A Study of Metacognitive Strategies in Extensive Reading

The aim of this study is to examine how language learners implement metacognitive reading strategies while reading texts. Metacognitive strategies allow readers to engage in thinking about their own thinking. With a view to improving students’ reading skills, this study investigated 60 college students’ attitude toward using metacognitive strategies before and after doing extensive reading, for which the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) questionnaire was employed to measure global, problem-solving, and support reading strategies. Two research questions are: 1) what are the most and the least metacognitive reading strategies before and after Extensive Reading in class?; and 2) are there are any statistically significant differences in using metacognitive strategies before and after Extensive Reading in class? The study found that participants in this study preferred problem solving strategies followed by global and support strategies extensive reading, showing general development of metacognitive reading skills.