Metacognitive Awareness and EFL Learners' Writing Performance in ChatGPT-Assisted Writing Context

With the advancement of AI, ChatGPT has gained increasing attention in language learning, particularly in English writing. Numerous studies have explored the role of ChatGPT in improving writing assessment, while also highlighting issues such as ethical concerns in using ChatGPT. However, how to effectively and appropriately utilize this tool to enhance writing performance remains underexplored. Thus, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of ChatGPT-assisted writing from the perspective of metacognitive awareness. The present study addressed this gap by examining the role of metacognitive awareness in EFL learners’ writing performance with ChatGPT assistance. A total of 30 participants underwent ChatGPT-assisted writing tasks, and we employed generalized mixed-effects modeling to analyze individual differences to explore the relationships between these constructs. The findings revealed that planning and monitoring strategies significantly influence learners’ ChatGPT-assisted writing performance, while, unexpectedly, the evaluating strategy showed no notable effect. Of particular interest is the negative interaction between planning and monitoring strategies, which adversely affected learners’ writing performance when using ChatGPT. This study offers valuable insights into learners’ metacognitive awareness in utilizing ChatGPT for future writing pedagogy.