Self‐directed thinking in the curriculum

Self‐directed thinking is defined in this article as the control factor or self‐regulatory component of metacognition. It is critical to individual differences in intelligence. Gifted students can learn to direct their thinking to maximize learning and creative production. They do this by stating what they intend to do, by choosing thinking strategies and appropriate conditions for thinking, and by self‐monitoring. The article includes techniques for developing self‐directed thinking and an application of these techniques to a class assignment.