FACTORS AFFECTING READING COMPREHENSION AMONG

STUDENTS CAUSING POOR READING IN SOLOTSOLOT NATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

A Quantitative Research

Presented to

the Faculty of Solotsolot National High School

Solotsolot, San Juan, Ilocos Sur

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Subject

Practical Research I

Janelle Mingming

Trisha Meia Racadio

Jessalyn Palado

Christian Viesta

RM Ordinario

Jay Dee Sejalvo

Chapter I
 THE PROBLEM

Introduction

Reading proficiency is a critical skill for anyone seeking knowledge. Whether it’s about the larger

world,or simply learning your ABCs, being able to comprehend written material puts you in an

advantageous position for gaining understanding. It is a great foundation for building a wide array of

knowledge that can help us understand ourselves, our environment, and ultimately expand our

horizons.

In modern life, reading depends on a person's ability to fully and accurately interpret a printed or

electronic page. Reading is important to learn other skills. Kusumawanti and Bharati (2018) stated that

among English skills, reading skills plays the most important role in student learning success, as overall

learning activities are initiated and developed through reading. In the field of writing, we have to read

a lot to find something to write about. We too must read before we speak, to prepare for what we are

about to say. If we don't know the meaning of the topic or the vocabulary while listening, we will have

trouble understanding what the speaker is saying.

When reading, poor readers may have difficulty decoding and therefore, may have difficulty

reading the words of their texts accurately. Also, some poor  readers  read to slowly or lack fluency.

As a result of their slow reading, they often understand little of what they read and the attention they

have to pay to reading the words prevents them from understanding the message of the text.

Poor  readers too often lack a sufficient basic knowledge of the text. They may have trouble

connecting ideas from the text. They are often unfamiliar with the vocabulary they encounter and have

difficulty recognizing the meaning of words. Even when poor readers have a

sufficient background knowledge, they often fail to activate it to help them understand what they are

reading. Some poor readers are not also aware of text organization. They don't know enough about the

organizational structure of the narrative or the various organizational structures of the explanatory

texts to help them read and understand it. After reading, poor readers usually don't think or reflect on

what they read. They almost never look for additional information on a specific topic. This will trigger

a bigger problem as it can get worse.

The cumulative effect of these difficulties is that poor readers often lose confidence in their

reading abilities. Since reading is difficult for them, poor readers cannot and do not want to read much.

As a result, they are exposed to far less text than good readers and therefore, have far less reading
practice. In addition, the reading exercise is often frustrating because many of the texts they are asked

to read are too difficult for them.

It is with the above-mentioned scenarios that the researchers endeavored in this study 1). To find

out the factors affecting the poor reading comprehension among  students of Solotsolot National High

School 2.) To identify the causes that affect the reading ability of the students. 3.) To investigate the

factors that make the difference between students with good reading abilities  and those who do not

have.

First and foremost, findings are anticipated to be helpful for the development of theory and

practice to further strengthen and improve students' comprehension. Theoretically, it can help teachers

overcome reading difficulties of students by identifying valuable information in the field of reading

instruction. Additionally, the students also apply their findings to a different subject. Even while

reading any books, students presumably use this method to ensure that they understand what they are

reading. It means that it is particularly helpful for subjects other than English where reading is a key to

advancing understanding. Practically, it is believed that these research findings will be useful and

beneficial to parents, especially, because it can be used as an alternative in varying the English

teaching related with reading comprehension. In hope, this research will be able to change paradigm

saying that reading is a boring activity, and that it will stop the stigma that ‘reading is not that

important’. Hopefully, by finding out the effects of poor reading of students, everyone will be

determined to read more and increase their comprehension.

Poor reading comprehension is considered by students at Solotsolot National High School as a

challenging aspect of studying. 42 out of 367 (11.44%) students at the above-mentioned school are

very and slow readers,  majority of them have difficulty understanding the texts they are reading

because they are unfamiliar with certain vocabulary or have little prior reading experience.

Statement of the Problem

The research aims to determine the factors affecting reading comprehension among students

causing poor reading in Solotsolot National High School, Solotsolot,San Juan, Ilocos Sur.

