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Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

The world is being globalized rapidly and becoming a global village. People

speak many languages in this world. To reduce such communication barriers between

so many countries, a common language is required. For example, in a small country

like Nepal even though we have many languages, Nepali is the common language that

links the people living there. Similarly, English is the language that links people

throughout the globe. It is spoken in almost 105 countries throughout the globe. English

is playing a major role in many sectors like education, medicine, engineering, and

business.

The ability to read texts in any language opens new knowledge and

opportunities, especially the ability to read texts in foreign languages (English). This

allows students to get information, pleasure and do many other things that are done by

the world community due to information obtained from reading. Better reading skills

enables people to be successful in academics. Reading is an activity which involves

comprehension and interpretation of ideas symbolized by a written or printed page. It

is clear, without this ability readers would find themselves confronted with strange and

weird symbols which would make no sense for them. Very low-level ability of reading

allows a reader to differentiate the letters of a particular language from non-linguistic

marks. A current study showed that the better the reading skills students have, the better

students in achieving knowledge (Akbaşlıı et al., 2016). There is a strong connection

between reading skills and the level of academic and professional success enjoyed by

an individual in his/her lifetime (Byrnes & Wasik, 2019). Additionally, reading helps
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the students grasp abstract concepts more easily and develop their thinking skills.

Therefore, students need to master this skill.

Reading comprehension is a higher reading skill level. Comprehension is

considered as the essence of reading as it accounts for the process that supports effective

extraction of meaning from a written passage. Students must be able to use their

cognitive skills to understand the interrelated conditions between written and oral

communication where basically these types of communication differ from each other

(Oakhill et al., 2015). The importance of English reading comprehension by the

language policy in the country as English is the language of education and research.

Without developing English reading comprehension, higher education and research are

very difficult. Knowing how to read words has ultimately little value if the student is

unable to construct meaning from the text (Klinger et al., 2007).

Aside from the reading comprehension skills, there are learning competencies

from the Curriculum Guide designed by the DepEd for Grade 8 which they call

subskills in reading comprehension, and these are as follows: (1) scan specific

information from the literary text, (2) skim to determine the key ideas, and (3) read

intensively to determine author’s purpose. Subskills have very advantageous benefits

for the students to enrich their understanding of various knowledge in comprehension.

However, many researchers noticed that students are quite weak in English in

general and reading in particular, as a result, they still find difficulties in reading

comprehension. Many students have difficulty comprehending what they read. One of

the factors that impact learners' reading comprehension is the complexity of the texts.

Such a factor is affected by the reader's strength and fluency in language and their

comprehending of its applications and different meanings. Another reason is that

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parents don't take enough time to teach their children how to read. As a result, students

tend to have a lack of interest in building their comprehension skills.

Moreover, this pandemic has paved the way for the implementation of Modular

Distance Learning as a means of ensuring educational continuity, which means students

will have a tougher time improving their reading comprehension. Modular learning is

the most popular type of Distance Learning. In the Philippines, this learning modality

is currently used by all public schools because according to a survey conducted by the

Department of Education (DepEd), learning through printed and digital modules

emerged as the most preferred distance learning method of parents with children who

are enrolled this academic year (Bernardo 2020). This is also in consideration of

learners in rural areas where the internet is not accessible for online learning.

Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, teachers still strongly believe

that a Filipino child needs to develop higher order skills and functional literacy. It is

given that any Filipino child with sufficient reading skills would have greater chances

of success in school compared to a child whose reading skills are poor and more often

than not. Those with poor reading skills when assessed properly are diagnosed with

reading disability. It is a stepping stone in the walk of knowledge.

To solve the problems mentioned above, different strategies were used by

teachers to help the learners improve their reading comprehension skills. However, this

study will utilize the High Five strategy. These are key comprehension strategies that

include activating the background knowledge, questioning, analyzing text structure,

creating mental images or visualizing, and summarizing. This strategy is believed to

improve students’ reading comprehension skills. In a study conducted by Surayatika et.

al (2014), the results show that the High Five Strategy can improve students’ reading
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comprehension and reading interest. The research that has been carried out results in

the High Five Strategy to improve reading comprehension skills of narrative texts.

However, that study utilizes the High Five Strategy in a traditional classroom setting.

And with the rapid changes in the field of education, the traditional methods of teaching

reading have become obsolete. New techniques of teaching reading skills and

especially teaching English reading skills and reading comprehension have been

introduced, such as by the use of modules as supplementary material to help learners

master their reading comprehension skills, especially the subskills mentioned.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and utilize a material in the form of a

module that could be used to improve the reading comprehension skill of the students

with the use of the High Five Strategy.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to develop and utilize the High Five Strategy to improve the

reading comprehension skills of Grade 8 students.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What challenges along with reading comprehension skills emerged from

literature reviews and observations?

2. What module may be developed to address the challenges?

3. What is the level of validity of the developed module?

4. What is the level of the students' reading comprehension skills along the

following before and after the use of High Five Strategies?

a. can specific information from the literary text,

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b. skim to determine key ideas,

c. read intensively to determine key ideas?

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will benefit the following individual:

Students. This research is expected to enhance reading comprehension of

students considering that English and the ability to read fluently plays an important role

in today’s era. The results of the study provide the students with some knowledge on

how to enhance the reading comprehension of the students.

Teachers. This study helps teachers to become more skillful educators in

improving reading comprehension through the High Five Strategy.

Future Researchers. This allows them to cooperate and accomplish tasks that

we would not be able to do without instructions or examples.

Scope and Delimitation

This study aimed to develop a module utilizing the High Five Strategy and to

determine the level of students’ reading comprehension skills, particularly in scanning

specific information from the literary text, skimming to determine the key ideas, and

reading intensively to determine the author’s purpose, of Grade 8 students before and

after being exposed to the High Five Strategy in every module during the School Year

2021–2022.
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Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined to provide a clear understanding

of the content of this study.

Reading Comprehension. This term refers to an advanced level of reading.

This is a skill where students have difficulty improving it.

Scanning Specific Information from the Literary Text. This refers to

the first subskill that the researcher will improve through a modular approach utilizing

the High Five Strategy.

Skimming to Determine Key Ideas. This refers to the second subskill

that the researcher will improve through a modular approach utilizing the High Five

Strategy.

Reading Intensively to Determine Author’s Purpose. This refers to

the second subskill that the researcher will improve through a modular approach

utilizing the High Five Strategy.

High Five Strategy. This term refers to a simple and effective approach

formulated to enhance the comprehensive abilities of students. It is composed of 5

strategies including activating background knowledge, questioning, analyzing text

structure, summarizing, and visualizing.

Activating Background Knowledge. This activity lets the students

recall their prior knowledge to develop and make inferences.

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Questioning. This activity requires students to practice self-questioning

during reading and jot it down on the space provided, and the researchers in-

charge will answer the questions.

Analyzing Text Structure. This activity requires learning how to

analyze or comprehend the structure of the text. It can be in the form of cause-

effect pattern, problem, or descriptive pattern like a list, web, or a matrix pattern.

Visualizing. This activity encourages students to visualize the stories

read to form visual images and draw them out on a piece of paper.

Summarizing. This term refers to an activity that enables students to

focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that are worth noting and

remembering. It is to summarize the material read.

Assumptions

The researchers are guided by the following assumptions:

1. The students’ level of reading comprehension skills is measurable.

2. The modules used are valid and reliable.

3. The students’ responses in both pretest and posttest reflect their true level of

reading comprehension skills.

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Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Theoretical Framework

The following findings of studies and other related literature are reviewed by

the student-researchers to gain insights in the conceptualization of the study. In

addition, the reviewed theoretical and research evidence in this chapter supports the

explicit and systematic teaching of five comprehension strategies that help students

develop their reading comprehension with success.

On Schematic Theory

Schema theory is a branch of cognitive science concerned with how the brain

structures knowledge. A schema is an organized unit of knowledge for a subject or

event. It is based on past experience and is accessed to guide current understanding or

action (Panki ,2013). Schema theory thinks that comprehending a text is an interactive

process between the reader' s background knowledge and the text. Comprehension of

the text requires the ability to relate the textual material to one' s own knowledge.

The fundamental principle of the schema theory assumes that written text does

not carry meaning by itself. Rather, a text only provides directions for readers as to how

they should retrieve or construct meaning from their own previously acquired

knowledge (An 2013). According to schema theory, comprehending a text is an

interactive process between the reader’s background knowledge and the text. Efficient

comprehension requires the ability to relate the textual material to one's own

knowledge. As Anderson points out, "every act of comprehension involves one’s

knowledge of the world as well."

