pág. 2616
A THEORETICAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW
FROM THE PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE OF
READING APPREHENSION AMONG HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENGLISH CLASSES.
UNA REVISION BIBLIOGRAFICA DESDE LA EXPERIENCIA
PRACTICA DE LA APRENSION A LA LECTURA EN
ESTUDIANTES DE BACHILLERATO EN CLASES DE INGLÉS
Sheyla Sileny Palma Macías
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
Laura María Mena Sánchez
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
pág. 2617
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v10i4.25291
A theoretical Bibliographic review from the practicum experience of reading
apprehension among high school students in English classes.
Sheyla Sileny Palma Macías1
e1350852230@live.uleam.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7626-3818
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
Ecuador
Laura María Mena Sánchez
laura.mena@uleam.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5287-2837
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
Ecuador
ABSTRACT
This theoretical bibliographic review examines reading apprehension in Ecuadorian Basic General
Education (B.G.E.) English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) settings. In this study, reading apprehension
is used as a pedagogical label for avoidance, frustration, boredom, and low willingness to engage with
reading; it is not treated as a standardized clinical construct or as interchangeable with reading anxiety.
A corpus of 25 peer-reviewed publications was selected from 214 initially identified records. The
synthesis addresses antecedents, learning consequences, and pedagogical responses. Evidence supports
a contextual model in which learner beliefs, text demands, instructional climate, and prior literacy
experiences interact. The strongest practical implication is not a universal remedy but the design of
supported, meaningful, and choice-aware reading experiences. Because no reviewed study directly tests
the proposed model in Ecuadorian B.G.E. classrooms, the article presents theoretical propositions rather
than testable hypotheses. The review contributes a structured synthesis of current evidence and a
context-sensitive agenda for teacher preparation and future Ecuadorian research.
Keywords: reading apprehension; EFL; reading motivation; reading anxiety; reading strategies;
Ecuador.
1 Autor principal
Correspondencia: e1350852230@live.uleam.edu.ec
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v10i4.25291
A theoretical Bibliographic review from the practicum experience of reading
apprehension among high school students in English classes.
Sheyla Sileny Palma Macías1
e1350852230@live.uleam.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7626-3818
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
Ecuador
Laura María Mena Sánchez
laura.mena@uleam.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5287-2837
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí
Ecuador
ABSTRACT
This theoretical bibliographic review examines reading apprehension in Ecuadorian Basic General
Education (B.G.E.) English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) settings. In this study, reading apprehension
is used as a pedagogical label for avoidance, frustration, boredom, and low willingness to engage with
reading; it is not treated as a standardized clinical construct or as interchangeable with reading anxiety.
A corpus of 25 peer-reviewed publications was selected from 214 initially identified records. The
synthesis addresses antecedents, learning consequences, and pedagogical responses. Evidence supports
a contextual model in which learner beliefs, text demands, instructional climate, and prior literacy
experiences interact. The strongest practical implication is not a universal remedy but the design of
supported, meaningful, and choice-aware reading experiences. Because no reviewed study directly tests
the proposed model in Ecuadorian B.G.E. classrooms, the article presents theoretical propositions rather
than testable hypotheses. The review contributes a structured synthesis of current evidence and a
context-sensitive agenda for teacher preparation and future Ecuadorian research.
Keywords: reading apprehension; EFL; reading motivation; reading anxiety; reading strategies;
Ecuador.
1 Autor principal
Correspondencia: e1350852230@live.uleam.edu.ec
pág. 2618
Una revision bibliografica desde la experiencia practica de la aprension a la
lectura en estudiantes de bachillerato en clases de inglés
RESUMEN
Esta revisión bibliográfica teórica examina la aprehensión lectora en contextos de inglés como lengua
extranjera (ILE) de Educación General Básica (EGB) en Ecuador. En este estudio, la aprehensión lectora
se emplea como una etiqueta pedagógica para la evitación, frustración, aburrimiento y baja disposición
a involucrarse con la lectura; no se presenta como un constructo clínico estandarizado ni como sinónimo
de ansiedad lectora. Se seleccionó un corpus de 25 publicaciones arbitradas a partir de 214 registros
inicialmente identificados. La síntesis aborda antecedentes, consecuencias para el aprendizaje y
respuestas pedagógicas. La evidencia respalda un modelo contextual donde interactúan las creencias del
estudiante, las exigencias del texto, el clima instruccional y las experiencias previas de alfabetización.
