Metacognition – necessities and possibilities in teaching and learning mathematics

• Published in: Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 69 - 87
• Main Author: Sjuts, Johann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Debrecen University of Debrecen 03.06.2025
• Subjects: Bias; Cognition; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive psychology; Computation; Learning; Learning Processes; Mathematics education; Metacognition
• ISSN: 1589-7389; 2676-8364
• DOI: 10.5485/TMCS.2025.15289

This article focuses on the design of mathematics lessons as well as on the research in mathematics didactics from the perspective that metacognition is necessary and possible.Humans are able to self-reflect on their thoughts and actions. They are able to make themselves the subject of their thoughts and reflections. In particular, it is possible to become aware of one’s own cognition, which means the way in which one thinks about something, and thus regulate and control it. This is what the term metacognition, thinking about one’s own thinking, stands for.Human thinking tends to biases and faults. Both are often caused by fast thinking. Certain biases occur in mathematical thinking. Overall, this makes it necessary to think slow and to reflect on one’s own thinking in a targeted manner.The cognitive processes of thinking, learning and understanding in mathematics become more effective and successful when they are supplemented and extended by metacognitive processes. However, it depends on a specific design of the mathematics lessons and the corresponding tasks in mathematics. Subject Classification: 97C30, 97C70, 97D40, 97D50, 97D70