An Exploration of Students’ Voices Using Metacognitive Strategies in the Writing Processes of Vocational High School Students across Proficiency Levels in Writing

Abstract

Writing in a foreign language is frequently seen as a difficult undertaking for EFL students. EFL students frequently find writing in English to be a difficult task. Students find writing to be a challenging skill because they write while thinking. It's a mental process that entails planning, preparing for, practicing, making mistakes, and coming up with alternate answers. Metacognitive knowledge consists primarily of knowledge or beliefs about what factors or variables act and interact in what ways to affect the course and outcome of cognitive enterprises. This condition makes a huge impact on students writing using metacognitive strategies and thinking processes of students for vocational high student who not only be adept in their chosen vocational field but also possess effective communication skill. This communication skill has relation between speaking and writing. Therefore, the researcher is interested in knowing what vocational high students’ voice about the benefits and the drawbacks of metacognitive strategy in writing process across proficiency level in writing. The researcher conducted a case study in this research to collect the data and obtain precise information about the phenomenon based on a real-world setting. The research participants were four vocational high students SMK Islam Al Faqih who consist of two high achievement students in writing and two low achievement students in writing. The researcher used classroom observation for supporting instrument and open ended interviews or main instrument to collect the data about the students’ voices. Based on the data findings and discussions, Metacognitive techniques benefit both high and low achieving students in vocational high schools when writing. High achievers refine their skills and deepen understanding, while low achievers use these techniques to bridge knowledge gaps, enhance self-awareness, and foster growth. Despite starting from different points, both groups show improvement, highlighting the effectiveness and adaptability of metacognitive strategies. Their learning is characterized by a strong emphasis on skills acquisition and technical proficiency. This results in a learning environment that prioritizes experiential learning opportunities allowing students to gain valuable practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge. Practical experience and theoretical knowledge in sharing the idea can be combined both speaking and writing. Conversely, both high and low achievement vocational high school students encounter drawbacks when employing metacognitive strategies in writing. These include overconfidence, formulaic reliance, and time constraints, which may stifle originality and hinder progress. High achievers may struggle with rushed decisions due to time limitations, while low achievers face challenges such as cognitive overload, limited metacognitive skills, and fear of errors, resulting in fragmented writing and difficulty in planning and assessing their work. The finding from this research showed that vocational high students under this study enhance their communication while construct their thinking using metacognitive strategies. When speaking, these processes help in choosing the right words, structuring sentences logically, and adjusting the tone and pace to suit the audience. In writing, cognitive skills are employed to plan and outline the content, draft and revise text, and ensure clarity and coherence. By integrating cognitive processes, individuals can enhance their communication skills, making their interactions more impactful and comprehensible. In conclusion, Vocational high school students, hopeful to improve their writing through metacognitive strategies that use a powerful technique for growth. Despite current achievement levels, they cultivate optimism by engaging in deliberate reflection, planning, and self-assessment. The other hand, they also can use their thinking construct using metacognitive strategies to enhance their communication. In addition, the teacher provides teaching writing using metacognitive strategy for vocational high students. In this case, the researcher suggests the teacher can adapt and apply metacognitive strategy in the class