Enhancing reading comprehension of science texts through the implementation of a metacognitive model

Abstract

The ability to read and understand a text is a key aspect of literacy and is associated with academic success. Previous research has discovered the positive effects of metacognitive strategies on reading comprehension. However, little attention has been given to the adoption of four metacognitive strategies -predicting, taking notes, using resources and self-evaluating- to enhance reading comprehension of science texts. The present qualitative action research study used five instruments to collect data from students with an A1 CEFR level in English (Council of Europe, 2001) at a private bilingual institution. Data was analyzed using the grounded theory approach, and special emphasis was placed on the mechanisms through which the participants showed or not progress in the reading comprehension of science texts. Results show learners became aware of the benefits of using metacognitive strategies to read science texts and also realized that they can transfer these strategies to other subject areas.