Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies: Evidence from Cambodian EFL High School Students

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/misro.v4i4.700

Authors

  • Sophea Pheng The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh
  • Sarom Mok The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Phnom Penh
  • Visalboth Pok The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh
  • Sereyrath Em The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6803-195X

Keywords:

Cambodian, EFL, EFL Students, TEFL, EFL Reading, Metacognitive Reading, Strategies

Abstract

It is widely considered that students of English as a Foreign Language get a significant advantage by employing metacognitive tactics. Research that has been conducted in the past has led to a greater knowledge of metacognitive reading methods in the English as a Foreign Language environment. Nevertheless, only a small number of studies have found statistically significant effects on students' reading abilities. As a result, this study anticipated an opportunity to clarify this topic by focusing on the proficiency of high school students in Cambodia who are learning English as a foreign language. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on students’ knowledge of these strategies and on their reading performance on standardised tests. The study was attended by 55 English as a Foreign Language high school students enrolled in a public school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The students participated for a total of eight weeks. The instruments used for the research were the SORS, the English proficiency reading test, and the lesson plans. In comparison to before the instruction, the students in the Cambodian EFL high school employed the PRS the most after the SORS instruction, followed by the GRS and then the SRS. Additionally, it demonstrated significant gains in both approach awareness (p < 0.01) and International English Language Testing System reading scores (M = 6.65 to 8.13, p < 0.01). The usefulness of specific strategy training in improving the reading performance of students studying English as a foreign language is underscored by these findings. In addition, these results will guide educational methods in Cambodia in the future.

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Author Biography

Sereyrath Em, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh

Dr. Sereyrath Em is a Cambodian government teacher of English with a higher education degree, a visiting lecturer at the National University of Cheasim Kamchaymear (NUCK) and some other universities, and an Editor at the Cambodian Journal of Educational Research (CJER). He is also the founder and the Editor-in-Chief of the Cambodian Journal of Educational and Social Sciences (CJESS). Prior to this, he was a secondary school teacher of English and Khmer languages. In 2017, he graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA in TESOL) from Human Resource University (HRU), and in 2019, he graduated with a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the National Institute of Education (NIE) with the support from Cambodia International Education Support Foundation (CIESF), and he earned his MBA from the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NIEI) in 2023. Then in late 2023, he earned his Ph.D. in Educational Science from Khemarak University, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. From 2020 until now, he has studied and become a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Administration at the University of Cambodia too. He was also trained at the Regional Language Center (RELC) two times between early 2020 and early 2021 concerning teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing. He also attended a seminar on Green Energy Development for Cambodia in Beijing, China in September 2024. His research interests include English language teaching, teaching methodology, educational management and science, educational leadership, learning and teaching motivation, and learning and teaching challenges. Currently, he is also a Ph.D. student specializing in Cooperative Education at the Institute of Social Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand.

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Published

2025-10-08

How to Cite

[1]
S. Pheng, S. Mok, V. Pok, and S. Em, “Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies: Evidence from Cambodian EFL High School Students”, J.Math.Instr.Soc.Res.Opin., vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 1065–1078, Oct. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 4 (2025): December

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Articles

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