Anahita Bordbar - SAMA Technical and Vocational Training College, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch, Ahvaz, Iran

Many educators believe that learning is an active, ongoing process and that students are able to construct their ownknowledge based upon their current or prior experiences. Students are involved in the thinking process while readingand it is believed that during this time prior knowledge is activated by the text as students utilize learning strategies tofoster comprehension. Metacognitive strategies also enhance students reading comprehension and help clarify theirobjectives. The purpose of this study was to examine prior knowledge and two teaching approaches (reciprocalteaching and peer tutoring) using think aloud on metacognition for main idea and summarization. Seventy oneuniversity students were engaged in the present study. All students who participated in the study took a readingcomprehension test that provided pretreatment measures of students prior knowledge in reading comprehension. Amedian split of students test scores was used to determine whether they would be placed in high or low priorknowledge groupings. Four intact class of reading course were randomly divided into 2 reciprocal teaching groups(Treatment A) and 2 peer tutoring groups (Treatment B). Thirty nine students received reciprocal teaching and 38students received peer tutoring. An observation instrument, based on critical incident technique was utilized to observeand objectively measure the fidelity of use of the two instructional treatments used in the study. Results showed thatstudents level of prior knowledge had an effect on students reading strategies and metacognitive learning strategies.Because of variations among and within student groups, no single teaching approach was indicated to be significantlymore effective than another in teaching main idea and summarization strategies in reading. However, distinctivedifferences were noted in students use of metacognitive learning strategies as a result of experiencing diverse teachingapproaches.

reciprocal teaching approach, peer tutoring approach, prior knowledge, metacognitive reading strategies, think-aloud protocol