Interplay between cognitive development and reading comprehension: pedagogical strategies for university students

Abstract

Reading comprehension and cognitive development are fundamental aspects of university education, with a crucial impact on academic performance and professional training. It is recognized that reading facilitates critical thinking, closely linked to reflective judgment and decision making, while cognitive strategies allow information to be managed effectively. However, the application of these strategies may not always generate the expected results. Thus, the need arises to explore in depth the interaction between reading comprehension and cognitive development in the educational field. Although research has addressed these aspects separately, less attention has been paid to their specific relationship in the training of educators. This research focused on examining how cognitive development influences reading comprehension and vice versa in university Education students, as well as proposing pedagogical strategies to improve reading comprehension in this context. The study used a mixed approach that combined quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and analyze data related to cognitive development and reading comprehension. The resulting findings and recommendations enriched the pedagogical practices in teaching reading at the university, derived from the research project being carried out by the Education major, entitled: Improvement of pedagogical practices in the institutions of the southern zone of Manabí, contributing thus adding to the existing body of knowledge and benefiting the training of future educators in this context.