Wee San Chun

1.38 Nurturing Future-Ready Art Learners through Metacognition (Paper)

Wee San Chun – Singapore Teachers' Academy for the aRts, Singapore

Lai Kuen Vivian Loh – Singapore Teachers' Academy for the aRts, Singapore

Abstract:

Metacognition, broadly defined as thinking about one’s own thinking, encompasses the awareness, monitoring and regulation of one’s cognitive processes (Flavell, 1979). Research has shown that metacognition is key to effective learning (Brown et al., 1983) as it enables students to understand themselves as learners and take control of their learning. This metacognitive awareness empowers them to become self-directed learners, capable of applying their knowledge and skills effectively across various tasks and unfamiliar contexts, thereby preparing them for an uncertain future. Marshall and D’Adamo (2018) assert that metacognition plays a crucial role in students’ creative endeavours. The art classroom serves as a metacognitive catalyst, providing a unique environment for cultivating metacognition. Through art making and discussion, students engage in diverse cognitive processes, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-reflection, which can be further enhanced by metacognitive strategies. As Singapore continues to advance its 21st Century Competencies (21CC) development efforts, metacognition serves as a foundational skill that enables and enhances core competencies such as critical, adaptive and inventive thinking.

This presentation shares findings from an exploratory study that examines the development of students’ metacognition in Singapore’s primary and secondary art classrooms. Through case studies, it focuses on understanding art teachers’ perspectives on fostering students’ metacognitive competencies and the challenges they face in the process, whilst highlighting some promising teachers’ practices for developing metacognition in students. Examples of how metacognition in art education supports the development of 21CC will also be discussed.