Metacognitive Strategies Awareness and Use and Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL University Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Research on reading comprehension suggests that successful readers are metacognitive. In foreign language contexts, the role of metacognition is more vital. This study sought to investigate the relationship between metacognitive reading strategy awareness and use, and reading comprehension of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. In so doing, a non-experimental, correlational design was used. The participants included 238 male and female EFL university students in two central provinces of Iran. The sampling method was convenience sampling. To collect the data, Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) and the reading comprehension section of Cambridge Michigan Language Assessment (MET) were utilized. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of SEM analysis revealed that there are not significant causal relationships between global (GLOB) reading strategy and reading comprehension, and between supportive (SUP) reading strategy and reading comprehension. However, there was a significant causal relationship between problem-solving (PROB) reading strategy and reading comprehension. According to the results, the covariances among all four latent factors were invariant across gender. Moreover, there was no relationship between gender and reading strategy awareness and use. Pedagogic implications stemming from the findings have resonance for teaching reading comprehension.