Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies as a Sequential Mediator Between Reading Self-Efficacy, Reading Enjoyment, and Reading Comprehension: A Serial Mediation Model

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

2 SabzevarLiterature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

Abstract

Reading comprehension is an important skill for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, but developing that skill requires elaborate methods and incorporates numerous levels of cognitive and affective influences. This study employs a novel SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) approach to examine how metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (MARS), reading self-efficacy (RSE), and reading enjoyment (RE) promote reading comprehension development for EFL students in Iran. Data were collected from a sample of 600 Iranian EFL learners with a quantitative design that relied on the MARS Inventory, RSE Questionnaire, RE Questionnaire, and a standardized Reading Comprehension Test. The data were recorded and analyzed with AMOS version 24 and MLE (Maximum Likelihood Estimation). Data showed that metacognitive awareness was a significant mediator in the effect of self-efficacy on reading comprehension, while enjoyment enacted changes in self-efficacy, and comprehension outcomes. Given the results, it was important to discuss the prominence of instilling metacognitive strategies and aspects of enjoyment in reading practice to influence reading comprehension in EFL educational settings. Regarding the implications for practical applications in the world of education, this research highlights key psychological pathways through which learners’ beliefs and emotions shape performance and suggest practical directions for designing strategy-based, enjoyment-enhancing reading instruction in similar EFL contexts.

Keywords

Journal of Studies in Language Learning and Teaching

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 January 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 21 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 07 March 2026

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