Investigating the Use of Metacognitive Strategy in Vocabulary Retention Among Indonesian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aims to explore Indonesian EFL learners’ perceptions of the use of metacognitive strategies— specifically planning, monitoring, and evaluating—in vocabulary retention. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from 31 tenth-grade students at a public high school in Tasikmalaya via a structured questionnaire and five purposive semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis showed that monitoring strategies (e.g., context guessing, self-testing, repetition) were most frequently used, while planning tended to be spontaneous or tool-driven (e.g., dictionaries/apps) and explicit goal-setting was uncommon. Evaluation was often surface-level and rarely resulted in systematic strategy revision. Although most students perceived these strategies as helpful and reported some improvement in classroom performance, only a minority consistently adapted their methods. The study recommends short, classroom-friendly interventions—explicit goal-setting routines, embedded micro self-tests, and a simple evaluative checklist—to promote deeper metacognitive regulation and better long-term vocabulary retention.

Keywords: EFL Learners, evaluating, metacognitive strategies, monitoring, planning, vocabulary retention