Exploring Metacognitive Learning Strategies Among EFL Students in Debate Speaking

Abstract

Speaking proficiency remains one of the greatest challenges for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, particularly in academic debate activities that require learners to organize ideas, construct logical arguments, respond to opposing viewpoints, and communicate effectively under time constraints. This study aimed to investigate the metacognitive learning strategies employed by EFL students during debate speaking activities and explore their contribution to speaking performance. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed involving 18 undergraduate students from the English Education Study Program at Universitas PGRI Ronggolawe Tuban who participated in classroom debate activities during the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on Oxford’s (2018) Strategic Self-Regulation (S²R) framework and semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected participants. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014), while questionnaire responses were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that students consistently employed planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies throughout the debate process. These strategies supported argument preparation, performance regulation, and post-debate reflection, contributing to greater confidence, self-regulation, and speaking performance. The findings suggest that integrating explicit metacognitive strategy instruction into debate-based EFL learning can foster learner autonomy and enhance speaking competence.