Investigation on the relationship among metacognitive awareness, language learning strategies, critical thinking and self- regulation skills in the process of learning English

In this study it is aimed to examine the relationship among prep class students? metacognitive awareness, language learning strategies, critical thinking and self-regulation skills in the process of learning English, in the university of Adnan Menderes Foreign Languages High School. In this process, directed towards profiling students? management of learning situations and their awareness, through using a semi-structured form composed of open ?ended questions and developed by researcher based on expert opinion, interviews were conducted with students and courses were observed. As a data gathering tool , ?Self-Regulation Learning Scale? developed by Turan (2009) ; ?Languge Learning Strategies Inventory? developed by Oxford (1990) and investigated by Cesur ve Fer (2007) for the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the scale.; and ?Critical Thinking Scale? developed by Semerci (2000) were applied to students in the school. In the research mixed method was used. Mixed methods includes both qualitative and quantitative studies . Results reached in the beginning of the mixed method studies, related with the uniting methods, presents new research questions. (Bryman, 2006). Demographic features of the participants were obtained through personal information form. Quantitative data were analysed through the SPSS 18.0 statistical package programme and it was found out that when sub-dimensions of LLS were compared to the ones in self ?regulation and critical thinking skills pursuant to variables which are students? gender, department, and education type (daytime-evening education), statistically significant results were figured out. For the qualitative study, by use of extreme case sampling , on the basis of the grades students got in the mid-term exams before final one throughout the year, 10 students who had the highest grade and another 10 students who had the lowest grades were interviewed , content analysis method was used after coding the data , they were thematised and rendered and it is figured out that there exist similarities and differences between the two groups with respect to students? study habits. With the same sampling way ,in the school,students of two classrooms, one of which had the highest grade average and the other one having the lowest grade average were observed. In compliance with the analysis of data, similarities and differences between the students of the two classrooms were found out. Keywords: Language Learning Strategies, Metacognitive Awareness, Self-Regulation, Critical Thinking ,Foreign Language High School Preparation Classes.