Metacognitive training

Metacognition is usually defined as “thinking about thinking,” and it refers to knowledge about factors that influence task performance and knowledge about strategies. Moreover, it includes metacognitive regulation processes such as planning and monitoring task performance as well as evaluating the efficiency of these planning and monitoring processes. Good metacognitive abilities are essential for academic success, and good metacognitive skills support a number of other cognitive processes that are necessary to perform a specific task. Thus, training of metacognitive skills has become an important element of different training programs in various domains. In the present chapter, we will give an overview of recent advancements in the knowledge about metacognitive training in the context of mathematical skills, reading abilities, and regarding executive function training. Research from all three domains reveals promising results, indicating that the integration of metacognitive training into more conventional training programs leads to greater improvements than conventional training alone. Metacognitive training is effective for many different age groups, via different methods, and in different contexts. At the same time, however, there are still a number of open questions like the question of interindividual differences or the question of long-term effects, indicating that the field of metacognitive training research is likely to keep in the future.