Abstract
Ethical reasoning is often cited as a core goal of higher education because it prompts individuals to think carefully about the fundamental values that organize their relationships with friends, family, colleagues, clients, and fellow citizens. This paper explores a model of ethical reasoning at the heart of democratic citizenship and the importance of metacognition in maintaining those good ethical habits. Metacognition can support good habit formation by encouraging individuals to notice what is working, what is not, and when they need to make adjustments given the needs of a situation. The research on metacognition in higher education demonstrates that students with gains in metacognition show improvements in reading comprehension, problem-solving, critical thinking, study skills, and exam performance. Metacognitive students show gains because they monitor their progress and recognize when they need to adjust their approach. In the view being explored, metacognition can support the development of ethical habits. Individuals come to each ethical situation with their own unique experiences. These experiences should inform a person’s view, but these same experiences can contribute to bias and prejudice. Metacognition encourages individuals to check in with their ethical process to help avoid blind spots, self-deception, and weakness of will. Ethical reasoning prompts us to ask critical questions about when, why, and how we should live together. Metacognition can keep this process on track by bringing attention back to the fundamental values that organize our relationships and our participation in the world. In doing so, it can help higher education promote ethical citizenship.
Presenters
John DraegerDirector, Teaching and Learning Center, SUNY Buffalo State, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Citizenship, Metacognition, Ethical reasoning
