Task-based Metacognitive Instruction approach to Self-regulation in Listening Comprehension

Improving listening comprehension skill is one of the urgent contemporary educational needs in the field of second language acquisition and metacognitive strategies are proved to help learners manage and self-regulate their listening and overcome deficiencies. Although metacognitive instruction is underscored by previous research, task-based metacognitive instruction is seriously underresearched. Given this, the present paper compared the efficacy of two task-based metacognitive instruction models on learners’ self-regulation in listening comprehension. Participants, 63 Iranian EFL learners, were selected by random sampling and were randomly divided into 2 experimental and 2 control groups. Over an 14 session term, experimental group 1 was taught using Integrated Experiential Learning Task (IELT), a strategy-nonintegrated task-based model (Goh, 2010), while experimental group 2was taught using Metacognitive Pedagogical Cycle (MPC), a strategy-embedded task-based model (Vandergrift, 2004). Development of self-regulation in listening comprehension was tracked using Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and development of L.C. was measured using listening section of the Preliminary English Test (PET) administered at the beginning and end of the course. The listening section of the First Certificate in English (FCE) served as the listening transfer test. The statistical tests results revealed both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control groups in listening comprehension and self-regulation in listening comprehension attainment with experimental group 1 having a high effect size and showing significant gain on transfer test.