English reading strategies and proficiency: A case study of Thai EFL teachers

Abstract

              The present study explored the reading strategies used by Thai EFL teachers with different English academic reading proficiency levels. Its objectives were 1) to investigate the differences in the use of reading strategies by teachers with high and low reading proficiency and 2) to study the relationship between the teachers’ overall use of reading strategies and their English academic reading proficiency. The subjects were fifty Thai EFL teachers. The instruments used in the present study were 1) a questionnaire consisting of two parts—demographic data and English reading strategy use, 2) a set of two comprehension test types, and 3) the follow-up think-aloud sessions. The results showed that 1) the subjects with high and low English academic reading proficiency employed readings strategies differently as statistically significant differences existed, 2) those with high English academic reading proficiency outperformed those with low English academic reading proficiency in their overall use of reading strategies, and 3) the subjects’ overall use of reading strategies and their English academic reading proficiency were moderately and positively correlated (p < .01).