The Relevance and Implications of Metacognitive Strategy to Reading Comprehension in EFL Classroom

Metacognitive strategy plays a significant role in solving students' problem in learning English as a foreign language by being applied to some teaching and learning activities. Its strength is on realizing and optimizing students' awareness upon their own learning. By perceiving their own knowledge, students have control of what they have in mind and can regulate it to achieve certain purposes. This is how they can maximize their learning. In reading skill, students are always demanded to understand the texts they are reading. Thus, applying metacognitive strategy to reading activity will foster the students' comprehension respectively. This literature review discusses the relevance and implications of metacognitive strategy to reading comprehension in EFL classroom.


INTRODUCTION
Reading is a receptive skill which plays a vHU\ VLJQLILFDQW UROH LQ VWXGHQWV· learning process. Since the very beginning of learning process, students are demanded to have the ability to read written material. This is aimed at gaining information and needed the knowledge to support their learning proces 1 s. Pardede (2013) 2 asserted that for EFL students, reading is the most crucial skill to master because of several reasons. First, students mostly can perform reading skill better than other skills such as listening, speaking and writing. They can quite understand written material which they cannot discuss orally or write it with equivalent accuracy. Second, reading only needs minimum requirements 3 . Different from speaking skill which sometimes needs partner or writing skill which needs a lot of guidance and time to practice, all what is needed to perform reading skill is only a text and motivation to read. The third is, reading is a service skill. Once the students learn how to read effectively, it will help them to learn 1 'HYLW (WLND 6DUL DQG 0XK %DULG 1L]DUXGLQ :DMGL ´7KH (IIHFWLYHQHVV 2I 7KH 0HWKRG RI *, :LWK ElHFWURQLF :RUNE HQ FK 6WXG\ 7R ,PSURYH $FWLYLWLHV DQG 5HVXOWV 6WXGHQW µ Educatio : Journal of Education 2, no. 1 (2017): 136²150, http://www.ejournal.staimnglawak.ac.id/index.php/educatio/article/view/22. 2 Parlindungan Pardede, ´A Review on Reading Theo ries and Its ImplicaWLRQ WR WKH 7HDFKLQJ RI 5HDGLQJ µ UKI ELT and Edu, (2013

RESULT AND DISCUSSION The Basic Concepts of Metacognitive Strategies
The term metacognition was first coined by Flavell referring WR ´RQH·V NQRZOHGJH FRQFHUQLQJ RQH·V RZQ FRJQLWLYH SURFHVVHV.µ 13 In line with this, Metcalfe and Shimamura (1994) describe it as the knowledge about how someone perceives, remember, think, and act upon what he/she knows. Other scholars define it as knowing about knowing. The first knowing represents the awareness of the second knowing, that is, the understanding of different factors to complete D FHUWDLQ WDVN VXFK DV WKH VWDWH RI RQH·V NQRZOHGJH DQG DELOLWLHV. 14 16 In reading, metacognitive strategies are selfmonitoring and self-regulating activities which focus on both the process and the product of reading. 17 The metacognitive process involves cognitive effort which consists of knowledge about and regulation of cognitive processing (Cubukcu, 2008). It affects the success of comprehension.

3DQJ
PHQWLRQV DERXW PHWDFRJQLWLYH VWUDWHJLF FRPSHWHQFH ZKLFK UHIOHFWV UHDGHUV· monitoring and control of reading strategies. Hartman (2001) asserts that students who are aware and in control of their metacognitive reading behaviors can take advantage because they can monitor their comprehension, clarify difficulties and restore the process when it fails.

