Reading Anxiety, Teaching Methods, and Online Reading Strategies: A Correlational Study

Reading anxiety can influence learners’ ability to comprehend academic texts and may interact with the teaching methods and reading strategies used during the reading process. As online reading becomes increasingly common in higher education, understanding these relationships is important for supporting effective reading practices. This quantitative study explored reading anxiety and its influence on teaching methods and reading strategies. Data were collected from 277 participants using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from established instruments measuring reading anxiety, teaching methods and online reading strategies. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that learners experienced reading anxiety associated with background knowledge, general reading ability, vocabulary and grammar, while teaching-related anxiety was most evident when learners were required to read aloud. Learners also employed global, problem-solving and support strategies when reading online. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between reading anxiety and teaching methods, reading anxiety and reading strategies, and teaching methods and reading strategies. The findings highlight the importance of supportive teaching practices and appropriate reading strategies in helping learners manage reading anxiety and develop more effective online reading experiences.

Reading Anxiety; Teaching Methods; Online Reading Strategies; EFL Learners; Reading Comprehension.

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