1. Metacognition, thinking skills and whole-school improvement
Module 4
Metacognition, thinking skills and whole-school improvement 1 1

2. Module aim
Understand the concept of developing a whole-school approach to using metacognition and thinking skills as effective pedagogy to deliver whole-school improvement.

3. Module objectives Discuss the importance of effective pedagogy.
PISA INSET Training
Module objectives
Discuss the importance of effective pedagogy.
Consolidate knowledge regarding metacognition and thinking skills.
Explore ideas for practice that have the potential to contribute to the development and implementation of a whole-school approach to metacognition and thinking skills.
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

4. Recap Corporate slide master Metacognition is . . .
Thinking skills are . . .
Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations 4

5. Metacognition is . . . Thinking about your own thinking.
Reflection – appreciating what we know/prior knowledge.
Self-regulation, managing learning and the application of previous knowledge/experience to a new learning situation.

6. Thinking skills are . . .
Making connections, within and across texts, within and across themes and across a range of personal experiences.
Gaining deeper understanding and making reasoned judgements to achieve improved learning.

7. Thinking skills in the context of PISA
Plan
Develop
Reflect
Asking questions
Generating and developing ideas
Reviewing outcomes and success criteria
Activating prior skills, knowledge and understanding
Valuing errors and unexpected outcomes
Reviewing the process/method
Gathering information
Entrepreneurial thinking
Evaluate own learning and thinking
Determining the process/method and strategy
Thinking about cause and effect and making inferences
Linking and lateral thinking
Determining success criteria
Thinking logically and seeking patterns
Researching context, other precedents, exemplar material and applying it
Deciding on a time scale
Considering evidence, information and ideas
Forming opinions and making decisions
Monitoring progress
Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations 7

8. Informed pedagogy
How does our understanding of metacognition and thinking skills inform pedagogy?

9. Task 1: Effective pedagogy Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations 9

10. Effective pedagogy
In your groups, think of as many words as you can to define the term ‘effective pedagogy’.

11. Learning dispositions Craft knowledge
Abilities
Knowledge
Pastoral
Teaching skills
Standards
Skills
Academic
Commitment
Personal/personal and social development of learners
Challenging
Creating the learning environment
Methods of teaching
Learning dispositions
Craft knowledge

12. Informed pedagogy
What are the links between metacognition, thinking skills and effective pedagogy?
What is a whole-school approach?

13. Whole-school approach
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Whole-school approach
… an organisational approach with the aim of integrating metacognition and thinking skills within the ethos, culture, routine life and core business of the school.
National Children’s Bureau, 2006
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

14. Whole-school approach involves:
PISA INSET Training
Whole-school approach involves:
leadership, management and managing change
policy development
learning and teaching, curriculum planning and resourcing
school culture and environment
giving children and young people a voice
provision of support services for children and young people
staff continuing professional development (CPD) needs, health and well-being
partnerships with parents/carers and local communities
assessing, recording and reporting the achievement of children and young people.
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

15. The whole-school approach
Task 2:
The whole-school approach
Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations 15

16. The whole-school approach
Watch the video clip where a teacher discusses their experience of developing a whole-school approach to metacognition and thinking skills.
Identify three key aspects that are important to you in taking the whole-school approach forward.

18. Reflecting upon current practice
What are you already doing?
What needs to be done differently?
What are the challenges?
Trainer notes:
In groups share your 3 points.
Consider how your discussion has links to your own practice and whole school approach.
Consider the questions on the slide.
Discuss as whole group.
Trainer scribes two lists:
What common elements links your whole school thinking skills practice to aspects discussed in the video?
What needs to be addressed?

19. Professional learning communities (PLCs)
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Professional learning communities (PLCs)
A PLC is a group of practitioners working together using a structured process of enquiry to focus on a specific area of their teaching to improve learner outcomes and so raise school standards. Welsh Government, 2011 (page 7)
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

20. PISA INSET Training
PLCs
Building the school’s capacity to contribute to continuous improvement.
Supporting the Welsh Government in:
improving standards of literacy
improving standards of numeracy
reducing the impact of poverty on educational attainment.
Welsh Government, 2011
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

21. Whole-school approach to improvement
PISA INSET Training
Whole-school approach to improvement
Whole-school learning environment.
Metacognition and thinking are explicit.
Common language/learning strategies for metacognition and thinking.
Coherent and well-planned approach.
Applied across primary and secondary school.
Kestral Education, 2013
Module 4: Metacognition, Thinking Skills and Whole School Improvement

22. Task 3: SWOT audit Corporate slide master
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23. SWOT analysis: audit of current provision
Think about where you are now…
What do you do in relation to metacognition
How are you developing thinking skills?

24. Task 4: Moving forward Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations 24

25. The road ahead . . . Action planning What actions need to be in place?
Who needs to responsible for these actions?
How can these actions be resourced?
Trainer notes:
Give a copy of Task 4 Handout 2 to each delegate.
This sheet is designed to be discussed and completed by the end of the session.
Delegates may like to take this sheet away with them to share with their school colleagues.

26. References
Kestral Education (2013),Creating a Thinking School. [Online]
National Children’s Bureau (2006), A whole-school approach to Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship. London: NCB.
Welsh Government (2011), Professional Learning Communities. [Online]

27. Further reading
DCELLS (2008), Framework for Children’s Learning for 3 to 7-year-olds in Wales. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.
OECD (2009), PISA Take the Test: Sample Questions from the OECD’s PISA Assessments. [Online]
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 at a Glance. [Online]
OECD (2012), A Guide To Using PISA as a Learning Context. [Online]