The Metacognitive Divide: Reframing Educational Equality through Self-Regulated Learning in Moroccan English Education

This article examines the metacognitive divide in Moroccan English language education, arguing that educational inequality extends beyond resource allocation to encompass disparities in self-regulated learning capacities. Drawing on Zimmerman's cyclical model and Flavell's metacognitive framework, this study explores how students' ability to monitor, evaluate, and regulate their English learning varies across socioeconomic contexts. Students from privileged backgrounds develop sophisticated learning strategies through enriched environments and explicit instruction, demonstrating advanced goal-setting, self-monitoring, and adaptive learning capacities. Conversely, disadvantaged students lack systematic metacognitive exposure, remaining dependent on rote memorization and translation. Morocco's multilingual complexity—navigating Arabic, Tamazight, French, and English—creates heightened metacognitive demands that perpetuate achievement gaps despite curriculum reforms. The article proposes evidence-based interventions emphasizing explicit metacognitive instruction, culturally responsive practices, and technology-enhanced strategies. Addressing this divide requires systemic changes in teacher training, curriculum design, and assessment to democratize access to cognitive tools enabling self-directed learning.