The Impact of Metacognitive Strategy Training on Comprehension Monitoring among Moroccan EFL University Learners

Abstract:

This experimental study is intended to uncover how the meaning-checking procedure is conducted by Moroccan English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and explore the perceived impact of metacognitive strategy instruction on the way they monitor their comprehension act in textual processing. Predicated on a pre-post-test design, the study is a manifestation of the extent to which the learners’ monitoring behaviour during the reading process can be subject to utter improvement through the conduct of an instructional intervention. To investigate this issue at length and provide plausible, pertinent evidence, a sample of 113 of Moroccan first-semester students majoring in English Studies were targeted. The data were elicited through the usage of such research instruments as reading comprehension texts (i.e., narrative, expository), ‘self-report questionnaire’ and reading comprehension tests (i.e., pre-test, post-test). The findings evinced that, owing to strategy instruction, the comprehension-checking behavior among the experimental group (n=63) significantly improved at post-test compared to the control group (n=50). Finally, some practical implications are brought forward and a few limitations confronting the study under focus are cited.