Meta-knowledge and the development of expertise in complex domains

Expertise is seen as the ability to carry out certain types of tasks, requiring the application of knowledge of a complex domain. Meta-knowledge or 'knowledge about knowledge' consists of two components: a cognitive or low level component, comprising abstract and epistemological knowledge about the domain and the task performance and knowledge acquisition strategies of the domain, and a metacognitive or high level component, comprising knowledge of the person's own domain knowledge and task performance and knowledge acquisition strategies. A closer analysis of the two components and their elements reveals the role of meta-knowledge in expertise, especially for metacognitive regulation. Possible consequences for instruction in academic fields focusing on expertise are discussed.