Relationship between Students' Learning Strategies and their Cognitive Engagement at International Islamic School Gombak

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between students' learning strategies and their cognitive engagement in English class at International Islamic School in Gombak, Malaysia. Explicitly, the research intends to fathom the correlation between three learning strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive and social) and students' level of cognitive engagement that include deep and shallow engagement. This research was carried out with 191 students (male and female), who constitute the respondents of the study. Their ages vary from 13 to18 years. Data were collected using a questionnaire, employing a five (5) point Likert’s scale. However, correlations as statistical inference were employed in testing the relationships between learning strategies and cognitive engagement. The findings reveal that significant and positive correlations were found between three types of learning strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive and social) with cognitive engagement. Subsequently, a significant negative correlation was also found between deep and shallow engagement, portraying an inverse relationship. Thus, teachers at International Islamic school Gombak have to dedicate themselves in preparing classroom instructions or activities that exhibit elements of cognitive, meta-cognitive and social strategies. This however, in essence, could help the students to exert mental efforts, pay attention and become active during lessons, which all indicate signs of cognitive engagement.