Comprehension Monitoring Research Articles

Story Comprehension Monitoring Across Visual, Listening, and Written Modalities in Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Visual, as compared to verbal, tasks are often assumed to be easier for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but is this true for story comprehension? This study evaluated story comprehension monitoring across visual, listening, and written modalities and assessed predictors in two closely matched groups (age, socioeconomic status, language, nonverbal cognition, and word reading) of children and adolescents (8-14years) with ASD (n = 20) and typical development (typically developing [TD]; n = 20). The results of mixed-effects models indicated that story comprehension monitoring was low overall, and performance was comparable across visual, listening, and written modalities for participants with ASD. Age, vocabulary, nonverbal working memory, response and distractor inhibition, and social communication significantly predicted comprehension monitoring.

Факторная структура русскоязычной версии опросника «Метакогнитивная включенность в деятельность»

Metacognitive processes are important for the success in the wide range of educational activities of youth and young adults. However, the positive correlations between metacognition and academic achievements are not high enough, and the instruments used in these studies might be the reason. We explored the factor structure of the Russian version of the questionnaire “Metacognitive Awareness Inventory” developed by G. Schraw and R. Dennison and adapted by A.V. Karpov and I.M. Skityaeva into Russian. The participants of our study were 527 residents of St. Petersburg, which were studying at the university at the time. Among them there were 366 students getting their first diploma and 161students getting their second diploma (average age 23.8 ± 8.8). In this article the authors present the results of a confirmatory factor analysis of four models, which are the most frequently used in foreign and Russian literature: unidimensional model; two different two-factor models; eight-factor model. Evaluation of the model fit indices for the four models showed that none of them were a god fit. We reduced the number of items of the questionnaire and re-implemented the factor analysis of these four models. The values of indicators of a good model fit improved. In the short version of the questionnaire “Metacognitive Awareness Inventory” the authors discovered two scales – knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, which included 8 subscales: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, conditional knowledge, planning, information management strategies, comprehension monitoring, debugging strategies, evaluation.

Predicting the Reader's English Level From Reading Fixation Patterns Using the Siamese Convolutional Neural Network.

Among numerous functions performed by the human eye, reading is a common task that best reflects an individual's understanding and cognitive patterns. Previous studies showed that text comprehension may be determined by comprehension monitoring, a metacognitive process that evaluates and regulates the pattern of comprehension. Herein, we propose a hypothesis: an individual's cognitive pattern during reading is predictive of the level of reading comprehension. According to the criteria of the College English Test Band Six (CET-6), 80 participants (sophomore and junior) were divided into a pass group (n = 40) and a non-pass group (n = 40). Heatmaps of eye fixation counts were collected by an eye-tracker while each participant executed four reading comprehension tests. Using these heatmaps as inputs, we proposed the Siamese convolutional neural network models to predict the English level of participants. Both strategies of "Trained from scratch" and "Pretrained with fine-tuning" were employed. "Soft Voting" was applied to integrate the predictions from four tests. Results showed that the Siamese network model trained by the datasets with the cluster radius of fixation equal to 25 pixels and connection layer by L1 norm distance has a satisfactory or superior performance to other comparative experiments. The AUC values of Siamese networks trained by the two strategies reach 0.941 and 0.956, respectively. This indicates that the individual reading cognitive pattern captured by the eye-tracker can predict the level of reading comprehension through advanced deep learning models.

The development of metacognitive knowledge from childhood to young adulthood: Major trends and educational implications.

In this chapter, major trends in the development of metacognitive competences and its relationship to various aspects of cognitive/academic performance are described, with a focus on metamemory and reading comprehension. In a first step, classic and more recent theoretical models of metacognitive competences are presented that elaborate on the development of the declarative and procedural components of metacognition. The declarative component focuses on explicit and verbalizable knowledge, whereas the procedural component deals with monitoring and self-regulation processes. Common measures of both components are presented next, followed by a description of major developmental trends, as indicated by cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on developmental differences and changes in declarative knowledge, memory and comprehension monitoring, and self-regulation. Furthermore, research findings illustrating the relationship between metacognitive competences and cognitive performance in childhood and adolescence are presented for the domains of memory and reading comprehension, respectively. The final section focuses on educational implications of research on metacognition, underlining the importance of teacher behavior in the classroom and special instruction programs for students' acquisition of metacognitive competences.