The Correlation between Metacognitive Strategies and Reading Comprehension
To apply the metacognitive strategies, the teacher should give the students systematic instruction about the concept of metacognition and learning strategies. This will help the students comprehend the new strategies better and know how to apply them to different reading tasks. This is in line with what Cubukcu (2008) 18 has investigated. He conducted a study which the students had been taught metacognitive strategies for reading. The results of the study have confirmed that reading comprehension could be developed through systematic instruction in zzzzzz metacognitive language learning strategies 19 . The model of instruction helped the students to know why, when, and how to use the strategies or known as declarative, conditional (conceptual) and procedural knowledge (Veenman, 2005, 20 Hartman, 2001 ). Gradually, they start to think metacognitively about the strategies they could use to improve reading comprehension to become not merely readers but also strategic readers.
Researchers argued that metacognitive process should be taught in order to improve metacognitive knowledge, monitoring, and control of all readers and also to create active, strategic and proficient comprehenders. The process cannot occur automatically without being learned and practiced. Since readers are expected to comprehend the material they are reading, they need strategies to be applied to better comprehend the text.
In relation to reading comprehension, Forrest-Pressley and  mentioned that metacognitive aspects of comprehension which involve knowing when one has understood a text he/she has read, knowing what one does not understand, and being able to use this knowledge to monitor comprehension. Accordingly, Zhang and Seepho (2013) 22 asserted that PHWDFRJQLWLYH VWUDWHJLHV LQ UHDGLQJ DUH WKRVH VWUDWHJLHV GHVLJQHG WR LQFUHDVH UHDGHUV· NQRZOHGJH of awareness and control upon their reading process, to improve their reading comprehension, and to evaluate whether they have succeeded in their attempt to comprehend. Forrest-Pressley and  mentioned that the ability to monitor comprehension depends on what a reader knows about his/her own comprehension processes. Thus, it can be said that metacognition is the trigger for other processes that are necessary for understanding. 23 Having this ability, students will know what strategies to be best used in certain condition and instruction, when, how and why using those strategies. Students will also have the ability to select the most appropriate reading strategy for different passages and eliminate what are unnecessary. This will save time and students can take the benefits of it for completing another task.
As previously mentioned, metacognitive strategies have positive effects on reading comprehension. Students can control their reading so they know what to do and what to avoid in maximizing their reading activity that it can attain what has been targeted before. It can also motivate and encourage the students to read more and understand better because they are in control of their reading activity, and thus promote reading comprehension. Ahmadi et al. (2013) 24 stated that metacognitive strategies for reading which consist of  Chamot and Kupper (1989) 25 proposed some cognitive strategies which can be applied for reading, they are: predicting based on prior knowledge, analyzing text organization by looking for specific patterns, self-questioning, making a summary, taking notes by writing down the main idea and specific points, translating, making inference, and transferring. Some cognitive strategies are similar to metacognitive reading strategies, as Hartman (2001) 26 suggests, they are skimming, activating relevant prior knowledge, constructing mental images, predicting, self-questioning, comprehension monitoring, summarizing and connecting new material with prior knowledge.

The Implications of Metacognitive Strategy to Reading Comprehension
Israel et al (2005) 27 related reading comprehension with cognitive and metacognitive strategies by defining it as a constructive process which readers use to comprehend a text. Other research (Allen, 2003 28 ;Evans, 2008) 29 suggest a framework of metacognitive reading strategies, which includes pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities. Oxford (1990) 30 proposed three sets consisting of centering, arranging and planning, and evaluating. While Pintrich (1999) 31 offered planning, monitoring, and regulating. Accordingly, O'Malley et al. (1985) 32 stated that ´PHWDFRJQLWLYH VWrategies involve thinking about the learning process, planning for learning, monitoring of comprehension or production while it is taking place, and self-evaluation of OHDUQLQJ DIWHU WKH ODQJXDJH DFWLYLW\ LV FRPSOHWHGµ 2WKHU UHVHDUFKHUV +DUWPDQ 2 Malley and Chamot, 1990;Zhang and Seepho, 2013) simplified it to planning, monitoring, and evaluating. These are in line with what Lems, Miller, and Soro (2010) 33 proposed about reading comprehension, which requires the use of strategies before, during and after reading. In metacognitive strategies, these three phases are integrated with planning, monitoring, and evaluating.  Zare-ee (2008) 34 , planning involves the selection of appropriate strategies and the allocation of resources that affect performance. This benefits the students to prepare before reading a text. O'Malley and Chamot (1990) categorized that this phase into advance organizers, directed attention, functional planning, selective attention, and selfmanagement. Some researchers offer some activities in this phase. Ahmadi et al (2013) 35 suggested making a prediction before reading, sequencing reading strategy, and allocating time or attention before beginning a task. Schmitt (2005) 36 proposed previewing, predicting, questioning and activating prior knowledge activities. Pintrich (1999) suggested setting goals, skimming, and generating questions before reading a text. The activities chosen should be based on what it is that the students need to achieve. As O'Malley and Chamot (1990) stated that more specific activities in planning may be influenced by the goals which were seen as most useful for performing a task.

Monitoring
Monitoring is a strategy which analyzes the information as the reading is in progress. 37 The purpose is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the reading. In this monitoring activity, students can check whether their reading is on the track. This is what O'Malley and Chamot (1990) called as self-monitoring. They can decide whether they will maintain their reading activity as it is or make changes related to how well the reading strategies they use support their comprehension. Schmitt (2005) offered some activities to be conducted; they are confirming predictions, making new predictions, checking understanding, noticing mismatches and problem-solving. Pintrich (1999) suggested tracking of attention while reading a text and self-testing using questions about the text material to check understanding. Monitoring activity is so important that Weinstein and Mayer (1985) 38 regarded all metacognitive activities as part of monitoring comprehension where students check their understanding of goals they make by themselves.

