Examining the Relationships Between the Attitudes Towards Reading and Reading Habits, Metacognitive Awarenesses of Reading Strategies and Critical Thinking Tendencies of Pre-Service Teachers

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the attitudes towards reading and reading habits, metacognitive awarenesses of reading strategies and critical thinking tendencies of pre-service teachers. Two hundred and six pre-service teachers who continue their education in various departments of Faculty of Education at Afyon Kocatepe University were the participants of the study. In this study, which employed predictive correlational research design, structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses about direct or indirect relationships between the attitudes towards reading and reading habits, metacognitive awarenesses of reading strategies and critical thinking tendencies. According to the findings of the study, the attitude towards reading had a positive and significant impact on attitude towards the reading habit and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies had a positive and significant impact on critical thinking tendency. On the other hand, given the attitude towards reading’s influence on critical thinking tendency, it was determined that the mediation role of the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies was meaningful. Given the attitude towards reading habit’s influence on critical thinking tendency, it was determined that the mediation role of the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies was meaningful.