Metacognition in listening comprehension: Analyzing strategies and gender differences among Saudi EFL University students

Figures & data

Table 1. The characteristics of the research sample

Variables		Frequency	Percentage
Gender	Male	77	37.7%
	Female	127	62.3%
	Total	204	100.0%

Table 2. Inter-item and item-total correlations

‘Directed attention’		‘Mental translation’		‘Person knowledge’		‘Planning and evaluation’		‘Problem-solving’
Items	Correlation	Items	Correlation	Items	Correlation	Items	Correlation	Items	Correlation
2	.703**	4	.756**	3	.735**	1	.770**	5	.634**
6	.715**	11	.687**	8	.713**	10	.780**	7	.842**
12	.733**	18	.697**	15	.769**	14	.722**	9	.754**
16	.663**	-	-	-	-	20	.706**	13	.783**
						21	.813**	17	.752**
-	-	-	-	-	-	-		19	.745**

**sig (α = 0:01) *sig (α = 0:05).

Figure 1. Mean scores of MLCS.

Figure 2. Confirmatory Factor analysis model for the measurement of MLCS.

Table 3. Cronbach’s alpha reliability analysis

Factors	Items No	Cronbach’s alpha
‘Directed attention’	4	0.772
‘Mental translation’	3	0.743
‘Person knowledge’	3	0.734
‘Planning and evaluation’	5	0.781
‘Problem-solving’	6	0.787
Overall	21	0.825

Table 4. Descriptive statistics for MLCS

Factors	No. of items	Mean	St.d	Rank
Problem-solving	6	4.28	1.33	1
Mental translation	3	4.17	1.38	2
Planning and evaluation	5	4.14	1.28	3
Directed attention	4	4.06	1.28	4
Person knowledge	3	3.87	1.32	5
Overall	21	4.13	1.22

Table 5. Gender disparities in strategy utilization

Factors	Gender	Mean	SD	DF	T	Sig
‘Directed attention’	Male	3.86	0.99	202	−1.688	0.093
	Female	4.17	1.41
‘Mental translation’	Male	3.99	1.09	202	−1.425	0.156
	Female	4.28	1.53
‘Person knowledge’	Male	3.86	1.06	202	−0.116	0.908
	Female	3.88	1.46
‘Planning and evaluation’	Male	3.95	0.95	202	−1.697	0.091
	Female	4.26	1.43
‘Problem-solving’	Male	3.97	1.03	202	−2.632	0.009*
	Female	4.47	1.45
Overall	Male	3.93	0.92	202	−1.813	0.071
	Female	4.25	1.37

*is significant at the 0.05 level.

Table

Strategy	Sub Scale	Total		Female		Male
		Std.	Mean	Std.	Mean	Std.	Mean
1. Before I start to listen, I have a plan in my head for how I am going to listen.	PE	1.65	4.08	1.66	4.26	1.58	3.79
2. I focus harder on the text when I have trouble understanding.	DA	1.62	4.37	1.68	4.60	1.45	3.99
3. I find that listening in ESP is more difficult than reading, speaking, or writing in ESP.	PK	1.64	3.80	1.78	3.78	1.40	3.84
4. I translate in my head as I listen.	MT	1.68	4.18	1.74	4.44	1.48	3.75
5. I use the words I understand to guess the meaning of the words I don’t understand.	PS	1.58	4.31	1.68	4.48	1.39	4.04
6. When my mind wanders, I recover my concentration right away.	DA	1.59	4.04	1.69	4.18	1.40	3.81
7. As I listen, I compare what I understand with what I know about the topic.	PS	1.56	4.25	1.68	4.42	1.31	3.96
8. I feel that listening comprehension in ESP is a challenge for me.	PK	1.55	3.96	1.63	4.05	1.40	3.81
9. I use my experience and knowledge to help me understand.	PS	1.51	4.43	1.58	4.64	1.33	4.08
10. Before listening, I think of similar texts that I may have listened to.	PE	1.57	3.99	1.66	4.04	1.41	3.90
11. I translate keywords as I listen.	MT	1.55	4.30	1.65	4.40	1.37	4.14
12. I try to get back on track when I lose concentration.	DA	1.66	4.19	1.64	4.49	1.58	3.70
13. As I listen, I quickly adjust my interpretation if I realize that it is not correct.	PS	1.60	4.19	1.63	4.35	1.52	3.94
14. After listening, I think back to how I listened, and about what I might do differently next time.	PE	1.55	4.07	1.59	4.20	1.45	3.86
15. I don’t feel nervous when I listen to ESP.	PK	1.62	3.85	1.70	3.81	1.48	3.92
16. When I have difficulty understanding what I hear, I give up and stop listening.	DA	1.70	3.63	1.88	3.43	1.28	3.96
17. I use the general idea of the text to help me guess the meaning of the words that I don’t understand.	PS	1.53	4.28	1.59	4.52	1.35	3.90
18. I translate word by word, as I listen.	MT	1.63	4.02	1.75	3.98	1.44	4.08
19. When I guess the meaning of a word, I think back to everything else that I have heard, to see if my guess makes sense.	PS	1.53	4.23	1.60	4.41	1.36	3.92
20. As I listen, I periodically ask myself if I am satisfied with my level of comprehension.	PE	1.48	4.25	1.62	4.26	1.20	4.25
21. I have a goal in mind as I listen.	PE	1.53	4.32	1.61	4.54	1.32	3.95