Metacognitive awareness as a requirement for effective comprehension strategy instruction

Abstract

A recent study (Klopper 2012), Riglyne vir die effektiewe onderrig van leesbegripstrategieë in die senior fase (Guidelines for effective comprehension strategy instruction in the senior phase), revealed that metacognitive awareness is a very important element in effective comprehension strategy instruction. The aim of this article is to discuss the role of metacognition in reading comprehension instruction, based on this study.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report of 2006 revealed that South African learners achieved the lowest literacy scores of the 40 participating countries worldwide (PIRLS 2008). Although statistics reveal a gradual improvement in the results of the national systemic tests, these results are still extremely poor. A mere 44,8% of grade 6 learners in the Western Cape scored above 50% for literacy in 2008, notwithstanding the fact that 95,2% of all grade 6 learners were promoted to grade 7 (WKDvO 2009:3). The inevitable result is that teachers are faced with learners who can’t read on the required level and therefore can’t perform on grade level. This unhealthy cycle stresses the importance of support to both teachers and students and raises the issue of radical change regarding the current approach to reading/comprehension instruction.