Metacognitive strategies implemented with d/Dhh students in upper elementary schools in Saudi Arabia

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/Dhh) students need more effective reading strategies to develop adequate comprehension skills and/or improve their reading comprehension. With this in mind, this quantitative study investigated d/Dhh teachers’ use of metacognitive strategies in upper elementary schools in Saudi Arabia. The study analyzed their use of these strategies as influenced by the following variables: the teachers’ educational qualifications, training in teaching reading, years of teaching experience, and the means of communication (speech versus sign language) used in the classroom. These variables were all found to be significant in their effects, although the variable of gender did not seem to influence the teachers’ implementation of metacognitive strategies in the classrooms. Most significantly, among metacognitive strategies, those that can be used before or during reading were more commonly used by the teachers than those used after reading. In general, teachers in Saudi Arabia need more awareness of the importance of implementing metacognitive strategies with their d/Dhh students. Finally, the study identifies areas for future research, including experimental research to shed light on the significance of utilizing metacognitive strategies.