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Domain-Specific Knowledge, Metacognition, and the Promise of Instructional Reform

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Abstract

Advancements on two major fronts in cognitive and developmental psychology provide a foundation for reforming the character of academic instruction. Advancements on one front, sometimes referred to as domain-specific cognition, promise to identify the structures of content knowledge students need in order to become proficient in particular subject-matter domains. Advancements on the second front, sometimes referred to as metacognition, promise to specify the knowledge of their own cognitive procedures students need in order to acquire and deploy these procedures effectively. Even if both of these promises are fulfilled, however, their impact on the outcomes of education may be negligible unless major changes are made in certain features that typify instruction in academic courses.

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Rohwer, W.D., Thomas, J.W. (1989). Domain-Specific Knowledge, Metacognition, and the Promise of Instructional Reform. In: McCormick, C.B., Miller, G.E., Pressley, M. (eds) Cognitive Strategy Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8838-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8838-8_5

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