International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies (Mar 2017)
Meta-Cognitive Awareness of Writing Strategy Use among Iranian EFL Learners and Its Impact on Their Writing Performance
Abstract
It is believed that by improving students’ meta-cognitive awareness of elements of language, learning can be enhanced. Therefore, this study consisted of two main objectives. First, it aimed at examining meta-cognitive awareness of writing strategy use among Iranian EFL learners. Using a Friedman test to check if there was any significant difference among the participants in their use of writing strategies, it was found that the differences among the strategies were not significant. The second objective of the study was to examine the impact of the participants’ meta-cognitive awareness of writing strategy use on their L2 writing performance. This was answered using two statistical techniques, namely Pearson correlation and Multiple Regression. Using Pearson Correlation, it was found that there was a significant relationship between writing performance and all writing strategy categories (planning, monitoring, evaluation, and self-awareness). Moreover, using Multiple Regression, it was found that the p–value was significant only for evaluation strategy category, but not for the rest. That is, it was found that strategy categories such as planning, monitoring, and self-awareness did not predict students’ writing performance. The result of this study responds to the ongoing problems students have in their meta-cognitive awareness of writing strategy use which can contribute to raising proficiency levels in shorter time frames.
