Utilizing the Reading, Encoding, Annotating, and Pondering (REAP) Technique in

Enhancing Grade 7 Students' Reading Comprehension

An Action Research

Presented to the Faculty of the College of Education

Bago City College, Negros Occidental

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for the Course

Field Study 2

David, Romar M.

Marmito, Ann Marie, G.

December 2022
 Chapter I

Context and Rationale

This chapter includes the background of the study, context and research focus, the

research objective, and the research questions.

Background of the Study

Reading is the cornerstone of learning cross-disciplinary subjects; thus, reading is one of

the crucial skills that must be developed and mastered. According to Rintaningrum (2019), the

ability to read is essential, and it plays a crucial role in enhancing one's quality of life and

academic performance because it offers a variety of advantages, such as expanding one's

knowledge, gaining access to new information, being able to explain new information to others,

improving concentration, and providing entertainment. Hence, being able to read is a privilege

that learners experience in their learning because by it, they see the context of their world and

walk through it.

Additionally, Fauziyah (2014) stated that reading is the process of creating meaning

through the dynamic interaction of the reader's prior knowledge, the information provided by the

text being read, and the reading situation's context. In line with, the Constructivist Learning

Theory of Jean Piaget will be anchored on this study, which suggests that learning is an active

process wherein the learner utilizes sensory input and creates meaning out of it (Hein, 1991).

Learning also consists of both constructing meaning and constructing systems of meaning. Every

meaning we create enables us to give meaning to other sensations that suit a similar pattern

(Hein, 1991).
 Furthermore, comprehension is a complex cognitive construct composed of several

component skills; a vital step in the development of reading skills. Thus, reading comprehension

is an intricate process that depends heavily on the reader. It necessitates a great deal of effort

from the reader; it is the outcome of the reader interacting with the text. Hence, comprehension is

the very essence of reading. It is in this regard that students with low reading comprehension

skills should be given focus by schools. But unfortunately, learners are being promoted sans the

reading ability that should have been theirs. In this situation, the responsibility is passed on to the

teacher of the next grade level, and the result is a domino effect. One thing leads to another.

For instance, many students today enter middle and secondary school classrooms

unprepared to read and comprehend the materials presented to them. This includes the secondary

high school seventh graders. A seventh grader is expected to read with fluency, comprehension,

and expression. As there are a variety of books, they expand their vocabularies and interpret the

ideas in the texts. But it is sad to note that Grade 7 learners in one of the public schools in Bago

City, Negros Occidental, have been observed to have difficulties comprehending what they read.

It was revealed that most of the students in this grade level, specifically in the purposefully

chosen section, have low reading comprehension skills.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the students’ low reading comprehension,

including incomprehensible text, complex terms, limited vocabulary, the length of the text, and

the like. The teacher, therefore, must employ a variety of teaching strategies and/or reading

comprehension technique in order to pique the interest of students to understand and love

reading. Accordingly, the REAP Technique is one of the techniques that can be utilized to teach

reading. The term REAP stands for Reading, Encoding, Annotation, and Pondering. According
to Marantika (2013), this technique is predicated on the idea that the readers can effectively

express the concepts they have learned from the passage they have read.

In light of the recent data, the researchers will start to administer the REAP technique as

an intervention in this action research. This research aims to enhance the reading comprehension

of Grade 7 students through the REAP technique, which will provide the necessary measures to

develop and improve the reading comprehension skills of these learners.

Context and Research Focus

 Reading is one of the most vital fundamental skills an individual should develop and

master. It involves the process of creating meaning through the active interaction of the reader's

prior knowledge, the details provided by the text being read, and the context of the reading

situation. One of the key elements influencing students' academic success is reading. For

instance, it is a basic skill that allows students to learn Filipino/English. Subjects like Math and

Science are taught in English. If students fail to master reading in this language, they will also

likely fail to learn other subjects, leading to a domino effect. However, reading is not only about

reading the text but also requires comprehending it. Comprehension is the ability to understand

what is being read. Hence, comprehension is the very essence of reading.

