GE2204

MANAGING FOR THE SELF

Metacognition
Metacognition is critical for successful learning because it allows people to regulate their cognitive skills
better and identify deficits that can be rectified by developing new cognitive skills. Almost anybody who can
do a skill is capable of metacognition or thinking about how they do it.

According to recent research, metacognitively aware learners are more strategic and perform better than
ignorant learners, allowing them to plan, sequence, and monitor their learning in a way that directly
enhances performance. Metacognition is distinct from other cognitive learning restrictions, such as aptitude
and domain knowledge. The two (2)-component model of metacognition, which comprises knowledge and
cognition regulation, has widespread acceptance.

A. The reflective aspect of learning

Knowledge about cognition refers to what students know about themselves, tactics, and the situations
under which methods are most effective. Declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge can be
conceptual knowledge's building elements.
B. The control aspect of learning
Regulation of cognition refers to understanding how pupils plan, apply methods, monitor, correct
comprehension problems, and assess.

A strong correlation between these factors suggests that knowledge and regulation may work in unison to
help students become self-regulated learners.

Self-Efficacy
Dr. Bandura defined self-efficacy as "people's views about their capacities to create intended levels of
performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives," according to Weibell (2011). He
recognized acts of people who are confident in their talents, such as:
1. Approach complex tasks as challenges to be mastered.
2. Establish challenging goals and stay committed to them;
3. Increase or sustain efforts in the face of failures or setbacks;
4. Attributed failure to insufficient action or a lack of acquirable knowledge and abilities;
5. Approach threatening situations with confidence that they can exert control over them.

Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory:

➢ Self-efficacy theory is based on the assumption that psychological procedures create and strengthen
expectations of personal efficacy.
➢ Outcome expectancy is a person "s estimate that a given behavior will lead to specific outcomes.
➢ Efficacy Expectation is the conviction that one can effectively perform the action required to
generate the consequences.

Dr. Bandura described four (4) primary sources of influence by which a person’s self-efficacy is developed
and maintained. These are:
✓ Performance Accomplishments
What you have achieved in training and competition forms the basis of future expectations. Success
leads to positive expectations and enhanced self-confidence.

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✓ Vicarious Experiences
Seeing someone else achieve success can help motivate you and give you belief. It needs to be
someone of a similar ability to be effective.
✓ Verbal Persuasion
Use careful reasoning to show others' faith in the performer's ability. It could also be done in the
form of self-talk
✓ Emotional Arousal
Interpreting bodily signs of anxiety, such as increased heart rate, means you are ready.

Dr. Bandura recognized mastery experiences or personal performance accomplishments as the most
effective methods for instilling a strong sense of effectiveness. Persuasion, whether verbal or social,
influences one's view of self-efficacy. It's "a method of reinforcing people's perception that they have what it
takes to achieve."

Fixed and Growth Mindset

Dr. Dweck classified people into two (2) sorts of mindsets. People who feel that their intrinsic skills
determine their success have a "fixed" perspective of intelligence, which falls under the umbrella of a fixed
mindset. People with a growth theory of intelligence, also known as the Growth mindset, think success is
built on hard work, learning, training, and perseverance. According to Dr. Dweck, individuals may not be
conscious of their mindset, but their mindset can still be detected based on their actions.

Individuals with a fixed mindset fear failure because it undermines their fundamental strengths. On the
other hand, individuals with a growth mindset do not dread or fear failure as much since they understand
that their performance can be improved and that failure leads to learning. These two (2) mindsets are critical
in a person's existence. According to Dr. Dweck, the growth mindset will enable a person to live a less
stressful and more prosperous life.

For example, children who get praise such as "excellent job" and "you worked very hard" are more likely to
acquire a growth mindset. In other words, by teaching students to think about learning in a specific way, it is
feasible to inspire them to persevere despite failure.

Goal Setting
Dr. Edwin Locke pioneered research on goal setting and motivation in 1960, demonstrating a link between
the difficulty and specificity of a goal and people's execution of a task. He discovered that precise and
complicated goals resulted in higher task performance than vague or straightforward goals.

A few years after Locke's article was published, another researcher, Dr. Gary Latham, investigated the impact
of goal setting in the workplace. His findings confirmed what Locke had discovered, and an unbreakable
correlation between goal setting and working performance was established.

Locke and Latham's critical work, "A Theory of Goal Creating and Task Performance," was published in 1990.
In this book, they highlighted the importance of setting precise and challenging goals and defined five (5)
elements of successful goal setting.

• Clarity
Clear goals are measurable and unequivocal. When a goal is clear and explicit, with a deadline for
completion, there is less ambiguity about which behaviors will be rewarded.

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• Challenge
The level of challenge is an essential quality of goals. People are frequently driven by achievement, and
they will evaluate a goal depending on the significance of the anticipated achievement. When you know
what you're doing will be favorably accepted, you're naturally motivated to perform well.