Crosslinguistic Transfer of Higher Order Cognitive Skills and Their Roles in Writing for English-Spanish Dual Language Learners.

We investigated the dimensionality and relations between L1 and L2 writing skills in narrative and informational genres, and higher order cognitive skills-inference, perspective taking, and comprehension monitoring-for Spanish-English dual language learners in primary grades. Dimensions of written composition and higher order cognitive skills were examined, comparing nine alternative models. Data from 317 dual language learners in Grades 1 and 2 were used in confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. For the dimensionality of written composition, a unidimensional model, where writing was characterized as a single underlying construct across languages (Spanish and English) and genres (narrative & opinion), fit the data best. With regard to the dimensionality of higher order cognitive skills, data supported a bifactor model with (a) a general factor that captures common variance across languages and across inference, perspective taking, and comprehension monitoring skills and (b) specific factors by language (Spanish and English). The higher order cognition general factor was fairly strongly related to writing quality (.59), and the relation remained even after accounting for sex, poverty status, grade level, English learner status, school, and biliterate status. These relations were similar for students in English immersion program and Spanish-English dual immersion programs. These results indicate potential cross-language transfer of higher order cognitive skills, and the roles of higher order cognitions in written composition for Spanish-English dual language learners.

Reading Comprehension Monitoring of Expository Discourses in Third to Fifth Grade ADHD Children with/without Vocabulary Delay

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate reading comprehension monitoring including three types of error detection (lexical inconsistency, internal inconsistency, external inconsistency) and correction with expository discourse in school-aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods: Nineteen ADHD children with vocabulary delay, 17 ADHD children without vocabulary delay, and 20 typically developing children students from third, fourth, and fifth grades participated in the study. In order to assess comprehension monitoring; expository discourses contained three different types of errors. Comprehension monitoring tasks were presented in the following order: First, children were asked to find out errors in two expository texts of comparison and causation. After finding out errors, children were asked to change the appropriate words verbally.Results: ADHD children with vocabulary delay did show difficultly in reading comprehension monitoring tasks when compared to age-matched typically developing children and ADHD children without language impairment. Internal inconsistency was the most difficult error to identify and correct, and lexical inconsistency was the easiest error for all three groups.Conclusion: The result proposed that even children with ADHD who have no difficulty in basic language and reading skills were likely to have difficulty properly using reading comprehension monitoring, which is closely related to working memory and executive functions. The poor comprehension monitoring skills would negatively influence effective reading comprehension.

The Effect of Using KWL (Know-Want-Learned) Strategy on Reading Comprehension Of 5th Grade EFL Students in Kuwait

Metacognitive reading strategies play an essential role in improving reading comprehension. This study explores the effects of English metacognitive reading strategies and reading comprehension in Kuwaiti primary school students as foreign language learners; this experimental study tries to find a relationship between students' metacognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and students' reading performance. Participants were fifth grade EFL students in Kuwait primary education government public schools. The students' reading comprehension was evaluated. Comprehension tracking strategies were measured using Metacognitive strategies (K-W-L Plus). While the experimental groups (B) received instructions according to (K-W-L Plus) techniques, the control (A) group was trained with the traditional teaching approach based on the Kuwait national curriculum school textbooks. A questionnaire investigating the use of English and perceived English proficiency was also conducted. The results revealed that Perceived proficiency in English was not determined by the early or late pre-school age of second language acquisition. Also, bilingual students with perceived proficiency in English had better meta-cognitive reading skills than low perceived proficiency in English. Comprehension monitoring and (K-W-L) strategy was adequate and the most important predictor of reading comprehension among all students in the research sample.

Do Students’ Questions during Chemistry Lectures Predict Perceived Comprehension and Exam Performance?

