Making sense of metacognition: theory and practice for the classroom

Over the last 10 years, Dr James Mannion has worked with colleagues to develop a whole-school approach to teaching and learning known as the Learning Skills curriculum, rooted in metacognition, self-regulation and oracy. An 8-year impact evaluation at the University of Cambridge found that Learning Skills led to significant gains in subject learning across the curriculum, with accelerated gains among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Learning Skills approach has since been successfully implemented in a range of settings - from early years to universities, from schools in areas of high disadvantage to international colleges, and from workplaces to refugee camps. In this practical workshop, James will explain how the Learning Skills curriculum centres around three key concepts - metacognition, self-regulation and oracy. We will explore how these concepts interact in theory and in practice to help children become more confident, proactive, self-regulated learners. Participants will come away a range of practical strategies for putting these powerful ideas into action in the classroom.

Biography

Dr James Mannion worked as a Science teacher for 12 years, and spent 8 years in school leadership roles. He has a Masters degree in Person-Centred Education from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Learning to Learn from the University of Cambridge. James’s doctoral thesis is an 8-year evaluation of the Learning Skills curriculum, a whole-school approach to teaching and learning that led to significant gains in subject learning across the curriculum, with accelerated gains among students from disadvantaged backgrounds. James is a Bespoke Programmes Leader at the University College London Institute of Education, in the Centre for Educational Leadership. He is also the Director of Rethinking Education, an independent education consultancy. In these roles, James works with teachers and schools around the world to promote research-informed approaches to professional development and school improvement. James is an Associate of Oracy Cambridge, a study centre and think tank dedicated to promoting effective speaking and listening skills in schools and the wider society. He is also a Founding Fellow of England’s Chartered College of Teaching. James is a passionate advocate of Learning to Learn, Practitioner Inquiry, and Implementation Science. He is also the host of the Rethinking Education Podcast and Mighty Network. You can contact him at james@rethinking-ed.org, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter

Link to Jame's book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Mind-Killer-teaching-Learning/dp/1911382772