• Commitment
Goal commitment and difficulties frequently coexist. The more complicated the goal, the more
accountability is necessary. When you have a simple goal, you don't need much drive to complete it.
When working on a difficult job, you will most certainly face problems that necessitate a more profound
source of inspiration and motivation.

• Feedback
An effective goal program must involve feedback and picking the appropriate type of goal. Feedback
allows you to explain expectations, modify goal difficulty, and get acknowledgment. Providing
benchmark opportunities or benchmarks is critical so that individuals can assess their performance.

• Complexity
The final component in goal setting theory introduces two (2) more success requirements. When
working on goals or assignments that are extremely difficult, take extra caution to avoid becoming
overwhelmed. People who work in intricate and demanding professions are likely to be highly
motivated. However, if mechanisms to account for the task's complexity are not integrated into the goal
expectations, they might often push themselves too hard. As a result, it is critical to conduct the
following:
o Allow the individual enough time to complete the goal or enhance performance.
o Allow sufficient time for the individual to practice or understand what is expected and required for
success.

SMART Goal Setting

SMART is a powerful tool for providing the clarity, focus and drive needed to achieve your goals. It can also
help you achieve them by motivating you to establish goals and set a finish date. It can also be used
anywhere without requiring specialized equipment or training. SMART is an acronym that can help you with
goal-setting. George T. Doran used the term for the first time in the November 1981 issue of Management
Review.

To ensure that your objectives are clear and attainable, each one should be:
➢ Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
➢ Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
➢ Achievable (agreed, attainable)
➢ Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)
➢ Time-bounded (time-based, time-limited, timely, time-sensitive)

Professor Rubin also suggests that the SMART acronym's definition be updated to reflect the importance of
efficacy and feedback. Some authors, however, have expanded it to include different focus areas; for
example, SMARTER includes Evaluated and Reviewed.

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How to Use SMART Goals

• Specific
Your goal should be very clear and specific. If you don't, you won't be able to focus your efforts or
feel truly motivated to reach your goals. When writing your goal, try to answer the five (5) “W”
questions:
o What do I hope to accomplish?
o Why is this goal so important?
o Who’s involved?
o Where is it situated?
o What resources or limits are needed?

• Measurable
It’s essential to set goals that can be measured so you can track your progress and stay motivated.
Keeping track of your progress helps you stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement
of getting closer to your goal. A goal that can be measured should answer questions like:
o How many?
o How much?
o How will I know when it’s finished?

• Achievable
To be successful, your goal also needs to be attainable and reasonable. In other words, it should
challenge you but still be possible. When you set a goal that you can reach, you may be able to find
opportunities or resources you hadn’t thought of before that can help you get closer to it. A goal
that can be reached will usually answer questions like:
o How can I reach this goal?
o How realistic is the goal, considering other factors like money?

• Relevant
In this step, you need to ensure that your goal is relevant to you and that it fits in with other
important goals. We all need help and support to reach our goals, but keeping control of them is
important. So, make sure that your plans move everyone forward but that you are still responsible
for reaching your own goal. A goal is relevant if the answers to these questions are “yes”:
o Does this seem worth doing?
o Do you think this is the right time?
o Does this fit with our other efforts and needs?
o Am I the right person to accomplish this?
o Is it relevant to the current social, economic, or environmental situation?

• Time-bound
Every goal needs a target date so you can focus on a deadline. This part of the SMART goal criteria
keeps your daily tasks from taking precedence over your long-term goals. A goal with a time limit will
usually answer these questions:
o When?
o What can I do in the next six (6) months?
o What can I do in exactly six (6) weeks?
o What do I have time to do today?

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References:
Alata, E. J., Cabrera, R., Pawilen, R. (2021). Understanding the self. Rex Bookstore.
Alata, E. J., Casib, B., Serafica, J. P., Pawilen, R. (2018). Understanding the self (A course module). Rex
Bookstore.
Bataraet. al., (2018). Understanding the Self: The Journey towards a Holistic Me. Verbum Books
Cruz, B. (2018). Understanding the self. Sto. Nino, Paranaque City. JTCA Publishing.
Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). SMART Goals. MindTools. Retrieved from
https://www.mindtools.com/a4wo118/smart-goals
Mind Tools Ltd. (1996-2018). Locke's goal-setting theory setting meaningful, challenging goals. Retrieved
from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_87.htm
Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing metacognitive awareness. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 19(4), 460-475.
Squier, K. L. (2016). Metacognitive awareness. Metacognitive Awareness – Excellence In School Counseling.
Retrieved from https://excellenceinschoolcounseling.com/develop-a-cba/define-student-excellence-
overview/self-knowledge-overview/metacognitive-awareness/
Omprakash, A., Kumar, A. P., Kuppusamy, M., Sathiyasekaran, B. W. C., Ravinder, T., & Ramaswamy, P.
(2021). Validation of Metacognitive Awareness Inventory from a Private Medical University in
India. Journal of education and health promotion, 10, 324. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_39_21

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