Unfortunately, some students nowadays are still not properly equipped or have not fully

mastered their reading and comprehension skills. This includes the secondary high school

seventh graders. Despite their ability to read, some students still struggle to understand what they

are reading. In line with this, the researchers considered utilizing the REAP technique to improve

students’ reading comprehension skills.

 REAP is an acronym that stands for reading, encoding, and processing, annotating,

pondering. It is a technique that helps a reader comprehend or understand a text and eventually

interpret it clearly in their own words. The first step in this technique is "Reading." In this step,

the students will be asked to read a text selection or a short passage. After that, in the "Encoding"

step, the students will be given the time to encode by putting the gist of what they read in their

own words. This will be preceded by the "Annotate" step, in which students will be asked to

annotate the text by jotting down the main ideas. Lastly, in the "Pondering" step, the students

will ponder what they have read by thinking and sharing their thoughts with others to make a

personal connection, develop questions, and connect their ideas with their peers.

The study will be conducted in one of the public high schools in Bago City, Negros

Occidental. The participants will be the grade 7 students from a section with a poor record of

reading comprehension and enrolled in A.Y. 2022–2023.

Research Objective

The main objective of this action research is to enhance the reading comprehension of

Grade 7 students through the utilization of REAP Technique as an intervention.

Research Questions

Specifically, this study seeks to provide the answer to the following questions:

1. What is the students' level of reading comprehension based on their pre-assessment?

2. What is the students' level of reading comprehension based on post-assessment?

3. Is there a significant difference between the scores of the students in their pre-assessment and

post-assessment results?

4. What is the proposed output based on the findings of the study?

 Chapter II

Methods

This chapter includes the research design, research participants, planning of research

implementation, data collection methods, and data analysis procedure.

Research Design

This study will employ quasi-experimental research, specifically a single group pre-test-

post-test experimental design. According to Cook & Campbell (1979), quasi-experimental

research is research that resembles experimental research but is not true experimental research.

Although the independent variable is manipulated, participants are not randomly assigned to

conditions or orders of conditions. Quasi-experimental study designs, often described as

nonrandomized, pre-post intervention studies.

In this approach, a single group, exclusively the grade 7 students, will be pre-tested,

given an intervention, and then post-tested (Salkind, 2010) to determine any significant

difference in the scores before and after the REAP technique is applied as an intervention to

enhance students' reading comprehension.

The data will be measured through statistical tools to determine the results. Through this,

the researchers will be able to determine the strengths, weaknesses and the gaps in terms of the

reading comprehension of the grade 7 students.

Research Participants

The participants of this study will be the grade 7 junior high school students from one of

the public schools in Bago City, Negros Occidental. In consideration of the study's purpose, the

researchers adopted the purposeful sampling method. According to Patton (2002), as cited in the

study of Etikan et al. (2016), purposeful sampling is used to identify and select the information-

rich cases for the most proper utilization of available resources. Respectively, purposeful

sampling will be utilized to focus on candidates who share similar traits or specific

characteristics. These characteristics formed the basis for setting the following inclusion criteria

for the participants of the study: a.) grade 7 junior high school student; b.) currently enrolled in

AY 2022-2023 c.) belong to a section with low reading comprehension skills

Planning of Research Implementation

STAGES OF ACTION

Pre-intervention Stage Intervention Stage Post-intervention Stage

Pre-assessment Cycle 1 Post-assessment

a. Planning
b. Action
c. Observation
d. Reflection

Cycle 2
a. Planning
b. Action
c. Observation
d. Reflection

Cycle 3
a. Planning
b. Action
c. Observation
d. Reflection

Figure 1. Processes and Stages of Action Followed in the Research

 Figure 1 illustrates the three (3) main stages of action for this action research, which are

the pre-intervention stage, the intervention stage, and the post-intervention stage. Each stage has

sub-phases that describe the details of the action that the researchers have taken on a specific

stage.

Pre-intervention Stage

The pre-intervention stage covers the actions the researchers will follow prior to the

intervention stage.

