The articles in this Special Issue reflect the growing interest in applying laboratory-based research to educational settings. These articles highlight the contribution of metacognitive monitoring and self-regulation to effective learning and performance. At the same time, they illustrate the methodological and theoretical challenges involved in bringing metacognitive research to the real world, using meaningful learning materials. In particular, the assumption of a linear causal chain from monitoring through regulation to performance represents a useful working hypothesis, but more complex interactions between these three components of self-regulated learning need to be considered.