Dado que ningún estudio revisado prueba directamente el modelo en aulas ecuatorianas de EGB, el
artículo formula proposiciones teóricas y no hipótesis comprobables. La contribución del estudio
consiste en una síntesis estructurada de la evidencia actual y una agenda de investigación y formación
docente situada en Ecuador.
Palabras clave: aprehensión lectora; ILE; motivación lectora; ansiedad lectora; estrategias de lectura;
Ecuador.
Artículo recibido 20 mayo 2026
Aceptado para publicación: 20 junio 2026
Una revision bibliografica desde la experiencia practica de la aprension a la
lectura en estudiantes de bachillerato en clases de inglés
RESUMEN
Esta revisión bibliográfica teórica examina la aprehensión lectora en contextos de inglés como lengua
extranjera (ILE) de Educación General Básica (EGB) en Ecuador. En este estudio, la aprehensión lectora
se emplea como una etiqueta pedagógica para la evitación, frustración, aburrimiento y baja disposición
a involucrarse con la lectura; no se presenta como un constructo clínico estandarizado ni como sinónimo
de ansiedad lectora. Se seleccionó un corpus de 25 publicaciones arbitradas a partir de 214 registros
inicialmente identificados. La síntesis aborda antecedentes, consecuencias para el aprendizaje y
respuestas pedagógicas. La evidencia respalda un modelo contextual donde interactúan las creencias del
estudiante, las exigencias del texto, el clima instruccional y las experiencias previas de alfabetización.
Dado que ningún estudio revisado prueba directamente el modelo en aulas ecuatorianas de EGB, el
artículo formula proposiciones teóricas y no hipótesis comprobables. La contribución del estudio
consiste en una síntesis estructurada de la evidencia actual y una agenda de investigación y formación
docente situada en Ecuador.
Palabras clave: aprehensión lectora; ILE; motivación lectora; ansiedad lectora; estrategias de lectura;
Ecuador.
Artículo recibido 20 mayo 2026
Aceptado para publicación: 20 junio 2026
pág. 2619
1. INTRODUCTION
Reading is an essential route to linguistic input and academic participation in EFL classrooms. Yet,
students may approach reading tasks with avoidance, boredom, low confidence, or frustration. This
article uses the term reading apprehension to name that classroom-relevant pattern. The term is
deliberately narrower than a diagnostic label and broader than reading anxiety. Reading anxiety refers
to a related affective response often measured with specific instruments; apprehension here describes a
pedagogical problem that can include avoidance and low engagement without assuming a medical
condition (Mardianti et al., 2021; Miao & Vibulphol, 2021).
The distinction matters. Treating all disengagement as anxiety can lead to unsupported causal claims,
whereas treating it only as misconduct can obscure genuine barriers. Evidence across EFL and general
reading contexts indicates that motivation, self-efficacy, vocabulary demands, strategy use, teacher
support, and prior literacy experiences are associated with reading engagement and achievement (Li &
Gan, 2022; Toste et al., 2020; Zhang & Kim, 2025). These findings do not establish a single mechanism
for Ecuador, but they justify a careful, context-sensitive synthesis.
In Ecuador, the national EFL curriculum positions reading as a core communicative skill across
compulsory schooling (Ministerio de Educación, 2016). Recent Ecuadorian evidence addresses general
EFL motivation and reading comprehension, but not reading apprehension as operationalized in this
review. Andrade-Molina et al. (2022) examined motivated behavior among 128 high-school learners,
Díaz Chávez et al. (2023) studied reading-comprehension instruction with tenth-grade students in Loja,
and Soto et al. (2025) mapped motivation research nationally. Together, these sources show that relevant
local work exists while confirming that the precise intersection of reading avoidance, affect, and EFL
engagement remains underexamined.
