The strategic impact of reciprocal teaching on the metacognitive reading comprehension of Arabic language texts among Arab students in Israel

Previous researches argued that reciprocal teaching (RT) strategy contributes to students' achievement and improve the reading comprehension. In the current study, we ought to examine the effect of this strategy in the Arab community in Israel, and its consequences on reading comprehension of Arabic language. In order to examine this issue, a quasi-experimental method through practical application of educational units constructed in accordance with the strategic elements of RT was conducted. Sixty-one students from secondary public schools participated in this study. The participants served as two groups: experimental group and a control group. The results showed that there is a significant difference in the levels of metacognitive reading comprehension (self-monitoring, planning of task parameters, and assessment of strategy) between the two groups. The reciprocal teaching strategy had a clear impact on the students' skills and improved their level of comprehension of the texts. Further, the study confirmed that metacognitive reading comprehension dimensions depend upon the extent of students' exposure to strategies and skills that give them the ability to interact with texts. Recommendations for the implementation of RT to benefit students are suggested, especially in the context of Arab population.