What does the term "metacognition" mean?

The term "metacognition" refers to the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. It encompasses a range of activities related to thinking about how we think, learn, and understand information. This includes self-regulation of cognition, such as planning how to approach a learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies used to solve a problem. By engaging in metacognitive practices, individuals can become more effective learners, as they not only absorb information but also reflect on their approach to learning, enabling them to adjust their methods for better outcomes.

The other options highlight important aspects of learning, such as understanding external concepts or the significance of feedback in a social context, but do not specifically focus on the self-awareness and self-regulation of one’s own cognitive processes, which is the essence of metacognition. Memory retention, while crucial to learning, is more about the storage of information rather than the reflective processes involved in understanding and managing one's own learning strategies.