Investigating Gender Differences in Using Reading Microskills among Iranian EFL Learners

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of gender on using reading micro-skills. The participants were 112 adult advanced EFL learners (52 males, 60 females). To this end, four of the microskills involved in the reading comprehension process were selected. Then, some reading passages whose comprehension questions measured the intended microskills were chosen. Participants were first homogenized through Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) and then, they were asked to sit TOEFL reading comprehension tests. The collected data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. The findings revealed significant effects of the readers’ gender in two microskills, i.e. making a logical inference and understanding the mood, tone, or impression of a reading passage, with males outperforming the females in the first microskill and females outperforming in the second one. In the other two microskills, getting the main idea of a reading passage, and guessing the context-specific meaning of words, the differences were not significant. The findings of the present study may have theoretical and pedagogical implications for researchers, language teachers and learners, and materials developers.