Roger’s Reflections - Thinking Moves and self-regulation

Thinking Moves and Self-regulation

Metacognition and self-regulation are often bracketed together, not least by the Educational Endowment Foundation.

Whilst I think it is a good coupling, I am concerned at times that there is too much emphasis on regulation of emotions and behaviour (‘behaviour management’, etc.) and not enough recognition of the inevitable and powerful role that regulation of thinking – a strict interpretation of metacognition – plays in the whole process.

I use the word ‘whole’ advisedly, because one of my contentions is that self-regulation should be conceived as management of the whole self - and not just of one’s acting and feeling (oh, and one’s thinking!)

And the whole self includes your choices, decisions, impulses, habits, interests, desires, attitudes, efforts – and much more besides.

All of these aspects of one’s ‘self’ are capable of being ‘regulated’, in addition to one’s feeling, acting and thinking. Indeed, any sensible analysis of either behaviours or emotions has to recognise that each of them is intricately related to any and all of them.

I have one other point to make about the way in which ‘self-regulation’ is conceived before my conclusion, namely that ‘regulation’ is not the best word to use in the context of growing and managing one’s self.

The concept, by its nature, involves limitation, rather than exploration and expansion. It is particularly inappropriate in relation to feelings and emotions, which we cannot – and should not – suppress or repress. But that is a whole (!) other story…

My conclusion is simple: that whether we are talking about the regulation / management of behaviour or of emotions, or indeed any other aspect of self, there can be ‘no regulation without metacognition’ (to tweak a slogan from pre-revolutionary days).

In order to regulate / manage anything, one needs to have thought about what one is trying to regulate / manage – and to have a plan or template for the process. Indeed, proper regulation or management is not just a plan, but an execution. The plan needs to be put into effect, and then monitored in the process – as it happens – and (nearly finally) evaluated.

I say ‘nearly finally’, because self-regulation / management is never completed; it is an ongoing process. If, on evaluation, it becomes clear that the plan did not work perfectly, it needs to be adjusted or modified for the future.

But these stages are nothing other than the classic metacognitive cycle, of ‘make – monitor – mark  – modify (plans)’, and metacognition is thus intimately involved in any sort of self-regulation. That is a key argument in the second TM book (which I am still working on).

And how do Thinking Moves come into the picture? Well, the cycle just referred to is very much a ‘cognitive’ cycle, involving at least the key Moves of: think AHEAD & FORMULATE – ZOOM OUT and TEST – SIZE and WEIGH UP – VARY (re-FORMULATE). These Moves are certainly relevant to the making of learning or ‘project’ plans, but they are equally relevant to everyday living, and to long-term ‘personal’ projects – such as trying to live the life you want to live, and be the person / character you want to be.