1. What are the personal characteristics of the respondents in Solotsolot National High School

in terms of:

a. age;
 b. sex;

c. no. of siblings;

d. birth order;

e. parents’ occupation;

f. parents’ educational attainment;

g. status of parents;

h. monthly income of parents;

i. guardian;

j. tutor?

k. situation of the respondents (very or slow reader);

l. attendance

m. level of academic performance;and

2. What is the level of the factors affecting the reading comprehension among students

causing poor reading in Solotsolot National High School in terms of the foloowing:

a. Personal Factors

 attitude and

 reading habit

b. School Environmental Factors

 teachers and

 school facilities

c. External Factors

 peer group,

 mass media, and

 online games?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the personal characteristics and the factors

affecting the reading comprehension among students causing poor reading in Solotsolot National High

School?

Scope and Delimitation

 This study will focus only on the effects of poor reading skills to the comprehension of the 42 out

of the 367 learners (very and slow readers) of Solotsolot National High School ranging from grade 7

to grade 12 for the school year 2022-2023.

Review of Related Literature

Theoretical Framework

Literature and related studies are presented here as they provide background information

and direction for this study:

The Importance of Reading Comprehension. According to Mckee (2012), reading is crucial for

the personal and educational development of an individual. However, the ability to comprehend what is

being read holds even greater importance. Merely reading is not sufficient; one must possess the skill to

analyze and restructure ideas and information. It is essential for an individual to comprehend the

intended message of the writer. Reading comprehension is a multifaceted ability that involves two

types of processes, namely lower-level and higher-level processes, both equally challenging (Stoller,

2022). Lower-level processes consist of recognizing words, graphophones, and others, while higher-

level skills involve syntactical, semantic, and other aspects. Students need reading comprehension

skills to excel in both academic and personal life. In the academic life of students, reading serves as the

foundation for comprehending all academic content (Clarke et al., 2011). Similarly, reading

comprehension is also a crucial ability that individuals require to succeed in their personal lives (Blair

et al., 2007). For instance, to thrive, individuals need to comprehend the basic text in utility bills,

housing contracts, career applications, and newsletters (Hoch, 2015). Additionally, individuals need

reading comprehension skills to secure and maintain a job and effectively participate in various daily

activities. Furthermore, individuals who can comprehend what they read can lead a safe life and will

continue to grow socially and intellectually (Hoch et al., 2015).

The "nature of reading" is understanding (Gibson, 2006). It is a dynamic process that requires the

reader to create meaning  from the text. Chen (2009) considers reading comprehension to be “the

method of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through contact  and engagement with

written language”. It involves a variety of knowledge and techniques. A reader's ability to grasp the

meaning, point, or key concept of a text is the core aspect of reading comprehension. Through Chen's

point of view, the reader cannot draw conclusions, compare discrepancies within and across parts of a
text, or engage in critical thinking about textual ideas without an opportunity to understand the text's

context. Van der Velde and Ernst (2009) suggest that comprehension falls into three distinct fields of

expertise: 1) literal interpretation skills; 2)  interpretation skills deduced; 3) logical and evaluative

interpretation skills. The latter two competence areas related to the author's intentions; The author

himself or herself  does not find any implicit and critical readings in this case. Defining understanding

in terms of the author's probable intentions brings with it a number of complexities, one of which is

deciding the author's likely intentions, an issue that will be discussed as part of a review of the

methodology. Cotter (2011) describes comprehenson as the process of simultaneously extracting and

creating meaning through contact and engagement with written language. It consists of three

elements: reader, text, and intention. It is the connection among the text, the authors and the context

that contributes to a better understanding using reading comprehension strategies. Pinto