1.1 Research Gap
The gap is not simply the absence of a label. The reviewed sources address reading anxiety, motivation,
self-efficacy, strategies, and engagement, but no retained study directly tests their interaction in
Ecuadorian B.G.E. EFL classrooms. Ecuadorian research documents broader motivational patterns and
a limited set of reading interventions (Andrade-Molina et al., 2022; Díaz Chávez et al., 2023; Soto et
al., 2025), yet it does not establish the prevalence, causes, or developmental course of reading
1. INTRODUCTION
Reading is an essential route to linguistic input and academic participation in EFL classrooms. Yet,
students may approach reading tasks with avoidance, boredom, low confidence, or frustration. This
article uses the term reading apprehension to name that classroom-relevant pattern. The term is
deliberately narrower than a diagnostic label and broader than reading anxiety. Reading anxiety refers
to a related affective response often measured with specific instruments; apprehension here describes a
pedagogical problem that can include avoidance and low engagement without assuming a medical
condition (Mardianti et al., 2021; Miao & Vibulphol, 2021).
The distinction matters. Treating all disengagement as anxiety can lead to unsupported causal claims,
whereas treating it only as misconduct can obscure genuine barriers. Evidence across EFL and general
reading contexts indicates that motivation, self-efficacy, vocabulary demands, strategy use, teacher
support, and prior literacy experiences are associated with reading engagement and achievement (Li &
Gan, 2022; Toste et al., 2020; Zhang & Kim, 2025). These findings do not establish a single mechanism
for Ecuador, but they justify a careful, context-sensitive synthesis.
In Ecuador, the national EFL curriculum positions reading as a core communicative skill across
compulsory schooling (Ministerio de Educación, 2016). Recent Ecuadorian evidence addresses general
EFL motivation and reading comprehension, but not reading apprehension as operationalized in this
review. Andrade-Molina et al. (2022) examined motivated behavior among 128 high-school learners,
Díaz Chávez et al. (2023) studied reading-comprehension instruction with tenth-grade students in Loja,
and Soto et al. (2025) mapped motivation research nationally. Together, these sources show that relevant
local work exists while confirming that the precise intersection of reading avoidance, affect, and EFL
engagement remains underexamined.
1.1 Research Gap
The gap is not simply the absence of a label. The reviewed sources address reading anxiety, motivation,
self-efficacy, strategies, and engagement, but no retained study directly tests their interaction in
Ecuadorian B.G.E. EFL classrooms. Ecuadorian research documents broader motivational patterns and
a limited set of reading interventions (Andrade-Molina et al., 2022; Díaz Chávez et al., 2023; Soto et
al., 2025), yet it does not establish the prevalence, causes, or developmental course of reading
pág. 2620
apprehension. The present review therefore synthesizes transferable mechanisms and specifies what
must be examined locally without presenting international findings as Ecuadorian causal evidence.
1.2 Research Questions
This study addresses the following research questions:
What factors contribute to the development of reading apprehension in EFL high school students?
How does reading apprehension affect students' engagement with and outcomes in EFL learning?
What pedagogical strategies are most effective in reducing reading apprehension in EFL classrooms?
1.3 Research Objectives
General objective:
To analyze reading apprehension as experienced by B.G.E. high school students in EFL instruction,
identifying its contributing factors and the pedagogical strategies most effective in reducing it, as
informed by current theoretical literature and practicum-based observation.
Specific objectives:
To identify and examine the affective, motivational, and contextual factors that contribute to the
development of reading apprehension in EFL B.G.E. high school students, drawing on theoretical
frameworks and empirical literature published between 2020 and 2026.
To recognize the pedagogical strategies documented in current research that demonstrate effectiveness
in reducing reading apprehension and promoting autonomous, motivated reading in EFL secondary
contexts.
