Examining Second Language Listening and Metacognitive Awareness: A Meta‐Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

AbstractSecond language (L2) listening comprehension is a function of many variables. We focused on metacognitive awareness, which we measured using the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ; Vandergrift et al., 2006), and meta‐analyzed (a) the factor structure of the MALQ and (b) the relationship between metacognitive awareness and L2 listening comprehension. We used meta‐analytic structural equation modeling to synthesize 29 studies that provided Pearson's product‐moment correlation matrices from 4,574 learners. Results showed (a) that the MALQ measured metacognitive awareness as a single factor with five subcomponents (their interrelationship and relative contribution to metacognitive awareness varied) and (b) that metacognitive awareness explained listening comprehension (b* = .306). The results were moderated by publication type, the response format of listening comprehension tests, and participant type. The findings can help researchers to better conceptualize the construct of metacognitive awareness in relation to listening comprehension as well as to score metacognitive awareness.