Fostering EFL Students’ Writing Strategy Using Metacognitive Instruction

Abstract

This study aims to enhance the writing strategy skills of Saudi female EFL students by integrating metacognitive instruction into essay writing tasks. With a one-group quasi-experimental design, the research included 34 participants. A pretest and post-test were conducted, followed by a questionnaire to explore participants’ experiences with the intervention. The instructional approach emphasised students’ awareness and regulation of metacognitive processes during writing – specifically planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Data were collected and analysed using a sequential mixed-methods explanatory design, beginning with quantitative analysis and followed by qualitative insights to enrich interpretation. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ writing performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies in supporting the writing development of EFL learners.

Keywords: Brainstorming, quasi-experimental design, planning, monitoring, evaluation.