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Many theories and studies can be the basis and guide to understand what reading

comprehension is. In this study, reading comprehension is based on the concept of

schema theory that was first introduced in 1932 by a British psychologist, Frederic

Barlett. However, some suggested that it was first introduced in 1926 by Jean Piaget

and was further developed in 1970 by an American Educational Psychologist, Richard

Anderson. The schema theory is described as how knowledge is acquired, processed

and organized. The starting assumption of this theory is that very act of comprehension

one‘s knowledge of the world‖. According to this theory, knowledge is a network of

mental frames or cognitive constructs called schema. Schemata organize knowledge

stored in the long-term memory, Learning Theories (2013). Seymour (2017) stated that

schema theory is an explanation of how readers use prior knowledge to comprehend

and learn from text.

On Constructivist Theory

Constructivism is a learning theory which holds that knowledge is best gained

through a process of reflection and active construction in the mind. Thus, knowledge is

an intersubjective interpretation. The learner must consider the information being

taught and - based on past experiences, personal views, and cultural background -

construct an interpretation. Constructivism is split into two main camps: radical and

social. The first form radical (or cognitive) constructivism proposes that the process of

constructing knowledge is dependent on the individual's subjective interpretation of

their active experience. The second form of social constructivism affirms that human

development is socially situated and that knowledge is constructed through interaction

with others.
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Constructivism's central idea is that human learning is constructed, that learners

build new knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning. According to Phillips,

this prior knowledge influences what new or modified knowledge an individual will

construct from new learning experiences. The second notion is that learning is an active

rather than a passive process. The passive view of teaching views the learner as ‘an

empty vessel’ to be filled with knowledge, whereas constructivism states that learners

construct meaning only through active engagement with the world (such as experiments

or real-world problem solving). Information may be passively received, but

understanding cannot be, for it must come from making meaningful connections

between prior knowledge, new knowledge, and the processes involved in learning.

The constructivist theory posits that knowledge can only exist within the human

mind, and that it does not have to match any real-world reality. Learners will be

constantly trying to develop their own individual mental model of the real world from

their perceptions of that world. As they perceive each new experience, learners will

continually update their own mental models to reflect the new information, and will,

therefore, construct their own interpretation of reality.

Typically, this continuum is divided into three broad categories: Cognitive

constructivism based on the work of Jean Piaget, social constructivism based on the

work of Lev Vygotsky, and radical constructivism.

According to the GSI Teaching and Resource Center (2015) Cognitive

constructivism states knowledge is something that is actively constructed by learners

based on their existing cognitive structures. Therefore, learning is relative to their stage

of cognitive development. Cognitivist teaching methods aim to assist students in

assimilating new information to existing knowledge, and enabling them to make the
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appropriate modifications to their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that

information.

According to social constructivism learning is a collaborative process, and

knowledge develops from individuals' interactions with their culture and society. Social

constructivism was developed by Lev Vygotsky who suggested that every function in

the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and, later on,

on the individual level; first, between people (neuropsychological) and then inside the

child (neuropsychological). Learners construct new knowledge on the foundations of

their existing knowledge. However, radical constructivism states that the knowledge

individuals create tells us nothing about reality, and only helps us to function in your

environment. Thus, knowledge is invented not discovered.

On Modular Approach

Modular approach is an emerging trend in educational thinking that shifts

traditional methods of instruction to an outcome-based learning paradigm. The modular

approach allows Filipino students to learn in the comfort of their homes. Limited

contact with teachers will place parents or guardians as the learners' model or the “More

Knowledgeable Other” (MKO).

For the first time ever, modular technology was mentioned in scientific papers

at the end of the 1860s. Then it was called the “Russian system” or the “Russian

method”. This approach to teaching was based on “the identification of clearly

described components of occupational skills (operations and actions) which were

studied and brushed up element by element” (Erofeeva, 2012). Using this approach, the

teacher could control the process of teaching a large number of students at the same

time. Further on, the modular approach was used extensively as an alternative to
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traditional education in 60-ies in the English-speaking countries of Europe and the

United States (Bashmakova, 2014). Theoretical basis of modular teaching at high

school was most fully developed in the works of Lithuanian researcher P. A.

Juceviciene. She clarified the concept of “module”, formulated principles of modular

teaching and developed modular programs. In the years that followed, the ideas of P.

A. Juceviciene was extended by S. Ya. Baryshev, K. Ya. Vazina, V. M. Gareev, N. N.

Surtaeva, T. N. Samova and other researchers (Kakurina, 2012).

The term “module”, borrowed from computer science, has become firmly

established in the basic vocabulary of pedagogy. There are many derivatives with the

word “module”: modular technology, modular method, modular approach, and modular

program, unit-modular and modular-rating technology. But in all these cases it refers

to the methodology based on the development of educational modules for different

courses (Kakurina, 2012). As far as the “module” concept is concerned we have come

across a great variety of definitions, both in foreign and Russian pedagogical literature.

For example, the founder of the modular approach P. A. Juceviciene defines the term

as “an information block, including a logically complete unit of learning material,

program of actions determined by a specific purpose, and a guidance for didactic

objectives to be achieved” (Lapp, 2012).

V. V. Karpov and M. N. Kakhtanov argues that a module is an “organizational

and methodological interdisciplinary structure of educational material, providing

semantic concepts definition in accordance with the academic knowledge structure. It

structures information from the standpoint of cognitive logic of a would-be specialist”

(Lapp, 2012). Similar definitions were given by G. Owens and G. Russell. They

emphasize the main characteristic of a module as a separate, comprehensive but flexible

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unit: “a module is a closed educational complex consisting of a teacher, a learner,

material to be learnt and teaching technologies (Lapp, 2012); “a training package that

covers conceptual unit of educational material and actions instructed for students”

(Lapp, 2012).

According to the study of Ibyatova, Oparina, and Rakova, as we live in a rapidly

changing society, in the time of globalization, of impressive developments and great

technological wonders, we have to find a way to adapt well to that using a new

development, opening up new paths for learning and teaching. That means dealing with

a modular approach in education. Modular approach would be superior to traditional

methods as the students’ involvement and motivation would be increased. It would

enhance their retaining capacity. It is to be considered as an alternative to traditional

teaching methods for active participation and better learning of students.

The study of Sadiq (2014) reveals that modular teaching is more effective in

teaching the learning process as compared to ordinary teaching methods. Because in

this modular approach the students learn at their own pace. It is a free self-learning style

in which immediate reinforcement, feedback is provided to practice exercises, which

motivate the students and create interest in them. Modular approach helps to maximize

the chances of student participation in the classroom in respect to fulfill the given tasks

at the spot. So the students feel free to learn in their own style. Additionally, it considers

the individual differences among the learners which necessitate the planning for

adoption of the most appropriate teaching techniques in order to help the individual

grow and develop at her/his own pace. Kandarp Sejpal (2013)

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On Reading

Reading is a means to assist personal development, then to provide

entertainment and information. In the Oxford advanced learners dictionary, it is defined

that reading is to look at and understand something in a particular way, away in which

something is interpreted or understood. Reading is an active cognitive process of

interaction with print and monitoring comprehension of establishing meaning which

means the brain does not work in reading, the pupils get information by comprehending

the message and the teacher motivates the pupils to read.

Reading is an essential skill that students need to gain in the early grades

because it will be the foundation of learning in all academic subjects throughout their

education. Mastering reading skills before students reach third grade is especially

critical because after third grade, students begin to read in order to gain knowledge and

learn from the academic content. In addition, students who fail to master reading skills

by the end of third grade, have low motivation for learning, behavioral challenges, and

low academic achievement, and are possibly at a risk of not graduating from high

school.

DeBruin-Parecki et al. (2015) states that reading enables students to become

independent in comprehending complex text structures while improving their

proficiency in academic and professional skills. Successful readers tend to have a higher

extent of comprehension as they are able to create connections between different ideas,

understand complex notions and reflect on the information simultaneously while

reading. Hence, educators are required to implement educational strategies that promote

critical thinking and pre-reading to develop comprehension skills in students (Javed et

al., 2015).
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Similarly, reading should be considered as a strategy by the educators and

authors so that it can intrigue the readers to attain related information from texts,

improve their academic vocabulary while engaging in critical reflection to promote

comprehension (DeBruin-Parecki et al., 2015). Glenberg (2017) implies that

comprehension accounts for the ability to engage in adequate response to the

information provided in text.

Additionally, reading interventions in education settings enables the students to

engage in the critical reflection and understanding of the text, and utilize rational

reasoning in order to generate adequate responses in comprehension.

