Abstract：Abstract: Given the insufficient English academic writing ability among undergraduate students, and the lack of research into this area from a cognitive perspective, this study empirically examined, following a mixed-method design, undergraduate students’ metacognitive awareness of the construct of academic writing in an EFL context. Through analysis of questionnaire data，in-depth interviews with students, and a comparative examination of students’ perceptions of this construct and the theoretical model of academic writing, this study showed that our students had an insufficient understanding of the four major dimensions associated with the construct of English academic writing, particularly the academic genre demands. This lack of metacognitive knowledge about the nature and defining traits of academic writing could, in turn, result in various difficulties when they write academically.
Key words: academic English; academic writing construct; metacognitive awareness; EFL; undergraduates