1.4 Significance of the Study
Understanding reading apprehension is foundational to improving EFL outcomes in Ecuadorian high
schools. At the theoretical level, this review integrates motivational, affective, and developmental
frameworks that are rarely read together in EFL reading research, producing a more complete account
of how apprehension develops and why it resists conventional instruction. At the practical level, the
findings offer pre-service teachers in B.G.E. practicum placements a framework for recognizing
apprehension-related behaviors, student silence, off-task behavior during reading tasks, avoidance, and
responding to them with evidence-based strategies rather than disciplinary responses.
apprehension. The present review therefore synthesizes transferable mechanisms and specifies what
must be examined locally without presenting international findings as Ecuadorian causal evidence.
1.2 Research Questions
This study addresses the following research questions:
What factors contribute to the development of reading apprehension in EFL high school students?
How does reading apprehension affect students' engagement with and outcomes in EFL learning?
What pedagogical strategies are most effective in reducing reading apprehension in EFL classrooms?
1.3 Research Objectives
General objective:
To analyze reading apprehension as experienced by B.G.E. high school students in EFL instruction,
identifying its contributing factors and the pedagogical strategies most effective in reducing it, as
informed by current theoretical literature and practicum-based observation.
Specific objectives:
To identify and examine the affective, motivational, and contextual factors that contribute to the
development of reading apprehension in EFL B.G.E. high school students, drawing on theoretical
frameworks and empirical literature published between 2020 and 2026.
To recognize the pedagogical strategies documented in current research that demonstrate effectiveness
in reducing reading apprehension and promoting autonomous, motivated reading in EFL secondary
contexts.
1.4 Significance of the Study
Understanding reading apprehension is foundational to improving EFL outcomes in Ecuadorian high
schools. At the theoretical level, this review integrates motivational, affective, and developmental
frameworks that are rarely read together in EFL reading research, producing a more complete account
of how apprehension develops and why it resists conventional instruction. At the practical level, the
findings offer pre-service teachers in B.G.E. practicum placements a framework for recognizing
apprehension-related behaviors, student silence, off-task behavior during reading tasks, avoidance, and
responding to them with evidence-based strategies rather than disciplinary responses.
pág. 2621
For curriculum designers, the review identifies specific instructional adjustments, student text choice,
collaborative reading, ungraded reading time, compatible with the national EFL curriculum framework
that could systematically reduce the affective barriers preventing B.G.E. students from meeting the
English reading standards assessed in the Prueba Ser Bachiller and required for bachillerato completion.
2. METHODOLOGY
This study follows an integrative theoretical bibliographic review design and does not collect primary
data through experiments, surveys, or interviews. Practicum-based observations provide the experiential
context that motivated the problem and its pedagogical relevance; they were not systematically recorded
or analyzed as evidence about participants or learning outcomes. The unit of analysis is a corpus of 25
peer-reviewed publications, while the 2016 national EFL curriculum is used only to establish
institutional context.
2.1 Heuristic Stage
The search covered publications dated from January 2020 to July 2026 and was conducted in ERIC,
Scopus, JSTOR, SciELO, and Google Scholar. English and Spanish combinations were used for the
concepts reading apprehension, reading anxiety, reading motivation, reading self-efficacy, EFL, English
as a foreign language, secondary school, high school, extensive reading, reading strategies, collaborative
reading, Ecuador, and Latin America. The search terms were combined with AND and OR and adapted
to the syntax of each database. Although the search window included 2026, no 2026 publication met the
topical and methodological criteria for inclusion.
The search log recorded 214 documents at identification. Title-and-abstract screening removed 163
records that did not address the phenomenon, population, EFL/ESL context, or a transferable reading
mechanism. Fifty-one full texts were then assessed. Twenty-six were excluded after full-text review: 12
focused exclusively on first-language reading with no defensible EFL connection; 9 examined higher
education without a transferable secondary-school mechanism; 3 lacked sufficient methodological
information; and 2 were duplicate versions. The resulting corpus contained 25 peer-reviewed
publications. The historical log preserved aggregate counts but not reliable database-by-database
subtotals; those subtotals were therefore not reconstructed.