Question generation is theorized to support comprehension, self-regulation, and achievement, yet the empirical base for whether and how student-generated questions are associated with comprehension monitoring and whether they predict performance remain open questions. To address these, we investigated the questions undergraduate students in an introductory chemistry course recorded in question logs across an 8-lecture unit and their relations with post-lecture self-appraisals of comprehension and exam performance. Results indicated that students who generated more questions during lectures, who were able to resolve fewer of their questions, and who generated questions indicating large exam-relevant knowledge gaps reported lower levels of comprehension after lectures. Questions that sought verification or disambiguation were positively associated with exam performance. Findings suggest that student-generated questions can be meaningful indicators of comprehension monitoring processes and academic performance.

Socioeconomic Status, Culture, and Reading Comprehension in Immigrant Students.

Research on reading comprehension in immigrant students is heterogeneous and conflicting. Differences in socioeconomic status and cultural origins are very likely confounds in determining whether differences to native pupils can be attributed to immigrant status. We collected data on 312 Spanish students of Native, of Hispanic origin–therefore with the same family language as native students- and Non-Hispanic origin, while controlling for socioeconomic status, non-verbal reasoning and school membership. We measured reading comprehension, knowledge of syntax, sentence comprehension monitoring, and vocabulary. Differences among groups appeared only in vocabulary and syntax (with poorer performance in the non-Hispanic group), with no differences in reading comprehension. However, regression analyses showed that most of the variability in reading comprehension was predicted by age, socioeconomic status, non-verbal reasoning, and comprehension monitoring. Group membership did not significantly contribute to explain reading comprehension variability. The present study supports the idea that socioeconomically disadvantaged students, both native and immigrants from diverse cultural backgrounds, irrespective of the language of origin, are probably equally at risk of poor reading comprehension.

Complex Interplay of Cognitive and Strategic Processing in EFL Listening: Implications for Teaching

Although listening is key to communication, it remains the least studied skill compared to other skills, both at the national and international levels, among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). There is also often a lack of awareness among scholars and teachers of how listening takes place, how it is best taught, and how it can be studied. To fill this gap, this study investigated the process of listening activated by Thai EFL learners while listening for comprehension. Twenty-four undergraduate participants were asked to complete a 30-minute multiple-choice listening test, with stimulated recalls conducted immediately afterward. Their stimulated recall transcriptions, listening notes and test responses were analyzed to identify which cognitive processes and strategies they used while listening and to investigate the extent that they were successful as listeners. The results showed that although the participants activated cognitive processes for listening at both the lower and higher levels, the majority, both high and low ability listeners, reported relying more on processes at the lower level (word recognition and parsing). Common strategies used by the participants are inferencing, elaboration, and comprehension monitoring. The activation of the cognitive processes and strategies was interactive and interrelated in a very complex way. Based on the findings, implications are discussed for how effective listening skills are best taught in the EFL classroom, what kinds of materials should be used, and how listening skills can best be assessed.

Effect of guided reciprocal peer questioning strategy on pediatric nursing students' self-esteem and metacognitive awareness: Current approach and future directions

BackgroundGuided Reciprocal Peer Questioning Strategy (GRPQS) restructures the classroom context from a passive into an engaging environment, where the students are empowered to actively participating in their learning process. ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of GRPQS on the pediatric nursing students’ self-esteem and metacognitive awareness. DesignA Quasi-experimental, pre-posttest, two groups research was carried out at University of Bahrain. A sample of 89 out of 112 pediatric nursing-students were divided into two groups. MethodThrough GRPQS, the students mutually generated and responded to questions, activated their critical thinking, elicited ideas, and shared learning experiences within the team and the teachers act as facilitators. ResultsIt is revealed that 75% of the students in the study group developed high self-esteem after their engagement in the GRPQS compared to only 48.8% among those in the control one. Students who practiced GRPQS showed an improvement in their knowledge about cognition. As the mean score of students in the study group is increased from 2.16 ± 0.45 to 2.89 + 0.35 for the procedural knowledge, from 2.33 ± 0.56 to 2.86 ± 0.41 for declarative and from 2.18 + 0.53 to 3.09 ± 0.29 for the conditional knowledge (p < 0.001 for each). Concerning the regulation of cognition, the mean score of the planning dimension was improved from2.21 ± 0.46 to 3.10 ± 0.31 among the students in the study group. Moreover, it is clear that applying GRPQS in the lectures helped in improving the students’ information management strategies, comprehension monitoring, debugging strategies and evaluation (p < 0.001 for each) compared to the control group p = 0.169, p = 0.009, p = 0.117 and 0.887 respectively). ConclusionThe application of GRPQS provided an interactive and engaging learning experience that helped the students to develop the habit of organizing, judging, and summarizing information as well as focusing on the significant portions of the learning materials. Moreover, exchanging questions between the nursing students was effective in enhancing their self-esteem and metacognitive awareness. Hence, incorporating this innovative pedogeological approach in the nursing curricula is recommended.