On Reading Comprehension Skills

Many experts define reading comprehension in a different way. Rubbin (1994)

as cited by Atikah (2012) describes that reading comprehension is a complex

intellectual process involving a number of abilities.The two major involve word

meanings and verbal reasoning. Without word meaning and verbal reasoning, there

could be no reading comprehension, without reading comprehension there would be no

reading. We need comprehension to read. Reading and comprehension are regarded as

one activity that cannot be separated.

According to Odwan (2012), reading comprehension is a complex process. The

gist of reading comprehension is the capability to store and regaine explanation from

written texts. Additionaly, the definition of reading comprehension is most likely to

occur when pupils are reading what they want to read, or at least when they see some

good reasons to read.

According to Collins English Learner’s Dictionary, reading comprehension is a

text that students use to help them improve their reading skills by answering questions
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relating to the text. Sometimes used as a test or examination of reading skills.

Comprehension is the ability to understand something with full knowledge and

meaning. In the Longman Dictionary, perceiving a written text in order to understand

its contents is called comprehension. It means that reading comprehension is an activity

to extract the meaning of written materials with fully understanding

Reading comprehension is one of the most important components of reading

to master. It requires students to move beyond decoding individual vocabulary and

statements to constructing a solid understanding of the entire passage (Woolley, 2012).

Comprehension is a complex process that requires an active interaction between the

students’ background knowledge of the context, the purpose of the reading material,

and the level of vocabulary and language used by the authors in order to gain meaning

of a text (Talbott, & Tatum, 2012).

Reading comprehension operates in two directions, from bottom up to the top

and from the top down to the bottom of the hierarchy. Bottom-up processing is activated

by specific data from the text, while top-down processing starts with general data to

confirm these predictions. These two kinds of processing are occurring simultaneously

and interactively, which adds to the concept of interaction or comprehension between

bottom-up and top-down processes (An, 2013).

Every person has a different comprehension depending on their prior knowledge

about the text but it is still almost in a similar context. Appropriate strategy is the most

important factor in terms of reading comprehension. The strategies to improve reading

performance are: Create a consistent reading program; Set clear goals and standards;

Coordinate curriculum; Build strong team faculty; Hold teachers accountable; Monitor

both students and teachers; Foster individual teacher support; Encourage professional
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development; Ensure philosophical consistency; Invest in performance; Instill a love of

learning through reading; Work together; Increase time on task.

Reading comprehension is influenced significantly by a student’s level of word

knowledge as well as the ability to decode words in print. It means that the ability takes

a part in reading comprehension skill. Reading comprehension is understanding a text

that is read. Comprehension refers to the ability. Reading comprehension is the ability

to read and understand the meaning and all of information about the text which is read.

On Scanning Specific Information from Literary Text

Scanning is another technique of reading comprehension; it is also fast reading

and intended to look for specific information. When the readers need to look for specific

information, they do not need to read the whole passage and carefully. Instead, they

may be able to scan to find out the information to find out the information they

need.Scanning is quickly searching for some particular piece or pieces of information

that the reader needs in reading a text. Scanning exercises may ask students to look for

names or dates, to find a definition of a key concept, or to list a certain number of

supporting details.

Scanning involves three steps: determine what keywords to look for, look

quickly through the text for those words, then read the sentences around them to see if

they provide the information being sought. Applying scan in reading comprehension

makes readers easier in looking at the specific information without wasting much time.

On Skimming to Determine the Key Ideas

Skimming is the one of the most valuable reading strategies for learners.

Skimming consists of quickly running one’s eyes across a whole text (such as an essay,

article, or chapter) to find out what the text tells about or to find out the main idea of
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the text. Skimming gives readers the advantages of being able to guess the purpose of

the passage, the main topic, or message, and possibly some of the developing or

supporting ideas. According to Liao (2012), skimming is a reading technique in which

the readers read the passage quickly and look through the whole passage to get the main

ideas. The readers don’t need to pay attention to the details.

On Reading Intensively to Determine the Author’s Purpose

To read intensively is to completely deconstruct a text, with the goal of absorbing

as much meaning from it as possible. This is done by taking a text, and systematically

looking up every word, phrase, or collocation that you do not understand. This is an

activity that requires great mental effort and focus.

According to Mart (2015), intensive reading allows a reader to carry out a detailed

analysis inside the class, led by the teacher, in which vocabulary and grammar points

are studied in a short passage. Additionally, Brown (2000) calls intensive reading

“narrow reading” because it gets students to analyze several texts about the same or

different topic. The purpose of intensive reading is to focus on content and grammatical

structures. Teachers can also take part in the process by means of reading aloud, asking

questions, and having students predict information from texts. In this way, students get

opportunities to understand the meaning of a text. Brown says that the key to intensive

reading is to give students more opportunity to be in contact with a text; in this way,

the more familiar the reader is with the text, the more comprehension is promoted.

On Reading Strategies

Swan (2015) determined the efficacy of reading strategies in improving

comprehension, and provided evidence that active learners tend to have a lower level

of performance in reading comprehension followed by pre- and rereading activities

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based on keyword strategy in reading, whereas visual, sensitive and sequential learners

performed in this reading strategy. In this instance, Swan (2015) suggested that

keyword strategy should be integrated with reading strategy to enhance the extent of

comprehension in students.

Similarly, Ness (2016) has enlightened the context of strategies that promote

effective reading in students and their effect on enhancing their level of reading

comprehension, and the findings suggest that teachers should adopt explicit teaching

style in reading comprehension during reading activities. Rastegar et al. (2017) have

implied that metacognitive reading strategies; mainly consisting of thinking about text

and character, rereading, intuitive pause during reading, notes taking and underlining

important information in text helps the students to engage in effective comprehension

On High Five Strategy

The High Five Strategy is a reading comprehension learning strategy that

consists of five steps namely, (1) activating background knowledge (2) questioning, (3)

analyzing text structure, (4) creating mental images, and (5) summarizing.These

strategies are effective in enhancing students’ comprehension of text. This strategy is

believed to be able to improve students’ reading comprehension skills. In a study

conducted by Surayatika et al (2014), the results showed that the High Five strategy

improved students’ reading comprehension and reading interest.

Using High 5 strategies is one of the efforts to improve the reading comprehension

of EFL students, especially the Indonesian students. According to Dymock and

Nicholoson (2010), High 5 strategies help students tackle expository text with success.

The Explicit and systematic teaching of five comprehension strategies is so helpful in

reading.
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On Activating Background Knowledge

A reader’s background knowledge is necessary in building a coherent

representation of a text. Activating Background Knowledge is important in students'

understanding, because it allows them and helps make connections to the new

information. By using what students already know, it helps the teacher assist students

with the learning process because it gives him/her an idea of what students know and

what they still need to learn. It is simply to use background knowledge to make

understanding of what the text means. According to schema theory, as students learn

about the world, they develop a schema and are allowed to make connections to many

other things. Piaget’s schema theory makes activating prior knowledge before reading

essential, because according to his research when we can connect something “old” to

something new it helps us better understand the new. As students are reading, they are

able to access their schema and make understand of the text and use their experiences.

When students and teachers applied schema theory to reading comprehension readers

constantly connect their background knowledge to the new knowledge in a text to help

them make sense of the reading (Gunning, 2012).

Activating background knowledge refers to discussing some useful facts related

to the topic to make connections between what the students already knew and what they

were going to read. Prior knowledge is one of the vital necessary components of

learning (Yuksel, 2012). It can help the reader to understand entirely and to draw the

framework of the topic. When reading the passage given by the teacher, questioning is

the second strategy that should be used to find the key information of the text. It Refers

to three types of questions, they are right there, think and search, and beyond the text.
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On Questioning

Questioning is a reading strategy that is taught to students to help them engage with

the text. It helps the reader to clarify what he or she is reading and to better understand

the text. Asking good questions is a way for students to monitor their own

comprehension while reading. Questioning is a process the reader uses before, during,

and after reading. The questioning process requires readers to ask questions of

themselves to construct meaning, enhance understanding, find answers, solve

problems, find information, and discover new information (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000).

Teachers need to ask students questions during and after reading a passage. Students

are asked to return to the text to find the answer to the question. The teacher model and

the students practice to discriminate between questions that are literal, inferred, or based

on the reader’s prior knowledge. Students are taught to generate questions during

reading and evaluate questions as literal, inferential, or based on prior knowledge.

On Analyzing Text Structure

Analyzing Text Structure is an analytical reading strategy that readers use to

examine text structure; that is, they study how ideas are organized and how that

organization contributes to the meaning of a text.

