More Than Just Learning: The Power of Metacognition at Oakridge
- 27 June 2025
At Oakridge International School, metacognition isn’t just an academic tool, it’s a mindset we nurture in learners. By guiding students to reflect on how they think, learn, and grow, we empower them with the clarity, confidence, and independence they need to thrive in today’s fast-changing world.
“Metacognition, thinking about one’s own thinking, plays a powerful role in the classroom. It helps students discover how they learn best, reflect on their actions, and take ownership of their learning journey. When students plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking, they become more independent, confident, and effective learners. It’s not just what they learn, but how they learn that shapes their growth,” says Ms. Ishu Gupta, Metacognition Lead at Oakridge.
She adds, “To introduce metacognition in an age-appropriate way, we use simple, relatable language. For example, we might say: ‘Let’s think about what went well today and where we got stuck.’ We also model reflection by thinking aloud so students can see how it works: ‘I’m proud of myself because…’ or ‘I went wrong here because…”
“We support reflection further with guided prompts and routines, like the ‘3 Whys, I used to think, Now I think…’ that encourage students to look inward and grow,” she explains.
Ms. Ishu Gupta shares, “We taught students how to collaborate more thoughtfully during group work using the Visible Thinking strategy ‘The Explanation Game.’ This helped them practice active listening, communicate their ideas clearly, and identify areas they needed to improve, like paying closer attention to teammates.”
“With regular use of visible thinking routines, students have grown in confidence, expressed their ideas more clearly, and thought more deeply about their learning. Most importantly, they’re beginning to identify the steps they need to take to reach their goals,” she elaborates.
Our action research on metacognition is led by Dr. Damian Babell, a professor at Boston College. “He has been an invaluable part of our team, and this work would not have been possible without his guidance and expertise,” notes Ms. Ishu Gupta.
At Oakridge, we believe that helping students think about their thinking today will empower them to shape the world tomorrow.
