Analytical study of Awareness of Metacognitive Reading Strategies and Reading Comprehension among College Students

Abstract

The current study investigates first-year college students' awareness of metacognition reading strategies and their capacity to comprehend written content. The research focuses on first-year college students in the district of Shaheed Benazirabad, with data collected from 350 participants using a non-random sampling method, constituting approximately 23.33% of the targeted population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using two instruments – MARSQ and a reading comprehension passage with literal, inferential, and evaluative multiple-choice questions. Data was processed using SPSS Version 22 in line with the research questions. The results indicate that both genders excel in answering literal questions but face challenges at the inferential level. However, their performance in evaluative questions is unsatisfactory, with both genders scoring significantly low. The analysis of metacognitive strategies reveals a notable emphasis on problem-solving strategies among students, surpassing other strategies. These findings provide valuable insights into the awareness of reading strategies and the overall reading comprehension levels among college students in the studied district.