Metacognitive knowledge and control in the use of reading comprehension strategies by freshman EFL students at Ankara University

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed at investigating metacognitive knowledge and control in the use of reading comprehension strategies of ten freshman students in the Departments of American and British Studies at Ankara University. Recent research has focused on metacognition since it is claimed to play a crucial role in regulating mental processes. However, it is vital to our understanding of the role of metacognitive knowledge and control in the use of reading comprehension strategies. This prediction was tested through a two-step procedure. The data were collected through think-aloud protocols and interviews. In the think-aloud protocols, the students were told to think aloud while they were reading a passage in an attempt to find out their reading comprehension strategies. Through interviews, the students' knowledge about and control of their reading comprehension strategies were investigated. The results revealed from the analysis of think-aloud protocols indicated that these freshman students use various strategies to understand texts, falling into two groups: strategies that are used to comprehend the content by using non-linguistic cues (content-based), and those that are used to comprehend the content by using linguistic cues in the text (text-based).One major result that emerged from the analysis of the interviews showed that the students displayed varying amounts of knowledge and control in the use of reading comprehension strategies. Knowledge about the strategies was identified as knowledge about person, task and strategy. Similarly, control of the strategies was explored in three categories: planning, monitoring and revising. However, it was found that the students lacked conscious knowledge about and intentional control of the strategies that they use. Putting it differently, the students did not possess metacognitive knowledge and control. Another finding illustrated that students demonstrated knowledge about the strategies more than control of the strategies since the latter requires some sort of action to regulate cognitive processes whereas the former does not. The results of the study suggest that the freshman students use a variety of reading comprehension strategies. However, they need to have metacognitive knowledge and control in the use of their reading comprehension strategies.