Exploring a Metacognitive Selective Reading Strategy Under Time Pressure — A Study of Introductory Professional Texts for STEM Students

Abstract

Reading under time pressure requires readers to balance comprehension accuracy with processing speed, yet limited attention has been paid to how metacognitive strategy instruction affects this balance. Drawing on metacognitive theory, this study developed a Three-stage Metacognitive Selective Reading Strategy to support STEM students in reading introductory professional English texts. A single-group pre-post design was adopted, involving 22 STEM freshmen. Participants completed a reading comprehension test before and after a one-week interval during which they watched a 10-minute instructional video on effective reading strategies. Reading accuracy, response time, and overall reading efficiency were measured respectively. The results showed no statistically significant changes in accuracy, response time, or reading efficiency after the deliberate interval. The near-perfect pre-test accuracy suggests that a ceiling effect may have limited the sensitivity of the accuracy measure. In addition, the short training period and the cognitive demands involved in applying an unfamiliar strategy may have prevented participants from integrating the strategy into their existing reading processes. These findings suggest that brief exposure to a metacognitive reading strategy may not produce immediate improvements among relatively proficient readers and highlight the need for longer training periods and more sensitive measures of reading performance.