(2009) persuasively argues that comprehension is a dynamic interactive mechanism that requires the

use of past experiences to create meaning in response to a text. Developing students' comprehension

process relies on a teacher's ability to incorporate a variety of text forms with

rich experiences. Students will often learn to facilitate word identification, vocabulary, and contextual

awareness that enhance comprehension. However, reading alone may or may not lead to professional

understanding; Therefore, effective reading comprehension must be learned through specific teaching

methods. It is not reading without comprehesion or knowing. Most students can pronounce words

fluently but cannot respond when asked what they have just read. Although they can score high on

reading speed or fluency, they are not good readers. What makes a good reader? A good reader is

someone who reads with the intention of either seeking useful knowledge or reading for fun. A good

reader engages in a complex thought process while reading. There are approaches to help children

become engaged and purposeful readers. Research has shown that students who are explicitly receiving

instruction in these techniques make significant progress on reading comprehension tests. All readers,

regardless of their skill level, benefit from direct instructions on how to communicate with a text and

how to process information. The reason for specifically teaching comprehension skills is that

understanding can be strengthened by encouraging students to use different cognitive techniques

or creatively reason when they experience obstacles in understanding what they are reading. Explicit or

formal guidance has been shown to be highly effective in improving understanding while implementing

comprehension approaches (National Reading Panel, 2000). Research over 30 years has shown that
comprehension training can help students understand, recall , and share what they have read on others

(Hock, 2005).

Struggling Readers (Poor Readers). Poor readers often switch off or often become disengaged,

which hampers their ability to model the situation and thus inhibits understanding. While Kintsch

acknowledges that reader motivation is another aspect of reading comprehension, others have provided

a deeper understanding of how student motivation affects reading. For example, Guthrie affirms that

reading is linked to motivation; in fact, interest in reading is said to be a predictor of reading

comprehension (2008). Engagement in reading, driven by a student's intrinsic motivation to read, is

positively related to academic achievement.In 2003, a survey was conducted among 12th grade

students to describe their engagement in reading. It should be noted that 93% of respondents said they

do not read for school every day, 69% said they rarely read for enjoyment and 66% said reading is not

a favorite activity. An international study conducted in 2000 surveyed 15-year-old students who were

asked to quantify how much time they spend reading for enjoyment, what types of materials they read,

and how interested they are in reading. Of all students surveyed, students in the United States ranked

24th out of 28 countries for student engagement and reading motivation, indicating that, on average,

students in the United States do not read for pleasure compared to other countries in the world..  Since 

learning is a process that requires active engagement, without some interest in the topic, it is difficult

for the student to stay focused long enough to learn. In SWD, the lack of motivation to read is often

due to poor reading ability (Melekoglu & Wilkerson, 2013). The issue of motivation  is exacerbated for

secondary  students who need to read a variety of expository contents (eg, social studies science), and

along with these reading demands, high school students lose interest in improving their reading.

However, the cyclical relationship between motivation and reading ability is a challenge for secondary

school teachers. Melekoglu and Wilkerson (2013) postulate that reading motivation improves with

increasing reading ability. In addition, as reading skills improved, positive feelings toward reading

increased, which in turn enhanced students' self-concept as readers. Therefore, high school students

need an increase in basic reading skills before a boost in reading motivation can occur. Kintsch and

Kintsch (2005) point out that there are both student and text factors that impede reading comprehension

that teachers can mitigate by teaching reading strategies. For example, using descriptive words to help

students form mental representations, or teach them to reread, paraphrase, and summarize what they

have read  in their own words . Teaching students to monitor their own understanding as they read is
another strategy that can aid comprehension. In addition, they state that the complexity of the text can

also affect student comprehension. Easily readable and highly explicit text does not require the reader

to have mental representations or models of situations in which they associates what they read with

prior knowledge and therefore the reader does not have a deep understanding of the content (Kintsch &

Kintsch, 2005). For SWD (Students With Disabilities) with poor reading skills, comprehension

becomes even more problematic. Reading becomes an endeavor of problem solving where the reader

must spend energy in reading words which impedes activation of prior knowledge and adversely

affects motivation.

One of the problems in our country has to do with the poor reading comprehension of the students.

In December 2019, the nation was shocked by the release of the 2018 PISA (Program for International

Student Assessment) report, which claimed that high school students in the Philippines performed

worse and got low scores in reading comprehension than most of those surveyed   in other countries.