Text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. This

strategy helps students understand that a text might present a main idea and details; a

cause and then its effects; and/or different views of a topic. Teaching students to

recognize common text structures can help students monitor their comprehension.

Text structure instruction has been found to be effective at improving reading

comprehension of informational texts, including for students with or at risk for learning

disabilities, and those with emotional or behavioral difficulties (Burke et al., 2015).
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Text structure is the way an author organizes information in order to achieve a purpose.

By explicitly teaching students the characteristics of specific text structures and

providing them with targeted practice opportunities, students’ comprehension of texts

encountered across the curriculum may improve (Williams et al., 2016). Text structure

instruction equips students with a cognitive tool to organize the information and

complex vocabulary contained in content area texts (Pyle et al., 2017) and may increase

students’ attention to the features of less familiar text structures (Hebert, et al., 2016).

On Creating Mental Images

Creating mental images, or mind pictures, is when a reader creates a movie in their

mind. Many struggling readers do not know they are allowed to do that! Their

reluctance could be that creating a mental image is easy for them and they believe

reading has to be hard. It could be that creating a mental image may involve pausing a

moment during reading to ponder and visualize, and they believe reading needs to be

done quickly.

The mental image or mental representation is defined as what an individual can feel,

hear, see or taste in one’s own mind. However, the stimulus which creates the image is

not actually seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelt (Coon & Mitterer, 2011).

Most cognitive processes, for example perception, memory and imagery, involve

mental representations or mental images (Pellerone et al., 2017; Guarnera et al., 2018).

In processes of perception, each stimulus is interpreted and integrated into a mental

image; memory and imagery allow for the generation and manipulation of images of

objects or scenes without sensory stimuli.

Therefore, from a generic point of view, mental imagery can be considered as a

cognitive process that represents reality through multisensory mental images, or mental
 23

representations of perceived or remembered objects. From a specific point of view, it

is the ability to manage mental images in order to perform a task (Coon and Mitterer,

2011).

Pearson et al. (2013) provide a clear definition of these different processes.

Generation is the capacity to create mental representations without a perceived

stimulus. In particular, an image can be created directly from immediate perceptual

information, (for example, someone can look at a picture of an object, create a mental

image in their mind, and then maintain this mental image as they look away or close

their eyes) or created entirely from previously stored information held in long-term

memory.

In reference to reading and writing skills precursors, it is known that the acquisition

of notational knowledge (which includes among the various aspects the child sensitivity

to signs in relation to sounds in the written code and to constraints on how the letters in

written words are organized), is favored by visual coding. Visual coding, involves

mental imagery in as much concerns the ability to encode, store, and retrieve visual

information, involving sensory and higher-level visualization processes that are implied

in the storage of representation defining the visual attributes of environmental stimuli,

such as the graphic symbols used to represent written words (Pinto et al., 2009, 2012;

Commodari et al., 2019). Therefore, children who have a good conceptual knowledge

on orthography have available in their memory the orthographic representation of the

letters of a word. This factor in preschool children is a crucial ability because it allows

correct coding and decoding of written signs and is highly related to their competences

in all early writing and reading tasks (Pinto et al., 2012).

 24

On Summarizing

Summarizing is often used in reciprocal teaching; however, it is a very effective

research-based strategy on its own. In summarizing, students are asked to recap the

main ideas of a text in their own words. which is also called the gist. Students determine

what the main details are such as who, what, setting, and events that might have

happened and instead of right word for word what happens in the story, text, or chapter

students decide what is the most important and write it in their own words.

The process of summarization requires the reader to determine what is important when

reading and to condense the information in the reader's own words (Adler, 2001).

Students' practice of the summarization has proven effective for improving students’

reading comprehension. Students can be taught to identify main ideas, connect the

main ideas, eliminate redundant information and unnecessary information, and

remember what they read with the summarization strategy.

Effective summarizing of expository text may involve such things as condensing

the steps in a scientific process, the stages of development of an art movement, or the

episodes that led to some major historical event. Effective summarizing of narrative

text can involve such things as connecting and synthesizing events in a story line or

identifying the factors that motivate a character's actions and behavior.

Conceptual Framework

In the conduct of this study, the researchers are guided by the following figure:
 25

OUTCOME
INPUT Determine the
PROCESS OUTPUT
students’ level
Challenges
Developing The developed of reading
along reading
modules in modules are comprehension
comprehension
reading subject for skills,
emerged from
comprehension Validation. particularly in
literature
utilizing High scanning
reviews and
Five Strategy. specific
observations. information,
skimming to
determine the
key ideas, and

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

The paradigm above illustrates the direction of this study. It shows that the

challenges along with reading comprehension made the researchers conduct this study.

To address the challenges, the researchers aimed to develop modules utilizing the High

Five Strategy. When the modules were fully developed, three English teachers validated

it. After validation, the researchers utilize it to determine the student’s level of reading

comprehension particularly in scanning specific information from the literary text,

skimming to determine key ideas, and reading intensively to determine author’s

purpose in every module.

 26

Chapter III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter includes the Research Design, Subject of the Study, Research

Instruments, Data Gathering Procedure, and Statistical Treatment of Data.

Research Design

The study made use of research and development methods. This research

focused on the development of modules utilizing High Five Strategy and examined its

effect on the reading comprehension skills of grade 8 students. The design is illustrated

in the following figure:

Observation Development Validation

Outcome Utilization

Figure 2. Research Design

The research paradigm presented above demonstrates that the researchers

observed first before they came up with the learning material. When the modules were

finally developed, the researchers directly submitted them to the evaluators to validate

the instruments. The researchers used them after confirming the validity of the

instruments. They conducted the study. And when the respondents were done with all

the modules, the researchers collected the data.

 27

Subject of the Study

The researchers used random sampling within their community to get the

desired number of respondents to gather more effective and reliable data. Hence, it

covers a total of 30 Grade 8 students from Zone 3, Bantay, Ilocos Sur; Barangay 36,

Araniw, Laoag City; and Pantay Tamurong, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. There were ten grade

8 students chosen within their community. The use of modules utilizing the High Five

Strategy was conducted in the designated area as perceived by the researchers during

the school year 2021–2022.

Research Instruments

The study made use of validated and researchers-made modules utilizing the

High Five Strategies. There were three developed modules. Every module consists of a

pretest, activities of the High Five Strategy, and a posttest. This study used 30 items per

module, for a total of 90 items to determine the reading comprehension skills of the

respondents, particularly in scanning specific information from the literary text,

skimming to determine the key ideas, and reading intensively to determine the author’s

purpose.

To determine the level of validity of the developed module, the following norm for

interpretation was used:

Range of Scores Descriptive Rating

4.01-5.00 Very Highly Valid

3.01-4.00 Highly Valid

2.01-3.00 Moderately Valid

1.00-2.00 Poorly Valid

 28

To determine the level of reading comprehension skills of the respondents in the

pretest and posttest, the following norm for interpretation was used:

A. Scanning specific information from the literary text, skimming to

determine the key ideas, and reading intensively to determine the author’s

purpose.

Range of Scores Descriptive Rating

08.01-10.00 Outstanding (0)

06.01-08.00 Very Satisfactory (VS)

04.01-06.00 Satisfactory (S)

02.01-04.00 Poor (P)

0.00-02.00 Needs Improvement (NI)

B. Overall

Range of Scores Descriptive Rating

25.01-30.00 Outstanding (0)

20.01-25.00 Very Satisfactory (VS)

12.01-20.00 Satisfactory (S)

07.0-12.00 Poor (P)

0.01-07.00 Needs Improvement (NI)

Data Gathering Procedure

This study was conducted in more than one month due to the pandemic. In the

first week, the researchers observed within their community and reviewed literature
 29

about the challenges that the students faced with reading comprehension. After

identifying the challenges in reading comprehension, in the second week, the

researchers developed three modules to address the challenges. And when the modules

were fully developed, the researchers submitted them to the evaluators to validate them

in the third week until the fourth week. In the fifth week, after the modules were

validated, the researchers utilized it and collected the data to determine the level of the

students’ reading comprehension skills, particularly in scanning specific information,

skimming to determine the key ideas, and reading intensively to determine the author’s

purpose.

