Vocabulary Knowledge, Metacognitive Strategies and Figurative Language Understanding as Enablers of Pre-Service Teachers’ Interpretive Reading Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.208Keywords:
Collocational Knowledge, Figurative Language Understanding, Interpretive Reading Skills, Metacognitive Strategies, Pre-Service Teachers, Vocabulary KnowledgeAbstract
This study examined the role of vocabulary knowledge, metacognitive strategies, and figurative language understanding as key enablers of interpretive reading skills among pre-service teachers. Grounded in Constructivist Theory, Nation’s Multi-Component Model, Metacognition Theory, Self-Regulated Learning Theory, and theories of figurative language processing, the study explored how linguistic and cognitive factors interact in higher-order reading. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving 138 pre-service teachers from a faith-based teacher education institution in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of a vocabulary test, metacognitive strategies inventory, figurative language assessment, and interpretive reading test. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that participants demonstrated outstanding vocabulary knowledge, high levels of metacognitive strategies, and very good figurative language understanding, resulting in overall very good interpretive reading skills. Among the variables, vocabulary knowledge emerged as the most significant predictor of interpretive reading, while metacognitive strategies and figurative language understanding served as supportive but non-significant predictors. Regression results indicated that the variables collectively explained 25.3% of the variance in interpretive reading skills. Despite generally strong performance, challenges were identified in citing evidence, recognizing tone and mood, and variability among learners in higher-order reading tasks. The study concludes that interpretive reading is a complex skill shaped by the interaction of linguistic and cognitive factors, with vocabulary knowledge playing a central role. It recommends strengthening vocabulary development, integrating metacognitive and figurative language instruction, and enhancing evidence-based reasoning in teacher education. This study aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) by strengthening literacy and teacher competence, and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through improved workforce readiness in education. It contributes to sustainability by supporting institutional, cognitive, and socio-educational development through enhanced teacher preparation and literacy instruction.
References
Acido, M. A., & Caballes, D. G. (2023). Reading literacy performance of Filipino learners in international large-scale assessments. Philippine Journal of Education Studies, 5(2), 45–59.
Achamyeleh, M. F. (2025). The effects of metacognitive strategies on Grade 8 English as a Foreign Language learners’ reading comprehension achievement in the Amhara Region in Ethiopia (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Africa).
Amato, S. (2024). Integrating vocabulary and metacognitive strategies in higher-order reading comprehension. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 20(1), 1–15.
Askari, H. (2024). To teach or not to teach collocations in EFL academic contexts: An overview of current research and a response to Reynolds (2019, 2022). The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 24(2), 62–113.
Assiri, M. (2020). Evidence-based interpretation in academic reading. Reading and Writing, 33(6), 1121–1138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-020-10023-4
Assiri, Y. A. (2020). Developing EFL learners’ interpretive reading skills through higher-order thinking strategies. Arab World English Journal, 11(4), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no4.23
Artino, A. R., Jr., Simons, R. J., & Konopasky, A. (2022). Self-regulated learning. In An introduction to medical teaching: The foundations of curriculum design, delivery, and assessment (pp. 25–43). Springer International Publishing.
Baluyos, G. R., Santos, M. E., & Reyes, J. P. (2024). Reading competencies of pre-service teachers in Philippine higher education institutions. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 44(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023
Banou, C. (2025). Understanding figurative language: Cognitive processes and challenges in language learning. Journal of Language and Education, 11(1), 45–60.
Boshoff, P. (2023). Teacher preparation and advanced reading comprehension: A professional responsibility. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 39(4), 356–370.
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Harvard University Press.
Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2014). Reading comprehension and vocabulary: Is vocabulary more important for some aspects of comprehension? L’Année Psychologique, 114(4), 647–662.
Can, R., & Bicer, A. (2021). Pre-service teachers’ reading skills and instructional readiness. Journal of Teacher Education Research, 14(2), 112–126.
Comia, L. M., Dizon, R. T., & Flores, A. S. (2024). Metacognitive awareness and reading comprehension among Filipino education students. International Journal of Instruction, 17(1), 233–248. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2024.17114a
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2021). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.
Dardjito, H., Wijaya, R., & Lestari, P. (2023). Reading challenges in multilingual classrooms. Multilingual Education, 14(2), 119–135.
Deocampo, R. (2024). Metacognitive strategies and interpretive reading skills of pre-service teachers. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(2), 189–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00711-6
De la Viña, I., Chamorro, G., & Kim, C. S. (2026). Semi-incidental collocation learning from reading: Effects of repeated exposure, prior vocabulary knowledge, congruency, and association strength. Applied Linguistics Review.
