Examining the Effectiveness of Metacognitive Writing Strategies for Improving Academic Writing Skills of Undergraduates

Abstract

Developing academic writing skills is essential for undergraduate students, but many of them find it hard to organize and present their ideas effectively. Although metacognitive writing strategies have shown potential for improving self–directed learning, there is limited research on how they directly affect academic writing skills. It explores the use of metacognitive writing strategies as effective tools for enhancing the academic writing skills of undergraduate students.  The study aims to examine how metacognitive writing strategies like planning, monitoring, and evaluation can help undergraduates improve their writing. This research used a quantitative analysis, in which a survey was conducted among 149 undergraduate students in order to determine the frequently used metacognitive strategies undertaken during the writing process, and a paired sample t-test was performed to test the significance of pre and post scores of the study; and it was found significantly improved the quality of student’s writing after applying the metacognitive strategies.   Analysis of the data was done using SPSS software. The results showed that students who applied metacognitive writing strategies made notable improvements in clarity, structure, and critical analysis in their writing process. The study highlights the importance of teachers incorporating metacognitive instruction into writing programs to support self–regulated learning and boost academic writing performance. Future studies should look into the long-term effects of these interventions in various academic fields.

Keywords: Academic, Writing Skills, Metacognitive Strategies, Undergraduate Students, Quantitative Study, Survey, Pre-Test, Post-Test