Definition
Mental techniques learners use to control and improve their own thinking and learning, such as planning how to approach a task, monitoring understanding while working through it, and reflecting on what worked afterward. In aviation instruction, cognitive strategies are taught so students can manage their own learning rather than relying solely on the instructor.
Plain English
The thinking tricks a student uses to learn better — things like planning ahead, checking their own understanding as they go, and looking back to see what they got right or wrong.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor training when discussing how students learn, solve problems, and move beyond memorizing facts.
Derivation
‘Cognitive’ comes from the Latin cognoscere, meaning ‘to know’ or ‘to learn.’ ‘Strategy’ comes from the Greek strategia, meaning ‘a plan of action.’ Together they describe planned approaches to thinking and learning.
Why Pilots Care
A student who has good cognitive strategies keeps learning long after formal training ends — which matters in aviation, where rules, equipment, and conditions keep changing throughout a pilot's career.
Grounding Statement
A student is using cognitive strategies when they pause, sort the information, choose a safe action, and check whether that action is working.
Intuition Check
Cognitive strategies are not just facts stored in memory. They are the thinking methods a student uses to work with those facts.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor encouraged the student to use cognitive strategies like outlining each chapter before reading and summarizing it afterward.
Example Sentence 2
By applying cognitive strategies such as mental rehearsal, the pilot prepared for an upcoming cross-country flight.