Identification of cognitive and metacognitive strategies in school pedagogues: results of a training program

Abstract This article aims to identify the cognitive and metacognitive strategies utilized by school pedagogues responsible for the coordination and articulation of the pedagogic process inside schools in a continuous training program. Metacognition is not usually examined in connection with teachers and/or professional development; therefore, to analyze the importance of metacognitive development for school pedagogues, attention to continuous training is essential both to attain a better comprehension of the term and to establish ways to identify it. This qualitative research taking a phenomenological and hermeneutic approach was developed based on a continuous training program with 16 pedagogues from public and private schools and different segments of activity. Semi-structured interviews and an instrument for the identification of the utilization of five cognitive strategies (reflexivity, reality conscious, verbalization, attention and thought/attitude) and three metacognitive (awareness-making, self-control and autopoiesis) were administered. The results indicate a high level of agreement by participants with the items described by the instrument; in addition, when relating verbal reports from participants to the results obtained with the instrument, it was noted that the proposed continuous training program could facilitate reflections about “learn to learn” as articulated within the activity context. Further studies are needed of school pedagogues, as well the development of training processes (both initial and continued) that promote the development of metacognitive strategies, contributing to daily activity together with the teachers.