IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING ANXIETY AND READING STRATEGIES?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i2.1152Keywords:
reading anxiety, online reading strategies, ESL learners, higher educationAbstract
Online reading in second and foreign languages has become commonplace in higher education, where learners engage with digital texts independently. In some studies, learners experienced higher levels of anxiety when reading in online environments. Online reading strategies have shown to mitigate this issue, however the findings are inconsistent. Thus, this study aimed to examine learners’ perceived levels of reading anxiety and online reading strategies and the relationship between these two variables. A quantitative survey design was employed involving 150 undergraduate students from a Malaysian public university, using a questionnaire measuring reading anxiety (top-down, bottom-up, and classroom reading anxiety) and online reading strategies (global, problem-solving, and support strategies). The findings indicate low to moderate levels of reading anxiety, primarily related to background knowledge, vocabulary, and grammar, while problem-solving strategies were the most frequently used. No significant relationship was found between reading anxiety and reading strategies, and no significant differences were observed across levels of study or reading material preferences. The findings highlight the need to integrate both strategic and affective support in online reading instruction.
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Copyright (c) 2026 FATIHAH HASHIM, NUR HIDAYATIE MD ADNAN, JACINTA ANN XAVIER BELAMAN, SITI FAUZIANA ZAKARIA, SITI NORZAIMALINA ABD MAJID, NOOR HANIM RAHMAT
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