Evaluating driver comprehension of the roadway environment to retain accountability of safety during driving automation

Driver comprehension is a substantial component of situation awareness that involves the ability of an individual to understand the significance of an object, traffic sign, or hazard while driving. An increase in crashes related to autonomous driving systems has raised a concern regarding the safety of other roadway users due to the diminishing accountability resulting from a general lack of understanding of the limitations or disregard of the safety protocols by users. To keep drivers vigilant when engaged in partial automated systems, a methodology to monitor real-time driver comprehension was proposed. A driving simulator study consisting of 90 participants, equally split between males and females, was executed to establish driver comprehension in six different variations of driving difficulty. Joint probability density functions were created by considering percent time spent gazing, answers to probe questions, and driving performance. Based on these density functions, five levels of comprehension were devised and assigned thresholds. Overall, as task difficulty increased, a non-linear deterioration in driving speed along with an increase in total gaze duration was observed before comprehension was attained. A two-step validation protocol was also proposed to ensure similar levels of comprehension to non-automated driving from the human driver, when engaged in early forms of automation. The proposed real-time driver comprehension monitoring constitutes a first step toward developing a methodology to reinstate the accountability of safety of other roadway users when engaged in driver-in-the-loop automation systems.

Relation between Subjective Measures of Metacognitive Awareness and Implicit Bias Among U.S. Undergraduate Students

Objective. e purpose of the present study was to explore the relation between subjective measures of metacognitive awarenessand implicit bias, and to investigate whether metacognition is a viable pathway to meet the two objectives. Method. A sampleof U.S. undergraduate students (N = 117) completed self-report measures of implicit bias (Situational Attitude Scale) andmetacognitive awareness (Metacognitive Awareness Inventory). Correlational analyses, Pearson’s r coefficients, and a hierarchicallinear regression analysis were conducted to address the research objectives. Results. Findings revealed that implicit bias andmetacognitive awareness were related, and that conditional knowledge, comprehension monitoring, information management,debugging, and evaluation led to decrements in negatively charged implicit bias. Conclusion. Evidently, metacognition is a viablepathway for raising awareness of one’s implicit biases and subsequently mitigating them through the development of tailorededucational interventions.

Realistic Implementation of Metacognitive Activities in an Allied Health Anatomy Course

