Latent Profiles of EFL Reading Strategies: Socio-Demographics and Implications for Instruction

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Abstract

The effective use of reading strategies underpins college EFL learners’ language success, academic achievement, and lifelong learning. Employing a mixed-methods design, we examined latent profiles of reading-strategy use among 319 undergraduates and interviewed seven of them. Latent profile analysis identified Highly, Average, and Below-Average groups. Females were 73% and high-income students 72% less likely than peers to fall into the Below-Average group, indicating socio-demographic protection against poor strategy deployment. Interviews revealed that interactive, collaborative, and metacognitive strategies elicit positive emotions, whereas most reading tasks are undertaken neutrally and methodically. Integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence clarifies how strategy patterns form and feel. Implications include differentiated instruction for researchers and practitioners across diverse EFL learning contexts.

Authors

• Yuyan Xia, University of Kentucky

• Na Liu, zhejiang Ocean University

• Lei Zhao, Chongqing University of Education