Pre-assessment

In the pre-assessment phase, the researchers will administer a pre-test to the participants

to determine their level of reading comprehension. The pre-assessment will be conducted to

grade 7 students who are in a section with a poor record of reading comprehension on the second

week of February 2023. The test will be composed of six different reading selections, each with

five multiple-choice questions, with a total of the 30-item test. The researchers will then give the

students instructions to read and understand each story before asking them to answer each

comprehension question simultaneously while they are being observed by the researchers.

Intervention Stage

The intervention stage consists of 3 cycles. Each cycle has four phases: planning, action,

observation, and reflection.

Planning

In this phase, the researcher will prepare the materials needed for the application of

REAP technique, such as the field notes, worksheet, and reading selections.

Action

The application of REAP technique will take place in this phase. First, the students will

be asked to gather inside the classroom, and their attendance will be checked. For the students to

have an idea about the text they will read, the researchers will show pictures, give the title, or ask

questions. Afterward, each student will be given a copy of a reading selection and the REAP

worksheet.

The students will be guided to do the first stage of REAP technique – Reading. A

representative will be asked to read aloud in front of the class while other students will listen

carefully. After that, 5 minutes will be given and the students will be asked to read the selection

by themselves. They can read it twice or thrice.

The second stage is Encoding, where the students examine their thoughts about the

reading selection. The students will encode the text by writing the main point of the selection

using their own words on the given worksheet.

The next stage is Annotating, which will take about 15 minutes. The student will work

alone in writing down the main idea in the reading selection including notes, significant words,

quotes and author’s message.

Pondering is the last stage of REAP technique. The students will provide their reflection,

and learnings about what they read on the worksheet. The class will be then divided into groups.

The students will work with their group and ponder the reading selection’s significance by

brainstorming, discussing, or sharing with the members.

 Selected students will be asked to present their work in front of the class and the

researchers will collect the worksheets.

Observation

In this phase, the researchers will ask the collaborator to observe and take note of the

activities done in the classroom while the intervention is implemented. It will also include the

researchers' performance, students' responses, and class situations.

Reflection

Once the teaching and learning process is done, the researchers and collaborator will

discuss in the action phase. The result of applying REAP technique will be analyzed to measure

the success level of the cycle. This will also determine other possible ways to effectively

implement the intervention.

Post-Intervention Stage

In the post-intervention phase, the data will be examined by the researchers in order to

determine the effectiveness of the intervention they had carried out. The researchers will conduct

a post-assessment to determine whether the students’ reading comprehension has improved.

Post-assessment

The post-assessment phase will happen six weeks after the implementation of the

Intervention. The post-test will be conducted to the same set of grade 7 students who are in a

section with a poor record of reading comprehension. The test will be composed of six different

reading selections and thirty multiple-choice comprehension questions. The items will be the

same as the pre-test. The researchers will then give the students instructions to read and

understand each story before asking them to answer each comprehension question
simultaneously while they are being observed by the researchers. The goal of this post-

assessment is to evaluate what the students have understood and if the intervention was effective

or not.

Data Collection Methods

A letter of request addressed to the school principal will be submitted for approval. Then

the date of the conduct of the study will be set for the respondents.

On the day of the conduct of the study, instructions will be given by the researchers as a

guide to REAP technique. Reading selections, and worksheet will be distributed to the students

to measure the level of the student's reading comprehension as well as to track their

improvement. While a field note will be handed to the collaborator for observation.

The following steps will make up the research process: (1) pre-assessment; (2) cycle 1;

(3) cycle 2; (4) cycle 3; and (5) post-assessment.

Data Analysis Procedure

To analyze the data, the statistical tools that will be used to answer the research questions

are mean, standard deviation, and t-test using a computer-processing software.

For Problems 1 and 2, the mean and standard deviation will be used to determine the

students' level of reading comprehension based on their pre- and post-assessments.

For Problem 3, the researchers will use t-test to determine the significant difference

between the scores of the students in their pre-assessment and post-assessment results.