Metacognition and Self-Awareness: The Impact of One Language Teacher's Reflection about his Instructional Delivery and Personality.

This article examines the impact of a language teacher's reflective self-study on his self-awareness, focusing on his instructional delivery and personality during a 2019 tertiary-level English course in Japan. Drawing on a recent systematic literature review by Carden et al. (2022), which defines self-awareness through seven components—beliefs, internal mental state, physiological responses, personality traits, motivations, behaviors, and others' perceptions—the teacher engaged in reflective analysis using multiple data sources including teaching journals, interviews, observations, and learner feedback. Findings indicate that this reflection enhanced his awareness of how aspects of his personality and cognition, such as emotional reactions and motivations, influenced his teaching practice and metacognition, leading to more learner-centered decisions and improved instructional planning. The study highlights the potential benefits of structured, collaborative reflection for language teachers seeking to develop self-awareness as a metacognitive competency, while noting that support may be needed for teachers less familiar with related psychological constructs.