Exploring meta-cognitive beliefs of postgraduates in an EFL context

Abstract

Learner beliefs may promote or inhibit language learning. This experimental study explores metacognitive beliefs of EFL postgraduates majoring in science and technology (China), examining whether metacognitive beliefs change according to experimental conditions. The quantitative data comprise the responses of 90 postgraduates to a questionnaire on EFL learners' metacognitive beliefs (QELMB) at pre-test and post-test. The total metacognitive beliefs scores and the related twelve subscales were analyzed using SPSS version 15. The results indicate that some metacognitive beliefs tend to change with the experimental conditions while others show no significant change. The findings from the semi-structured interviews confirm the quantitative results, suggesting that metacognitive beliefs are vital to the development of language proficiency.