According to the results, more than 80 percent of Filipino students around the age of 15 scored 340 in

reading comprehension, lower than the average of 487 points. As a result, the Philippines ranked last

out of 79 countries in the said study.

Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension. Reading comprehension is an essential part of

reading that every student must ensure in academic and personal life. However, most students with

learning difficulties have serious problems understanding what they read (Gersten et al., 2001), even

after they have acquired and mastered the necessary decoding skills (Kessler, 2009). According to

Bourdman (2007), problems experienced by students with learning difficulties can adopt different

forms, inappropriate use of prior knowledge, lack of vocabulary, lack of reading fluency, limited

knowledge of the common text structures, difference and conclusions. A study by Lazarus (2020)

revealed the socio-demographic factors that influence student reading comprehension, such as school

environment, school type and student gender. According to the American Institutes for Research

(2019), the school environment includes all services, support systems, school policies, and related

structured practices for the benefit of students and staff. As reported by Nazir and Mattoo (2012), when

schools provide a stimulating and supportive learning environment, students' academic performance,

either directly or indirectly, will inevitably improve other factor, namely the type of school described in

terms of ownership and administration whether the school is controlled by the government/public or

private individual or organizations. Lastly, the gender. Cekiso (2016) stated that discussion of gender
differences in text comprehension is important given the increasingly low reading achievement scores

achieved by males and females in national and international tests and examinations. There are three

environmental factors that affects reading comprehension, namely 1.Home environment 2. Social

environment and 3.Cultural environment [Study by Jennings et al. (2010)]. In the home environment,

households burdened by poverty, family instability, and neighborhoods where violence is

commonplace increase the likelihood that children are at risk of school failure (US Census Bureau,

2010). As Lovie (2007) notes, many students with reading comprehension also exhibit social

difficulties. He added that students with reading and social difficulties may not respond to social

nuance and has higher chance of being a low achiever. Low- achiever students tend to overestimate

their popularity. As Lerner (2012) attests, cultural differences, particularly those resulting from a

culture of poverty, may lead to intense distrust and uneasiness towards people perceived as belonging

to the dominant culture. According to Rubin et al. (2007), educational factors such as teaching method,

instructional time, school environment and non-educational factors including home environment,

understanding, motivation and prior knowledge are the factors affecting reading understanding or

comprehension. Inappropriate use of background knowledge is one of the factors affecting reading

comprehension. Readers make a connection between the new text and all the information, world

knowledge, and personal experiences they have about the subject they are reading (McNamara, 2005).

Lacking in vocabulary knowledge is another factor. Rickets, Nation, and Bishop (2007) state that

students' limited knowledge of vocabulary might limit their understanding of a text, particularly when

the text contains unfamiliar vocabulary.

Similarly, Chou (2011) concluded that vocabulary size affects reading comprehension, such that

students with more vocabulary can understand the text better than students with less vocabulary.

Lacking  in reading fluency is another problem. Hudson et al. (2005) emphasized that the lack of

accuracy and speed in reading words reflects the language deficit of readers, which plays an important

role in preventing them from grasping the meaning of the text. Finally, difficulty in drawing

conclusions is a cognitive factor affecting reading comprehension.According to Betta (2009), drawing

inferences from a written text is a constructive cognitive process that allows students to mentally

represent a text by integrating different types of information to extract meaning from the text.

Similarly, Hart (2007) found that the cognitive factors that affect reading comprehension are prior

knowledge, vocabulary, fluency, active reading, and critical thinking. He explained that when students
try to understand a text, they rely on their prior knowledge to connect what they already know to the

text they are reading. Students must be able to comprehend a familiar word and its relationship to other

words in a text. Vocabulary mastery includes recognizing the parts of speech, definition, useful

contextual cues, and how it functions in a text. These vocabulary strategies can help improve

comprehension. As students become fluent readers, they spend less time trying to figure out the

meaning of words and more time considering the overall meaning of sentences, so fluent readers

develop the ability to fully understand and respond to a text. As readers develop, they will be able to

monitor their own reading comprehension. Students can actively manage their own reading by focusing

on comprehension problems that arise. Students can solve comprehension problems by recalling what

they read, asking questions, or evaluating the text. Students can respond more effectively to a text

when they have critical thinking skills. As students read, they can determine the main idea and

supporting details, the sequence of events, and the general structure of the text.  Critical thinking skills

help deepen the student's understanding of the text, resulting in a positive experience. Suwanaroa

