metacognitive reading strategies

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between metacognitive reading strategies, reading self-efficacy, and reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. The participants were 119 Iranian B.A and M.A students majoring in English at Imam Khomeini International University and Islamshahr Azad University. A Michigan Test of English language Proficiency was given to the participants to determine their language proficiency and reading comprehension. Then, they were asked to respond to the two questionnaires of MARSI (Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory), and RSEQ (Reading Self-Efficacy Questionnaire). To analyze the data, multiple regression analyses and correlation procedures were used. The results revealed a significant relationship between the use of reading strategies and reading comprehension. Also, a significant relationship was found between the use of reading strategies and reading self-efficacy. Moreover, the findings showed a positive relationship between reading self-efficacy and reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. The results of this study may have implications for teachers, learners, and materials developers.

Metacognitive reading strategies play a significant role in reading comprehension and educational success. Being noticeably absent from many Iranian classrooms and largely unaware of by many language learners and teachers, metacognitive reading strategies have fallen into oblivion in English language teaching, research, learning, and assessment. The present study was an attempt to measure the metacognitive reading strategy (MRS) awareness among Iranian university students majoring in English Translation Studies. It also aimed at determining whether gender and learners’ different academic levels would make any difference in using various types of MRS. Furthermore, it investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ awareness of MRS and their reading comprehension performance. A sample of 45 EFL university students majoring in English Translation at Chabahar Maritime University participated in this study. They were asked to complete the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) questionnaire adapted from Tavakoli (2014) and to take a TOEFL Junior Standard Reading Comprehension Test. The results revealed that although the overall strategy use among these students was low (M=2.42), support reading strategies were used the most and problem-solving strategies were the least frequently used ones. Additionally, no significant difference was found between males and females as well as different academic levels in the use of MRS. No significant relationship was found between students’ overall use of metacognitive reading strategies and their reading comprehension achievement. The study concludes with a number of pedagogical implications and lists several guidelines for future research.

This study scrutinized the probable significant relationships among Iranian EFL learners’ academic self-efficacy, metacognitive reading strategies, and reading comprehension test performance. Relevantly, the significant predicting roles of the learners’ metacognitive reading strategies as well as academic self-efficacy for reading achievement were statistically investigated, increasing the depth of the study. Furthermore, the probable significant differences between the learners’ academic self-efficacy as well as the utilization of metacognitive reading strategies were investigated across three reading proficiency levels. To this end, 100 BA students, majoring in English Language Teaching at Islamic Azad University-Neyshabur Branch-Iran participated. Three standard instruments were employed, including academic self-efficacy and metacognitive reading strategies questionnaires along with the reading comprehension section of a TOEFL test. The study followed a quantitative correlational design. Since the normality of data was proved, the parametric statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, multiple regression analyses, and one-way analysis of variance were employed. The findings demonstrated significant positive relationships among the learners’ reading achievement, academic self-efficacy, and utilization of metacognitive reading strategies. In addition, it was found that metacognitive reading strategies can better predict reading comprehension than the learners’ academic self-efficacy. Academic self-efficacy was also proved as a significant predictor of the learners’ utilization of overall metacognitive reading strategies. No significant differences were proved between three proficiency levels in the utilization of metacognitive reading strategies as well as academic self-efficacy. The findings have some insightful pedagogical implications as well as some useful hints for language teachers and syllabus designers.