A systematic review on the relationship between metacognitive reading strategies and English reading performance

Metacognitive reading strategies (MRS) are commonly used in ESL/EFL contexts to refer to the strategies students utilize to plan, monitor, and control their reading process. MRS are widely acknowledged as a significant factor impacting English reading performance. However, although numerous studies have been conducted on this topic, research findings remain inconsistent. Existing reviews have not yet fully synthesized the evidence regarding the relationship between MRS and English reading performance, nor the evidence on interventions, within the ESL/EFL context over the past decade. In contrast to previous reviews, this study integrates evidence from both MRS correlational studies and intervention studies, and updates research findings from the past decade. As such, this study conducted a systematic review of 50 studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2016 and 2026, covering ESL/EFL learners at various educational levels, to comprehensively analyze the relationship between MRS and English reading performance and to evaluate the impact of relevant interventions on English reading performance. Most studies report an overall positive relationship between MRS and English reading performance. Among the three dimensions of strategies, problem-solving strategies are frequently found to be associated with better English reading performance. Furthermore, intervention studies have shown that both instructional classroom strategies and technological support interventions have a positive impact on the reading performance of ESL/EFL learners. These findings support the more systematic integration of explicit MRS into English reading teaching and suggest that future research should focus further on samples from different educational stages, as well as on the design of longitudinal interventions.

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