scholarly journals Enhancing Reading Comprehension through Metacognitive Reading Strategies and Peer Tutoring among Year 7 Students at a Home School Centre

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Nadiah Halim ◽  
Marina Mohd Arif ◽  
Kaarthiyainy Supramaniam

Many students in Malaysia lack proficiency in the English language, from difficulty understanding the meaning of the text to inferring the text. The use of explicit instruction to introduce reading comprehension skills are also rarely employed in the classroom. This study investigated how metacognitive reading strategies and peer tutoring improved Year 7 students’ reading comprehension at a home-school centre. A total of 20 Year 7 students took part in this research, whereby 10 students were placed in the controlled group and 10 students in the experimental group. Students in the experimental group were exposed to 12 weeks of training on metacognitive reading strategies and peer tutoring session. In addition, IGCSE reading comprehension, learning journals and a semi-structured interview were employed to collect data from the experimental group. A paired sample t-test was conducted to analyse the quantitative data of this study whereas document analysis and thematic analysis were used to analyse the qualitative data. The results obtained from this study indicated that metacognitive reading strategies have assisted students to use suitable techniques to comprehend the reading text and answer the reading comprehension questions. In addition, peer tutoring aids student by having their peers translate meaning of the texts in their native language, explain how to properly use the metacognitive reading skills as well as provide guidance and support in the classroom. Therefore, the findings of this study are significant as it suggests the difficulty of students to adapt to new strategies in a short time; hence, they should be exposed at primary level. Keywords: Metacognitive reading strategies, peer tutoring, reading comprehension, home- school centres.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Aziza M. Ali ◽  
Abu Bakar Razali

Being able to read well is important for English language learners. Through the process of reading, the learner becomes an active participant in producing an interaction with the writer of the text through predicting, analyzing, summarizing and using other types of reading strategies. However, building such a connection between the reader and the written information of the text is complex and for English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students, it can be quite difficult for them to apply different types of reading strategies. This article provides a review of literature on 27 studies on the teaching of reading strategies (particularly cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies) for ESL/EFL learners, which reveals that ESL/EFL teachers need to keep updating their teaching methods to meet the ESL/EFL students’ needs, particularly in the use of correct reading strategies. The authors also highlight some of the main issues that prevent ESL/EFL students from improving and developing their reading comprehension. Furthermore, the authors discuss and conclude the article by suggesting to ESL/EFL teachers some teaching strategies to be applied in the reading lesson to improve the ESL/EFL students’ use of reading strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Omaima Al-Kiyumi ◽  
Fawzia Al Seyabi ◽  
Abdul Hamid Hassan

The current quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of metacognitive reading strategies on the reading comprehension and attitudes of Omani EFL foundation-level students. The sample of the study included two intact classes (N=45) and was selected based on the students’ results in the midterm reading comprehension exam and their responses to the metacognitive strategies survey (MARSI). One class functioned as the experimental group, which received instruction relating to the metacognitive reading strategies. The other class was the control group which received conventional reading instruction. Two instruments were used to collect data: a pre-post reading comprehension test to measure the students’ performance in reading and an attitude questionnaire to investigate their attitudes towards metacognitive reading strategies use. The results of the study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the learners’ reading comprehension in the experimental group and the control group in favor of the experimental group as a result of metacognitive reading strategies instruction. Results also showed that students in the experimental group held positive attitudes towards using metacognitive reading strategies use. In the light of these findings, implications and recommendations for practice were put forward.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Preeti Jaiswal

The paper examined the reading strategies used by ESL learners at University of Bahrain to comprehend academic material. It investigated the interdependence between the use of reading strategies by ESL learners’ and their reading comprehension attainment. To accomplish this goal, three instruments were used: a survey of the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) by Mokhtari and Sheorey (2002) and a Pre-reading comprehension test and Post-reading comprehension test and a paired sample t-test. The paper used quantitative data collected from 100 students studying in the Foundation Program at the English Language Centre and Department of Applied Studies at University of Bahrain. The findings of this research showed a notably positive relationship between the use of cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies by the students and their reading comprehension achievement. The compilation of the quantitative data, displayed that students practiced Global Reading Strategies appreciably, followed subsequently by Support Reading Strategies and Problem Solving Reading Strategies.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Waleed Shehzad ◽  
Ishtiaq Hussain ◽  
Amer Akhtar ◽  
Saadia Fatima

