A Survey On The Use Of Meta-cognitive Strategies In English Reading By Senior High School Students

The present paper is designed to investigate the situation of senior high school students’application of metacognitive strategies in English reading. By examining students’metacognitive strategy application and analyzing the reasons for existing and possible problems, this the author is expected to give English teaching some practical suggestions and help students grasp metacognitive strategies, which could eventually develop them into autonomous, independent responsive readers.The study aims to answer the following questions:(1) What’s the situation of senior high school students’use of metacognitive strategies in English reading?(2) What are the differences between high-score group and low-score group students when they use metacognitive strategies?(3) What are the problems in the use of metacognitive strategies in English reading?The approach adopted in the study is a combination of quantitative research and qualitative research. The specific instruments include a questionnaire, think-aloud protocols and interviews. As a necessary supplement to the results of the questionnaire investigation, the researcher selected18students from different score groups and conducted one week of think-aloud protocols on them, and then interviewed8students.The major findings of the study are:(1) Student’s metacognitive strategies about their English reading is in the middle level, the mean scores of most metacognitive strategies is2.5-3.4. Hence, we can conclude that in the reading process, students use metacognitive strategies sometimes.(2) Metacognitive strategies play a vital role in the senior high students’English reading. By comparing the results of high score group and the low score group, there exits an obvious difference in use of metacognitive between them.(3) The reasons why the students employ meta-cognitive strategies less successfully during their reading activity are that teachers seldom provide the guidance of metacognitive strategies for students, and students lack the positive attitude towards metacognitive strategies.