Metacognition made simple: Equipping Amala Educators with 'Thinking Moves' to deliver transformational learning
This is a guest blog by Roger Sutcliffe, Director of DialogueWorks, Educator and Author
Earlier this year, twelve Amala educators in Amman and Kakuma completed three two hour online courses arranged by Louie Barnett, Amala’s Learning and Innovation Lead. The course was on a new scheme for enabling teachers and their students to focus on the quality of their thinking during lessons, as well as the (important) content of the lessons.
The scheme is Thinking Moves A – Z: Metacognition Made Simple, and was conceived over 10 years ago by Roger Sutcliffe, director of DialogueWorks, to improve the quality of discussion in the classroom. A short, user-friendly book of the same title was published in 2019.
Since then it has become appreciated that this list of 26 thinking ‘skills’ has wider application, across and beyond education. This is because metacognition – generally understood as ‘thinking about thinking’ – is itself a key learning and life skill, enabling greater self-awareness and leading to better self-management.
How is this? A full answer is beyond the scope of a short blog, because there are, actually, several understandings (as well as misunderstandings!) of metacognition and its use for different purposes.
“I believe incorporating “Thinking Moves” into learning design and facilitation will significantly enhance student learning and outcomes. By encouraging critical thinking, reflection, and active engagement, students can develop deeper understanding and retention of material, leading to improved academic performance and better preparedness for real-world problem-solving and decision-making.”
Amala Educators and Louie, Learning and Innovation Lead (green square) with Roger Sutcliffe (top left).
For the purposes of this account, some simplification is necessary. As the title of the book suggests, such simplification is not only possible but even desirable - especially so that teachers and learners can benefit from the developing field.
As an Early Career Teacher recently put it, “We did metacognition on our PGCE course and it was so complicated. I am going to email my tutor and tell them they need to use the Thinking Moves!”
Within the scheme, then, two key metacognitive Moves are:
ZOOM (OUT), or ‘step back’, because that is the vital step to start thinking about your thinking; and
LISTEN / LOOK, because ‘look at yourself’ (as a parent might say to a muddy child, or a grumpy teenager) is good advice; and ‘listen to what you are saying to yourself’(whether the voice of conscience, or the voice of lack of confidence, etc.) is the next vital step towards self-management..
Self-management, importantly in the scheme, is understood to be management of one’s feelings and actions, as well as one’s thinking. Indeed, early in the Thinking Moves course participants are encouraged to reflect on the interweaving relationship between these ‘parts’ of oneself.
But then the practical question is: How exactly can one manage one’s thinking in order to better manage one’s learning?
Part of the answer to this can be found in the idea and practice of Thinking Grooves or strategies - i.e. sequences of Thinking Moves - similar to Ron Ritchhart’s Thinking Routines, but more precise yet prolific. SEE – THINK - WONDER, for example, can be interpreted to greater effect as LOOK (or LISTEN) – CONNECT / DIVIDE / EXPLAIN / HEADLINE / INFER/ KEYWORD / MAINTAIN / RESPOND / ZOOM (IN) – QUESTION.
Another part of the answer lies in the power of another Move: VARY. To become a better self, one sometimes needs to change one’s way of thinking, feeling or acting. All being well, Amala educators and students are doing just that!
“[The Thinking Moves] are so simple students can memorise them and this will help students in their learning to have simple vocabulary for their thinking, which is the first step to “being aware”. Also, they improve students’ ability to explain and evaluate their thinking.”
You can contact Roger directly at rogersutcliffe@dialogueworks.co.uk
Find out more about Thinking Moves: www.thinking-moves.com