Metacognition for Learning and Transfer Symposium

The “Metacognition for Learning and Transfer Symposium” focuses on advancing the understanding and enhancement of Singapore students’ metacognition—defined as the awareness, control, and regulation of one’s learning—and teachers’ metacognitive practices.  Held on the afternoon of 26th March 2026 at the National Institute of Education, the symposium featured insights drawn from the multi-disciplinary, multi-study programmatic research project “Paving the Way Towards Lifewide and Lifelong Learning: Exploring and Fostering Metacognition for Learning and Transfer” (OER 02/21 LNH). The research project—a signature project under the Science of Learning Education Centre and comprising five interlinked studies—is led and co-led by Associate Professor Lee Ngan Hoe and Dr Imelda Caleon, and features studies helmed by Dr Melvin Chan, Associate Professor Teo Wei Peng, and Dr Dawn Ng.

Attended by more than 100 participants, the three-hour symposium brought together in-service teachers, MOE officers and curriculum specialists, and interested researchers from higher education institutions. Besides obtaining preliminary findings by the research team into Singapore secondary students’ metacognition and teachers’ metacognitive practices from multiple perspectives and how these could impact learning and transfer, participants also learned more about a metacognition intervention programme for students and a metacognition professional development programme for teachers to foster students’ metacognition. In addition, participants also discovered more about actual teachers’ experiences in infusing metacognitive practices in secondary school classes.

Highlights from the Event 

• Professor David Hung delivered the opening address, emphasising the importance of metacognition and offering his perspective on the significance of the research findings for the future of education.
• Associate Professor Lee Ngan Hoe presented an overview of the programmatic research and provided preliminary findings from his qualitative study that examined metacognitive practices across formal (English language and Mathematics) and non-formal (Co-Curricular Activities) instructional curricula.
• Dr Melvin Chan shared his quantitative analyses of students’ metacognition and teachers’ metacognitive practices and strategies, revealing key factors that influence students’ metacognition and how it relates to achievement and learning transfer. 
• Associate Professor Teo Wei Peng offered a neuro-imaging perspective to the study of Secondary students’ metacognition, identifying preliminary insights into the neural correlates underpinning metacognitive processes during problem solving in English Language and Mathematics.
• Dr Imelda Caleon presented on the development and evaluation of the Metacognition Instruction Programme (MIP) designed for Singapore secondary students. 
• Dr Dawn Ng described the development, implementation, and evaluation of the professional Development Programme in Metacognition (PDPM) for Teachers. 
• Associate Professor Chow Jia Yi delivered the closing address, noting how metacognition could enhance achievement, learning transfer, and lifelong learning, with important implications for curriculum, teaching, and educational policy. 
• The symposium also featured two parallel sessions showcasing participating teachers’ experiences in infusing metacognitive practices in their classrooms. One session, led by Imelda Caleon and presented by a teacher participant from Yuying Secondary School, highlighted insights and reflections on fostering metacognition in Mathematics. The other session, led by Dawn Ng and teachers from Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School, St. Margaret’s School (Secondary), Tampines Secondary School, and Yusof Ishak Secondary School, examined instructional strategies to foster students’ metacognition in Mathematics and English Language classrooms. 

Impact and Takeaway

The symposium reinforced the critical role of metacognition in shaping self-directed, adaptable learners equipped for the demands of the 21st century. By deepening awareness of how students think, monitor, and regulate their learning, educators can better support the development of higher-order thinking skills and effective learning habits.  In addition, the research contributes significantly to building a localised knowledge base on students’ metacognitive processes in Singapore, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers. It demonstrates how evidence-based interventions can meaningfully improve both teaching practices and student outcomes.  Beyond knowledge-sharing, the symposium also served as a platform to foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening the connection between research, policy, and classroom implementation. It left participants with practical strategies and renewed commitment to nurturing reflective, independent learners.