The Role of Metacognitive Knowledge and Task Type in Enhancing Morphosyntactic Structure Learning of EFL Learners

مطالعات زبان و ترجمه

Volume 57, Issue 4, March 2025, Pages 171-206   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/lts.2025.89906.1290

Authors

Mohammad Sadegh Ghalibafan¹; Shadab Jabbarpoor^{* 2}; Bahram mowlaie³

¹¹Ph.D candidate in TEFL, Department of English Language, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

²Assistant Professor in TEFL, Department of English Language, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran.

³³Assistant Professor in TEFL, Department of English Language, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This research investigates the effects of task-based activities with varying cognitive load on the acquisition of morphosyntactic structures by EFL learners, focusing on phrasal verbs and verb phrases. It also examines the predictive role of metacognitive knowledge in learners’ recognition and production of these structures. Ninety Iranian EFL learners (58 females, 32 males, aged 18-24) were assigned to three groups: Group A (reading), Group B (reading with textual enhancement), and Group C (reading and text reconstruction). Grammaticality Judgment Tests (GJT) and Editing Tests (ET) evaluated recognition and production. Statistical analyses (regression, correlation, ANOVA) indicated that Group C, with the highest cognitive load, outperformed others. Procedural knowledge correlated with phrasal verb production, while declarative knowledge aligned with structure recognition. Structural Equation Modeling further validated the link between metacognitive knowledge, recognition, and production. The study underscores the importance of cognitively demanding tasks and metacognitive knowledge in improving morphosyntactic learning in EFL contexts.

Keywords

cognitive load; task-based learning; metacognitive knowledge; morphosyntactic structures

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