EFL Students’ Attitude Toward Using Metacognitive Strategies in Writing

Abstract

Metacognitive learning strategies are higher–order executive skills that help learners become more independent, autonomous, and capable of planning, monitoring and evaluating learning process. This research was aimed at investigating EFL students’ attitude towards the use of metacognitive strategies in writing. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with 10 EFL students purposively selected from Irbid secondary school, Jordan. Only students from experimental group, who received the intervention, were interviewed. The data obtained were analyzed using ATLAS.TI version 8. The findings indicate that the majority of students acknowledged the usefulness of metacognitive strategies in improving their writing performance, but some experience difficulties in implementing the strategies. The majority of students reported positive attitudes toward metacognitive strategies as they help them to improve their English writing and cultivate learning autonomy. This paper recommends that metacognitive instruction should be incorporated in writing classrooms as it helps students to become more self-regulated.