Improving Undergraduate English Writing through Metacognitive Strategy-based Instruction: Implications for Self-regulated Learning

Abstract

This study, grounded in Flavell's theory of metacognition, examines the impact of systematic metacognitive strategy training on the self-regulated learning ability and writing quality of non-English major undergraduates through a ten-week teaching experiment. Sixty students were randomly assigned to an experimental group, which received training in pre-writing planning, in-process monitoring, and post-writing reflection strategies, and a control group that followed traditional writing instruction. Pre- and post-test questionnaires and writing assessments based on CET-6 criteria revealed that the experimental group showed significant improvement in self-regulation across planning, monitoring, and evaluation dimensions, along with enhanced writing quality in terms of content depth, structural coherence, and linguistic accuracy. The findings suggest that metacognitive strategy training effectively promotes a shift from passive learning to autonomous and reflective writing, offering empirical support for addressing common teaching challenges such as the inability to apply learned knowledge or revise effectively, thereby embodying the practical value of "teaching a man to fish" in writing pedagogy.