For curriculum designers, the review identifies specific instructional adjustments, student text choice,
collaborative reading, ungraded reading time, compatible with the national EFL curriculum framework
that could systematically reduce the affective barriers preventing B.G.E. students from meeting the
English reading standards assessed in the Prueba Ser Bachiller and required for bachillerato completion.
2. METHODOLOGY
This study follows an integrative theoretical bibliographic review design and does not collect primary
data through experiments, surveys, or interviews. Practicum-based observations provide the experiential
context that motivated the problem and its pedagogical relevance; they were not systematically recorded
or analyzed as evidence about participants or learning outcomes. The unit of analysis is a corpus of 25
peer-reviewed publications, while the 2016 national EFL curriculum is used only to establish
institutional context.
2.1 Heuristic Stage
The search covered publications dated from January 2020 to July 2026 and was conducted in ERIC,
Scopus, JSTOR, SciELO, and Google Scholar. English and Spanish combinations were used for the
concepts reading apprehension, reading anxiety, reading motivation, reading self-efficacy, EFL, English
as a foreign language, secondary school, high school, extensive reading, reading strategies, collaborative
reading, Ecuador, and Latin America. The search terms were combined with AND and OR and adapted
to the syntax of each database. Although the search window included 2026, no 2026 publication met the
topical and methodological criteria for inclusion.
The search log recorded 214 documents at identification. Title-and-abstract screening removed 163
records that did not address the phenomenon, population, EFL/ESL context, or a transferable reading
mechanism. Fifty-one full texts were then assessed. Twenty-six were excluded after full-text review: 12
focused exclusively on first-language reading with no defensible EFL connection; 9 examined higher
education without a transferable secondary-school mechanism; 3 lacked sufficient methodological
information; and 2 were duplicate versions. The resulting corpus contained 25 peer-reviewed
publications. The historical log preserved aggregate counts but not reliable database-by-database
subtotals; those subtotals were therefore not reconstructed.
pág. 2622
2.2 Hermeneutic Stage
Each full text was organized in an evidence matrix containing author and year, country, design,
participants or context, principal finding, methodological limitation, and contribution to the present
review. Initial coding assigned findings to the three research questions: factors contributing to
apprehension, effects on engagement and learning, and pedagogical responses. A second comparative
reading identified recurrent subthemes, including self-efficacy, text demand, instructional climate, prior
literacy experience, autonomy, strategy scaffolding, and collaboration.
Interpretation followed three safeguards. First, correlational evidence was not rewritten as causal
evidence. Second, findings from university samples were used only when they described a theoretically
transferable mechanism and were explicitly marked as indirect for B.G.E. students. Third, Ecuadorian
claims were restricted to studies conducted in Ecuador; international evidence was presented as a basis
for propositions requiring local testing. Agreements, discrepancies, strengths, and limitations were
recorded in the matrix and used to construct the conceptual model rather than being averaged into a
single effect estimate.
The model emerged through convergence coding. A factor was assigned to Variable A when at least
two independent sources linked it to reading affect or engagement; the central pattern of avoidance and
low willingness was represented as Variable B; and participation, strategic processing, comprehension,
and sustained exposure were grouped as Variable C. Pedagogical practices were treated as moderators
only when intervention or synthesis evidence described a plausible change in engagement or reading
outcomes. This rule explains both the structure and the limits of the model.
2.3 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Sources were included when they met the following criteria:
Peer-reviewed publication dated between 2020 and 2026 and written in English or Spanish.
Direct attention to EFL/ESL reading or to a reading-related affective, motivational, self-efficacy,
engagement, comprehension, or pedagogical mechanism with a stated connection to the present EFL
problem.
A secondary-school population, or another age group when the study offered a clearly relevant
mechanism whose transfer limitations could be stated.
