On the Relationship of Reading Strategies, Extensive Reading and Self-efficacy

Present study, in a longitudinal and quasi-experimental method, investigates the contribution of reading strategies and extensive reading to the learners’ reading self-efficacy. It examines participants’ perceptions about the usefulness of extensive reading and reading strategies, and also, the way how their perception influences on reading self-efficacy. 60 undergraduate students in Islamic Azad University of Iran have been chosen as participants of the current study. They have been divided into control and experimental groups. Participants of both groups received extensive reading instruction, but just participants in the treatment group have been introduced to the different common reading strategies. Two different instruments have been used to collect data: (A) reading comprehension test, and (B) reading self-efficacy questionnaire. Collecting data was performed at the beginning and end of one academic semester. Results of the study showed significant effect of the reading strategy instructions on the performance of reading comprehension of the treatment group. Hopefully results of the current study help EFL teachers to choose an appropriate teaching methodology, which can help learners to enhance their self-efficacy in reading and, in general, to improve their cognitive abilities in reading comprehension.