The metacognitive awareness of selected tasks and strategies of adult non-proficient readers
Date
1985
Authors
Goudy, Helen Gabrielle
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Abstract
In order to extend the knowledge of the reading process awareness of adult non-proficient readers, an interview study was conducted with 42 subjects on entry to an Adult Basic Education Level I course. A second interview using the same questions about selected aspects of the reading task and strategies was sought with each subject, either at the end of the academic year or when the subject left the program. Twenty-six second interviews were obtained. Initially, subjects with reading skill levels of over grade 5 were significantly more aware of reading strategies than those with lower reading skills. No significant differences were found in the responses of subjects matched on initial reading skill levels between those who made greater progress in their measured reading ability and those whose progress was less. Changes in responses to the questions over time indicated that subjects generally became more aware of meaning-generating strategies of reading as they developed their reading abilities. Implications of these findings for teachers of adult non-proficient readers and for research in reading using a metacognitive perspective are discussed, together with suggestions for future research.