ABSTRACT

Effects of Korean University EFL Learners'' Reading Motivation and Metacognitive Reading Strategies
on Reading Achievement

Kang Jeong Hye
Advisor: Prof. Lee Nam Geum, Ph.D.
Department of English Education,
Graduate School of Chosun University


Recent researches on second language reading have focused on the importance of the role of learners'' motivation and reading strategies related metacognitive awareness. Learners'' reading skill will be facilitated when they are motivated to read. Individuals'' interest and engagement in what they read has an effect on their reading achievement. Nevertheless, most researchers studying reading usually focus on the cognitive aspect of reading, and take little interest to the reading motivation.

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Studies on L2 reading strategies found that successful readers used more strategies for their good reading than unsuccessful ones. Metacognitive reading means to facilitate reading through the awareness of the metacognition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of English reading motivation and metacognitive reading strategies on EFL learners'' reading achievement in Korean University setting. To carry out the experiment, the researcher selected 183 students who major in police administration of a university in Chunnam. To evaluate their English reading achievement, the students were asked to take a multiple-choice test with 20 questions which were excerpted from the textbook and the government official exam that was administered on August in 2012. After the test, they were asked to answer the following questionnaires: the Motivation for Reading questionnaire(MRQ), Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory(MARSI), English learning background questionnaire. The results of the questionnaires and test were statistically analyzed based on the Frequency analysis, Descriptive analysis, Factor analysis, Correlation analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis.
The summary of the results were as follows: Korean University students were found to be highly motivatied for English reading with motivational intensity. This study yielded a four factor solution for L2 reading motivation: learning goal-oriented for L2 reading motivation, intrinsic motivation, pragmatic reasons for English reading motivation and avoidance of English reading. The results indicated that learning goal-oriented for L2 reading motivation and pragmatic reasons for English reading motivation were the two primary indicators for the learners desire to read in English. pragmatic reasons for English reading was strongly endorsed by the learners. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation and avoidance of English reading had relatively low mean score. Although they did not tend to avoid English reading activities, they did not seem to be motivated to read in English for intrinsic reason. In regard to metacognitive reading strategies, general reading strategies had high mean score, while learner''s intentional strategies had the lowest score.
For metacognitive reading strategies, there were four reading strategic types: general reading strategies, the act of reading strategies, learner''s intentional strategies and problem solving strategies. Learners frequently uses general reading strategies in English reading.

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There was a significant positive correlation between English reading motivation and Metacognitive reading strategies. Especially, intrinsic motivation was found to be ralated to Metacognitive reading strategies. Through this result, the higher intrinsic motivation is, the higher MARSI shows.
The effects of English reading motivation and metacognitive reading strategies respectively on English reading achievement showed that in English motivation, the higher intrinsic motivation was, the higher English reading achievement was. In metacognitive reading strategies, only general reading strategies was the prime determining predictor in English reading achievement.
The effects of English reading motivation and metacognitive reading strategies on English reading achievement showed that general reading strategies had an influence on English reading achievement followed by intrinsic motivation, problem solving strategies and learner''s intentional strategies. Also, the higher learning goal-oriented for L2 reading motivation and the act of reading strategies, the lower English reading achievement was. Through the results like this, it can be concluded that English reading achievement was more affected by metacognitive reading strategies than English reading motivation.
Therefore, English reading should be taught with proper reading strategies and teachers need to motivate learners to learn English reading considering learners characteristics and contexts. Also, it is suggested that other categories of reading motivation and reading strategies should be considered to determine an effect of reading motivation and reading strategies on English reading achievement.