Metacognitive reading strategies are central to improving reading behaviour and comprehension, particularly for students reading in a second language (Grabe, 2009; Haukås et al., 2018). However, students’ self-reported awareness of these strategies does not always translate into effective use during reading tasks (Veenman & van Cleef, 2019). This study is an attempt to shift from awareness to action by implementing explicit metacognitive reading instruction. A group of first-year international students (N = 32) at a Hungarian university participated in a metacognitive reading intervention supported by eye-tracking technology. Participants completed the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory–Revised (MARSI-R; Mokhtari et al., 2018) and took part in pre- and post-instruction eye-tracking experiments and a reading comprehension exam (Cambridge Reading Test, B1). The instruction comprised 10 × 90-minute sessions, during which metacognitive reading strategies were introduced and practised. The initial eye-tracking experiment revealed a clear gap between students’ perceived strategy awareness and their observable reading behaviours. Following instruction, heatmaps and fixation data showed more purposeful, structured reading patterns, reduced fixation durations, and increased attention to task-relevant features. The findings show the potential of explicit metacognitive reading instruction in transforming reading behaviours, highlighting its essential role in second-language academic reading development.