On the first day of the fifth week, the researchers asked their respective

respondents for their availability to participate in the study for the utilization of the

modules using the High Five Strategy. On the second day of the fifth week, the students

answered Module 1. On the third day of the fourth week, the students answered Module

2. On the fifth day of the fourth week, the students answered Module 3. This includes

the pretest, completing the activities of the High Five Strategy, and the posttest. First,

students read the literary text, and then they had the pretest. Second, they accomplished

the guided activities of High Five Strategy. Lastly, students had the posttest. The same

process for the other modules. The researchers observed the entire process for validity

and reliability of the results. Then, the results were finally recorded, tallied, tabulated,

interpreted, and analyzed by the researchers.

Statistical Treatment of Data.

Mean. The researchers used mean to indicate the level of validity of the

developed modules as well as the students' level of reading comprehension before and

after exposure to the use of the High Five Strategy.

 30

Chapter IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter of the study discusses the analysis and interpretation of the findings

which are collected by the researchers during the gathering procedure.

Findings

Problem 1: What challenges along reading comprehension skills emerged

from literature review and observation?

The researchers found out that since 2018 there had already been a problem in

students' ability to read comprehension. As Claessen et al. (2020) coined, reading

difficulties are present in the world. The Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) results from PISA 2018 revealed that reading is among the areas

that fifteen-year-old students in the Philippines scored lower than those in the majority

of the countries and economies that participated in PISA 2018. The country’s average

reading score was 340 points, on a par with that of the Dominican Republic. No country

scored lower than the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. In mathematics and

science, students in the Philippines scored 353 and 357 points, respectively, on par with

their performance in Panama. The Philippines outperformed the Dominican Republic

in mathematics and science.

Among all PISA-participating countries and economies, the Philippines had a

high proportion of low performers. That is, 80% of the Filipino students did not reach

the minimum level of proficiency in reading. Their poor scores in English, mathematics,

and science are attributed to the students’ lack of ability in basic reading and

comprehension.
 31

Additionally, the researchers observed that most of the students within their

community have poor reading comprehension. They tend to not understand what they

read and they have difficulty in answering their modules. Upon checking the modules,

one researcher found out that each module contained a story and it was not quite

difficult to comprehend. The researcher asked the student, who is a relative, to read the

story again and tell what she understood. The students re-read the story. However, when

the researcher asked the student about what the student understood about the story, the

student literally said "I really don't know”. The researcher then tried to help the students

comprehend the story. The researcher thought that the student was the only one who

could not comprehend the story, but one student, a relative, also had the same problem

as the other student. The researchers then concluded that the students have poor reading

comprehension. An article on reading comprehension by the Texas Education Agency

(2017) explained the signs that students are struggling with comprehension. They

explained that the reasons for difficulties in reading comprehension can be unknown to

parents. The underlying cause may be an undiagnosed learning disorder or a child’s

stress that the parent is not aware of. There are some tell-tale signs that a student may

need reading comprehension intervention. First, the student cannot provide a summary

of the reading and may focus on only a small aspect of the entire story. Second, the

student cannot explain what a character’s thoughts or feelings might have been. Third,

the student does not connect the events in a story to events that have happened in real

life. Lastly, the student may be able to tell you what happened in the story but not be

able to say why those things happened. All of these signs were observed by the

researchers from the students.

In addition, Lynch (2020) stated that many students struggle with reading

comprehension, and this can put a serious strain on a child throughout all classroom
 32

subjects. Because learning all academic content requires reading in some form, students

who struggle with reading comprehension often fall far behind their classmates

academically in multiple areas.

Furthermore, the Texas Education Agency (2017) differentiated between poor

readers and good readers. According to the article, in contrast to good readers, most

poor readers do not read strategically. Nor do they have sufficient metacognitive

awareness to develop, select, and apply strategies that can enhance their comprehension

of text.

Typical poor readers rarely prepare before reading. They often begin to read

without setting goals. They seldom consider how best to read a particular type of text.

During reading, poor readers may have difficulty decoding, and so have

difficulty reading the words of their texts accurately. In addition, some poor readers

read too slowly or lack fluency. As a result of their slow, labored reading, they often do

not comprehend much of what they read, and the attention they have to give to figuring

out the words keeps them from understanding the text's message.

All too often, poor readers lack sufficient background knowledge about the

topic of a text. They may have trouble connecting the ideas of a text. They are often not

familiar with the vocabulary they encounter and have trouble determining word

meanings. Further, even when poor readers possess relevant background knowledge,

they frequently are not able to activate it to help them understand what they read.
 33

Some poor readers are also unaware of text organization. They do not know

enough about the organizational structure of narratives or the various organizational

structures of expository texts to help them read and understand.

Poor readers typically do not think about or reflect upon what they have read.

They almost never seek out additional information about a topic.

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

confidence in their ability to read. Because reading is difficult for them, poor readers

cannot and do not read widely. As a result, they are exposed to much less text than those

who are good readers and so receive much less practice in reading. Further, the practice

they do receive is often frustrating because many of the texts they are asked to read are

too difficult for them.

There are many reasons a student may struggle to comprehend what they read.

One of the reasons is that having difficulty with reading comprehension can cause stress

or anxiety about schoolwork, which in turn leads to greater difficulty with reading

comprehension. Individuals who are as intelligent as their peers but have poor reading

skills cannot improve as much as their peers. As per records, all students pass

elementary education. As a corollary, even those who have poor reading ability pass

their classes. They cannot perform reading at the level expected for their grade,

resulting in anxiety and depression throughout their schooling. They are usually

stereotyped as unsuccessful throughout their formal education. This results in adoption

problems in their classes (Bender, 2012).

Another factor is that, according to Tan (2018), the Filipino students who scored

poorly in reading comprehension in the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) in 2018 mostly come from low-income backgrounds where family
 34

and school environments do not motivate growth mindsets. Eighty percent of the

Filipino students, all aged 15 years old, scored below level 2, PISA’s recommended

minimum proficiency level. Of these, 83% came from public schools. “Students

belonging to lower income groups may find academic requirements a burden as they

prioritize work to help their families earn a living”, said Rochelle Irene G. Lucas, Chair

of DLSU’s Department of English and Applied Linguistics, at a webinar where the

results were unveiled. She also added, “to them, reading becomes a task solely

associated with school requirements and considered as just a waste of time and

resources."

Problem 2: What module may be developed to address the challenges?

The students’ experiences with difficulties in reading comprehension served as

a basis for the researchers to develop supplementary learning material for students who

have better reading comprehension skills. Hence, the researchers developed three

modules and used the High Five Strategy to improve the reading comprehension skills

of the students.

In developing the material, the researcher considered the grade level of the

students, which is grade 8. The stories, language use, learning competency, and

activities were aligned for Grade 8 students. The modules consist of the following:

Pretest. This evaluates how much the students comprehended the literary text

without using High Five Strategy.

Posttest. This evaluates how much the students comprehended the literary text

using High Five Strategy.

Brief discussion of High Five Strategy. This is an overview of the activities

that students will undertake in the module.

 35

Stories. The story in module one is "The Tiger's Whisker." "In a Grove" is the

story in Module 2. The story in Module 3 is titled "The Aged Mother."

High Five Strategy. These are the reading comprehension strategies that

students will utilize to improve their reading comprehension skills. These are activating

background knowledge, questioning, analyzing text structure, visualizing, and

summarizing.

Furthermore, the researchers used a constructivist approach in developing the

learning material, taking into account the reasons why students have poor reading

comprehension skills, which were stated above, as a foundation in developing the

learning material.

It was stated above that one factor of having poor reading comprehension is a

low-income background. To address this issue, the researchers made the modules

available in print for the respondents for free.

The researchers chose the High Five Strategy to improve the reading

comprehension skills of the students because they saw it as very helpful. Since one of

the characteristics of a poor reader is the lack of sufficient background knowledge about

the topic of a text, this will be addressed since the first strategy that students will use is

Activating Background Knowledge. Additionally, some poor readers are also unaware

of text organization. In this case, the High Five Strategy has an activity called

"Analyzing Text Structure," which will make the students discover the text's

organization. Moreover, poor readers typically do not think about or reflect upon what

they have read. But with the use of the High Five Strategy, the students will have the

chance to construct questions that can be answered by the teacher, by the parents, or by

the tutor, and to discover more about the text by questioning and answering.
36
37
38
 39

Problem 3: What is the level of validity of the developed module?

