Use metacognitive characters and teacher follow-up to support transfer of trained inhibition strategies¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Within the program, three characters symbolizing inhibition aspects (Mr. Stop for stopping a predominant response, the Detective for resisting distractors, the Statue for motor control) were invoked before each activity, and children were encouraged to analyze the mental processes involved. Teachers were invited to reuse the concepts and materials during the week, with suggested weekly activities, to promote transfer of knowledge to other situations.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers record weekly in a logbook which concepts and materials were used in the classroom

Constraints¶

• Benefit of metacognition in training is argued from prior literature (e.g., benefits on mathematical reasoning) rather than tested in isolation in this study

Target Learners¶

• Young children in kindergarten and early primary classrooms

Target Learning Goals¶

• Inhibition strategy awareness
• Transfer of trained strategies to classroom tasks

Claims¶

• The classroom training improves Theory of Mind performance [+W]
• The classroom training is associated with a greater DCCS flexibility gain in the experimental group, though the printed ANOVA table reports a non-significant interaction [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Indirect training: prompting metacognitive regulation in regular subject classes to promote transfer across contexts
• SEL Discussions through Literary Characters

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Honoré N, Houssa M, Volckaert A, Noël M-P and Nader-Grosbois N (2020) Training Inhibition and Social Cognition in the Classrooms. Front. Psychol. 11:1974. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01974