Beyond Strategy: Exploring Cultural Familiarity, Metacognition, and Learner Autonomy in Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension in multilingual contexts requires more than linguistic competence; it demands metacognitive regulation and strategic flexibility across culturally diverse materials. This study investigates the reading strategies employed by Eswatini English as a Second Language (ESL) learners when engaging with culturally familiar and culturally unfamiliar texts, addressing the limited evidence on strategy transfer within multilingual African contexts. A quantitative repeated-measures design was used with 200 Eswatini senior secondary learners, who each read two passages matched in length and readability, one culturally familiar and one culturally distant, and reported their strategy use using the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS). Results revealed moderate and stable engagement across Global, Support, and Problem-Solving strategies, with Problem-Solving strategies employed slightly more frequently but without statistically significant differences between text types. Correlational analyses indicated a moderate relationship between familiar and unfamiliar text strategy use, suggesting that learners relied on habitual, routine behaviours rather than adaptive, metacognitively guided strategies. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Strategic Engagement and Transfer (SET) Model, which conceptualises a developmental progression from habitual, inconsistent strategy use to conscious, context-aware deployment, and ultimately integrated, automatic strategic competence. The findings inform English Language Teaching (ELT) by offering a context-sensitive metacognitive framework for scaffolding strategy instruction, promoting adaptive engagement, and fostering transferable reading competence across culturally diverse texts.

Reading comprehension is the most important skill in the absence of oral communication opportunities in foreign language teaching situation. So, the effect of different factors on reading comprehension has been studied. One of these factors is of a text. Is readers' comprehension influenced by of a text? What is the difference between different gender groups in comprehension of cultural familiar and unfamiliar texts? In order to answer these questions 50 intermediate EFL learners (25 males and 25 females) were asked to take a reading test. Four reading comprehension texts were used as an instrument, two texts were based on cultural familiar topics and the other two were based on cultural unfamiliar topics. Each passage was followed by 4 comprehension questions. The results of statistical analyses showed that learners performed significantly better on cultural familiar texts, but there is no difference between men and women in using cultural schema and familiarity of text. Key words: Reading comprehension, schema theory, cultural familiarity.

A fundamental necessity at postgraduate level is a developed strategic reading skill that permits digesting tremendous amounts of technical academic content. The need is more paramount for EFL contexts and postgraduate students majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Literature (EL) most of whom will ultimately search a career in teaching. The aim of the present ex-post facto study was to compare reading comprehension, overall metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (RSs) and awareness of Global, Problem-solving, and Support reading strategies of these prospective English teachers. To this end, a convenient sample of 60 ELT and 40 EL postgraduates were recruited from a pool of 130 students. The research data were collected using a reading comprehension test and the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategy Inventory (MARSI) (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002). The Independent Samples t-test analyses of the research data revealed that both groups were average in their reading comprehension and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. MANOVA analysis of the MARSI components also indicated that although ELT postgraduates were significantly more aware of Global, Problem-solving, and Support RSs, both groups were at medium level. The findings highlight the need for strategic-based instruction in reading courses and offer a number of implications.

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.

Background- Medical students are expected to be skilled readers and continuous learners. For a lifelong learner, metacognitive awareness of reading strategy is a necessary skill to obtain good academic outcome. The present study was done to evaluate the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies of first year medical students. Aims: To analyze the overall metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and also the subscales like global reading strategies, problem solving and support reading strategies in first year medical students and the impact of gender on these. Methods: Metacognitive awareness of reading strategies inventory (MARSI), a validated tool was administered to all the willing participants of the study group. The data obtained was analyzed using chi square and paired t test. Results: The overall metacognitive awareness of reading strategies was found to be high in our students. Problem solving strategies was utilized most followed by support reading strategies and global reading strategies. On comparing the influence of the sexes, it was noticed that females use better overall reading strategies which was significant. On comparing subscales, both the genders prefer using problem solving skills while the other subscales are used more by females. Conclusion: From our study we conclude that our learners have good metacognitive awareness regarding reading skills but does the skill turn into practice to achieve good academic scores remains to be seen. We suggest that curriculum should be so designed to help the students use all the subscales and hence all the strategies to become effective learners. Key words: MARCI, Medical students, Global strategies, Problem solving strategies, Support reading strategies.

