CHAPTER 1 Introduction
1.1Introduction
An English learning strategy is defined as an observable behavior or implicit mentalactivity to promote English learning. A strategy cluster refers to a combination of strategiesworking collaboratively to facilitate learning of a target language. A reading strategy cluster isa strategy cluster used to improve ability of reading English. The present study explores theeffects of instructions of reading strategy clusters on non-English major students' readingperformances, strategy use and motivation. To fulfill the objective of the research the authorundertook a quasi-experiment on reading strategy cluster training for university students. Bothqualitative and quantitative methods are adopted for a comprehensive description of theparticipants' performances. Reliability analysis and factor analysis are performed to test thereliability and validity of two questionnaires, while independent and paired samples T-testsare performed to identify the complex relationships among the variables involved,
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1.2Need for the study
The past three decades have seen an upsurge in the study of language learning strategies.Researchers have invested considerable efforts to probe the difference in strategy use betweensuccessful and unsuccessful language learners, to explore the relationship between strategyuse and second language proficiency, and to compare the effectiveness of various strategytraining methods. Great progress has been made in understanding the importance of languagelearning strategies. Enabling students to know how to leam will not only reduce their studyload, but also improve our teaching quality to a great extent.The majority of present studies have concluded that the more frequently languagelearners use learning strategies, the better their learning outcome will be. A causal andreciprocal relationship between the frequency of using certain strategies and languageperformance has been documented by many studies. However，the fact is that learners seldomuse any single strategy alone, but instead tend to adopt a series of different strategies to solvea problem. Thus there is the choice of different strategies for different occasions and the orderof using them in dealing different tasks. More often than not it is this coordination ability thatdecides the effectiveness of using strategies, rather than the type and frequency of strategiesused as discussed in many studies. There are no “good” or “bad，，learning strategies, and nostrategy can be useful for all people in dealing all tasks. The key lies in enabling languagelearners to understand and handle various strategies so as to make flexible use of them fordifferent tasks based on their own characteristics. Only in this way can they becomeindependent and autonomous learners. Therefore, the focus of this study centers in thetraining of reading strategy clusters.
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CHAPTER 2 Literature Review
2.1 Reading strategy
With the development of cognitive psychology in the 1960s, the study of informationprocessing has drawn increasing attention, particularly for learning strategy. Many researchersstated their definition of learning strategy based on its various features revealed from differentperspectives, and Rod Ellis (1999) made a list of them as follows: Regardless of the difference in focus of the above definitions of learning strategies, theyare all based on cognitive theories. If learning activities can be viewed as informationprocessing，learning strategies are in turn any observable behavior or implicit mental activitythat could facilitate the process of information processing.As for the definition of reading strategy, there are also various elaborations fromdifferent experts. Educational expert Wallace (1992: 146) form London University in Britainstated that reading strategies are the different methods learners have systematically andselectively chosen in the process of reading for different contents，text types and readingpurposes.Johnson. K and Johnson. H (1998: 333) hold that reading strategy is the process whenreaders adopt various action tactics to solve the problems encountered in the reading,including some reading techniques (for instance, guessing the meaning of unknown words,inferencing, predicting, skimming and scanning) and other alternative and controllable actionsof readers. In their opinion, reading is not a passive and receptive process of understandingthe text, but instead calls for continual confirmation，and this coincides with what Andersonsaid that reading is an active, fluent process which involves the reader and the readingmaterial in building meaning (Anderson, 2004).
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2.2 Learning strategy training
Thus study of learning strategytraining was engendered, i.e. language teaching centered on learners, which emphasizesembedding strategy use explicitly or implicitly in classroom teaching.There are mainly two parts in learning strategy training: strategy training and strategyintegration. The goals of training strategies are to help learners to develop effective ways oflearning language, form the habit of learning independently as well as evaluating on their ownlearning, and eventually become automatic learners, who have grasped the target languageand the way of learning this language at the same time. After training, learning strategies haveto be integrated into language classrooms either explicitly or implicitly, and only in this waycan the goal of using strategy practice be achieved. Many training models have been putforward abroad in recent several decades as shown in this chapter without a consensus of thebest one.
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3Research Design and Methodology.........34
3.1Research questions and hypotheses........34
3.2Participants........34
3.3Experimental procedures........35
3.4 Instruments........52
3.4.1English Reading Strategy Questionnaire........52
3.4.2English Learning Motivation Questionnaire........53
3.4.3Reading performance test........53
3.4.4Qualitative research instruments........54
4Results and Analysis........56
4.1Reliability and validity analyses........56
4.2T-test analyses........58
4.2.3Independent samples T-test analyses........59
4.2.4Paired samples T-test analysis........63
4.3Analyses of qualitative data........70
4.3.1Reflective composition analysis........70
4.3.2Learning diary analysis........72
5Discussion........76
CHAPTER 5 Discussion
The first research question focuses on the effects of learning strategy cluster training onEnglish reading achievement，and the result of current study has proved a positive effect ofstrategy cluster training on reading performance, which can be seen from two aspects.Firstly, based on the analysis result of paired samples t-test on reading performance ofthe experimental class, the average score of it in pre-test reading achievement is 141.3983,while that in post-test is 170.7610, with an increase of 29.36271 in-between. This differencehas reached the statistically significant level with sig. (2-tailed) value as .000. That is to say,the experimental class has significantly improved their reading achievement through strategycluster training.Besides, from the comparison of pre-and post-independent samples t-test results betweentwo classes on reading achievement, relative change has also taken place in their disparityin-between. In independent sample t-test before training, the gap between two classes inreading achievement test is 3.65851，with sig. (2-tailed) value of .629，which means that thedifference between two classes was not statistically significant. However, in post-testindependent samples t-test, the experimental class has exceeded the control class 18.19056 inreading test, with the sig. (2-tailed) value as .010. Here, their difference has reachedstatistically significant level. Thus，their gap has been enlarged from insignificant level tosignificant level.
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Conclusion
Major findings of this study are about the effects of learning strategy cluster training onnon-English majors' reading achievement, reading strategy use and English learningmotivation, and the relationship between these three groups of variables in English reading.Specifically, they can be stated in line with the research questions discussed in the previouschapter in three parts:
(1)Learning strategy cluster training has significantly improved non-English majors'reading achievement;
(2)Among seven kinds of strategies, non-English majors have made significant progressin adopting monitoring and evaluating，inferencing，prediction，and utilization/elaborationthrough learning strategy cluster training;
(3)Learning strategy cluster training also has significant effects on non-English majors'learning motivation including goal orientation，causal attribution, interest, self-efficacy andmotivational behavior;
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Reference (omitted)