Literacy development in indigenous university students through self-regulation and metacognition

Abstract

This article shows partial results of qualitative and inductive research conducted in a public university
that trains education professionals. The aim is to analyze academic reading and writing practices and the importance of self-regulation and metacognitive processes in the development of literacy in young indigenous university students through the reconstruction of their academic trajectories. Our methodology is based on Action Research: techniques such as participant observation, document analysis, and interviews were used for data collection, and theoretical triangulation was used for analysis. Among our findings we identified that university students have a poor understanding of what they read, added to difficulties in communicating their ideas orally or in writing in academic context, especially indigenous youths who have developed a subtractive bilingualism as a result of schooling and social inequalities. This shows the importance of directing pedagogical mediation towards the development of metacognitive skills and the self-regulation of learning to promote literacy, thus ensuring that students use oral and written language critically to express their ideas and continue learning in their professional training.