Abstract:
The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact of a metacognitive training program on university freshmen’s reading comprehension skill in a three-credit General English (GE) Course. The participants included eight groups of freshmen, in four disciplines: Management, Psychology, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering. They were randomly assigned as four experimental and four control groups, each including approximately 30 participants. The same materials were taught to all groups after their initial homogeneity in English was assessed via Analysis of Variance of the pre-test scores obtained from a Key English Test (KET). In the experimental groups, one whole session was devoted to explicitly teaching three sets of metacognitive strategies and five reading strategies: skimming, scanning, previewing, using context clues, and making inferences. These groups also received metacognitive awareness-raising while applying the strategies in each reading lesson for six sessions. The analyses of the research data revealed that metacognitive strategy training promoted the participants’ learning when integrated with a reading-focused GE course regardless of their gender and a small effect from discipline. The findings have implications for teachers, materials developers, and teacher trainers.
Machine summary:
"Although the increase reported by the participants was evident in all three areas, the increase was statistically significant only for MCSs. In a different study focused on the impact of strategy training and the oral receptive skill, Coskun (2010) explored the effect of a five-week embedded metacognitive training program on listening performance of a group of preparatory school students.
Paired samples t-test analysis indicated an increase in learners’ overall use of reading strategies from the pre-test to the post-test and the increase was statistically significant only for MCSs. In a different study focused on the impact of strategy training on the oral receptive skill, Coskun (2010) explored the effect of a five-week embedded metacognitive training program on listening performance of a group of preparatory school students.
Likewise, Phakiti (2003) addressed gender differences in L2 reading comprehension performance assessed by a multiple-choice reading comprehension test and in the use of CSs and MCSs. The results of the Multivariate analysis of variance of the research data revealed that although males and females did not differ in their reading comprehension performance and their use of CSs, they showed significant differences in their use of MCSs. Discipline Variation in Metacognitive Training The results of the present study indicated Discipline differences in the final scores of the participants’ in the experimental groups from different Disciplines, which supports the influence of Discipline on the final outcomes of the training program."