Introduction Metacognition, the ability to plan, monitor, and assess one's understanding and performance, has been shown to improve student learning outcomes. Anatomy is often recognized as one of the toughest courses in professional health care curricula, and students enrolled in such courses could potentially benefit from metacognitive activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the changes in metacognition of allied health students as they progress through a gross anatomy course. Methods First-year physician assistant (PA), physical therapy (PT), and occupational therapy (OT) students (n=129) participating in a doctoral-level anatomy course were invited to participate in this IRB-approved study. The course was conducted entirely online due to COVID and consisted of asynchronous lectures and virtual synchronous laboratory sessions. Students’ anatomical knowledge was assessed with four exams. At the beginning and end of the course, students were invited to complete a de-identified pre-/post-survey including the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), a 52-item survey that assesses metacognition. Pre- and post-MAI scores were analyzed in SPSS using Spearman's rho, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. Throughout the course, students were then asked to participate in reflective discussion boards to encourage development of metacognitive skills. Topics included study strategies, comprehension monitoring, exam reflections, and advice for future students. Discussion board posts were thematically analyzed by two researchers, with coding disagreements discussed to consensus. Results A total of 113 (88%) and 59 (46%) students completed the pre- and post-surveys, respectively, resulting in 52 matched pairs (40%). As a whole, students significantly increased their metacognition scores after completion of the course (p<0.01). Several specific findings were noted, for example that PA students were found to monitor their learning less frequently compared to PTs and OTs (p=0.03). Discussion board participation ranged from 97% to 22%, with a steady decline over time. Qualitative analysis of discussion board posts revealed students reported changing their study strategies the most between Exams 1 and 2, after which they relied on existing strategies. Students frequently cited time constraints, time management, and volume of material as major factors that made anatomy difficult to learn. Indeed, students understood the educational value of the discussion boards but chose not to participate to prioritize studying the course content. Conclusion Overall, students were more receptive to metacognitive activities and modifying study strategies early in the course. As time progressed, receptiveness decreased, mainly due to time constraints. At this point, students tended to “double-down” on strategies that worked previously rather than continuously monitor and modify their approach to studying. Significance To maximize effectiveness, metacognitive activities peripheral to the course content should be positioned early in the course when students are more receptive. Students will then be well-equipped to learn but can focus their limited time on course content.

Contributions of Reading Comprehension Subskills to Arithmetic Word-Problem Solving among Chinese Primary School Students

ABSTRACT Learning to solve arithmetic word problems is an essential part of the primary school mathematics curriculum. The success of word-problem solving was previously found to relate to reading comprehension ability of children. However, the relationships between specific reading comprehension component skills and word-problem solving remain largely unknown. The current study examined the role of four comprehension subskills – morphological, syntactic, inference making, and comprehension monitoring – in children’s performance on word-problem solving. A total of 129 primary four, Chinese-speaking, children participated in this study. Participants were assessed with tasks of comprehension subskills and arithmetic word problems, as well as two control measures (word reading and nonverbal Intelligence). All four comprehension subskills were found to have unique and significant predictions on children’s equation formation performance. Furthermore, we proposed a model which described the relationships between the comprehension subskills and arithmetic word problems. The appropriateness of the hypothesized relationships was confirmed by path and mediation analyses. The present study not only provides evidences on the specific comprehension subskills that contribute to word-problem solving, but also provides practical implications for mathematics educators, and research insights for future word-problem studies.

The Contributions of Language Skills and Comprehension Monitoring to Chinese Reading Comprehension: A Longitudinal Investigation.

This study examined how vocabulary, syntactic knowledge, and orthographic knowledge are related to comprehension monitoring and whether comprehension monitoring mediates the relations between these language skills and reading comprehension. Eighty-nine Chinese children were assessed on their vocabulary, syntactic knowledge, orthographic knowledge, and comprehension monitoring in Grade 1. Their reading comprehension skills were assessed in Grade 1 and Grade 3. Results showed that in Grade 1, comprehension monitoring mediated the relations between vocabulary and syntactic knowledge and reading comprehension. For Grade 3 reading comprehension, syntactic knowledge in Grade 1 was the only significant predictor. These findings indicate that multiple language skills make direct and indirect contributions via comprehension monitoring to Chinese reading comprehension, and the relations would change as children’s reading skills develop.

Online inference making and comprehension monitoring in children during reading: Evidence from eye movements

Inference generation and comprehension monitoring are essential elements of successful reading comprehension. While both improve with age and reading development, little is known about when and how children make inferences and monitor their comprehension during the reading process itself. Over two experiments, we monitored the eye movements of two groups of children (age 8–13 years) as they read short passages and answered questions that tapped local (Experiment 1) and global (Experiment 2) inferences. To tap comprehension monitoring, the passages contained target words which were consistent or inconsistent with the context. Comprehension question location was also manipulated with the question appearing before or after the passage. Children made local inferences during reading, but the evidence was less clear for global inferences. Children were sensitive to inconsistencies that relied on the generation of an inference, consistent with successful comprehension monitoring, although this was seen only very late in the eye movement record. Although question location had a large effect on reading times, it had no effect on global comprehension in one experiment and reading the question first had a detrimental effect in the other. We conclude that children appear to prioritise efficiency over completeness when reading, generating inferences spontaneously only when they are necessary for establishing a coherent representation of the text.

