Research Title: Strength and Weaknesses of Grade-10 Special Class Students of ISNHS on

Reading Comprehension S.Y. 2021-2022

Chapter I: Introduction

Background of the Study

Reading and comprehension are essential skills a student can possess. It has many

advantages that enhance life in several ways. Prior research shows that reading helps in mental

development, and enhances the knowledge acquired consistently (Van, 2009). Knowing what

you're reading is not the same as understanding what you're reading, thus comprehension is the

understanding and interpretation of what is read. It is significant in reading comprehension that

we must fully understand the context of the text we are reading. Reading Comprehension is an

important aspect of education as it is one of the most important English proficiency skills

(Kusumawanti & Bharati, 2018) that determines a student's overall learning success in varied

activities. The ability to comprehend helps with the academic performance of students. Good

reading comprehension skills are crucial for understanding text and play a pivotal role in

academic, social, and economic success (Oakhill, Cain, & Elbro, 2015; Rapp, van den Broek,

McMaster, Kendeou, & Espin, 2007). However, reading comprehension is a complex skill,

requiring both fluent decoding abilities and good language proficiency (Gough & Tunmer, 1986;

Scarborough, 2001), both of which need to be promoted through instruction (Bus & van

IJzendoorn, 1999; Oakhill et al., 2015).

It is a common observation that Filipinos have poor performance on reading

comprehension despite a literacy rate of 93.4%, according to the report of the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP). In a study conducted by the Programme for International

comprehension among 79 participating countries and economies. It was also shown in the

report that 15-year old students from Manila participated in the test and that the Philippines had

an average score of 340 on reading, 100 points less than the OECD average (487). Moreover,

based on the results of the research conducted by Imam, Mastura, Jamil, and Ismail (2014)

where they utilized Callahan and Clark's (1988) concept on reading comprehension consisting

of six elements, it can be concluded that the 666 first-year student-respondents performed at

the level of near mastery in two reading skills: getting the main idea (51.23%) and making

inference (51.37%); and low mastery in four reading skills: understanding vocabulary in context

(48.88%), noting details (49.09%) predicting outcome (46.42%), and drawing a conclusion

(40.79%). The results from the survey show that students exhibit low mastery in skills such as

vocabulary and noting details that are considered to be the first level or the easiest reading skill

by Callahan and Clark (1998). Furthermore, the majority of the students (59.0%) who took the

survey had a low mastery level in reading comprehension skills with an MPS of 47.37 which is

equivalent to a failing mark according to the DepEd grading system. The National Achievement

Test (NAT) states that the overall performance of the students has yet to meet the DepEd

national target of 75% MPS. Cates-Darnell (2002) states that the three key factors that affect

students' reading comprehension are the teachers’ tactics on teaching comprehension

strategies, productive support structures, and the efficacy of the specific comprehension

strategies taught. Cates-Darnell (2002) further states that when a balance among these three

factors is demonstrated, there exists an increased opportunity for students to make meaningful

connections with increasingly complex text. When these three factors are integrated into the

classroom, students gain the necessary knowledge to help them successfully approach the

complexities of written texts.

is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and experiences they must have if they are to

become competent and enthusiastic readers. With the current worldwide pandemic brought

about by the deadly coronavirus, almost every aspect of living has been affected greatly, the

educational system included. The mode of learning also changed, unlike the traditional

classroom setting where a teacher moderates and regulates the flow of information and

knowledge to students, modular distance learning involves more on reading instructional and

educational materials and self-studying the given materials.

It is for this reason that the researchers aim to determine the strengths and

weaknesses of the Grade-10 Special Classes of Ilocos Sur National Highschool (ISNHS), as

well as to identify the factors that affect the students' comprehending abilities using Callahan

and Clark’s concept on reading comprehension. The researchers believe that this study is

significant with the current set-up in the Modular Learning of Ilocos Sur National High School. In

identifying the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the factors that affect the reading

comprehension of students, the researchers will be able to provide solutions for English

teachers and students, as well as to provide data for further research.

Statement of the Problem

This study was conducted to determine the strengths and weaknesses of Grade 10

Special Class Students on reading comprehension for the Academic year 2021-2022, of Ilocos

Sur National Highschool of the city of Vigan. Specifically, the researchers seek to answer the

following questions:

1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Grade-10 Special Class Students of

Ilocos Sur National Highschool in reading comprehension?

Grade-10 Special Class Students?

3. What are the difficult factors that the students encountered in reading

comprehension?