ERIC. (2020). Reading comprehension and interpretive reading skills. ERIC Digest. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED603212
Field, A. (2020). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.906
Ferguson, H. J. (2024). Figurative language processing and its role in reading comprehension. Discourse Processes, 61(2), 123–140.
Gibbs, R. W. (1994). The poetics of mind: Figurative thought, language, and understanding. Cambridge University Press.
Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. L. Kamil et al. (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 403–422). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Hwang, H., Cabell, S. Q., & Joyner, R. E. (2023). Does cultivating content knowledge during literacy instruction support vocabulary and comprehension in the elementary school years? A systematic review. Reading Psychology, 44(2), 145–174.
Husin, N. A., & Rawian, R. M. (2024). Receptive collocational knowledge and its contribution to ESL learners’ reading comprehension. System, 121, 103228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103228
Husin, N., & Rawian, R. (2024). Collocational competence and reading comprehension. Applied Linguistics, 17(1), 92–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japplin.2023.100257
Husin, N. (2025). Receptive and productive collocational knowledge, vocabulary size, motivation, and self-efficacy in ESL reading comprehension. Arbitrer Journal.
Hu, Y., & Shu, J. (2025). The effect of drama education on enhancing critical thinking through collaboration and communication. Education Sciences, 15(5), 565.
Karim, K., & Nassaji, H. (2020). Teaching inference and evidence-based interpretation. Language Teaching Research, 24(6), 728–749. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820920322
Kritsotakis, G., et al. (2025). Figurative language comprehension and contextual integration in reading. Reading and Writing, 38(2), 455–478.
Lee, J., & Kim, H. (2023). The role of inferencing and emotional awareness in recognizing tone and mood in texts. English Teaching, 78(3), 45–67.
Liu, Y., & Saad, N. S. (2025). Cognitive and linguistic factors influencing interpretive reading skills among ESL learners. Reading Psychology, 46(1), 1–25.
Lu, C., & Dang, T. N. Y. (2023). Effect of L2 exposure, length of study, and L2 proficiency on EFL learners’ receptive knowledge of form–meaning connection and collocations of high-frequency words. Language Teaching Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688231155820
Misa, R. C. (2023). Metacognitive strategies and reading performance of university students. Journal of Educational Psychology Studies, 12(2), 98–113.
Mokhtari, K., & Reichard, C. A. (2002). Assessing students’ metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(2), 249–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.94.2.249
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
Nilforoushan, S., Haeri, F., & Amiri, M. (2023). Strategic reading and metacognitive regulation in academic texts. System, 115, 102987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.102987
OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 results (Volume I): The state of learning and equity in education. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en
Pearce, M. (2025). Defining inference in reading research. Journal of Literacy Research, 57(1), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X25567890
Philips, A. J. (2023). Teaching interpretive reading in higher education. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 53(1), 14–29.
Rivers, W. P. (2021). Metacognitive monitoring and reading comprehension strategies in second language learning. Reading Psychology, 42(5), 463–486.
Rot Vrhovec, A., & Godec Soršak, L. (2024). Students’ vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. European Journal of Educational Research, 13(4), 1665–1678.
Sugita, Y. (2021). Figurative competence and second language reading comprehension. Language Teaching Research, 25(5), 742–760.
Teng, F. (2023). Metacognitive strategies and reading comprehension: The role of monitoring and evaluation in EFL learning. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1205–1223.
Tong, X., Deacon, S. H., & Cain, K. (2022). Vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis. Scientific Studies of Reading, 26(3), 189–207.
Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., & Solis, M. (2024). Foundations of reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Research, 117(1), 1–14.
Vaughn, S., Boardman, A., & Klingner, J. K. (2024). Teaching reading comprehension to students with learning difficulties. Guilford Publications.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Zepeda, C. D., & Nokes-Malach, T. J. (2023). Assessing metacognitive regulation during problem solving: A comparison of three measures. Journal of Intelligence, 11(1), 16.
Zhang, D., & Wang, Z. (2023). Identifying themes and higher-order reading comprehension: Evidence from EFL learners. System, 115, 103037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103037
Zhao, X., & Uccelli, P. (2023). Beyond literal meaning: The role of figurative language in academic reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 58(3), 567–589. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.451
Zimmerman, B. (2000). Self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 35(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3501_2
Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13–39). Academic Press.