2.2 Hermeneutic Stage
Each full text was organized in an evidence matrix containing author and year, country, design,
participants or context, principal finding, methodological limitation, and contribution to the present
review. Initial coding assigned findings to the three research questions: factors contributing to
apprehension, effects on engagement and learning, and pedagogical responses. A second comparative
reading identified recurrent subthemes, including self-efficacy, text demand, instructional climate, prior
literacy experience, autonomy, strategy scaffolding, and collaboration.
Interpretation followed three safeguards. First, correlational evidence was not rewritten as causal
evidence. Second, findings from university samples were used only when they described a theoretically
transferable mechanism and were explicitly marked as indirect for B.G.E. students. Third, Ecuadorian
claims were restricted to studies conducted in Ecuador; international evidence was presented as a basis
for propositions requiring local testing. Agreements, discrepancies, strengths, and limitations were
recorded in the matrix and used to construct the conceptual model rather than being averaged into a
single effect estimate.
The model emerged through convergence coding. A factor was assigned to Variable A when at least
two independent sources linked it to reading affect or engagement; the central pattern of avoidance and
low willingness was represented as Variable B; and participation, strategic processing, comprehension,
and sustained exposure were grouped as Variable C. Pedagogical practices were treated as moderators
only when intervention or synthesis evidence described a plausible change in engagement or reading
outcomes. This rule explains both the structure and the limits of the model.
2.3 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Sources were included when they met the following criteria:
Peer-reviewed publication dated between 2020 and 2026 and written in English or Spanish.
Direct attention to EFL/ESL reading or to a reading-related affective, motivational, self-efficacy,
engagement, comprehension, or pedagogical mechanism with a stated connection to the present EFL
problem.
A secondary-school population, or another age group when the study offered a clearly relevant
mechanism whose transfer limitations could be stated.
pág. 2623
Sufficient methodological information about the design, participants or context, and findings.
Sources were excluded when they met any of the following conditions:
Publication outside the review period, except for the official curriculum document used only for context.
Exclusive focus on first-language reading with no relevant connection to EFL/ESL learning.
Higher-education evidence without a transferable contribution to the secondary-school problem.
Editorial, thesis, dissertation, conference abstract, duplicate, or publication lacking sufficient
methodological information.
Figure 1
Flow of Identification, Screening, Eligibility, and Inclusion of Studies
3. Results and Discussion
The 25 studies retained for analysis are summarized in Table 1. Presenting the corpus before the thematic
findings allows the reader to distinguish direct secondary-school evidence from evidence whose
relevance is theoretical or contextual. The matrix summarizes the study characteristics required for
interpretation. “Contribution” indicates how each publication informed the synthesis; it does not imply
that findings from another population transfer automatically to Ecuadorian B.G.E. classrooms.
Sufficient methodological information about the design, participants or context, and findings.
Sources were excluded when they met any of the following conditions:
Publication outside the review period, except for the official curriculum document used only for context.
Exclusive focus on first-language reading with no relevant connection to EFL/ESL learning.
Higher-education evidence without a transferable contribution to the secondary-school problem.
Editorial, thesis, dissertation, conference abstract, duplicate, or publication lacking sufficient
methodological information.
Figure 1
Flow of Identification, Screening, Eligibility, and Inclusion of Studies
3. Results and Discussion
The 25 studies retained for analysis are summarized in Table 1. Presenting the corpus before the thematic
findings allows the reader to distinguish direct secondary-school evidence from evidence whose
relevance is theoretical or contextual. The matrix summarizes the study characteristics required for
interpretation. “Contribution” indicates how each publication informed the synthesis; it does not imply
that findings from another population transfer automatically to Ecuadorian B.G.E. classrooms.
pág. 2624
Table 1
Matrix of the 25 Studies Included in the Review
Source Country/region Design Participants/context Main finding Contribution to this review
Anggia &
Habók (2024)
Multiple
contexts
Systematic review
Online English
extensive reading
Synthesizes quantitative and
mixed-methods studies;
transfer depends on context.
