The Role of Metacognitive Learning Strategies on Self-Regulated Learning, Foreign Language Enjoyment, and Listening Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a 12-week explicit metacognitive listening intervention on self-regulated learning (SRL), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and radiotelephony listening performance among 100 second-year aviation cadets at Surabaya Aviation Polytechnic, Indonesia. Using a one-group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design, the intervention was fully integrated into the regular Aviation English curriculum and employed authentic radiotelephony materials (LiveATC.net recordings and Mayday simulations) following Vandergrift and Goh’s (2021) pedagogical cycle. Data were collected before and after the intervention via the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ), Self-Regulated Online Learning Questionnaire–Short Form, a short-form FLE scale, and an ICAO-aligned 30-item listening test. Paired-samples t-tests revealed significant improvements (all ps < .001) with medium-to-large effects on SRL (d = 0.68), large effects on listening performance (d = 0.87), and very large effects on FLE (d = 1.84). The findings provide the first empirical evidence that process-oriented metacognitive instruction can simultaneously enhance cognitive, behavioral, and affective outcomes in safety-critical aviation English contexts and offer direct, low-cost support for ICAO’s latest training recommendations.