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Throughout this article, Brain-Based Teaching is introduced and explained. The idea of brain-based teaching is to get students “thinking about their thinking”, also known as meta-cognition. Research shows in this article, that when students think about learning goals of theirs and strategies to attain those goals, they perform better and improve their learning. It has been discussed that setting goals for learning and monitoring progress toward achieving those goals is almost like a domino effect. Students improve their learning, by becoming more meta-cognitive, therefore continue to be more meta-cognitive in the future to continue the reward of achieving goals and so on and so forth.

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Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching degree programs at Nova Southeastern University.
The topic of metacognition can seem quite abstract -- a complex concept for students to embrace. But it is worth the effort to develop a metacognitive mindset in setting goals for learning and in monitoring progress toward achieving those goals. For teachers empowering students to think about their thinking with the aim of improving learning, it can be truly inspiring when they see the resulting changes in students' motivation, resilience, and learning gains.

A 2014 study by Veenman and colleagues suggests that metacognition, or "cognition about cognition," may account for some 40 percent of the variation in learning achievement across a range of outcomes. One of the major benefits of guiding students to become more metacognitive is in the context of goal setting and the impact on their motivation when they take charge of learning goals.

Let's consider a common scenario.

Learning With -- and Without -- Metacognition

A student of average motivation (he understands the importance of academic performance and wants to do well in school) has set a goal to get a good grade on an upcoming test. In preparation, he spends 30 minutes the night before the test reading the textbook. He is disappointed when he scores poorly on the test. The student might interpret his low test results to mean that he lacks the ability to learn the material, and consequently begin to disengage from the subject. Discouragement and declining motivation could set in.

Instead, let's say his teacher uses the test results (the student in our example was not the only one who did poorly) as the foundation of a lesson on metacognitive and cognitive strategies to improve study habits. The teacher suggests that, instead of just reading the textbook the night before the exam, the students will spend class time brainstorming strategies for more effective test preparation. From this discussion, the student in question begins to incorporate these new practices into his study habits:

Reading key material before the classroom lesson and discussion on the topic

Reflecting on his thinking as he reviews his notes to identify what information is clear and what might be confusing

Creating index cards with concepts that he wants to retain for additional review

Checking his understanding as he reads, and rereading to clarify

Reviewing the index cards in different locations -- at home, in the school library, and with friends in a study group -- to tap into "location memory"

Noticing how his understanding of what he read the night before evolves during a classroom discussion

Asking for clarification from the teacher

Thoroughly reviewing his class notes, index cards, and the textbook again the night before a test

"Rehearsing" his developing knowledge by explaining key concepts to himself or to a peer (in effect, thinking from the perspective of a teacher as well as a student)

As a result of thinking more consciously about his learning and setting, and more effectively working toward a learning goal, the student will be much more likely to achieve or even exceed his aims. That success in turn fuels motivation to continue employing metacognition and honing the use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies that will serve him well in school and beyond.

Goal Setting and the Brain

When teachers help students connect to classroom goals in a way that has personal meaning for them, there is a much greater chance that they will be motivated to engage in the sometimes hard work required in learning. As we noted in a previous post, the prefrontal cortex has been identified as the seat of metacognition, but this area of the brain relays input to another region in the basal forebrain (at the front and lower part of the brain) called the nucleus accumbens. This region is known as the brain's "reward circuit," part of a pathway that stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine in response to rewarding experiences -- such as celebrating success in achieving a learning goal. Dopamine is involved in many brain functions and is known for its role in important aspects of learning, including motivation, memory, and attention.

In our graduate studies and live events, a central concept is never question ability, always improve strategy. By communicating that learning ability can be improved, teachers can emphasize how monitoring their thinking during learning will help students to:

Set learning goals

Choose the most effective learning strategies

Reflect on what they know and what they need to find out

Adjust strategies accordingly

Learn from experience

This process can be quite inspiring for students. Marcus recalls an interaction with a student while he was leading a statewide initiative in Florida on brain-based teaching. As part of this project, Marcus spent time in classrooms modeling thinking strategies. During one of these sessions, a student said to him, "Thanks for helping me to see that it's up to me to get smarter and smarter." This has been our experience as well on both a personal and professional level: Becoming more metacognitive has been a game changer for us as learners, speakers, and authors!

How might setting learning goals underscore that students are in charge of their thinking and learning? What metacognitive strategies have proven useful for your students?

Notes

Veenman, M. V. J., Hesselink, R. D., Sleeuwaegen, S., Liem, S. I. E., & Van Haaren, M. G. P. (2014). "Assessing development differences in metacognitive skills with computer logfiles: Gender by age interactions." Psychological Topics, 23(1), 99-113.

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Inspiring Progress Toward Learning Goals | Edutopia

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Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching degree programs at Nova Southeastern University. The topic of metacognition can seem quite abstract -- a complex concept for students to embrace.

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Reading goals benefits students in a number of ways that affect their engagement, motivation and progress in learning.

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September 2014 | Volume 72 | Number 1
Motivation Matters Pages 54-59

Jennifer Serravallo

To increase student motivation, infuse independent reading time with purpose and support.

Think for a moment about the last time you were proud of an accomplishment. When you embarked on that successful endeavor, you probably stated a goal: "I want to run that marathon," or "I'm going to learn to play 'Für Elise' on the piano," or "This weekend we're going to organize the garage so we can finally fit our car inside." Goals increase engagement and productivity. When we have a clear sense of what we want to accomplish, we're more likely to be motivated to succeed (Pink, 2009).

Learning to read is no different. Goals hold students and their teachers accountable. Students will likely be more motivated to read when they have reading goals that are based on accurate assessments, established in consultation with their teachers, and supported over time.

What the Research Says

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September 2014 | Volume 72 | Number 1 Motivation Matters Pages 54-59 Jennifer Serravallo To increase student motivation, infuse independent reading time with purpose and support. Think for a moment about the last time you were proud of an accomplishment.

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During conferring times, it is helpful for teachers to assess the way students are applying skills and how they are monitoring their understanding and mastery of such skills and goals.

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Pandolpho, B. (2018, May 4). Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/putting-students-charge-their-learning

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Serravallo, J. (2015, July 13). The Reading Strategies Book [Interview by L. Ferlazzo]. Retrieved May 18, 2018.

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Once that child can independently use that strategy- to reach a learning goal, it becomes almost like an automatic skill/response which is what we look for in independent readers.

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The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo 

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The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo 

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Reading goals are set as ways for students to practice specific skills they are lacking in reading. They vary based on individual's needs. Once accomplished, a student can then move onto the next goal that fits them best. Goals are specifically broken down by grade levels and skills based on students' needs.