The Effectiveness of Metacognitive Awareness Raising on Reading Comprehension and Self-regulation of Iranian EFL Learners

AbstractThe importance of the metacognitive awareness raising strategy has been well-documented in research findings as a type of support for the language skills acquisition of English as a foreign language (EFL) learner in overall; nevertheless, the efficacy of this strategy on EFL learners’ reading comprehension and self-regulation level has received little notice. This research investigated the effectiveness of metacognitive awareness raising in a flipped educational environment on Iranian EFL learners’ reading skills and their self-regulation levels as a partial attempt in this direction. In order to do this, a sample of 56 low-intermediate EFL students from one of the private language schools in Kerman, Iran, were chosen for the study relying on a convenient sampling strategy. The Oxford placement test, a reading pre-test, a reading post-test, a self-regulation scale, and a semi-structured interview were used to gather the results. Independent samples t-test findings indicated that from the pre-test to the post-test, EFL students in the treatment group outperformed the control group in both reading comprehension and self-regulation level. The findings of the semi-structured interview supported those of the t-test, and it was determined that the treatment’s collaborative, entertaining, and educational elements had impressed the students. In sum, the results confirmed that integrating flipped classrooms with metacognitive development increased EFL learners’ reading comprehension and self-regulation levels. The pedagogical implications of the strategy are discussed.