Wang Yajun
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies on Grade 8 Chinese students’ English language proficiency and learning attitudes in an EFL context. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining an experimental research design for the quantitative component and discourse analysis with thematic coding for the qualitative component. Sixty students participated, with 30 assigned to the experimental group and 30 to the control group. Quantitative findings indicated that the experimental group achieved significant improvements across all four language domains and exhibited a marked positive shift in attitudes toward language learning and strategy use. In contrast, the control group showed minimal or no improvement in posttest results. Qualitative analysis revealed challenges in implementing metacognitive strategies, including misconceptions about new instructional methods, diverse student learning needs, gaps between teacher training and classroom application, and limitations in resources and infrastructure. These findings underscore the effectiveness of metacognitive instruction in fostering learner autonomy, enhancing motivation, and improving language proficiency. The study contributes to the growing body of research on strategy-based instruction and offers practical implications for enhancing EFL pedagogy in the Chinese educational context, particularly through targeted teacher training, resource allocation, and learner-centered strategy integration.
Keywords: Attitudes, Chinese students, EFL instructions, language proficiency, metacognitive strategies
https://doi.org/10.57180/sbbv3428