The thinking of reading: Impact of metacognitive strategies among undergraduate students.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Metacognitive Strategy (MCS) on English text comprehension among undergraduates at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. This study aims to: a) assess the level of use of planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies during reading English texts; and b) identify the issues encountered when using these strategies. Reading for comprehension is essential in language learning; however, many ESL learners struggle due to ineffective reading strategies. The lack of effective strategies may prevent learners from employing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) as part of advanced thinking. To gain a comprehensive understanding, a mixed-method approach was adopted for this study. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A total of 75 respondents participated, using purposive sampling. All respondents completed the questionnaire, while five were chosen for interviews to gather qualitative data. Descriptive statistics were analysed using SPSS version 27, and thematic analysis was conducted on interview transcriptions. The results indicated that respondents were high users of all three metacognitive strategies. Further analysis showed that, based on the mean scores, monitoring strategies were used most frequently, followed by evaluating and then planning strategies. Interview data revealed that respondents experienced difficulties in applying planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies for reading comprehension. Despite these challenges, the findings suggest that metacognitive strategies assist learners in enhancing their understanding of English texts. Moreover, these strategies foster self-regulation, as learners become aware of their own thinking processes and develop proficiency in handling various learning tasks.