METACOGNITIVE STRATEGY INSTRUCTION (MSI) FOR READING: CO-REGULATION OF COGNITION

Abstract

This paper aims to show how a teacher and ESL learners can successfully engage inmutual regulation of strategy use as they co-construct meaning from the reading text. Itfocuses on the teacher’s effort at giving direct explanation of various learning strategiesfor reading, that is, it illustrates how learners are explicitly taught not only the variouscomponents of a learning strategy but also the rationales of the “how”, “when” and“where” to use that particular strategy. The study on co-regulation of strategy use adoptsa qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. It was conducted via theimplementation of a Metacognitive Strategy Instruction (MSI) for academic reading. Theinstruction session started with an explicit direct explanation of learning strategies thatinclude macro strategies such as planning, comprehension monitoring, problem solving,evaluating and modifying. Subsequently, the learners were taught how to apply thestrategies using a strategic processing framework called Self-regulated LearningApproach to Strategic Learning (SRSL) to construct meanings from the reading text. Thequalitative account of the learners’ strategy use was elicited using a qualitativeretrospective written recall protocol (RWP). The study found that both the HighProficient (HP) and Low-proficient (LP) learners benefited reasonably well from theexperience of the MSI sessions. The learners reported on how the strategies helpedfacilitate their reading process. The key issue revealed in the study is that the MSIsessions have managed to at least prepare if not transform the learners into becomingmetacognitively sophisticated readers.