Date of Completion
5-31-2026
Degree Type
Open Access Capstone
First Advisor
Robert Ricketts
Second Advisor
Jeremy Szteiter
Abstract
This synthesis paper examines how metacognitive thinking develops through intentional, sequenced teaching practices that deepen students’ cognitive engagement. Drawing on research, personal inquiry, and instructional design, it demonstrates how early and sustained metacognitive instruction strengthens learners’ reasoning, self-regulation, and awareness of their own cognitive process. The analysis centers on Opportunities to Respond (OTR), a metacognitive strategy highlighted in the institute of Educational Sciences’ Teacher-Delivered Behavioral Interventions, and compares this model the Know, Want to Know, Learned (KWL) framework and the Habits of Mind behaviors. Together, these approaches illustrate a developmental progression in which learners first notice their thinking, then organize and regulate it, and eventually internalize habits that support flexible, self-directed engagement. The synthesis also incorporates metacognitive Professional Development materials created through work in the Critical and Creative Thinking Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, alongside the author’s own metacognitive growth that emerged through questioning, reflection, and refinement during the research process. By connecting practical teaching tools with established metacognitive models, the paper offers educators adaptable strategies for integrating metacognitive practices into everyday instruction, highlighting metacognition as a foundation for deeper learning and long-term academic growth.
Recommended Citation
Westphal, Peggy-Sue, "Designing Visible Thinking: A Developmental Approach to Metacognitive Teaching Practices" (2026). Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection. 437.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone/437
Included in
Cognitive Psychology Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
Comments
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