Incorporating Cognitive Strategy Instruction Models and Action Research into Professional Development to Enhance EFL Reading and Writing Instruction

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of training 13 EFL in-service teachers on incorporating action research with cognitive strategy instruction models to improve teaching EFL reading and writing instruction. The training focused on using two instructional models; the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) for reading and the Self-Regulated Strategies Development (SRSD) for writing. A mixed methods research design was adopted for this study to allow triangulation of data and explore the multi-dimensional nature of the study variables. The participant teachers were engaged in conducting action research utilizing the cognitive strategy instruction. The teachers' action research reports and the school students' gains in writing and reading were analyzed and interpreted. Results demonstrated that the training was effective in developing teachers’ skills of developing and conducting action research and implementing CSI in their classroom practices. Results revealed that teachers prefer using SRSD over CSR. Additionally, students who were taught using SRSD achieved more learning gains rather than the students who were taught using CSR.