While peer evaluation has been widely used and studied in process-oriented writing classes, self-monitoring as a technique in writing instruction has been almost overlooked and is less explored in the Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. The current research aimed to examine the impact of using the self-monitoring technique, compared to the conventional writing course, on Iranian intermediate EFL learners' writing performance and their perception of the use of self-monitoring technique. In this study, 60 undergraduate EFL students doing an academic essay writing course were selected and randomly categorized into the control and experimental group. The experimental group employed the self-monitoring technique in their writing while the control group took a conventional writing class. In addition, a 50-item questionnaire was also administered before and after the experiment to examine the difference between the two groups regarding their perceptions of the self-monitoring technique. To explore the challenges and benefits of this technique, after treatment, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to some participants of the experimental group. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results uncovered a statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning their writing performance and perception of the self-monitoring technique. The participants found the self-monitoring technique to be efficient in teaching writing. Furthermore, the results of this research can be useful for instructors and researchers who attempt to find an effective way of providing feedback to the students and making the revision process more interactive.