The study used a qualitative approach to examine the development of metacognitive awareness strategies among student writers. The purposes of the study were to determine the indices of metacognitive awareness strategies used by students, the role of preservice teachers, and the relevance of instructional strategies. Participants were preservice teachers and high school students. Data collection included field notes, writing samples, reports, surveys, portfolios, and evaluations. The study results indicated the following: 1. Students' self-perceptions as writers change; 2. metacognitive awareness development occurs over time; 3. Metacognitive awareness development occurs differently among students; and 4. Varied teaching approaches yield effective writing instruction.