Motivation And Comprehension Factors On Reading Proficiency In Grade Ii English Learners

1
Motivation And Comprehension Factors On Reading Proficiency In Grade Ii English Learners
2

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Through the years, efforts to change the facets of human life are unending; failure to meet

this means either to survive or vanish as the will of fate dictates. This concept, in the same light,

goes with education. In present, there are, apparently, ideas being supported by studies and

researches to be viable in so far as coping with the ever-changing world, which are being

introduced to the education system. One of which is passing the standardized examinations.

According to Joan L. Herman and Shari Golan (1991) “standardized testing has assumed a

prominent role in recent efforts to improve the quality of education”. However, there are bigger

factors to where focus should be placed upon in order for learners to adequately be equipped

before taking a standardized examination. Thus, this study on motivation and comprehension

factors on reading proficiency in grade II English learners has become a point of interest.

One of the most essential factors in taking examinations is the reading comprehension

proficiency. Reading comprehension has been described in many ways, each of it broadens our

understanding of the process. Snow (2007) defines reading as “the process of simultaneously

extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written

language”. Comprehension, on the other hand, is a thinking process in which active readers

construct meaning by interacting with text through the combination of prior knowledge,

reasoning ability, experience, information in the text, perspective or point of view, and

motivation to read the text (Pardo, 2004). Thus, as stated by Sousa (2005:97), reading

comprehension is a complex interactive process that begins with identifying words by using
Motivation And Comprehension Factors On Reading Proficiency In Grade Ii English Learners
3

knowledge outside the text, accessing word meaning in context, recognizing grammatical

structure, drawing inferences and self-monitoring to ensure that the text is making sense.

An individual’s reading proficiency, which is defined as the ability to draw meaning from

the printed page and interpret this information appropriately (Grabe and Stoller, 2002, p.09), is

affected by several factors. Among these that affect the level of success in reading proficiency,

motivation to read is of particular importance. It is defined as a behaviour that illustrates interest,

enthusiasm, appreciation, or dedication. In general, it is the process that plays a major role in an

individual’s choice of and continued engagement in particular activities (Gredler, 2005). Thus, an

existing relationship between motivational factors and language learner’s proficiency

improvement has been found. These factors can be the learner’s socioeconomic status, year level,

the program he is enrolled in, and his area of specialization.

Hauser and Warren (1997) define socioeconomic status as a shorthand expression for

variables (e.g., income, educational attainment, occupational standing) that serve to characterize

a person’s, family’s, household’s, or other aggregate’s placement in regards to their capacity to

generate or consume goods that are valued by our society.

Socioeconomic status (SES) has frequently been identified as a predictor of academic

success (Caldas & Bankston, 1997; Magnuson, 2007; Malecki & Demaray, 2006; Sirin, 2005),

and reading success in particular (Bowey, 1995; Warren-Leubecker & Carter, 1988). It has been

widely agreed that literacy development opportunities can be vastly different within homes of

low income earners versus homes of higher income earners (Chall, 1983, 1996; Hart & Risley,

1995).
Motivation And Comprehension Factors On Reading Proficiency In Grade Ii English Learners
4