Abstract The intended aim of this research was to identify the connection of Self-Efficacy Sources (SES) and Metacognitive Reading Strategies (MCRS) with Reading Comprehension (RC) by deploying reading Self-Efficacy Beliefs (SEB) as a mediating construct. A correlational design was utilized. Proportionate stratified random sampling was deployed to select a sample of 383 Saudi EFL university learners. Questionnaires and a reading comprehension test were employed to gather the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships. Results indicated that SES were substantially associated with SEB except physiological state. Moreover, all the three MCRS showed significant and positive association with SEB. Also, SEB were substantially associated with RC. Regarding mediation, it was discovered that SEB mediated the relationship among SES and RC except one source, i.e., physiological state. Moreover, SEB mediated the association between all the three MCRS and RC. This study provides several implications for learners, teachers, and policymakers. Keywords: Metacognitive Reading Strategies, Self-efficacy Sources, Reading Self-efficacy Beliefs, Reading Comprehension, Saudi EFL Learners


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (32) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Maria Shobeiry

This study aimed at investigating the effect of employing intensive reading (IR) authentic tasks as supplementary materials on reading comprehension development of Academic IELTS test takers within the framework of schema theory and three instructional models of reading strategies suggested by Pearson and Duke (2009). Participants of this study consist of 81 individuals comprising 41 male and 40 female language learners at pre-advanced level of English proficiency with the age range of 25 to 37 among which 42  were categorized as the experimental group which received IR treatment and the rest of 39 ,who are considered as control group, that did not receive IR treatment. The experimental group was further divided into two subgroups which each received the same IR authentic tasks with different instructional methods to teaching reading strategies.  The results of an ANCOVA analysis illustrated a significant positive influence of authentic IR treatments on the development of participants' reading comprehension skills. However, an independent one-way t-test revealed that Pearson's and Duke's (2009) various instructional methods were not significantly influential on participants' final reading proficiency development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1064-1086
Author(s):  
Salim Abu Rabia

Purpose and research question: The present study investigated whether there was any significant difference between balanced bilinguals, dominant bilinguals, limited bilinguals and monolinguals in the application of metacognitive linguistic skills while doing a reading comprehension task in the additional (English) language. Namely, how do different degrees of bilingualism affect metacognitive linguistic skills? Methodology: The present study examined three domains of metacognitive reading process (planning, monitoring and evaluating), as well as the overall use of metacognitive reading strategies. Four groups of participants (30 seventh grade students in each group) completed a Metacognitive Reading Strategies Questionnaire, aimed at measuring their metacognitive awareness in each domain after fulfilling a reading comprehension task in English. Data analysis: A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used in order to test the differences within groups and between groups. Findings and conclusions: Level of metacognitive reading awareness was affected by the degree of bilingualism. There was a positive influence of balanced (reading and writing skills in the second language) and imbalanced (oral skills in the second language) degrees of bilingualism on metacognitive linguistic abilities. A balanced degree of bilingualism exerted the greatest influence on most of the metacognitive reading domains (planning, monitoring and the total use of metacognitive strategies). Significance: A significant advantage of balanced bilinguals over all other groups was revealed. Level of metacognitive reading awareness was affected by the degree of bilingualism. Thus, bilingual education should be taken seriously due to its positive effect on all aspects of thinking and learning. Results provided additional support to the notion that bilingualism had a positive impact on the metacognitive linguistic skills. Moreover, the balance between the languages appeared to be a significant variable. Thus, balanced bilinguals, who possessed the highest competence in the second language, showed the best performance in the domains of planning, monitoring and overall use of metacognitive reading strategies. Limited bilinguals, on the contrary, demonstrated the lowest scores in the mentioned domains. The findings also revealed the absence of any considerable difference between the groups in the domain of evaluating.


