Using metacognitive strategies to improve reading comprehension in middle school students

Despite the easy accessibility of information and its widespread availability, there is a growing concern about the rise of functional illiteracy in various regions across the globe. This issue extends beyond just the realm of education and impacts the society at large, as individuals who struggle to grasp information and lack the skills to effectively choose and process it face direct consequences on their current well-being and future opportunities. To enhance reading comprehension levels among both children and adults, a multitude of research studies have been carried out. These investigations have highlighted that the implementation of metacognitive strategies, which are recognized and utilized by students and educators alike, has the potential to enhance reading comprehension abilities in individuals, whether they are dealing with their native language or a foreign one, irrespective of their age. The findings suggest that by incorporating such strategies into teaching practices and learning approaches, significant improvements can be made in the overall literacy levels of populations, thereby addressing the issue of functional illiteracy in a comprehensive manner. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive theoretical framework to analyze the factors influencing reading comprehension, as well as the relationship with metacognitive strategies.