(2021) added that reading problems, student attitudes, family support, and classroom teaching and

learning are also the factors affecting reading comprehension. Linguistic and cognitive factors such as

language acquisition, reading ability, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, word

knowledge and vocabulary are some of the factors negatively affecting students' reading

comprehension (Tanczike, 2017). Skinner (2002) states that all languages must be learned by every

child, even the mother tongue, indicating that language is a behavior formed by a conditioned response

and can therefore be learned.

Reading skills are supported by knowledge of words, including ortography (spelling), phonology,

morphology and meaning in which the identification of words being essential for understanding

sentences (Perfetti, 2002). Phonological awareness refers to understanding and accessing the phonetic

structure of spoken language, ie the awareness that oral language can be broken down into single words

and words into phonemes (Csepe, 2006). Morphological awareness, as defined by Carlise (2000), is

children's conscious awareness of the morphematic structure of words and their ability to reflect and

manipulate that structure. In Tanczike's (2017) study, there is a positive correlation between

morphological awareness and reading comprehension, as it was found that word comprehension

contributes to reading comprehension. Vocabulary and word knowledge are other factors that facilitate
reading comprehension.Reading text begins with identifying individual words, the process that

converts visual input into verbal representation.

Figure 1

The Reasearch Paradigm

As shown in the paradigm, this study focused on the relationship between the personal

characteristics and the factors affecting the reading comprehension among students causing poor

reading in Solotsolot National High School

Conceptual Framework

The flow of the study is illustrated as follows;

Figure 1.

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Personal

Characteristics
Factors Affecting Reading
 age;
Comprehension Causing Poor
 sex;
Reading
 no. of siblings;
Personal Factors
 birth order;
 Attitude
 parents’ occupation;
 Reading Habit
 parents’ educational
 attainment;

Significance of the Study

The result would benefit the School, Teachers, Parents, and most specially, the students in order

to know whom shall be taken an action, and to prevent the worsening of the said problem. This

research has significance and benefits to the following:

Students. The result of the study would provide the students with valuable information on the

effects of poor reading as basis for enhancing their own learning skills and level of reading

comprehension. Findings of the study will provide the students a clearer understanding about the

importance of comprehension when dealing with the lessons and activities given to them, thus,

enabling them to enhance the level of their reading comprehension. With the help of the the school and

support of the parent, such understanding may foster positive result in terms of academic performance.

Teachers. This study will be useful to teachers as it will help them consider the importance of

teaching comprehension skills to their students and as they seek to improve their academic

achievement.

School. It hopes that this will be helpful in making a way to widen the sources and spread the

knowledge to every students. With the help of each other and building a unity, the students will

develop good reading skills.

 Parents. Upon reading this study, developing and observing their child’s reading skill and

comprehension should be one of their priority as it would be vital in their academic performance of

their child as they emerge into the process of learning.

Researchers. This study/research will serve as a guide for learners and future researchers about

the effects of poor reading to students. It will enhance their knowledge and will answer their questions

upon the study conducted. The given information will be useful for the data that they will need for their

research.

Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms will be define operationally for better understanding of the study:

Personal Characteristics. Refers to the respondent’s profile. It is categorized as age, sex, number

of siblings, birth order, parents’ occupation, parents’ educational attainment, status of parents, monthly

income of parents, guardian, tutor, situation of the respondents, level of academic performance, level

of reading performance.

Age. This term refers to the respondents’ years of existence.

Sex. It refers to the biological identification of the respondents referred to as male or female.

Number of Siblings. Refers to the number of children in the family which is categorized as 5 or

more, 3-4, 1-2 and none.

Parents’ Occupation. It refers to the regular job of the respondents’ parents which is categorized

as professional, non-professional or none.

