A Glimpse of Metacognitive Reading Strategy Instruction Through Modeling Technique in ESP Class at the Tertiary Level

Abstract

An integration of metacognitive reading strategies into the classroom has been discussed including its crucial role for enhancing students’ reading comprehension (Talebi, 2012; Zhang & Seepho, 2013; Singh, 2019). Nonetheless, problems in reading are not only limited to English reading classes but also encountered in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classrooms. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effectiveness of metacognitive reading strategy instruction through a modeling technique on students’ reading comprehension in ESP context. The one group pre- and post-test study was implemented with an experimental group of the students who enrolled in the English for Tourism Course. The result indicated that the students’ post-test scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores after receiving the treatment (p<0.05). This result was supported by the data from the students’ learning logs that expressed their continuous progress towards the metacognitive reading strategy instruction and their reading comprehension improvement. Additionally, the students’ perceptions reflected positive outcomes towards the metacognitive reading strategy instruction. In conclusion, the study suggests that metacognitive reading strategies should be integrated, not only in English reading classes, but also in other classes that have involvement in reading activities to increase the students’ mastery of reading with strategies that enhance their reading comprehension.