Profiling Metacognitive Knowledge and Growth Mindset in EFL Vocabulary Learning

Guided by the self-regulated learning (SRL) framework, the present study investigates the associations between metacognitive knowledge and growth mindset in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) vocabulary learning, addressing a critical gap in the literature. While metacognitive knowledge, comprising person, task, and strategy dimensions, plays a central role in SRL, its relationship with growth mindset, a motivational construct rooted in educational psychology, remains underexplored. Drawing on structural equation modeling (SEM), this research analyzes data from 451 Chinese EFL learners to assess how metacognitive knowledge components are linked to growth mindset dimensions (commitment belief, positive self-talk, and age-sensitivity beliefs). Preliminary correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between metacognitive knowledge and growth mindset. SEM results further indicated that strategy knowledge had the strongest positive associations with all growth mindset components, while person knowledge was positively related to positive self-talk and age-sensitivity beliefs. Surprisingly, task knowledge was negatively associated with age-sensitivity beliefs. The findings highlight the pivotal role of metacognitive knowledge, particularly strategy awareness, in fostering a growth mindset, offering both theoretical and pedagogical implications for vocabulary instruction. This study extends SRL theory by clarifying cognitive–motivational interactions within vocabulary learning contexts.