This study explores the integration of spiritual and language education through prophetic pedagogy in English Language Teaching (ELT) in Pakistani universities. Prophetic pedagogy emphasizes a holistic approach to education, incorporating moral and spiritual principles derived from Islamic teachings into academic teaching. The objective of this research is to investigate how English language education can balance language proficiency with moral and spiritual development, promoting a comprehensive learning experience. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study collects data through semi-structured interviews from ten undergraduate students and five teachers from two public universities in Pakistan. The findings show that English language teaching in Pakistan goes beyond just building language skills as it also promotes core Islamic values like compassion, honesty, and accountability. Teachers utilize instructional strategies that integrate Islamic teachings into classroom activities, including the use of texts on Islamic figures, prayers, and contextually relevant examples. This integration promotes a transformative learning environment where students develop a deeper connection to their faith while achieving academic excellence. Although this approach is valuable, the study points out several challenges in putting it into practice. These include limited teacher training, difficulty aligning spiritual concepts with language materials, and different levels of student comprehension and background. However, the findings suggest that this model of education cultivates morally high individuals capable of facing the complexities of a globalized world without compromising their religious identity. The study concludes that the combination of spiritual and language education through prophetic teaching can strongly increase students’ personal and professional growth in higher education.

With the ongoing globalisation and digitisation of education, the proportion of Chinese international students in UK higher education has significantly increased. This research investigates 1) how these students’ first language (L1) and second language (L2) online reading strategies differ, 2) how L1 and L2 proficiency affects strategy choice, and 3) how these strategies affect reading comprehension performance. Adopting a positivist paradigm, this study used Struck and Jiang’s Lexical Decision Tasks (LDTs), Anderson’s Online Survey of Reading Strategies (OSORS), and reading comprehension tests. Data were collected from 50 Chinese international students at the University of Sheffield via the Gorilla platform. Results showed that 1) online reading strategies differed significantly between L1 and L2. Participants used global reading strategies more frequently when reading in L1 and relied more on problem-solving and support reading strategies in L2. 2) Higher L1 proficiency predicted more frequent use of global and problem-solving strategies in L1 reading. Conversely, higher L2 proficiency predicted a greater frequency of using problem-solving and support reading strategies in L2 reading. 3) Reading comprehension scores were strongly influenced by strategy use. Frequent use of global and problem-solving strategies was positively correlated with better L1 comprehension performance, while support reading strategies were negatively correlated. In L2 reading, regular use of problem-solving and support reading strategies significantly enhanced comprehension performance. This study enriches the theoretical framework concerning how reading strategies and L1/L2 proficiency affect comprehension performance and validates related measurement scales, providing insights for cross-cultural education for international students.

Aim of the Study: Reading online is an interactive process between a reader and the online text. Online reading provides an opportunity for students to improve their problem-solving reading strategies. This study has seen with the improvement of reading practices over the last few years, digital technology has promoted reading and literacy research (Mangen & Weel, 2016). Many students have limited reading experiences and strategies, and therefore struggle to understand the online text. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of problem-solving strategies for undergraduate students on their academic attainments while reading the online material. Methodology: Sample of study consisted of 60 undergraduate students from a local women’s college. The study used a mix method approach where the data was collected through convenience sampling using questionnaires, to discover the difficulties of students in reading online. Findings: This study showed that problem-solving strategies enhanced the reading comprehension of the online readers. The students benefitted from using different subcategories of problem-solving reading strategies for improving their reading comprehension. Conclusion: The results indicated that most of the students were moderate users of reading strategies and preferred using problem solving strategies while reading online. The study recommended teaching problem-solving strategies to encourage students to improve their online reading process.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Cooperative Integrated and Composition (CIRC) in teaching reading comprehension to the third semester students of English departement at IAIN Lhokseumawe. The population of this study was all the students in the third semester and the samples are unit-1 and unit-2. The sample was chosen by using random sampling technique. The sample consists of 31 and 32 students. To obtain the data, the pre-test and the post-test were given to two groups; experimental group and control group. The instrument used to collect the data was a test. It was used to see learning achievement of students in reading comprehension. The mean score of experimental group was 81,45 by it was 76,09 of control group. Students’ reading ability in both groups was different as indicated by the t-test. The t-test result shows that the score is 2.210 while the result of t-table is 0,031 at the level of significance is 5% (α=0.05). Therefore, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted and the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. Furthermore, the finding of this study showed that CIRC more effective in In enhancing the students’ reading comprehension. This study contributes to further implications for research on language learning strategies, material design and teacher education in English language teaching.

Pre-service English teachers still need to gain the competence to develop authentic materials with Islamic values, reflected by their low perceived readiness. To reveal their readiness, this study was conducted by using narrative inquiry. The data were gathered from the storytelling of pre-service English teachers pursuing master's degrees at IAIN Kediri. Participants in this study were one male and one female student with teaching experience. The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis. The data showed that the pre-service teachers believed the readiness to develop digitalized authentic materials with Islamic values could have been more optimal. It is because of the existing instructional materials provided by the government, their lack of confidence as new teachers, and their limited autonomous access to their classes as a new teacher. English textbooks provided by the government are only general English. So, it makes the teachers follow the materials instead of developing authentic materials with Islamic values that are fundamentally needed by students studying in Islamic institutions, such as modifying the materials from books to reflect Muslim activities. Therefore, the pre-service teachers must expose themselves to integrated materials books and digital materials with Islamic values.