Supports cautious use of choice-
based extensive reading.
Bakkaloğlu &
Pilten (2023)
Türkiye Correlational survey 571 Grade 4 students
Motivation and
comprehension self-efficacy
were positively associated.
Supports the self-efficacy
component, not causal claims.
Fitrawati et al.
(2023)
Indonesia Survey
30 university EFL
students
Unfamiliar language, topics
and fear of error were salient
anxiety factors.
Identifies possible affective
antecedents.
Gebremariam &
Weldeyohannes
(2025)
Ethiopia Quasi-experimental Secondary students
Critical reading strategies were
linked to gains in
comprehension and
motivation.
Supports strategy instruction as a
classroom lever.
Ismail et al.
(2023)
China Quasi-experimental
50 university EFL
students
Task-based reading improved
comprehension; affective
Supports meaningful-task design.
Table 1
Matrix of the 25 Studies Included in the Review
Source Country/region Design Participants/context Main finding Contribution to this review
Anggia &
Habók (2024)
Multiple
contexts
Systematic review
Online English
extensive reading
Synthesizes quantitative and
mixed-methods studies;
transfer depends on context.
Supports cautious use of choice-
based extensive reading.
Bakkaloğlu &
Pilten (2023)
Türkiye Correlational survey 571 Grade 4 students
Motivation and
comprehension self-efficacy
were positively associated.
Supports the self-efficacy
component, not causal claims.
Fitrawati et al.
(2023)
Indonesia Survey
30 university EFL
students
Unfamiliar language, topics
and fear of error were salient
anxiety factors.
Identifies possible affective
antecedents.
Gebremariam &
Weldeyohannes
(2025)
Ethiopia Quasi-experimental Secondary students
Critical reading strategies were
linked to gains in
comprehension and
motivation.
Supports strategy instruction as a
classroom lever.
Ismail et al.
(2023)
China Quasi-experimental
50 university EFL
students
Task-based reading improved
comprehension; affective
Supports meaningful-task design.
pág. 2625
outcomes require contextual
interpretation.
Jarssa et al.
(2025)
Ethiopia
Mixed-methods quasi-
experiment
106 Grade 11 students
Integrated reading improved
self-efficacy and motivation
relative to usual practice.
Closest secondary-school
intervention evidence.
Koné (2023) Mali Qualitative diaries
60 university EFL
students
Cohesive reading circles and
enjoyment accompanied
higher engagement.
Supports collaborative reading,
with limited transferability.
Li & Gan
(2022)
China Cross-sectional model
543 university EFL
students
Motivation, strategies and
vocabulary jointly related to
comprehension.
Supports a multi-factor rather than
single-cause model.
Li et al. (2022) China Mixed-methods intervention
117 university EFL
students
Strategy instruction improved
comprehension; motivational
change was not automatic.
Prevents overclaiming
intervention effects.
Li et al. (2024) China Survey/SEM
405 secondary EFL
students
Motivation and learning
strategies were positively
Direct secondary-EFL evidence.
outcomes require contextual
interpretation.
Jarssa et al.
(2025)
Ethiopia
Mixed-methods quasi-
experiment
106 Grade 11 students
Integrated reading improved
self-efficacy and motivation
relative to usual practice.
Closest secondary-school
intervention evidence.
Koné (2023) Mali Qualitative diaries
60 university EFL
students
Cohesive reading circles and
enjoyment accompanied
higher engagement.
Supports collaborative reading,
with limited transferability.
Li & Gan
(2022)
China Cross-sectional model
543 university EFL
students
Motivation, strategies and
vocabulary jointly related to
comprehension.
Supports a multi-factor rather than
single-cause model.
Li et al. (2022) China Mixed-methods intervention
117 university EFL
students
Strategy instruction improved
comprehension; motivational
change was not automatic.
Prevents overclaiming
intervention effects.
Li et al. (2024) China Survey/SEM
405 secondary EFL
students
Motivation and learning
strategies were positively
Direct secondary-EFL evidence.