Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between EFL pre-service teachers (5th year students in their teaching practicum) and newly-qualified EFL in service-teachers' levels of metacognitive awareness and cognitive styles. An observational, cross-sectional study was proposed to measure these variables. For this purpose, 73 participants, 55 EFL pre-service teachers and 18 newly-qualified EFL in-service teachers, completed a metacognitive awareness inventory and a cognitive styles inventory. The results indicate that in-service teachers are more metacognitively aware in their declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and planning. The EFL pre-service teachers show higher levels of metacognitive awareness in evaluating. No differences in cognitive style were found. Thus, professional experience may have a relationship with metacognitive awareness, increasing the level of development of some dimensions. Further studies on variables related to the transition from EFL pre-service to newly-qualified EFL in-service teachers and its relationships with metacognitive awareness and cognitive style are proposed.