Table 1
Validity of the Modules

CRITERIA Mean Descriptive

Rating
1. The content is suitable to the student's level of
development.
4.44 VHS
2. The material contributes to the achievement of specific
objectives of the subject area and grade/year level for
which it is intended.
4.67 VHS
3. The material provides for the development of higher
cognitive skills such as critical thinking, creativity,
learning by doing, inquiry, problem solving, etc.
4.22 VHS
4. The vocabulary level is adapted to the target reader's
likely experience and level of understanding.
4.44 VHS
5. The material fulfills the objectives needed for the
research.
4.33 VHS
6. The material is encoded clearly to avoid the
respondent's misunderstanding.
4.56 VHS
Total 4.44 VHS
Legend: VHS- Very Highly Valid

It can be seen from the table that the overall validity of the first criteria was

rated at 4.44, which is described as very highly valid. Which means that the evaluators

agreed that the content is suitable for the student's level of development. The modules

demonstrate this because the materials were created by the researchers specifically for

grade 8 students. The used stories were for grade 8 students. The researchers took into

account that in developing material, it is important that the content is suitable for the

learners. Arvior (2015) stated that the subject matter or content must be within the

schema of the learners. It should be within their experience. Research also shows that

relevant learning means effective learning, and that alone should be enough to get us

rethinking our lesson plans. Relevant, meaningful activities that both engage students
 40

emotionally and connect with what they already know are what help build neural

connections and long-term memory storage (Briggs 2014).

In criteria 2, the evaluators rated it as 4.67, which is described as very highly

valid. This indicates that the material strongly contributes to the achievement of specific

objectives in the subject area and grade/year level for which it is intended. This is

because the researchers used the learning competencies and objectives for grade 8

students based on the Curriculum Guide designed by DepEd. This is important because

building clear alignment between outcomes, assessment, and practice (as well as clearly

communicating this alignment to students) can build mutual clarity on the learning

journey and lessen students’ anxiety and questions. Additionally, building alignment

between assessment and learning outcomes also allows teachers to develop and

communicate the pathway for students’ learning progression. It enables them to explain

what knowledge and skills were expected on entry to the course and the knowledge and

skills that will be developed throughout the course. As students move through a

program, the sophistication and difficulty of the assessment choices you make should

be increased as you deepen your expectation of student learning and engagement with

the material.

The data shows that in criteria 3, the evaluators agreed that the materials were

provided for the development of higher cognitive skills such as critical thinking,

creativity, learning by doing, inquiry, problem solving, etc., with an overall mean of

4.22, which is described as very highly valid. This is all because the activities of the

High Five strategy in the modules make students develop their higher cognitive skills.

There are activities in the module that will make students think critically, particularly

in the activity "Analyzing Text Structure." Students need to think critically to analyze

the text structure of the stories. Another activity in the module that provides for the
 41

development of higher cognitive skills is questioning, where students will practice self-

questioning during reading. The modules also have an activity where students visualize

some situations from the stories, and they will draw what they visualize, which makes

students develop their creativity. Aside from visualizing, students will summarize the

stories in their own words at the end of the activity.

It is evident from the table that the vocabulary level is indeed adapted to the

target reader's likely experience and level of understanding. It is reflected in the rating

of the evaluators with a mean of 4.44, which is described as very highly valid. The

researchers take the grade level of the students into account before they develop the

modules. Since the researchers know that their respondents are grade 8 students, they

ensure that the vocabulary used is at the same level of understanding as the students.

The researchers did not use any high-sounding words or unfamiliar words, but instead

they used basic vocabulary words. The stories used were also for grade 8 students.

In criteria 5, the mean of 4.33, which is described as very highly valid, shows

that the evaluators agreed that the material fulfills the objectives needed for the

research. The purpose of this study is to give a solution to the problem, which is the

poor reading comprehension skills of students. The researchers developed the modules

utilizing the High Five Strategy to help students improve their reading comprehension

skills. There is a pretest and posttest in every module to determine the level of the

students’ comprehension skills and which answers Problem 4 of this study.

It is shown in the table that in criteria 6, there is a mean of 4.56, which is

described as very highly valid. This means that the evaluators agreed that the material

was encoded clearly to avoid the respondent's misunderstanding. Font choice can

impact the readability of the text. Opt for common, highly readable fonts like Arial,

Tahoma, Verdana, or others and avoid decorative fonts that are difficult to read. Some
 42

font-families are considered more readable than others, with division among those who

prefer sans-serif or serif fonts. A simple web search for the most accessible fonts will

give a selection of suitable fonts. Limit text to one or a few select fonts—having too

many will be distracting for the reader. Although they may seem boring, they are

effective and easy on the eyes. Let’s leave the decorative fonts for the kids. Depending

on the placement of the instructional text, it’s important to consider the font size. If

important instructions are too small and illegible, they might be overlooked by the

reader (Govender & Jaffer 2021). Therefore, the researchers used the font Century

Gothic and a font size of 14. You can see in the modules that it is encoded clearly and

readable. Overall, the data shows that the developed modules' level is very highly valid,

with an overall mean of 4.44.

Problem 4: What is the level of the students’ reading comprehension skills

in each module along the following before and after the use of High Five Strategy?

Table 2
Level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in each module, along with
scanning specific information from literary text, skimming to determine key
ideas, and reading intensively to determine the author’s purpose.

Reading Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

Comprehensio
n Skills Pretest Posttest Pretest Posttest Pretest Posttest
Mean DR Mean DR Mean DR Mean DR Mean DR Mean DR
Scanning 8.3 O 9.4 O 7.03 VS 8.01 O 7.37 VS 9.17 O
specific
information
from the
literary text
Skimming to 8.57 O 9.1 O 9.2 O 9.9 O 7.97 VS 9.3 O
determine the
key ideas
Reading 8.47 O 9.23 O 6.77 VS 8.03 O 7.8 VS 8.9 O
intensively to
determine the
author’s
purpose
Overall 25.33 O 27.73 O 23 VS 26.03 O 23.13 VS 27.4 O
 43

As indicated in the table, the mean score of 8.3 in the pretest under module 1

shows that the level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in scanning specific

information from the literary text is outstanding. It remained outstanding in the posttest,

but the numerical value increased to 9.4.

The mean score of 7.03 in the pretest for module 2 indicates that their reading

comprehension ability in scanning for specific information from the literary text is very

satisfactory. The posttest results, on the other hand, show that the students' ability to

scan specific information from the literary text is outstanding, with a mean score of

8.01.

It is evident that the level of students’ reading comprehension skills in scanning

for specific information from the literary text in module 3 improved from 7.37, which

was very satisfactory in the pretest, to 9.17 in the posttest, which is outstanding.

The results indicate that because of utilizing a module on reading

comprehension skills using the High Five Strategy, the students improved their ability

in scanning specific information from the literary text. In particular, the students were

exposed to activating their background knowledge. Willis (2016) defined prior

knowledge as the knowledge the learner already has before they come across new

information. A learner’s understanding of a text can be improved by activating

their prior knowledge before dealing with the text, and developing this habit is good

learner training for them. It is important to activate students’ prior knowledge. Teachers

do this to help them assess what students may or may not already know about the

content. Through the use of the module, the students answer questions and form

sentences in order to activate their background knowledge. This helps them improve

their ability in scanning because they already have an idea of the content. Since they
 44

already have an idea about the text, they only have to scan the specific information from

the literary text to build new knowledge and better comprehend the text. This only

implies that when students activate their prior knowledge, they tend to improve their

ability in scanning specific information from the literary text.

As seen in the table, the level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in

skimming to determine the key ideas in the pretest is outstanding, with a mean of 8.57.

Though in module 1, it remained outstanding in the posttest, but the numerical value

increased to 9.1, which is also outstanding.

The same is true in module 2, whereas in module 2, the level of the students’

reading comprehension skills in skimming to determine the key ideas is outstanding in

both pretest and posttest. However, the numerical value increased from the mean score

of 9.2 in the pretest to 9.9 in the posttest.

In module 3, there is a difference between the level of the students’ reading

comprehension skills in skimming to determine the key ideas in the pretest and posttest.

Whereas, from 7.37 in the pretest, which is very satisfactory, improved to 9.17 in the

posttest, which is outstanding.

It can be seen in the table, under module 1, that the level of reading

comprehension skills of students in reading intensively to determine the author's

purpose also remained outstanding in pretest and posttest, but the numerical value

increased from 8.47 to 9.23, which are both outstanding.

However, in modules 2 and 3, the results indicate that the level of reading

comprehension skills in reading intensively to determine the author's purpose improved

from very satisfactory to outstanding. With a mean score of 6.77 in the pretest under
 45

module 2, it improved to 8.03 in the posttest. While in module 3, the mean score of 7.8

in the pretest improved to 8.9 in the posttest.

