Reading motivation, self-regulated reading strategies and English vocabulary knowledge: Which most predicted students' English reading comprehension?

Hong Li; Zhengdong Gan

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1041870

Reading motivation, self-regulated reading strategies and English vocabulary knowledge: Which most predicted students' English reading comprehension?

Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 15:13:1041870. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1041870. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Hong Li¹, Zhengdong Gan²

Affiliations

¹ School of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
² Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China.

Abstract

This study explored how reading motivation, self-regulated reading strategies and English vocabulary knowledge influenced students' English reading comprehension simultaneously in one model. A total of 543 students from five universities in Southern China completed a reading motivation questionnaire, a reading strategy questionnaire, two vocabulary knowledge tests, and a reading comprehension test. Multiple regression analysis results showed that reading efficacy and enjoyment, and vocabulary knowledge (i.e., both vocabulary breadth and depth) significantly predicted reading comprehension. When students were grouped into high, average, and low achievers on the reading test, monitoring strategies and vocabulary depth were found to significantly predict reading comprehension for the high achievers.

Keywords: English reading comprehension; English vocabulary knowledge; reading motivation; self-regulated learning strategies; self-regulated reading strategies.