This mixed-methods study explores the effects of integrating metacognitive strategies into an online collaborative writing environment on the English writing performance of EFL university students. Sixteen English majors from a Taiwanese university participated in a ten-week intervention, during which they engaged in paired collaborative writing tasks through an online platform. The instructional design systematically incorporated key metacognitive processes—planning, monitoring, evaluating, and revising—into each stage of the writing cycle. These strategies were explicitly taught and practiced throughout the course. Data were collected using multiple instruments, including IELTS-based pre- and post-tests to assess writing performance, the Metacognitive Awareness Writing Questionnaire (MAWQ) to examine changes in metacognitive awareness, and reflective essays to gain insights into students’ perceptions and experiences. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in various writing dimensions, such as content development, organization, vocabulary use, language accuracy, and overall writing quality. The greatest gains were observed in areas related to planning and revising, suggesting that these strategies had the most substantial impact. Qualitative findings supported the quantitative results, highlighting how features such as real-time collaboration, revision history tracking, and colour-coded edits fostered deeper engagement with the writing process and enhanced metacognitive regulation. Students reported increased awareness of their cognitive processes and recognized both the benefits and challenges of collaborative writing in an online context. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence for the effectiveness of combining metacognitive strategy instruction with online collaborative writing. The findings offer valuable pedagogical implications for EFL writing instruction in digitally mediated learning environments.

Authors:
Wei-Yu Chang, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Wei-Yu Chang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.

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