Augmenting Senior Secondary ESL Learners’ Reading Skills Through Explicit Instruction of Metacognitive Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v6i1.1202Keywords:
metacognition, reading, comprehension, vocabulary, pedagogyAbstract
Reading and comprehending a text or selection in a language that is different from one’s native tongue can be a daunting task to many English as a Second Language (ESL) learners due to several reasons. Hence, teachers’ instructional strategies play a pivotal role in developing students’ reading skills. This study used a quasi-experimental design to discover the effects of using explicit or direct teaching of metacognitive strategies on the reading skills of students—comprehension skills and vocabulary. Forty grade 11 ESL students from a Chinese–Filipino school in Manila were selected through convenience sampling to be participants of the study. The performance of the two groups in comprehension and vocabulary was compared through pre-test and post-test. Using two-tailed t-test of dependent means, the significant difference between students’ performance in the reading comprehension test and the vocabulary test after the intervention was determined. Based on the results, there is no question that one’s comprehension and vocabulary size could be improved using explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies. The study has practical implications to the teaching of reading among ESL learners. Recommendations for future research are also provided in this paper.
References
Avila, R. M., & Baetiong, L. R. (2012). Metacognitive strategy training and teacher attitude and performance. Education Quarterly, 70 (1).
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).
Batang, B. L. (2015). Metacognitive strategy awareness and reading comprehension of prospective pre-service secondary teachers. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, (3)4, 62-67.
Beck, I. L., & McKeown, M. G. (1991). Conditions of vocabulary acquisition. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 2, pp. 789–814). White Plains, NY: Longman.
Best, J. W. & Kahn, J. V. (1998). Research in education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Boulware-Gooden, R., Carreker, S., Thornhill, A., & Joshi, R. (2007). Instruction of metacognitive strategies enhances reading comprehension and vocabulary achievement of third-grade students. Reading Teacher, 61(1), 70-77. Retrieved from https://tccl.arcc.albany.edu/knilt/images/4/4d/Metacognitive_Strategies.pdf.
Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
Caccamise, D., & Snyder, L. (2005). Theory and pedagogical practices on text comprehension. Topics in Language Disorders, 25(1), 5-20. Retrieved from https://www.colorado.edu/ics/sites/default/files/attachedfiles/theory_and_pedagogical_practices.pdf
Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2011). Matthew effects in young readers: Reading comprehension and reading experience aid vocabulary development. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(5), 431-443.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.
Cubukcu, F. (2008). Enhancing vocabulary development and reading comprehension through metacognitive strategies. Issues in Educational Research, 18(1).
Decarrico, J. S. (2011). Vocabulary learning and teaching. In M. C. -Murcia, Teaching English as a second or foreign Language (pp. 285-298). United States: Heinle & Heinle.
Eison, J. (2010). Using active learning instructional strategies to create excitement and enhance learning. Retrieved from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/Eisen-Handout.pdf.
Estacio, J. M. (2013). Bilingual readers’ metacognitive strategies as predictors of reading comprehension. Philippine ESL Journal, 10, 179-199.
Erskine, Dana L. (2010). Effect of prompted reflection and metacognitive skill instruction on university freshmen's use of metacognition (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest dissertation and theses database. (Document ID 3412778).
Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906-911. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ee65/2f0f63ed5b0cfe0af4cb4ea76b2ecf790c8d.pdf.
Gooden, A. L. , & Rogers, R. B. (1984). Developing metacognitive skills, Vocabulary and comprehension. Bellaire, TX: Newhaus Education Center.
Hake R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. Am. J. Phys. 66, (1), 64-74.
Hubbard, B. T. (1986). Theories on vocabulary acquisition. Jackman. NY: JJ Press.
Lipka, O. (2010). Reading comprehension skills of grade 7 students who are learning English as a second language (T). University of British Columbia.
Miranda, A., Soriano, M., & GarcÃa, R. (2006). Reading comprehension and written composition problems of children with ADHD: Discussion of research and methodological considerations, in Thomas E. Scruggs, Margo A. Mastropieri (ed.) Applications of Research Methodology (Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Volume 19) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.237 – 256.
Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
National Reading Panel (U.S.), & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.) (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read : an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: reports of the subgroups. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.
Ordinario, C.U. (2013). Low NAT scores may worsen under K to 12. Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/24205-low-nat-scores-may-worsen-under-k-12.
Pressley, M. Wharton-McDonald, R.,Mistretta-Hampston, J.,& Echevarria, M. (1994). The nature of literacy instruction in ten grade4/5 classrooms in Upstate New York. Scientific Studies of Reading.
RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward a research and development program in reading comprehension. Pittsburgh, PA: Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Richard, R. Methodologies in second language learning. Hurt & Son, Cambridge England: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Rasekh, Z., & Ranjbary, R. (2003). Metacognitive strategy training for vocabulary learning, TESL-EJ 7(2), 1-18.
Reyes, C. R.. (2001). Metacognitive teaching strategies, reading performance and reader's self-perception. LEAPS: Miriam College Faculty Research Journal, 20(1).
Richards, J. C. (2008). Second language teacher education today. RELC Journal, 39(2), 158–177. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688208092182.
Teale, W., & Yokota, J. (2000). Beginning reading and writing: Perspectives on instruction. In D.S. Strickland & L.M. Morrow (Eds.), Beginning reading and writing (pp. 3–21). Newark, DE: International Reading Association; New York: Teachers College Press.
Torgeson, J. K. (2002). The prevention of reading difficulties. Journal of School Psychology, 40(1), 7-26. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4405(01)00092-9.
Wenden, A. (1998). Metacognitive knowledge and language learning.Applied Linguistics, 19(4), 515–537.
White, H. & Sabarwal, S. (2014). Quasi-experimental design and methods. Methodological Briefs: Impact Evaluation 8, UNICEF Office of Research, Florence.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
