A Case Study On The Effectiveness Of Metacognitive Strategy Training On Left-Behind Children's Self-Regulated English Learning Ability

Since the 1980s,with the fast development of industrialization and urbanization,a large amount of population were moving from rural areas to urban areas.Many people left their children behind leading to millions of school children living with their grandparents in their rural hometowns all year round.Due to lack of good English learning environment and resources as well as parents' supervision for English learning,the cultivation of self-regulated learning ability(SRLA)of left-behind children(LBC)is becoming absolutely necessary,which has been also increasingly attracting attention all around China.This thesis reviews the literature on metacognitive strategies,metacognitive strategies training,self-regulated learning ability and "left-behind children",in which the theoretical basis for the following discussion is formed.Metacognitive strategy(MS)is the starting point for this research,which is also very important for the cultivation of SRLA.The study aims to figure out the questions:(1)What are the current situations of self-regulated learning ability and metacognitive strategy use of left-behind children?(2)If their self-regulated learning ability is low,are there any effects of metacognitive strategy training on the self-regulated learning ability of left-behind children?Methodology adopted in the thesis combined questionnaire with interview.At first,questionnaire and interview were employed to explore the current situations of SRLA and MS use of LBC.The researcher supposes that SRLA of LBC is in a low level;then the researcher conducted the MS training for LBC to explore the effectiveness of MS training on the improvement of SRLA and MS use of LBC.60 LBC from grades one and two participated in the training in X middle school in Xinzhou,Shanxi.The MS training lasted for eight weeks,in which sixty LBC were arranged to be trained together to have the training.After the MS training,questionnaires were handed out again,and interviews were also had with the trained LBC to collect the data.The main findings are summarized as follows:(1)The participants in both grades are low in SRLA,among those dimensions,especially in monitoring and evaluating abilities.(2)The MS training was effective in improving SRLA of LBC,use of MS,as well as their awareness of MS use.(3)The participants became more self-regulated in English learning after the training.This research also proves that the more you employ metacognitive strategies in English learning,the more learning self-regulatory you own in English learning.Our conclusion is that SRLA of LBC is low before study.Therefore,metacognitive strategies training is welcome and effective among LBC in their use of metacognitive strategies or in their awareness of applying metacognitive strategies.In short,the training do contribute to the promotion of self-regulated English learning ability.In this way,the LBC can become self-regulated learners in their own English learning.At last,this study also provides some pedagogical enlightenment for rural teachers and learners.Although SRLA of LBC is not skillful,it should be consistently embedded in the whole process of middle school English teaching and learning,which make it possible to develop LBC capability of self-planning,monitoring and evaluating life long.