This short video below by John Spencer (2018) explains the five phases of the metacognitive cycle.

Let’s look at these five phases of the metacognitive cycle with Faith’s example below. You may not know, but Faith is a baker as well an author and language learner!

1. Assess the task

The first step of the cycle is to establish what we would like to accomplish.

Today, I want to bake a cake.

2. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses

Every person has their own experiences and perspectives that affect how they complete tasks. It is important to identify our individual strengths, be aware of our weaknesses, and use this information to guide which strategies we try.

Strengths: I have baked a variety of desserts before, including cookies, brownies, and cupcakes.

Weaknesses: I haven’t baked a cake before, and the steps look a little different than the baked goods I have made in the past. I also haven’t worked with cake flour before.

3. Plan the approach

Now we need to determine HOW we want to accomplish this task. After thinking about our strengths and weaknesses, it is easier to approach the task in an effective way. Not all strategies work for everyone equally. Some strategies might work better for you than others, so it is important to think about what works best for you.

Since cake flour is the only ingredient in the recipe I haven’t used before, I will look up how it’s different from all-purpose flour. Then, I will measure and prepare all my ingredients before I begin so I do not have to switch between tasks in the middle of my recipe.

4. Apply the strategies

Let’s put our plan into action! In this stage, we will apply the strategies while considering our strengths and weaknesses, as well as monitor our progress. What is going well? What isn’t going so well? It’s okay if our initial plan doesn’t work at first. This is part of the process. Keep the thought in mind but continue to try your best to complete the task.

I notice that even though I haven’t baked a cake before, it seems that it’s using a lot of familiar methods to combine ingredients. I’m not really doing steps I haven’t done before, they are just in a different combination than I have used before. I didn’t read all of the steps before I began the recipe, though, so I ended up doing some things out of order. I’m interested to see how this affects my final outcome.

5. Reflect

After applying the strategies and using your plan, look back and think about the process. Ask yourself again: what worked well and what didn’t? Why? How can we adjust this plan to be more effective?

My cake turned out less fluffy than I expected. I think this is because I accidentally followed the direction out of order. Next time I want to bake a cake, I will read the entire recipe before I begin so I don’t make the same mistake next time.

Many of us may have unconsciously taken advantage of various steps in the metacognitive cycle throughout our lives. However, it is awareness of the metacognitive cycle in its entirety that allows us to take more control of our own learning more deeply. Faith explains,

In the example I gave above of baking a cake, you can see how I went through the steps of metacognition as I was baking, taking mental notes at each stage so that I could reflect on them later and make changes for next time. This will help me to bake a cake in the future that is closer to my expectations. I can continue to repeat this process in order to get closer and closer to the cake I want to make. I may even be able to surpass my initial expectations through innovation and trying new things!