METACOGNITION & LEARNING STRATEGIES: Your Success Formula

Rogers Research Global
Jun 28
5 min read

Updated: Aug 12

Written by: Marie T. Rogers, MPS, Ph.D., RYT

THERE IS NO LIMIT

TO HOW INSPIRED,

HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE AND

HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU CAN BECOME!

What you know, how well you know it and how easily you can apply this knowledge can make all the difference in the world to your success; both present and future. Key elements to the learning process are awareness and focus. Teaching and training your brain to enhance these elements will transform your learning process. True learning changes how you think, not just what you remember.

What is heard during a lecture is often ephemeral—briefly passing through awareness without anchoring in long-term memory. Unless the listener actively engages with the material through strategies like reflection, questioning, and repetition, much of what was heard will likely evaporate into the unconscious, never fully processed or retained.

LEARNING IS TRANSFORMATIVE

Knowing the material isn’t about getting the right answer once — it’s about knowing why it’s right, when it applies, and how it connects to previously learned information.

True learning changes how you think, not just what you remember. It’s not enough to recognize material or recite facts — real understanding means you can apply the concept, explain it in your own words, question it, and even teach it to someone else.

WHAT ABOUT IQ? Having a high IQ doesn’t mean you’ve cornered the market on learning. Many confuse high intelligence with effective learning, but learning is a skill and not a fixed trait. You don’t need a high IQ to become a master learner but you do need metacognition, which is the ability to reflect on how you’re learning, identify what you don’t yet understand, and adjust your strategies accordingly. In fact, individuals who actively reflect on their learning—adapting, adjusting, and employing effective strategies—often outperform those with higher measured intelligence who neglect to use these essential skills.

METACOGNITION

Metacognitive knowledge and processing, often described as "thinking about thinking," refers to an individual's awareness of their own cognitive processes and their ability to regulate and control those processes to enhance learning and problem-solving. This is vital for developing effective study habits.

Metacognitive knowledge is what individuals know about their own cognitive processes. This includes understanding personal strengths and weaknesses in learning as well as knowing which strategies best suit one’s learning style or preference. For example, while one student may recognize she retains information better through visual aids, such as diagrams or charts, another student may realize he learns best when hearing the information first, creating his own mental representations of the material, and then capturing his thoughts on paper.

Understanding what one knows about oneself as a learner, including strengths and weaknesses, knowing how to apply various learning strategies and techniques and discerning when and why to use specific strategies in different situations all fall under metacognitive knowledge.

Metacognitive regulation, on the other hand, involves managing one’s learning. These skills are directly tied to the executive functions such as goal-setting, planning, monitoring, and evaluating the learning process. Metacognitive processing, or regulation, involves actively monitoring and controlling one's cognitive processes during learning and problem-solving. Together, metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation empower learners to study more effectively.

THE METACOGNITIVE LEARNING FORMULA

Implementing metacognitive strategies into study routines can dramatically change how you approach learning. Here are some effective techniques to consider:

1. Self-Questioning

During study sessions, periodically pause and ask yourself the following questions:

What are some of my thoughts about what I’m learning?
What has piqued my interest?
Is there anything here I am curious to learn more about?

At the end of each study session, summarize what has been learned. Reflect on which strategies were effective and which were not. This reflection process creates a feedback loop that informs future study habits; enhancing overall learning.

2. Planning Ahead

Before starting a study session, outline specific goals that you would like to achieve. Next, plan the method in which you will be studying the material.

For example, if you are taking an online business and marketing course, perhaps reserving 90 minutes, 3 mornings per week (until completion) will be your personal success strategy. The night before, you would have your course material, notebook, writing utensils, and other study tools set up so that when you wake up, you can easily grab your cup of coffee and sit down to your successful study session. This structured approach maximizes study time and will help anchor your focus.

3. Monitoring Progress

Regularly assessing understanding while studying is crucial. This might involve quizzing yourself or discussing concepts with a study group.

Peer group or collaborative learning promotes insight and real-time feedback about what you've learned and perhaps more importantly what you still have not yet adequately absorbed.

Monitoring your progress will help keep you on track and allow for any needed adjustments in your study strategies. In addition, while learning about learning is crucial for success, also keep in mind that awareness without focus will not deliver the desired results, and focus is accentuated through a calm and regulated mind and nervous system. What's good for the body also tends to be good for the brain so cultivating healthy habits will go a long way in your ability to most effectively and efficiently learn.

Calming the mind and improving focus are critical for effective studying.

Techniques such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can help relax the mind, reduce stress, and improve concentration.

-I CAN LEARN ANYTHING

P. 15

The learning process deepens when we pause, reflect, and bring mindful awareness to how we take in and apply knowledge. Metacognition invites us to slow down, notice our mental habits, and intentionally shape them. That’s where real learning begins—and where lasting understanding takes root. In the end, metacognition isn't just a learning strategy, it's a mindset.

When we step back to observe how we think, learn, and grow, we become more than students of information; we become stewards of our own transformation. And when we pair that with mindfulness, we don’t just learn better, we live wiser.

References

Rogers, M. T. (2024, September 15). Neuroplasticity & the Love of Learning: Embracing the Philomath Within. LinkedIn.

Rogers, M. T. I Can Learn Anything: My Study Notebook for Capturing Course Content. Amazon, 2024.

Disclaimer

The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical/health or professional advice or treatment. As with most things in life, there isn't a magic pill or "cure-all" but there are strategies to help regain control of your life.

About Dr. Rogers

Dr. Marie T. Rogers is a psychologist, consultant, podcaster, certified yoga instructor, author, and creator of guided journals and notebooks that inspire reflection, growth, and intentional living.

Dr. Rogers' publications include LIFE in FOCUS: A Self-Discovery Journal for Powerful Transformation, POWERFUL MANIFESTATION: Bringing Your Vision to Life through Intention-Setting, Gratitude and Self-Reflection, and FLOWING INTO THE GRATITUDE ZONE: My Daily Journaling Practice—each designed to foster mindfulness, emotional clarity, and inner peace through self-guided inquiry and gratitude.

In addition to her transformative journals, she has created versatile companion notebooks: I CAN LEARN ANYTHING: My Study Notebook for Capturing Course Content, supporting active learners and CAPTURING CREATIVITY: One Idea at a Time, and IDEAS, INSPIRATIONS, INSIGHTS: My Notebook for Capturing Creativity, both designed to hold space for spontaneous brilliance and reflection.

Dr. Rogers hosts the LIFE in FOCUS podcast where she talks about all things neuroscience, mental health, executive functioning, psychoneuroimmunology (otherwise known as the mind-body connection and the role stress plays), mindfulness, and basically how to live your best, most successful, most energized and healthiest life.