Metacognition in the 21st century ESL teacher education programme

Abstract

This paper presents the discussion on the role of metacognitive strategies in the 21st century ESL teacher education programme.  It examines the kinds of teaching and learning experiences that enable the student teachers to develop their metacognitive strategies. This paper draws relevant examples of a classroom-based practice from student teachers’ assignments to reflective journal entries, participant observation, field notes, and feedback and evaluation forms. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively. The findings revealed that reflective journal entries, commenting, providing and giving feedback, dialogic interactions, as well as whole class discussions through questions and answers, are among the activities that could enable students to develop their metacognitive strategies. This study implicates the need for ESL teacher education programmes to provide teaching and learning experiences that are transformative in nature in order to develop prospective ESL teachers who are adaptive, self-reliant and independent, resourceful, innovative and reflective.