Exploring correlation between metacognitive online reading strategy use and online reading comprehension of efl students

Abstract

The study sought to explore the correlation between the use of Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies (MORS) and the Online Reading Comprehension (ORC) of Indonesian university students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Specifically, it investigated three issues: (1) the levels of MORS use and ORC of the students majoring in languages, social sciences, and sciences, (2) the correlation between the MORS use and the ORC, and (3) whether the overall MORS use and category MORS use serve as predictors of the ORC. By using purposive sampling technique, 602 students were taken as the research sample. The Online Survey of Reading Strategies (OSORS) and an ORC test were used as the research instruments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient (r), and simple and multiple linear regression. The results showed that the overall MORS, the problem-solving strategies, and the support strategies were used highly, while the global reading strategies were used moderately by students from the three majors. A significant correlation was only found between the overall MORS use and the ORC, and between the problem-solving strategy use and the ORC among the students from language major. The overall MORS use and the global reading strategy use predicted the ORC of the students majoring in languages. These results should be interpreted with caution since the strategy use was not assessed based on classroom observations but based on self-reports.