Learning communities promote pedagogical metacognition in higher education faculty

Abstract

Pedagogical metacognition, or the reflective and reflexive actions associated with teaching practice, strengthens the planning, monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of teaching in higher education faculty. Learning communities are optimal environments to foster this active teaching reflection. This study incorporated pedagogical metacognition into a faculty learning community curriculum and explored its impacts on higher education instructors’ reflective and reflexive practices. Faculty participants completed monthly metacognitive reflections for one academic year, each corresponding to a research-based principle of learning. Qualitative analysis indicated that faculty learning community participants recognized their lack of pedagogical training, successfully reflected on their teaching strategies, identified areas for improvement, and set goals to incorporate research-based strategies into their instruction. To maximize student learning, pedagogical metacognition should be included in higher education professional development to encourage reflection on and action upon one’s teaching.