Reading Strategy Use, Self-Regulation, and Reading Achievement Among Iraqi University EFL Learners: A Correlational Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss3/Pt1.1968Keywords:
cognitive reading strategies, EFL reading comprehension, Iraqi university learnersAbstract
The present study investigates the relationship between reading strategy use, self-regulation, and reading achievement among 200 EFL undergraduates at the University of Baghdad and University of Kufa in Iraq. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design grounded in Zimmerman's self-regulation model, Bandura's self-efficacy theory, and Mokhtari and Reichard's strategic reading model. Data were collected using the Reading Strategies Questionnaire, the Self-Regulation Trait Questionnaire, and the Cambridge Key English Test. Pearson correlation results revealed significant positive correlations between self-regulation and reading strategy use, and between self-regulation and reading achievement. Reading strategies, particularly metacognitive strategies, also correlated positively with achievement. The findings indicate that self-regulation and strategic reading behavior are interrelated and jointly associated with reading success in the L2 classroom. The study recommends explicit strategy instruction, support for self-regulation, and development of self-efficacy within Iraqi university reading programs.
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