Enhancing Morphosyntactic Structure Learning in EFL Learners: A Study of Metacognitive Knowledge and Task Type
Subject Areas : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English
Mohammad Sadegh Ghalibafan
1
,
Shadab Jabbarpoor
2
,
Bahram Mowlaie
3
1 - Ph.D. candidate in TEFL, Department of English Language, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor in TEFL, Department of English Language, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor in TEFL, Department of English Language, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: cognitive load, metacognitive knowledge, morphosyntactic structures, EFL learners, task-based learning,
Abstract :
This study examines how different types of tasks, both input-based and output-based, with varying levels of cognitive demand, influence the learning of morphosyntactic structures—specifically morphosyntactic structures —among EFL learners. Additionally, the research investigates the role of metacognitive knowledge in predicting learners' abilities to recognize and produce these structures. Ninety Iranian EFL learners were divided into three groups: Group A engaged in reading, Group B in reading with textual enhancement, and Group C in reading combined with text reconstruction. The impact of these tasks on the recognition and production of morphosyntactic structures was measured using grammaticality judgment and editing tests. The cognitive load of these tasks was assessed using Sweller's (1988) criteria, which classify tasks by complexity and cognitive demand. The findings indicated that Group C, which was exposed to tasks with the highest cognitive load outperformed the other groups. Procedural knowledge was found to predict the ability to produce morphosyntactic structures, while declarative knowledge was linked to the recognition of structures. Structural equation modeling highlighted the relationship between metacognitive knowledge, recognition, and production across various task conditions. The study suggests that tasks with higher cognitive demands can significantly enhance the learning of morphosyntactic structures and emphasizes the importance of metacognitive knowledge in predicting learners' success in both recognizing and producing these structures across different task types.
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