Metacognitive Writing Strategies, Higher‐Order Thinking Skills, and English Performance in Chinese Adolescent EFL Learners: A Latent Profile and Multigroup Analysis

ABSTRACT This study focused on student differences in metacognitive writing strategies, higher‐order thinking skills, and English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language proficiency. By collecting data from 203 Chinese ninth graders, a latent profile analysis was first conducted based on their levels of metacognitive writing strategies, including planning, monitoring, and evaluation strategies in English writing. Two groups of students were identified, which were (a) low‐to‐medium planning, monitoring, and evaluation, and (b) medium‐to‐high planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Independent sample t ‐tests presented that the two profiles of students differed significantly in levels of higher‐order thinking skills and English performance. Next, the study built a multigroup structural equation model to investigate the relationships between English performance and higher‐order thinking skills, including creativity, critical thinking, and problem‐solving, between the two groups. Results indicated no differences in predictive relationships between the four variables. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for varied metacognitive writing strategies profiles in understanding higher‐order thinking skills and second language performance.