Reading Motivation and Reading Strategy Use Among Saudi Efl Undergraduates: A Qualitative Study at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (Imsiu)

This study aims to explore how motivation affects the use of reading strategies among Saudi EFL undergraduates. Data were collected through online interviews with 27 final-year students via Google Forms. The resulting transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings revealed a strong link between intrinsic motivation, especially goals of self-improvement and mastery, and the sustained, adaptable application of reading strategies. Intrinsically motivated learners reported using more inferencing, rereading, and integrating strategies, whereas extrinsically motivated learners were largely linked to efficiency-oriented strategies, including dictionary use and translation. The findings also revealed that motivation and strategy use are in a reciprocal relationship, with successful strategy use supporting motivation. However, the contextual and linguistic limitations, such as time pressure, fatigue, and vocabulary challenge, determine this kind of relationship. Comprehensively, the research finds the strategy of reading to be highly motivational, and it is possible to emphasize that the strategic awareness of reading and intrinsic motivation should be promoted in Saudi higher education settings to support the achievement of reading instructional goals.