Investigating Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes towards Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Uses on EFL Students' Reading Comprehension:

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a fundamental skill in language teaching-learning in general and in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in particular. However, due to the complexity of cognitive processes involved, many EFL students encounter serious difficulties and challenges. This is why teachers need to raise their awareness towards using reading strategies. In this regard, the present dissertation seeks to investigate teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards metacognitive awareness of reading strategies uses on EFL students' reading comprehension. It is hypothesized that teachers’ and students’ have positive attitudes towards metacognitive awareness of reading strategies uses and EFL students' reading comprehension. In order to achieve research aims, answer questions and test hypothesis, the quantitative-descriptive method was used by employing two questionnaires. The students’ questionnaire was provided to 110 First -Year Master students randomly chosen from the whole population; while the teachers’ questionnaire was administered to 28 teachers from the Department of Letters and English Language at the University of 8 Mai 1945- Guelma. The analysis and interpretation of the collected data revealed positive attitudes among teachers and students towards metacognitive awareness of reading strategies uses and EFL students' reading comprehension. Accordingly, the results also reported good metacognitive awareness of reading strategies uses among students under investigation, though it was not systematically developed through explicit instruction. It is then highly suggested that teachers incorporate direct metacognitive awareness-based-instruction into their syllabi and course content. Therefore, by developing students' metacognitive abilities, they can become autonomous and self-reflective, not only as readers but also as language learners.