The Effect of Metacognitive Strategies on the Writing Performance of Iraqi Advanced EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aims to provide an in-depth sight to the way learners can promote their learning process in which the learner's awareness and the proficient use of metacognitive strategies may enhance the ability of the leaners to control and follow up their learning process more effectively. For this purpose, a mixed approach is designed for data collection. The questionnaire is used to measure two main categories; the metacognitive awareness and metacognitive strategies(regulation). It is followed by an experimental study including a pre-test that is conducted to examine the actual performance of the students in writing before the training course. The training model of the strategic instruction is the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) which is embedded with the writing course for an eight-weeks treatment course. The post-test examines the correlation between the metacognitive strategic training and the actual performance of the learners. The subjects in the study are sixty EFL Iraqi students in the third year in the department of English, College of Arts, Basra University. In terms of the results of the questionnaire, learners show a high degree of self-awareness and knowledge about metacognitive strategies. In the experiment, results show a positive correlation between the instruction and writing performance of the students in which practice is considered an essential part of the course. But language proficiency, lack of practice and motivational reflections may potentially influence writers' performance. Based on the findings of the study embedding the strategic instruction in the writing courses for EFL Iraqi learners is one of the main recommendations presented in this study.