Effects of Note-Taking Training on Reading Comprehension and Recall

The present study examined the process and product effects of note-taking strategy training on Iranian EFL learners’ comprehension and retention of written material, with gender as a moderating variable. Intermediate undergraduate EFL learners (N = 108) were assigned to experimental and control groups. The Experimental (intervention) Group received training on how to take notes, using graphic organizers as a guide, while the Control Group did not receive any instruction. A multiple-choice reading test as well as two immediate and delayed written recalls (in combination with reviewing the notes) was used to measure note-taking effectiveness. The results of two-way ANOVAs suggested that the Experimental Group performed significantly better on both comprehension and recall tests. No statistically significant effect of gender was found on students’ performance in the comprehension and retention tests. Analysis of written recalls also showed that the Experimental Group remembered more important ideas, and better identified the relationships between ideas.