All of these are due to the fact that the High Five Strategy assists students in

improving their reading comprehension skills. Researchers have found that teaching

reading strategies is a key element in developing student comprehension. Reading

strategies help learners interact with written texts and glean more meaning from them,

and teaching students these skills can be helpful for learners to reach a higher level of

reading comprehension (Matsumoto et al, 2013; Qanwal & Karim, 2014; Cho & Ma

2020). Skilled readers use a variety of active reading strategies to help them make

meaning from a text (Monterey Peninsula College). Since students are more involved

and more engaged in the material when they practice the High Five strategy, which

consists of five strategies, they are able to comprehend the literary texts, thus, they are

called skilled readers.

The overall mean score in module 1 is 25.33, which is outstanding in the pretest

and remained outstanding at 27.73 in the posttest. But the numerical value

increased. While in module 2, the overall mean score of 23 in the pretest shows a very

satisfactory level and it improved to 26.03, which is outstanding. Lastly, the data

indicates that in module 3, students' level of reading comprehension skills in the pretest

is 23.13, which is very satisfactory, and outstanding in the posttest with a mean score

of 27.4.

It can be seen in the table that in module one, the consistency of the level of the

students in their reading comprehension skills and the overall, which is outstanding in

pretest and posttest, can be attributed to the various types of tests. Some students are

good at essays, while others are not, and some students are good at multiple choice or
 46

matching tests, while others are not. Additionally, the variety of learning styles and

intelligences that the students possessed may have affected the results. Moreover, one

factor could also be who the author was. Since the modules were created by the

researchers, one researcher focused on developing the module one. This could explain

why students perform well on the pretest because the instruments used are likely easier

than those used in the other modules. However, even though module one is much easier

than the other modules, some students still got low scores, and no one got it perfect.

This only means that it is a great idea that the researchers used the strategy because,

based on the results, the students' scores increased in the posttest in module one.

Nonetheless, the High Five strategy through a modular approach helps the

students learn in their own way and enhance their reading comprehension skills. They

are given the opportunity to express their thoughts just by doing the activities of the

High Five Strategy. There was some doubt that implementing the High Five Strategy

would be ineffective in a modular approach, but this study proved otherwise. This is

supported by the results of this study. For most of the working-class students, going

back to the classroom is rather intimidating. Asking questions about a hard concept

about a given topic can also be embarrassing for shy students. But that is not the case

with modular learning. A disciplined and self-motivated student can learn at his or her

own pace. Moreover, not only did they learn, but they also had fun taking the module

without any pressure and competition. A great way to give students meaningful

opportunities to apply their learning and lower their affective filter is to make learning

fun. When teachers use activities that make learning engaging and fun, students are

more willing to participate and take risks. Having fun while learning also helps students

retain information better because the process is enjoyable and memorable (American

English 2016).
 47

The researchers also append that the use of High Five Strategy makes the

students more engaged in different strategies and grasp the lesson. Because the students

will take different activities that correspond to High Five Strategy, they are more

engaged in the process of learning and thus they are able to comprehend the lessons

effectively.

In the review of literature, it was determined that students who used reading

strategies while reading demonstrated strong reading comprehension skills often

performed better on comprehension texts, getting high comprehension scores. In this

study, the results mirrored this statement. After completing a pretest, students were

given a strategy to practice and use, which is the High Five strategy, then they took the

posttest. The results showed an increase in students reading comprehension skills such

as, in scanning specific information from the literary text, skimming to determine the

key ideas, and reading intensively to determine author’s purpose, which was indicated

by higher posttest scores for almost all of the students. There were no students’ reading

comprehension skills levels that diminished during the study from module 1 to 3.

The students enhanced their reading comprehension skills because they first

activated their background knowledge. According to Starke 2021, when readers have a

wealth of previous life experiences or have gained information about a specific topic or

content area, their reading comprehension level is automatically increased. When a

student already has the background knowledge to support a full understanding of the

presented text, their level of comprehension expands. These students are able to easily

analyze and interpret, explain their perspective, infer and summarize the text simply

because they feel more confident in the subject matter. The more information a student

has on a topic, the easier it is for the student to read, recall, and understand the

text. Background knowledge helps students of all ages and reading levels fully
 48

understand text. When students activate their prior knowledge, their reading

comprehension grows.

In addition, while reading, students were given the opportunity to ask

questions. This also assists students in improving their reading comprehension skills.

Questioning is a strategy that readers use to engage with the text. Questioning

techniques help the reader to clarify and comprehend what he is reading. The ability to

monitor one's own reading comprehension is a critical skill for deriving meaning from

text. Self-questioning during reading is a strategy that enables students to monitor their

reading comprehension and increases their ability to learn independently. Self-

questioning strategies are effective for improving reading comprehension performance

across a range of diverse learners and across various educational settings (Joseph, et al

2016).

Moreover, the students analyzed the text organization or structure of the literary

text which is one factor in improving their reading comprehension skills. When readers

identify and recognize the text structure of a text, this can significantly improve their

comprehension and retention of information (Findley 2020). Additionally,

understanding the text structure can help students to organize information and details

they are learning in their minds while reading; make connections between the details

being presented in a text; and summarize the important details shared in a text.

Moreover, readers who can identify the structure of a text are better able to locate the

information they need for successful comprehension (Williams 2017). Apart from

analyzing text structure, students improved their reading comprehension skills by

visualizing what they read. Understanding text structures is an important reading skill

because it aids comprehension of informational texts (Yardley 2014). Additionally,

aside from analyzing text structure, students also visualize what they read, which is why
 49

they also improve their reading comprehension. Visualization is also one of the

comprehension strategies that was found to improve reading comprehension (Shanahan

2021). Moreover, based on the study of Dimensi, using visualization strategies

improved students’ reading comprehension in Grade 8.

Furthermore, students' practice of the summary has proven effective for

improving students’ reading comprehension in this study. Research shows that the

ability to summarize a text can enhance comprehension. The same result from the

research findings of Nurhayati & Fitriana shows that there is a significant influence of

using summarization techniques for reading comprehension on students in the second

year.

The researchers found out that the High Five Strategy has more effect in

improving students’ reading comprehension ability, particularly in scanning specific

information from the literary text, skimming to determine key ideas, and reading

intensively to determine author’s purpose. This means that the High Five Strategy

through Modular Approach has improved the students' reading comprehension skills.
 50

Chapter V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the study, the conclusions made, and the

recommendations the research is forwarding.

SUMMARY

This study was undertaken to develop modules using the High Five Strategy

and utilize it to determine the level of the Grade 8 students’ reading comprehension

skills in every module, particularly in scanning specific information from the literary

text, skimming to determine the key ideas, and reading intensively to determine the

author’s purpose during the school year 2021–2022.

Findings

Based on the data gathered, the researchers have the following findings;

1. Through observation and literature review, the researchers found out that most

students have poor reading comprehension skills.

2. Three modules utilizing the High Five Strategy were developed by the researchers to

help students improve their reading comprehension skills.

3. The evaluators rated the developed modules with an overall mean score of 4.44,

which is described as very highly valid.

4. The level of the students' reading comprehension skills in scanning specific

information from the literary text in Module 1 is both outstanding in pretest and posttest.

It remained outstanding, but the numerical value increased from 8.3 in the pretest to 9.4

in the posttest.
 51

5. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in scanning specific

information from the literary text in Module 2 is very satisfactory in the pretest with a

mean score of 7.03, and outstanding in the posttest with a mean score of 8.01.

6. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in scanning specific

information from the literary text in Module 3 enhanced from 7.13, which is very

satisfactory in the pretest, to 9.17, which is outstanding in the posttest.

7. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in skimming to determine

the key ideas in Module 1 is both outstanding in pretest and posttest. But the numerical

value increased from the mean score of 8.57 in pretest to a mean score of 9.4 in posttest.

8. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in skimming to determine

the key ideas in Module 2 remained outstanding in the posttest. But the numerical value

also increased in the posttest. From 9.2 in pretest to 9.9 in posttest.

9. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in skimming to determine

the key ideas in Module 3 improved fro. 7.97 in pretest, which is described as very

satisfactory to 9.3 in posttest, which is outstanding.

10. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in reading intensively to

determine the author’s purpose in Module 1 retained the outstanding level. However,

the numerical value increased from 8.47 in pretest to 9.23 in posttest.

11. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in reading intensively to

determine the author’s purpose in Module 2 improved from very satisfactory with a

mean score of 6.77 to outstanding in posttest with a mean score of 8.03.