Parents’ Educational Attainment. Pertains to the degree obtained by the parents of the

respondents such as post graduate, college graduate, college undergraduate, high school graduate, high

school undergraduate, elementary graduate and elementary undergraduate.

Status of Parents. Refers to whether the respondents, mothers and fathers are married, live in,

single parent or separated.

Monthly Income of Parents. It refers to the earnings of the parents of the respondents categorized

as ¨5,000 and below, ¨5,001 to ¨10,000, ¨10,001 to ¨15,000, ¨15,001 and above.

Guardian. Refers to the respondents’ parents, grandparents, and others who look after them.

Tutor. A person or a teacher who teaches students outside the school.

 Situation of the Respondents. Refers to their situation of being a reader; slow reader or very slow

reader.

Attendance. In class, it refers to the act of being present in the class.

Level of Academic Performance. In this study, it refers to the level of performance of the

students in their respective classes most especially in the english subject.

Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension. Refers to the level of understanding of students.

Personal Factors. Refers

Reading Comprehension. This term refers to the complex cognitive process involving the

intentional interaction between reader and text to extract meaning. It is the ability to process text ,

understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows.

Poor Reading. This term refers to the condition of learners that tends to read one at a time, or lack

of fluency.

Reading. In this study, it refers “to look at and understand the meaning of written or printed

words or symbols; to discover or find out about something; and to interpret something in particular

ways- a way in which something is interpreted or understood.

Reading Skill. In this study, it refers to the abilities that pertains to a person’s capacity to read,

comprehend, interpret, and decode written language and texts.

Assumptions

It is assumed in this study that;

1. The age of the students have a significant relationship to their reading comprehension.

2. The instrument which determines the effects of poor reading skill to the comprehension of

students are valid and reliable.

3. The responses of the 42 very or slow readers are true and honest reflection of the effects of

poor reading in their daily and academic life.

Hypothesis

In this study, it is hypothesized that;

 There is no significant relationship between the personal characteristics and the factors affecting

reading comprehension among students causing poor reading in Solotsolot National Hugh School.

Methodology

This section deals with the research design, methods and the procedures used in conducting the

study. It also includes the research instruments, procedure of gathering data and the statistical

treatment of data.

Research Design. The study used the descriptive and correlation research designs. In this study,

the method was used to describe the personal characteristics of the respondents and the factors

affecting reading comprehension among students causing poor reading in Solotsolot National High

School. Correlation method, on the other hand, will be used to find out if the personal characteristics

of the respondents has something to be involved about with the factors affecting reading

comprehension causing poor reading to students.

Population of the study. The population of the study included the total number of the high

school students who are poor readers of Solotsolot National High School for the school year 2022-

2023. There are 42 poor readers in total out of the 367 (11.44%) students from grade 7-12.

Data Gathering Instrument. Questionnaires/checklists were mainly used in gathering the

needed data in this study within the students of Solotsolot National High School, Solotsolot, San Juan,

Ilocos Sur. The instrument was divided into two parts. Part I of the questionnaire solicited the

respondents’ personal characteristics. Part II was used to measure the factors affecting reading

comprehension that causes poor reading upon the respondents. The questionnaire was constructed by

the researchers and validated by experts.

The instrument made use of a 5-point scale interpreted as:

Range of Scores Descriptive Equivalent

5 4.21 - 5.00 Very Often

4 3.41 - 4.20 Often

3 2.61 - 3.41 Moderate

2 1.81 - 2.60 Rarely

1 1.00 - 1.80 Never

 Data Gathering Procedure. Before the formal conduct of this study, the researchers asked

permission from the Principal of Solotsolot National High School. The questionnaires/checklists was

personally floated to the respondents to ensure their proper understanding about the study, so as to

answer their questions regarding the study.

Statistical Treatment of Data. The following statistical tools were utilized to analyze the data

gathered in this study:

1. To describe the profile of the respondents , the frequency count and percentage were used.

2. To measure the level of the factors affecting the reading comprehension among students

causing poor reading ,weighted mean was utilized.

3. To measure the relationship between the personal characteristics and the factors affecting

reading comprehension among students causing poor reading, the Pearson Product Moment of

Correlation was utilized.