Listening is a critical language skill that plays a central role in academic success, yet it is often the most neglected in English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. In Malaysian higher education, students frequently encounter challenges in listening comprehension, including difficulties with rapid speech, decoding unfamiliar accents, and processing key information in real time. This systematic review investigates the role of metacognitive strategies in enhancing listening skills among Malaysian university students. Guided by PRISMA principles, peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024 were identified and analysed to determine effective instructional approaches. Findings reveal that strategies such as planning, monitoring, and evaluating listening performance foster greater learner autonomy and comprehension accuracy. The integration of explicit metacognitive instruction in ESL curricula significantly improves students’ ability to manage cognitive load, anticipate content, and self-assess understanding. However, the review also highlights gaps in training consistency, limited use of technology-mediated listening activities, and a lack of longitudinal studies tracking strategy retention. This paper argues for a more systematic incorporation of metacognitive awareness training in Malaysian higher education to strengthen listening proficiency and equip learners with transferable academic skills. The implications extend to curriculum design, teacher professional Guided by PRISMA principles, peer -reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024 were identified and analysed to determine effective instructional approaches. Findings reveal that strategies such as planning, monitoring, and evaluating listening performance foster greater learner autonomy and comprehension accuracy. The integration of explicit metacognitive instruction in ESL curricula significantly improves students’ ability to manage cognitive load, anticipate content, and self -assess understanding. However, the review also highlights gaps in training consistency, limited use of technology-mediated listening activities, and a lack of longitudinal studies tracking strategy retention. In practice, this means guiding students through cycles of planning ( setting goals, predicting content, activating prior knowledge before listening), monitoring (checking comprehension and tracking their understanding during listening), and evaluating (reflecting on performance and strategy effectiveness after listening). Over nearly two decades, a “metacognitive approach” to teaching listening has gained traction, supported by evidence that it not only improves immediate listening comprehension but also builds learners’ confidence and autonomy in language learning. August (2025) argued that students benefit from prolonged strategy training with ample practice opportunities, so that applying strategies (like planning and self -review) becomes second nature. This perspective is echoed by rec ent meta-analytical evidence: A 2023 systematic review of metacognitive interventions in tertiary -level EFL contexts found that programs with clear, explicit strategy instruction and structured practice sequences yielded the most significant improvements i n learner outcomes. Such findings align with international research wh ich warns that mentally translating during listening can overload cognitive capacity and impede comprehension, whereas strategic behaviors like planning, directed attention, and self -monitoring correlate with better listening success. Moreover, interventio n studies in Malaysia provide encouraging evidence that explicit metacognitive strategy instruction can yield improvements in students’ listening abilities and attitudes. On one hand, Malaysian students often lack experience and confidence in listening, due to systemic educational gaps; on the other hand, studies suggest that when these students are equipped with metacognitive strategies, significant improvements can occur in both their listenin g performance and their self -regulation skills. This confluence of need and potential makes Malaysia a compelling focus for examining how metacognitive strategy instruction can make a difference. The researchers incorporated metacognitive strategy instruction into an intensive IELTS training program and then conducted semi - Daljeet et al.: Metacognitive strategies for listening skills in Malaysian higher education: A systematic review. - 226 - QUANTUM JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES 6(5): 215-236. eISSN: 2716-6481 https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i5.832 structured interviews with 10 participants to gauge the outcomes. The strateg ies taught were similar (planning, directed attention, monitoring, problem -solving, evaluating) but tailored to IELTS tasks (e.g. Sedhu and colleagues concluded that meta cognitive strategies not only improve immediate listening scores but also positively transform learners’ approach to learning, an effect that could have lasting benefits in their academic and professional communications. They advocated for exploring metacognitive strategy trainin g with other learner groups and proficiency levels in Malaysia, given the success observed with their undergraduates. Other Notable Interventions: While the two above are detailed, it’s worth noting that other studies or theses have attempted strategy instruction as well. By making listening a more explicit part of the curriculum, institutions signal its importance to both students and teachers, thereby allocating time and resources for skill development in this area. Integrating metacognitive strategy i nstruction: The success of interventions in the reviewed studies strongly supports integrating metacognitive strategy instruction into regular teaching practice. This doesn’t necessarily require standalone “strategy courses”; rather, the teaching of strategies can be wov en into existing listening tasks in the classroom.