 52

12. The level of the students’ reading comprehension skills in reading intensively to

determine the author’s purpose in Module 3 improved from 7.8 in the pretest, which is

very satisfactory, to 8.9 in posttest which is outstanding.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results obtained in this study, the researchers concluded that

utilizing modules using the High Five Strategy has a positive effect on the reading

comprehension of the Grade 8 students, particularly in scanning specific information

from the literary text, skimming to determine key ideas, and reading intensively to

determine author's purpose.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The researchers recommend the following:

1. Teachers should use the High Five Strategy frequently to improve the reading

comprehension skills of students.

2. The module should undergo an in-depth evaluation considering the DepEd

validation tool for printed material.

3. Further studies in module development with the incorporation of High Five

Strategy.

4. Lastly, similar research should be conducted about the integration of High Five

Strategies in a traditional learning approach which is the face-to-face classes to

assess the effectiveness of the strategy.

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APPENDICES
 54

APPENDIX A
LETTER FOR VALIDATION OF THE MODULES

Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES
Tamag, Vigan City
2700 Ilocos Sur

College of Teacher Education

Website: www.unp.edu.ph Mail: deanct@yahoo.com
Tel. # (077) 674-0789

06 August 2021

__________________

__________________

__________________

_______________:

Greetings of peace!

We are presently conducting an action research study entitled, “EFFECT OF HIGH

FIVE STRATEGY ON THE READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS OF
STUDENTS THROUGH MODULAR APPROACH”.

It is for this reason that we would like to request your kindness to please validate the
attached researcher-made test and modules.

We know fully your expertise in English teaching for which we are confident that you
are the best person who could assist us in this construct validity of the instrument. We
will be very grateful if you could give us back the research instrument and the result of
the evaluation as soon as possible.

We look forward to your appropriate action on this request. God bless and thank you
very much!

Respectfully yours,

(SGD) MOHAMERA M. PAPANDAYAN

(SGD) SHANE JOYCE F. QUINTAL
(SGD) SHANE S. SADIRI

Noted:

(SGD) JOSE P. PICHAY, EdD

Research Adviser
 55

APPENDIX B
VALIDITY SHEETS

Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES
Tamag, Vigan City
2700 Ilocos Sur

College of Teacher Education

Website: www.unp.edu.ph Mail: deanct@yahoo.com
Tel. # (077) 674-0789

Name of the Validator:______________________

Number of Years in the Professional Field:_____

Highest Education Attainment:______________

Instructions: Examine the material carefully and for the criterion consider the extent to which
the resource meets the criteria. Check the appropriate number [with 5 being Very Highly
Validity; 4 - Highly Valid; 3 – Moderately Valid; 2 – Poorly Valid; and 1 – Very Poorly Valid].
For a rating below 3, write your comments/justifications on each evaluation criterion.

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2 1
1. The content is suitable to the student's
level of development.

2. The material contributes to the

achievement of specific objectives of the
subject area and grade/year level for which
it is intended.

3. The material provides for the

development of higher cognitive skills such
as critical thinking, creativity, learning by
doing, inquiry, problem solving, etc.

4. The vocabulary level is adapted to target

reader's likely experience and level of
understanding

5. The material fulfills the objectives needed

for the research.

6. The material is encoded clearly to avoid

the respondent's misunderstanding.

COMMENTS:
_______________________________________
Signature of the Validator Over printed Name
 56

APPENDIX C
ANSWER KEY AND RUBRICS

(MODULE 1)

PRETEST
I. II.
1. C
1. D
2. D
2. F
3. B
3. E
4. D
4. A
5. D
5. C
6. D
6. I
7. A
7. J
8. C
8. H
9. D
9. G
10. D
10. B

III. ESSAY 5pts

POSTTEST
I. II.
1. F 11. A
2. J 12. A
3. G 13. D
4. C 14. C
5. H 15. C
6. A 16. A
7. D 17. D
8. H 18. B
9. B 19. C
10. I 20. A

III. ESSAY 10pts

(MODULE 2)
Pretest

Think and Embed

1st photo a) Cheating is a choice
b) Loyalty this day is rare
nd
2 photo a) Death is inevitable
b) It’s okay to mourn because we lost someone
 57

Mastering the Skill Through Matching Type

1. C
2. A
3. I
4. B
5. G
6. J
7. F
8. D
9. H
10. F

Mind Meister. 10pts

POST TEST
Think and Embed
1st photo a) Never give your trust so easily.
b) Always see the intentions of the other people, not you see is true
nd
2 photo a) Death is always something we should be ready of.
b) We should always see the good in endings.

Mastering the Skill Through Matching Type

1. I
2. C
3. A
4. G
5. D
6. K
7. B
8. F
9. J
10. E
Mind Meister. 10pts
(MODULE 3)
Pretest
Test 1:
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. D
8. C
9. A
 58

10. C
Identification:

1. The despotic leader/the Governor

2. The farmer
3. The Aged mother
4. Aged mother to his son
5. The son/ the Farmer
6. The Aged mother to his son
7. The son/ the Farmer
8. The despotic leader/the Governor
9. The despotic leader/the Governor
10. The despotic leader/the Governor
Parajumbles:
• Once in Shining, a cruel ruler declared that all old people must be put to death.
• A farmer decided to leave his old mother on the top of a mountain.
• The mother dropped the small twigs as markers on the way to help her son to
return.
• When the farmer bade farewell, she advised him to return home with the aid of
twigs.
• The son made up his mind to take back his mother home.
• Filled with dread, he hid his mother in his home.
• Using the clever idea of his mother, the farmer made a rope of ashes.
• The governor realized his mistake and abolished the law.

Posttest
Test 1:
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. D
Identification:

1. The despotic leader/the Governor

2. The son/ the Farmer
3. The despotic leader/the Governor
4. The Aged mother
5. The Aged mother to his son
6. The despotic leader/the Governor
 59

7. The Aged mother to his son

8. The despotic leader/the Governor
9. The son/ the Farmer
10. The son/ the Farmer

Parajumbles:
• Once in Shining, a cruel ruler declared that all old people must be put to death.
• The farmer decided to leave his old mother on the top of a mountain.
• The mother dropped the small twigs as markers on the way to help her son to
return.
• When the farmer bade farewell, she advised him to return home with the aid of
twigs.
• The son made up his mind to take back his mother home.
• He felt alarmed and panicked, he hid his mother in his home.
• Using the clever idea of his mother, the farmer made a rope of ashes.
• The governor realized his mistake and abolished the law.
 60

APPENDIX D
DOCUMENTATION

(Zone 3, Bantay, Ilocos Sur)

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62
63
64
65
66
 67

(Pantay Tamurong, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur)

68
69
 70

(Brgy. 6 Araniw, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte)

71
 72

CURRICULUM
VITAE
 73

APPENDIX E
CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Information:

Name: MOHAMERA MAMA PAPANDAYAN

Address: Zone 3, Bantay, Ilocos Sur
Birthday: March 09, 2001
Father: Rasul Mamintung Papandayan
Mother: Sanairah Mama Papandayan
Religion: Islam
Email: mohamerapapandayan@gmail.com

Educational Background:

Tertiary: University of Northern Philippines 2022

Tamag, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Bachelor in Secondary Education
Major: English

SHS: University of Northern Philippines 2018

Tamag, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Accountancy and Business Management (ABM)
With Honors

JHS: Ilocos Sur National High School 2016

Gomez St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Elementary: Balaleng Elementary School 2012

Balaleng, Bantay, Ilocos Sur
 74

CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Information:

Name: SHANE JOYCE FRIAL QUINTAL

Address: Pantay,Tamurong,Caoayan,Ilocos Sur
Birthday: March 23,2000
Father: Manolo Quintal Jr.
Mother: Myrna Quintal
Religion: Roman Catholic
Email: shanequintal23@gmail.com

Educational Background:

Tertiary: University of Northern Philippines 2022

Tamag, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Bachelor in Secondary Education
Major: English

SHS: Ilocos Sur National High School 2018

Gomez St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

JHS: Ilocos Sur National High School 2016

Gomez St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Elementary: Pantay Tamurong Elementary School 2012

Pantay Tamurong, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur
 75

CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Information:

Name: SHANE RIODIL SADIRI

Address: Brgy. 36 Araniw, Laoag City
Birthday: September 01, 1999
Father: Marvin S. Sadiri
Mother: Shirley R. Sadiri
Religion: Roman Catholic
Email: sadirishane5@gmail.com

Educational Background:

Tertiary: University of Northern Philippines 2022

Tamag, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Bachelor in Secondary Education
Major: English

SHS: Northern Christian College 2018

Brgy. 5 Mabini Street, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

JHS: Northern Christian College 2016

Brgy. 5 Mabini St, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Elementary: Cavit-Araniw Elementary School 2012

Brgy. 43 Cavit, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte