SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMS IN ENHANCING METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS: POST-PANDEMIC INFORMAL LEARNING AMONG IRANIAN ADULT EFL LEARNERS

Abstract

In the current context of enhanced distance learning and reliance on technology in education, there is a greater need to investigate the linguistic and cultural resources embedded in learners’ use of social networking systems (SNS) as legitimate pedagogical platforms - both in formal and informal settings. Within new and unique configurations of teaching and learning in the post-pandemic era, a more context-sensitive learning style is needed to ensure a sustainable platform of education for language learners, one that would be responsive to future challenges. This paper is a critical exploration of how Iranian EFL learners have used SNS tools to construct and develop their metacognitive awareness in response to the pressures of distant/online learning triggered by the pandemic, how it has facilitated new approaches that are more efficient than formal face-to-face classrooms, and how such learning constitutes a substantial investment into their future education. This qualitative case study involves an in-depth investigation of adult EFL (English as a foreign language) students from three English language centres in Tehran, Iran through semi-structured interviews to identify their perceptions of their metacognitive development in the last two years subsequent to the pandemic. Findings are likely to inform policymakers, school leaders, EFL teachers and students in terms of how to create a more optimised environment that will enhance both teaching and learning.