Evaluating
Evaluating is the appraising of the conclusion and regulatory process of the stuGHQWV· reading. 39 It is examining the whole reading process students have conducted. In this phase, students can check what they have accomplished, how they accomplished, what they have not accomplished, why they could not accomplish, what they should do upon their reading, and so on. This is a self-evaluation stage (O'Malley and Chamot, 1990 students can investigate what strategies which best work during reading activity and evaluate whether they have achieved their reading goals. The students can fulfill these tasks by rereading the text to confirm (problem solve), self-correcting errors, attempting/rejecting solutions, and deliberate problem solving. 40 Other activities are re-HYDOXDWLQJ SHUVRQDO·V DLPV and conclusion. 41 Lems et al (2010) 42 suggested reading comprehension activity to use three strategies of before, during, and after reading, which by Zhang and Seepho (2013) and Ahmadi, et. al. (2013) are integrated into metacognitive reading strategies of planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Look at the table below.

Metacognitive process & its sub-categories
Metacognitive strategies in the academic reading comprehension process

Advance Organizer
Determine the nature of the reading task 6HW RQH·V UHDGLQJ JRDOV Plan the objectives of reading sub-tasks Organizational Planning Plan the content of each task, the parts of specific reading tasks Plan the strategies for completing the tasks Elaborate the prior knowledge connected with the reading tasks Selective Attention Focus on a specific task by sequencing the strategies to complete the tasks Select the appropriate reading strategies for the specific tasks Self-Management Apply one or more specific reading strategies relevant to the specific task Adjust reading strategies for achieving goals

Self-Assessment
Make an assessment of whether one succeeds in the reading goal Self-Evaluation Evaluate how well one learned to read Evaluate the reading strategy use Self-Reflection 5HIOHFW RQH·V RZQ SUoblems whether he/she needs to go back through the reading process for a better understanding There are some metacognitive reading strategies proposed by Zhang and Seepho (2013) 43

ZKLFK ZHUH DGDSWHG IURP &KDPRW DQG 2·0DOOH\
·V ZKLFK DUH WKHQ GLYLGHd into three steps of planning, monitoring, and evaluating which consist of nine main categories, they are Advance Organizer, Organizational Planning, Selective Attention and Self-Management for planning step, Comprehension and Production Monitoring for monitoring step, and Self-Assessment, Self-Evaluation and Self-Reflection for evaluation step.
Advance Organizer category consists of determining the nature of the reading task, VHWWLQJ RQH·V UHDGLQJ JRDOV DQG SODQQLQJ WKH REMHFWLYHV RI UHDGLQJ VXE-tasks. In implementing these reading strategies in class, there are some activities which can be done, for example by considering the previous success with the similar tasks and identifying the purpose of the assigned tasks, activating the background knowledge to get a general idea, previewing the questions or the instructions, and trying to predict the contents of the text from the title.
Organizational Planning category consists of planning the content of each task, planning the strategies for completing tasks and elaborating the prior knowledge connected with the reading tasks. These strategies can be done by some activities, for example by coming up with a list of reading strategies which will probably be used, scanning the text first and concentrate on what will be read, reading the task before reading the text, and reading the text before reading the task.
Selective Attention category focuses on a specific task by sequencing the strategies to complete the tasks and select the appropriate reading strategies for the specific tasks. These can be done by determining the major points which will be paid attention to, such as the headings and sub-headings, the topic sentence, and the text structure, and recalling weak points in reading comprehension and trying to comprehend when reading begins.
Self-Management category consists of applying one or more specific reading strategies which are relevant to the specific task and adjusting reading strategies for achieving goals that have been set before. These can be done by locating the task questions in the specific paragraph The Relevance and Implications of Metacognitive Strategy to Reading Comprehension in EFL Classroom Volume 2, Number 2, November 2017 | 280 zzzzzz of the text and planning before reading. Other activity can be also by writing additional information or details which can help the students comprehending the texts.
Comprehension Monitoring category cRQVLVWV RI FKHFNLQJ RQH·V XQGHUVWDQGLQJ DFFXUDF\ DQG DSSURSULDWHQHVV RI WKH RYHUDOO UHDGLQJ WDVN SURFHVV DQG FKHFNLQJ RQH·V RZQ DELOLWLHV DQG difficulties in each reading task. There are some activities which can be done to complete these strategies, for example, first reading for the general ideas of the text, paying Selective Attention to the information predicted and required in the task, verifying inference of the previous paragraph and predicting what will come in the next paragraph, finding ways to overcome the problems when get stuck with difficult vocabulary, finding ways to concentrate on reading even when there are many distractions around, refocusing concentration on reading through the text and task, underlining the difficult sentences and words and trying to understand them, skipping words or sentences which are not understood, translating sentence by sentence while reading, focusing on one specific goal at a time, keeping reading even if having difficulty and constantly checking the understanding of the text, and regulating reading speed according to the given time and length of the text.
Production Monitoring category consists of two strategies, they are checking whether the reading strategies learned from class can solve the comprehension problems, and tracing the selected reading strategies and adopting alternatives when it is not working. These strategies can be done by some activities, for example using reading strategies to help comprehend the text better, searching for the answers for the task questions, thinking of ways to solve reading problems even when they are very difficult, considering whether the reader understand the beginning and the ending of the text correctly, choosing appropriate reading strategies to solve immediate reading problems, and changing the strategies if they cannot help in accomplishing the reading comprehension task.
Self-Assessment consists of making an assessment of whether one succeeds in the reading goal. This strategy can be done by realizing that the major concern is coming with the better understanding by accomplishing the task, checking to see if the reading strategies are helpful for the text comprehension, enjoying discussing with classmates for the difficult points and exchanging the reading experience to get a more effective reading method to achieve the JRDO DQG XVLQJ WKH UHDGHU·V RZQ UHDGLQJ SODQ IRU MXGJLQJ KRZ ZHOO KH VKH UHDG Self-Evaluation consists of two strategies; they are evaluating how well one learned to read and evaluating the reading strategy use. These strategies can be done by referring to the reading goal to evaluate if the reader achieve it, setting a higher reading goal such as comprehension level for next time based on what works best this time and what the reader thinks he/she should keep or change and being able to use the characteristics of a good reader as FULWHULD WR HYDOXDWH WKH UHDGHU·V RZQ UHDGLQJ The last category of metacognitive reading strategy is Self-Reflection, which consists of UHIOHFWLQJ RQH·V RZQ SUREOHPV ZKHWKHU Ke/she needs to go back through the reading process for a better understanding. This strategy can be done by some activities, for example, spending time to motivate the reader him/herself to improve the reading even if he/she finds that he/she does a poor jRE VSHQGLQJ WLPH UHIOHFWLQJ RQ WKH UHDGHU·V UHDGLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH DQG UHFDOOLQJ DQG summarizing the reading strategies to see what might the reader keep or change to make an