This opening chapter presents an overview of the current status of English language teaching and teacher education in neoliberal contexts. It suggests that across the globe, English competency has been considered human capital for pursuing economic advancement, enhanced status and prestige, and transnational mobility. In the age of neoliberalism, it is essential for English language teacher education to prepare preservice teachers for working in dynamic and diverse contexts and to recognise the personal diversities that they bring to teacher education and shape their professional learning. The chapter highlights the need for empirical research to examine the complexities and diversities of the contextual and personal dimensions of teacher learning to better inform practice in English language teacher education in these contemporary contexts. Due to transnational flows, Australia presents an empirical setting to interrogate such complex issues because of its large culturally and linguistically diverse populations of English language learners and preservice teachers and a broad range of contexts for practice. Understanding how preservice teachers learn to teach English language in Australia can offer insights that could transcend the Australian context.

Abstract: The integration of technology into English Language Teaching (ELT) has been developed recently. Many studies revealed that the impacts of English instructional technology can enhance the students’ English learning achievements. However, there are some problems that need more concern from educators.One of them is reading comprehension as it is one of the crucial skills in National Examination in Indonesia. To empower students’ reading comprehension, the successful integration of English instructional technology into ELT could be the solution to cope with it. In this study, Webquest is an instructional technology tool used to increase students’ reading comprehension achievements. Sixty two of senior high school students were involved as participants of this study. By conducting experimental research, thirty-one students were in the experimental group and the others were in the control group. The results revealed that the experimental group achieved higher scores than the control group. It indicates that Webquest is effective to improve students’ reading comprehension achievements. In a nutshell, the implementation of technology in ELT could empower students’ reading comprehension. Key words: English instructional technology, reading comprehension, Webquest

he present study aims to investigate the use of metacognitive reading strategies by 240 fourth-year students majoring in English Language and Literature or French Language and Literature at Jordanian universities. The Survey of Reading Strategies Questionnaire (SORS) (Mokhtari and Sheorey, 2002) was used for data collection. It consists of 30 items divided into three reading strategies: Problem Solving strategies, Support strategies, and Global strategies. The findings showed that English language learners and French language learners reported moderate use of metacognitive reading strategies and a tendency towards the use of Global reading strategy (M= 3.06) more than Support (M= 3.01) and Problem Solving (M= 2.88) strategies. Significant differences existed in the categories of metacognitive reading strategies use between the two groups of the study. The findings indicated that foreign language learners might recognize which strategies to use, but they may not have knowledge of how to use them successfully. They need to know how to use reading strategies correctly not only to know which strategies to employ. It is recommended that larger-scale studies be conducted to investigate the relationship among reading strategies of language learners, texts of different difficulties and lengths, and learning styles. Keywords: Metacognitive reading strategies, global strategies, support strategies, problem.

This paper argues that teachers' mental lives represent the ‘hidden side’ of teaching. It examines how teacher learning and teacher knowledge, as central attributes of those mental lives, have been conceptualized and studied since 1975 and traces connections to similar work in English language teaching (ELT)In this paper, I use the phrase ‘English language teaching,’ or (ELT), to refer to the teaching of English as a second, additional, or foreign language, known in the US as TESOL. I recognize that the phrase ELT is a bit problematic in that in the United States it can be taken to refer to English as mother tongue or first language instruction (language arts), while in Europe it would seem to be more accurately applied in this case.. While the majority of literature reviewed is drawn from the north American perspective, parallels are sketched in some of the emerging research in ELT teacher education. The analysis examines four broad families of issues: how teachers learn content and teaching practices, how teachers' mental processes are conceived, the role of prior knowledge in learning to teach, and the role of social and institutional context. Taken together, research in these areas suggests implications for the design and practice of teacher training and professional development in Second language teacher education.

Selection of a reading strategy is a critical factor in development of students’ comprehension and critical thinking skills. This study examined the level of reading strategy utilized by students when reading English academic text and investigated if there were any significant differences between Malaysian and Chinese students in terms of metacognitive awareness and perceived use of metacognitive reading strategies. A total of 55 second year and third year TESL students (31 Malaysian and 24 China Chinese) in the University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia completed 30-item questionnaires adopted from a Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) questionnaire. The result indicated a high level of reading strategy using metacognitive reading strategies among all the students. Visualizing strategy was the most popular item that students “looked at the title before reading to get a hint about text content”. T-test result showed that there were significant differences in the use of the two categories of strategies; global and problem-solving strategies. Malaysian students demonstrated higher level of using global and problem-solving strategies compared to their China counterparts. Therefore, university reading courses ought to emphasize all global, problem-solving, and support strategies. Lecturers should also emphasize on reading itself. The result of this study served as the basis for achieving the students’ metacognition ability.Keywords: English, global and problem-solving strategies, support strategies, metacognitive reading strategy, TESL, descriptive design, University of Malaya, Malaysia