Contributing Factors for Improving English Reading Comprehension Among Chinese Students Cation

Reading comprehension remains a central challenge for Chinese students learning English as a Foreign Language, particularly when limited analytical ability, weak self-management, and ineffective learning strategies restrict them. These issues highlight the need to examine the cognitive and behavioral factors that shape reading comprehension. This study investigates the role of critical reading skills in predicting reading comprehension. It explores how teachers' perceived role, student self-management, and student learning strategies contribute to this relationship. Survey data were collected from 395 Chinese EFL students enrolled in colleges in Shanghai and Beijing using validated instruments. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 29 and Smart PLS 4 to assess measurement reliability, structural relationships, and mediating effects within a PLS-SEM framework. The results show that critical reading skills significantly influence student self-management (β = 0.319, t = 6.624), student learning strategies (β = 0.322, t = 7.101), and reading comprehension (β = 0.218, t = 4.721), but do not significantly affect the perceived role of teachers (β = 0.097, t = 1.723). Reading comprehension is significantly influenced by the perceived role of teachers (β = 0.165, t = 3.588), student self-management (β = 0.183, t = 3.760), and student learning strategies (β = 0.249, t = 5.007). Mediation analysis indicates significant indirect effects of critical reading skills on reading comprehension through student self-management (β = 0.058, t = 3.434) and student learning strategies (β = 0.080, t = 4.323). In contrast, the mediating effect of teachers' perceived role is not significant.