The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has now published the updated Guidance Report on Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning, following a comprehensive new evidence review. This refreshed report builds on one of the most significant evidence bases for improving pupil outcomes — and its findings are well worth exploring.

The updated evidence strengthens the case for metacognitive approaches, with the estimated impact now at around eight months’ additional progress for disadvantaged pupils. This places metacognition among the most effective, evidence-based strategies for closing attainment gaps.

Key Updates

• Metacognitive talk takes centre stage. New evidence highlights the value of explicitly modelled metacognitive talk — teachers verbalising their thinking to help pupils understand and regulate their own learning. Reflecting this, the EEF has reordered its recommendations to give greater prominence to classroom talk. 
• From ​“what” to ​“how.” The revised guidance shifts focus from describing what metacognition is to how teachers can embed it in practice. This makes the report more practical and actionable for classroom implementation.
• Professional development tools. Accompanying the report are new resources to support staff development and help teachers apply metacognitive strategies with confidence.
• Updated vignettes and classroom examples. These have been refreshed to reflect real-world teaching contexts and the challenges of supporting a wide range of learners.

These changes mark a welcome evolution — from understanding metacognition as a concept to enabling it as everyday practice. The renewed emphasis on teacher agency, classroom dialogue, and being better at identifying proxies for learning will resonate with current work across subjects, particularly in mathematics, where metacognitive talk has already been a focus.

The updated Guidance Report on Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning and accompanying evidence review are now available on the EEF website.