learning in chemistry are proposed.