Eka Rizki Amalia The Relevance and Implications of Metacognitive Strategy to Reading Comprehension in EFL Classroom
Volume 2, Number 2, November 2017 | 281 zzzzzz improvement on his/her reading next time.
As previously mentioned, the nine categories of metacognitive strategies are grouped into three steps of planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Each step of metacognitive strategy benefits reading comprehension process if they are organized and done appropriately. Pintrich (1999:461) 44 mentions thDW SODQQLQJ DFWLYLW\ IXQFWLRQV WR ´KHOS WKH OHDUQHU SODQ WKHLU XVH RI cognitive strategies and also seem to activate or prime relevant aspects of prior knowledge, PDNLQJ WKH RUJDQL]DWLRQ DQG FRPSUHKHQVLRQ RI WKH PDWHULDO PXFK HDVLHUµ ,Q SODQQLQJ DFWLYLW\ there is predicting which involve activating prior knowledge of the reader. This is one of the topdown processes which helps the reader to construct pre-understanding upon the text he/she is going to read. This can benefit the reader to prepare his mental state to face reading text. Another activity besides predicting is setting up goals before reading, which is considered as most useful for performing a task (O'Malley and Chamot, 1990) 45 since the reader is aware of what he/she is going to accomplish by performing the task. When the reader has goals to accomplish, he/she seems able to extract and remember specific information from a text with little incidental learning   46 because the focus of reading activity has been previously decided. However, in the absence of goals, the information remembered is variable and likely to change.
Monitoring activity enables students to check whether resources and knowledge they have are sufficient and being well used, whether their ability is sufficient and appropriate and whether they are doing what they have planned before. 47 In this phase, students can check whether their reading is on the track. When they find some activities are not appropriate, they can do several things to get it back on track. For example, as Lems et al (2010) 48 suggested, by doing rereading, retelling, paraphrasing, looking for alternative explanations, looking for a connection to our experience, looking forward or backward in a text, checking the illustration, or stopping and asking questions to them.
The last is evaluating. This step is when the evaluation of all strategies takes place. In this phase, students can evaluate whether they have achieved the goal of their reading, whether they have applied the strategies appropriately, and whether they need to go back reading for a better understanding. This phase correlates a lot with the planning phase because this phase determines whether the planning has been arranged and organized well or not. This phase also determines whether the whole reading activity meets its target and considered successful or not.

CONCLUSION
Based on the explanation above, we could conclude that metacognitive strategy had LPSDFW RQ VWXGHQWV· UHDGLQJ FRPSUHKHQVLRQ DFhievement. It promoted studenWV· UHDGLQJ