Exploring sources of poor reading comprehension in English language learners.

This study examined the sources of reading comprehension difficulties in English language learners (ELLs). The characteristics of ELL poor comprehenders were compared to their English as a first language (EL1) peers. Participants included 124 ELLs who spoke Chinese as an L1 and 79 EL1 students. Using a regression technique based on age, non-verbal reasoning, word reading accuracy, and word reading fluency, three types of comprehenders (poor, average, and good) were identified within each language group. The groups were then compared on measures of oral language skills (vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth, and listening comprehension), metalinguistic skills (morphological awareness and syntactic awareness), working memory, and higher-level processing skills (inference, conjunction use, and comprehension monitoring). ELL poor comprehenders had significantly lower scores than ELL average and good comprehenders on vocabulary breadth, listening comprehension, and morphological awareness, whereas there were no significant differences between the average and good comprehender groups on these skills. Additionally, both ELL poor and average comprehenders had lower scores than ELL good comprehenders on all three higher-level skills. Finally, results showed that ELL poor comprehenders scored lower than EL1 poor comprehenders on vocabulary breadth, listening comprehension, and morphological awareness, but the two groups did not differ on higher-level skills. Theoretical and educational implications for the identification and instruction of ELL poor comprehenders are discussed.

Differences in Metacognitive Skills among Undergraduate Students in Education, Psychology, and Medicine

Metacognitive skills such as when and why to apply strategies successfully given task demands (conditional knowledge) and those that assist in regulation like comprehension monitoring are essential for effective learning. However, the debate regarding whether metacognitive skills are domain general or domain specific continues to rage among scholars.Presumably, if metacognitive skills are domain specific, there should be significant differences between domains whereas if they are domain general, there should be no differences across domains. Thus, in the present study we examined the generality/specificity of metacognitive skills (knowledge of cognition: declarative, procedural, and conditional; regulation of cognition: planning, information management, debugging, comprehension monitoring, and evaluation) in a sample of Colombian university students (N = 507) studying education (N = 156), psychology (N = 166), and medicine (N = 185) employing the Spanish version of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory. Results revealed that there were significant differences in all but two metacognitive skills (procedural knowledge and debugging) across domains, largely supporting the domain specific hypothesis, but also partially supporting the domain general view. Implications and recommendation of the findings for theory, research, and practice are discussed. How to cite this article: Gutierrez de Blume, A. P., &amp; Montoya, D. M. (2021). Differences in Metacognitive Skills Among Undergraduate Students in Education, Psychology, and Medicine. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 30(1), 111-130. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v30n1.88146

Reading Comprehension in School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Examining the Many Components That May Contribute.

Purpose Reading comprehension is consistently poor in many school-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an overview from a multicomponent view on the many predictors that may contribute to reading comprehension difficulties in ASD. Method This tutorial reviews current literature on profiles and predictors of reading comprehension in ASD. The review is situated from a multicomponent theoretical view based on the "direct and indirect effects of reading" model that builds on the familiar "simple view of reading." Each component, including word reading, listening comprehension, morphosyntax, vocabulary, working memory, comprehension monitoring, inferencing, and theory of mind, is separately reviewed, with consideration of the current evidence for their contribution to reading comprehension in ASD. At the end of each section, key takeaways are provided. To conclude, a summary with general clinical implications, case examples, and recommendations for future research across all components is offered. Conclusions Reading comprehension in ASD may be affected by any one or several components in any given individual. Speech-language pathologists have expertise and play a critical role in assessing and intervening on these components. The age and language status (language impaired or not) of a child are emerging as important factors for what to assess and consider for intervention. However, more research is needed that intentionally examines language status, evaluates reading comprehension at targeted ages or narrower age ranges, and/or examines language and reading development longitudinally.