The Relationships between Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies and EFL Reading Test Performance of Thai University Learners

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and EFL reading test performance among EFL university learners in Thailand. A total of 199 non-English major students voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional research design. The five-point Likert Scale questionnaire was employed to collect learners’ test-taking strategies after they had completed the EFL reading test. The semi-structured interview was then used to gather qualitative information from ten volunteers to better understand strategy use during an EFL reading test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze the data. The results showed significant relationships between the applications of cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategy executions. However, the analysis of the results indicated no significant correlations between cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and their reading test performance. Concerning qualitative data analyses, the results showed that learners’ strategy use varied depending on test items. These findings could yield fruitful information for pedagogical practices and implications and the roles of strategy training among university students. Detailed discussions in relation to pedagogy and further research are addressed.

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