2016 ◽  
pp. 1055-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debopriyo Roy

This research explored how website analysis and design pedagogy could help support analytical thinking and English language production in an EFL context. In this study, 28 EFL-based computer science students took part in a website analysis experiment. The study investigated if students could analyze English websites and comprehend and produce responses in English for eight open-ended questions, divided into two sets of design and inference-based queries. Additionally, students answered a questionnaire on their own awareness about the use of metacognitive reading strategies, during website analysis and questionnaire responses. Results have demonstrated reasonable ability for students to answer most design and inference set queries. Questions on design, organization, audience analysis, and importance of the website were answered with better efficiency, when compared to few others. However, accuracy scores in neither set showed any significant practice effect, and rather performance dropped over the weeks. Further, self-reports indicated use of metacognitive reading strategies and significant correlations with accuracy scores during website analysis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Mary Susan Anyiendah ◽  
Paul A. Odundo ◽  
Agnes Kibui

Learners in Vihiga County perform poorer in English language examinations than their peers in neighbouring counties; and their performance seems to be weaker in comprehension compared to grammar sections. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of summarisation skills on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension in Vihiga County. The Solomon Four-Group Design was applied to obtain primary data from 279 primary school learners and 8 teachers in 2017. Multiple linear regression was also applied to generate two models, one for the experimental group and one for the control group. In both models, summarisation skills influenced learners’ achievement in reading comprehension positively, and the effect was significant at 90% confidence level; thus, leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. However, the effect seemed to be stronger in the experimental than in the control group, which suggests that training English language teachers on how to correctly apply summarisation skills impacted on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension. Based on the findings, it’s concluded that: training teachers of English language on the correct procedures for activating learners’ summarisation skills is likely to add value by making them more effective in lesson delivery. Such training is likely to inspire teachers to go an extra mile in their efforts to activate learners’ summarisation skills.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-73
Author(s):  
Azadeh Rajaei ◽  
Seyed Hassan Talebi ◽  
Shirin Abadikhah

In an EFL context reading is a very important skill in language learning. This study aims at finding if instruction of reading strategies in two different collaborative and non-collaborative approaches affects reading comprehension and attitude toward reading differently. Forty-five Iranian adult female EFL learners at pre-intermediate general English proficiency level in Iran Language Institute (ili) were selected and divided into three groups of 15 students. One group functioning as the control group did not receive any strategy instruction; the second group, as the first experimental group, received reading strategy instruction in collaborative groups (Collaborative Strategic Reading or csr), and the third group considered as the second experimental group received reading strategy instruction in a non-collaborative way. A reading comprehension test and a reading attitude questionnaire were given to all three groups at the beginning of the term as pretests and after the experiment as posttests. The results obtained through one-way anova indicated that though both experimental groups outperformed the control group, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups in reading comprehension and attitude toward reading. Therefore, it is up to teachers to weigh the advantages of using the collaborative approach to teaching reading against its disadvantages.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
AbdulRahman Al Asmari ◽  
Choudhary Zahid Javid

This empirical survey investigates the perceptions of English language teachers towards the role of content schemata in reading comprehension among Saudi EFL learners. Furthermore, it also attempts to explore the use of appropriate classroom strategies employed by English language teachers to activate content schemata to enhance learners’ reading comprehension. A modified Likert-scale strongly-agree to strongly-disagree questionnaire was administered to 61 male and female EFL faculty from English Language Center (ELC), Taif University to generate data. The findings have reinforced that background knowledge of Saudi EFL learners help them significantly in reading faster with better understanding. It has also been reported that pre-reading strategies of brainstorming, classroom discussions about the topic and questioning are the most favored ones to activate Saudi EFL learners’ background knowledge. It has also been learnt that while-reading strategies of directing the students’ attention to signal words, main idea, important phrases, titles, subtitles and effectively linking the target text to their students’ cultural and social experiences also contribute towards reading comprehension. The findings have also revealed that English language teachers consider low English language proficiency and poor reading skills of Saudi ELF leaners as well as the lack of appropriate teaching aids as the major obstacles in activating the content schemata. Several recommendations have been forwarded which have significant pedagogical implications in materializing much sought-after goal of effective ELT in the KSA by ensuring better reading skills among Saudi EFL learners.


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