Critical Reading Strategies Used by Vietnamese EFL University Students in their English Reading Comprehension

Critical reading is widely recognized as an essential skill in both general education and foreign language learning; however, its actual practice among students remains limited. This study investigates undergraduate students’ use of Critical reading strategies in English reading at a Vietnamese university. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining the Survey of Critical Reading Strategies (SOCRS) administered to 799 students with semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 participants. The questionnaire collected demographic data and Likert-scale responses on pre-, while-, and post-reading strategies, while interviews provided deeper insights into students’ perceptions and challenges. The findings reveal a clear hierarchy in strategy use: at the category level, pre-reading strategies were used most frequently (M = 3.18, SD = 1.07), followed by while-reading strategies (M = 3.09, SD = 1.08), whereas post-reading strategies were least frequently employed (M = 2.83, SD = 1.07). Meanwhile, at the individual strategy level, several while-reading strategies received the highest mean scores, particularly checking unfamiliar vocabulary (M = 3.45, SD = 1.14) and guessing meaning from context (M = 3.36, SD = 1.12). In contrast, higher-order post-reading strategies such as comparing texts (M = 2.75, SD = 1.09), analysing and interpreting texts (M = 2.78, SD = 1.06), and questioning textual content (M = 2.79, SD = 1.07) were used less frequently. These results suggest that although students acknowledge the importance of Critical reading, their engagement with deeper analytical practices is insufficient. The study highlights the need for explicit instruction, structured scaffolding, and targeted training to enhance higher-order Critical reading skills, particularly in post-reading stages, thereby supporting the development of Critical literacy in EFL contexts.