4. What is the level of difficulty of the students in reading comprehension in terms of:

4.1. Getting the main idea

4.2. Formulating Inference

4.3. Understanding Vocabulary in Context

4.4. Noting details

4.5. Predicting Outcome

4.6. Drawing a Conclusion

Scope and delimitations of the study

This study will be conducted during the academic year 2021-2022 at Ilocos Sur National

Highschool, Vigan City. The study limits its coverage to 80 of the fourth-year Special Class

students, which will be used as the sample for the study. The main purpose of this research is to

determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Grade10 Special Classes of Ilocos Sur National

Highschool (ISNHS) on reading comprehension, as well as to identify the factors that affect the

students comprehending abilities using Callahan and Clark’s (1988) concept on reading

comprehension consisting of six elements which are: Getting the main idea, formulating

inferences, understanding vocabulary in context, noting details, predicting outcome and drawing
a conclusion. The researchers will be using a survey or questionnaire thoroughly checked and

approved by English teachers or majors that consists of passages or questions that test the

reading skills of a student to determine the strengths and weaknesses of reading

comprehension. The survey and/or questionnaire will contain the same passages and questions

and will be distributed online, it will be answered by the student in a limited time in the comfort of

their own homes.

Operational Definition of Terms

Reading Comprehension. It refers to the ability to process text, understand its

meaning, and integrate with what the reader already knows.

Reading Skills. It refers to the abilities that pertain to a person's capacity to read,
comprehend, interpret and decode texts.

Difficulty. It refers to a thing that is hard to accomplish, deal with, or understand.

Strength. It refers to where students excel on reading comprehension in terms of:

• Getting the main idea

• Formulating Inference

• Understanding Vocabulary in Context

• Noting details

• Predicting Outcome
 • Drawing a Conclusion

Weakness. It refers to where the students lack reading comprehension in terms of:

• Getting the main idea

• Formulating Inference

• Understanding Vocabulary in Context

• Noting details

• Predicting Outcome

• Drawing a Conclusion

Mastery. It refers to the display of great knowledge or skill in reading comprehension.

Mode of Learning. It refers to the set of guidelines that describe the methods

humans use to acquire, process, and maintain knowledge.

Modular Learning. It refers to a form of distance learning that employs the use of

self-learning modules; it is the current basis for education in many schools nationwide, including

Ilocos Sur National Highschool (ISNHS).

Academic Performance. It refers to the measurement of student achievement across

various academic subjects.

provided with additional subjects depending on which specialization (Science or Mathematics).

Significance of the study

This study will be undertaken to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Grade 10

Special Class Students of ISNHS on Reading Comprehension for the reason that Reading

Comprehension is an important aspect of education as it is one of the most important English

proficiency skills (Kusumawanti & Bharati, 2018) that determines a student's overall learning

success in varied activities. With the existing set-up of learning in Ilocos Sur National

Highschool, the researchers believe that this study will redound to the benefit of both learners

and teachers. The findings of this study will provide data for further research by identifying the

strengths and weaknesses of the students in reading comprehension, as well as the factors that

affect students' reading comprehension abilities. Thus, the teacher and students alike can

benefit from the conducted study; students will be able to improve their academic performance

with improved skills in reading comprehension, and teachers can take a different approach in

teaching reading comprehension.

Chapter III: Methodology

design, respondents of the study, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument,

data gathering procedure, as well as the analysis of data.

This study is designed as a quantitative study and will be conducted to determine the

strengths and weaknesses of the Grade 10 Special Classes of Ilocos Sur National Highschool

(ISNHS) on reading comprehension, as well as to identify the factors that affect the students

comprehending abilities using Callahan and Clark’s (1988) concept on reading comprehension.

The findings of this study will benefit both students and teachers as students’ academic

performance will be improved through teachers' different approaches in teaching reading

comprehension to improve students' comprehension abilities.

A minimum of eighty (80) selected Grade 10 Special Class students from Ilocos Sur

National Highschool (ISNHS) will be used for this study. These students will be coming from the

classes of Marconi, Maxwell, Markov, and Martinelli which are also identified through the

method of randomization.

The survey will contain passages and/or questions that cover Callahan and Clark’s

(1988) concept on reading comprehension that consists of six elements and will be approved by

Ilocos Sur National Highschool’s (ISNHS) English teacher/s. The survey will be created using

Google forms and will be sent online through social media platforms; the participants will have

to answer it within the allotted time (60 minutes). Confidentiality and anonymity of the

participants will be ensured and practiced during data-gathering.