Task Repetition and EFL Learners’ Engagement and Metacognitive Judgment

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Department of English Language Teaching, Islamic Azad University, East Tehran Branch, Tehran-Iran

2 Department of English Language Teaching, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran-Iran

Abstract

This study explored the impact of task repetition on the engagement and metacognitive judgment of Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. Using a convenience sampling method and a quasi-experimental design, the researchers began by administering the Oxford Placement Test to identify 60 intermediate-level participants. These participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group engaged in instruction that emphasized repetition tasks as a central pedagogical strategy, specifically focusing on learning about daily routines. In contrast, the control group received standard lessons on daily routines without the incorporation of repetition tasks. To evaluate the outcomes, both groups completed The Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ), adapted from Zepke et al. (2011), along with Kolovelonis’ (2023) questionnaire to assess their metacognitive judgment. The results of an independent sample t-test revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of both engagement in learning and metacognitive judgment. These findings suggested that task repetition positively influenced Iranian EFL learners' engagement and enhanced their ability to evaluate their own learning processes. The study concluded with implications for teaching practices, highlighting the importance of incorporating task repetition in language instruction to boost learners’ engagement and metacognitive awareness. Additionally, it offered suggestions for future research to further investigate these effects in different contexts or with varying learners’ demographics.

Keywords

References

Aaj, Ali, Parviz Maftoon, and Masood Siyyari. 2024. “Do young EFL learners benefit 
from task repetition?” The Language Learning Journal 52 (6): 650–661. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2024.2345678.
Albus, Partick, and Tina Seufert. 2024. “Artificial Intelligence in Education: The Importance of 
Metacognitive Monitoring”. In The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Societies: Understanding Attitude Formation towards AI. Springer Nature Switzerland.
Alshenqeeti, Hamza, and Musaad Alrahaili. 2020. “The Effect of Task Repetition on Reading 
Comprehension among Saudi EFL Learners.” Arab World English Journal 11(2): 236–251. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no2.16.
Ansarin, Ali Akbar, and Aso Bayazidi. 2016. “Incidental Vocabulary Learning: The Effects of 
Task Repetition and Task Complexity.” Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research 4 (3): 43–59. https://doi.org/10.30466/ijltr.2016.40042.
Aubrey, Scott, Jim King, and Haydab Almukhaild. 2022. “Language learner engagement during speaking tasks: A longitudinal Study.” RELC Journal 53(3): 519-533. . https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220945418.
Awwad, Anas, and Parvaneh Tavakoli. 2022. “Task Complexity, Language Proficiency, and 
Working Memory: Interaction Effects on Second Language Speech Performance.” International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 60 (2): 169–196.  https//doi.org/10.1515/iral-2022-0034.
Baars, Martine, and Olga Viberg. 2024. Supporting Metacognitive and Cognitive Processes during 
Self-Study through Mobile Learning in Metacognition and Education: Future Trends. Routledge. 
Baleghizadeh, Sasan, and Reza Asadi. 2013. “The Effect of Task Repetition and Task Recycling 
on Iranian EFL Learners' Speaking Skill.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature 2 (6): 27–35. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.2n.6p.27.
Borruel, Claudia M.G. 2014. Task Repetition and Second Language Acquisition: The Role of Task Type, Task Complexity, and Learner Characteristics. Doctoral dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Chamorro, Amarenco P, and Alison Mackey. 2006. “Controlled Practice in Task-Based Language 
Teaching: A Focus on Metacognitive Development.” Language Teaching Research 10 (3):  287–309. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168806lr199oa.
Chapelle, Carol. 2015. Computer Applications in Second Language Acquisition: Foundations for 
Teaching, Testing and Research. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.  
Çolak, Miranda K. 2024. “Enhancing Speaking Skills through Task Repetition and ChatGPT 
Integration in Remedial EFL Lessons: An Action Research Approach.” Focus on ELT Journal 6 (4): 1–16. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9789-3508 .
Creswell, John W., and J. David Creswell. 2014. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and 
Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th. ed. SAGE Publications.Derakhshan, Ali, Jalil Fathi, Miroslaw Pawlak, and Mariusz Kruk. 2024. “Classroom Social 
Climate, Growth Language Mindset, and Student Engagement: The Mediating Role of Boredom in Learning English as a Foreign Language.” Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 45 (8): 3415–3433. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2308765.
Dörnyei, Zoltan. 2009. The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press.
Dörnyei, Zoltan, and Ema Ushioda. 2011. Teaching and Researching Motivation. 2nd ed. Pearson 
Education.
Double, Kit S. 2025. “Survey Measures of Metacognitive Monitoring Are Often False.” Behavior 
Research Methods 57 (3): 97. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-025-02621-6.
Drueke, Barbara, Siegfried Gauggel, Lorenz Weise, Thomas Forkmann, and Verena Mainz. 2023.
“Metacognitive Judgements and Abilities in Patients with Affective Disorders.” Current Psychology 42(20): 16987–16999. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02838-0.
Dunlosky, John, and Dan Metcalfe. 2009. Metacognition and Learning: Current Research and 
Future Directions. Sage Publications. 
Efklides, Anastasia. 2011. “Interactions of metacognition with motivation and affect in self-regulated learning: The MASRL model.” Educational Psychologist 46(1): 6-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2011.538645.
Ellis, Rod. 2003. Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Garcia-Ponce, Edgar E., Martha M. Lengeling, Irasema Mora-Pablo, and Lisa M. Conaway Arroyo. 2023. “Use of WhatsApp as a platform to promote English oral fluency and accuracy: A task repetition approach.” Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 28(1): 69–85. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v28n1a05.
Ger, Ebru, and Florian J. Buehler. 2024. “Is monitoring in executive functions related to metacognitive monitoring?” Cognitive Development 72(1): 101514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2024.101514.
Gu, Mingyue M. 2013. Language teacher identity in TESOL: Teacher education and teacher professionalism. Routledge. 
Händel, Marion, Nick Naujoks-Schober, and Markus Dresel.2023. “Metacognitive monitoring via strategies and judgments: Different phases, different objects.” Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 55(2-3): 67–76. https://doi.org/10.1026/0049-8637/a000273.
Hanzawa, Naoki, and Yuichi Suzuki. 2023. “Task repetition and learners’ metacognitive judgment: A comparison of spaced and massed practice.” Studies in Second Language Acquisition 45(2): 345-369. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263121000444.
Hidalgo, Maria, and Garcia Mayo.2021. “Task repetition and attention to form in young EFL learners: A comparison of exact and procedural repetition.” International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 59(2): 175-199. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2018-0138.
Hiver, Phil, Ali H. Al-Hoorie, Joseph Vitta, and Janice Wu. 2024. “Engagement in language 
learning: A systematic review of 20 years of research methods and definitions.” Language Teaching Research 28(1): 201-230. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/13621688211001289.
Kim, Young Y. 2013. “The role of task repetition in the L2 classroom: A comparison of immediate and delayed repetition.” Studies in Second Language Acquisition 35(4): 453-482. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263113000022.
Kim, Jeungeun, and Shaofeng Li. 2024. “The effects of task repetition and corrective feedback on L2 writing development.” The Language Learning Journal, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2024.2345679.
Kolovelonis, Athanasios. 2023. The effects of self-regulated learning training on students' calibration of comprehension in history learning. Educational Psychology, 43(1): 22-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2022.2104614.
 Lajoie, Susanne, Shan Li, and Juan Zheng. 2023. “The Functional Roles of Metacognitive 
Judgment and Emotion in Predicting Clinical Reasoning Performance with a Computer-Simulated environment.” Interactive Learning Environments 31 (6): 3464–3475. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1931347.
Langen, Marieke, and James R. Flynn. 2003. Task-based language learning and teaching in the classroom. Pearson Education.
Li, Zhiyong, and Jiaying Li. 2022. “Using the flipped classroom to promote learner engagement for the sustainable development of language skills: A mixed-methods study.” Sustainability 14(10): 5983. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105983.
Li, Shuyang, Yan Liu, Annan Jing, and Yanan Wang. 2024. “The effects of multitasking on metacognitive monitoring in primary and secondary school students.” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 242 (1): 105908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105908.
Little, David. 1991. Learner autonomy 1: Definitions, issues and problems. Authentik.
Littlewood, William T. 2014. Communicative language teaching: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.
Mackey, Alison, and Ronan Oliver. 2019. The role of feedback in task-based language teaching and learning. In Learning language through tasks, edited by M. Bygate. Oxford University Press.
Mihai, Mihaela, Carmen N. Albert, Valentin C.  Mihai, and Diane E. Dumitras. 2022. “Emotional and social engagement in the English language classroom for higher education students in the COVID-19 online context.” Sustainability 14(8): 4527. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084527.
Mohammad Hosseini, Hamed, Jalil Fathi, Ali Derakhshesh, and Sepideh Mehraein. 2022. “A model of classroom social climate, foreign language enjoyment, and student engagement among English as a foreign language learners.” Frontiers in Psychology 13: 933842. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.933842.
Mostafaei Alaei, Mahnaz, and Abbas Mansouri. 2024. “Unraveling the differential effects of task rehearsal and task repetition on L2 task performance: The mediating role of task modality.” International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (0). https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2023-0066.
Muhammadpour, Meysam, Mobin Hassanzadeh-Taleshi, and Fateme Salehi-Amiri. 2023. “The effects of different task repetition schedules on oral narratives of L2 learners with high and low working memory capacity.” Acta Psychologica, 236(1): 103933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103933.
Mystkowska-Wiertelak, Anna. 2020. “Teachers’ accounts of learners’ engagement and 
disaffection in the language classroom.” The Language Learning Journal 50(1): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2020.1800067.
Nazemi, Mahsa, and Ehsan Rezvani. 2019. “Effects of Task Familiarity and Task Repetition on Iranian EFL Learners’ Engagement in L2 Oral Performance.” Contemporary Research in Education and English 1(4): 45-56. https://doi.org/10.33094/26410230.2019.14.45.56.
Nunnally, Jum C. 1978. Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Oxford, Rebecca L. 2011. Teaching and Researching Language Learning Strategies. Pearson 
Education.
 Pinter, Annamaria. 2007. “Some benefits of peer-peer interaction: 10-year-old children practicing with a communication task.” Language Teaching Research 11(2): 189-207. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807074604.
Richards, Jack C. 2001. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge University 
Press.
Robinson, Peter. 2023. “The Cognition Hypothesis, task complexity, and task sequencing: Implications for syllabus design and research.” Language Learning 73(1): 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12425.
Sadler, D. Royce. 2010. “Beyond feedback: Developing student capability in complex appraisal.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 35(5): 535-550. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903541015.
Sarwat, Samina, Iqra Iftikhar, Jam Khan, and Waheed Shahzad. 2024. “Impact of student engagement in language support classes through cooperative learning: A study of Pakistani educational institutions.” Research Journal for Societal Issues 6(1): 199–210. https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v6i1.103.
Tabari, Mahmoud A., Sima Khezrlou, and Hessameddin Ghanbar. 2024. “Task repetition versus task rehearsal: Understanding effects of task-readiness factors and elemental genres on L2 writing task performance. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688241249689.
Wang, Xiaochen, and Siyi Wang. 2024. “Exploring Chinese EFL learners’ engagement with large language models: A self-determination theory perspective.” Learning and Motivation 87: 102014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.102014.
Wiggins, Grant, and Jay McTighe. 2005. Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD.
Yang, Eunbyul, Sanghoon Park, and Jeeheon Ryu. 2024. “The effects of physical fidelity and task repetition on perceived task load and performance in the virtual reality‐based training simulation.” British Journal of Educational Technology 55(4): 1507–1527. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13456.
Zepke, Nick, Linda Leach, and Philippa Butler. 2010. “Student engagement: What is it and what influences it?” Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:265992901. 
Zimmerman, Barry J. 2000. Attaining Self-Regulation: A Social Cognitive Perspective in 
Handbook of Self-Regulation. Academic Press.
Zuniga, Michael, and Caroline Payant. 2021. “Task Repetition and Learner Engagement: 
Exploring the Potential of Procedural Repetition in Language Learning.” TESOL Quarterly 55 (3):  654–679. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.303.
Critical Language and Literary studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 March 2025

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics