Metacognition.

Metacognition is a cognitive theory defined as a learner's awareness of his or her own learning process. Metacognition is grounded in constructivist theory and gained widespread prominence in the 1970's. The term metacognition evolved from Flavell's (1985) term metamemory. Several components of metacognition include metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experiences. Students learn to control their learning through the use of metacognitive strategies. Teachers are critical in this process, as they can identify those learners who are novice or learning disabled and are unable to monitor their own process. Research suggests that intervention is critical in the development of students' awareness of how to learn more effectively.