READING COMPREHENSION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH

CLASS OF GRADE 11 HUMSS STUDENTS IN DAVAO WINCHESTER

COLLEGES INC.

CHAPTER 1
PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

In the English teaching and learning process, there are four skills that are
identified as very important; listening, speaking, reading and writing (Brown, 2016).
High school students are the last stage of a student before entering the College and
University live and at this stage the level of understanding English is around
Intermediate to advanced level. The ability to read 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 also enable people to be successful in academics (Iftanti, 2015). A current
study showed that the better the reading skills students have, the better students in
achieving knowledge (Akbaşl𝚤, Şahin, &Yaykiran, 2016).

In Indonesia, the government has considered English language as the most

important foreign language and the compulsory foreign language subject that must
be learnt by students from elementary school until university level. This country are
still less than those of neighboring countries; Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
Darussalam. This factor has greatly influenced every individual especially on their
attitudes toward reading comprehension. Therefore research that aims to identify the
problems that exist in the learning process of reading comprehension English texts
by high school students needs to be done, weighing their importance at this time
where Indonesia is among the lowest ranked countries in literacy (Murak,2018).

In the Philippines, According to the results of the PISA 2018 reading test, the
Philippines received the lowest score among the 79 countries and economies that
took part in the study. In addition, more than 80% of students did not achieve the
bare minimum level of reading ability in English matters represent in one of the
highest proportions of low performers among all PISA-participating countries and
economies. Despite the fact that the PISA 2018 results were unsatisfactory, DepEd
sees this as an opportunity for further improvement and evaluation of the current
standing of Filipino learners. Moreover, the schools in the Northern District of Nueva
Vizcaya, it clearly shows that any or another educational effort of all levels that was
not associated with the development of reading skills moreover. It is also known in
fact that tributes to the students that their academic performance is poor and lack of
reading skills. Cayubits study (2019) where he mentioned that poor reading skill is
manifested with poor comprehension, wrong pronunciations, among others.

Reading comprehension itself is an advanced level of reading and / or reading

skills. At least there are two levels of reading; the initial level and level of reading
comprehension. The initial level is teaching reading where the teacher introduces to
students orthographic writing in separate alphabetical order. Reading comprehension
on literal, inferential, and evaluative aspects involved several components that
assessed different facets of reading proficiency. 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, Cain, &Elbro, 2015).

According to Klingner, Vaughn and Broadman (2016), Reading

Comprehension is the process of interaction between readers and what they bring to
the text, such as their prior knowledge or background and use of strategies. This
process also includes variables related to the text, such as readers’ interest in the
text and their understanding of the text genre. This means that what the reader
learns and how they respond and understand the text is individualistic. The process
of building meaning depends on individual competencies, such as experience and
how to interpret the text.

Moreover, “Reading can be explained as cognitive activity in which reader’s

takes part in a convention with the author through text.” In reading the readers can
get the main idea of what author’s message on the text. It is very important for us to
learn the technique on how to read most especially reading comprehension in order
to reach or to improve the level of proficiency most especially to improve academic
performance in English (Cullinan in 2017).

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine if there is a significant relationship between

Reading Comprehension and Academic Performance in English class of Grade 11

HUMSS Students in Davao Winchester, Colleges, Inc. Specifically, this study deals

with the following:

1. What is the profile of Senior High School students in Reading Comprehension

and Academic Performance in English class of Grade 11 HUMSS Students in

Davao Winchester, Colleges, and Inc.

1.1 gender;

1.2 age; and,

1.3 grade level?

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

1.1Literal;

1.2 Inferential;

1.3 Evaluative?

3. What is the level of academic performance in English class of Grade 11

HUMSS students in Davao Winchester Colleges and Inc.?

4. Is there a significant relationship between Reading Comprehension and

Academic Performance in English class of Grade 11 HUMSS Students in Davao

Winchester, Colleges, and Inc.

Null Hypothesis

1. There is no significant relationship between Reading Comprehension and

Academic Performance in English class of Grade 11 HUMSS Students in

Davao Winchester, Colleges, and Inc.

Significance of the Study

The finding accumulated by this study may provide significant benefits to the

following groups or individual:

Students. This study helps the students improving their reading comprehension and

to have a better academic performance in English class and to prepare themselves

to be a better researcher in helping our society.

Parents. The knowledge of this study gives vital information for the parents to guide

their student's in developing their reading comprehension in English class.

Teachers. It helps the teachers to know for the students enhance their reading

materials, and also it can help the researchers to know where they can priorities in

teaching students.

School. This study may give ideas and help the school to determine the

effectiveness and discover possible and useful strategies to overcome issues on

their reading comprehension preferences. In addition, the results may provide

possible ways on how to strengthen the academic performance in English class.

Future Researchers. This research serves as guide for the next researcher for their

future study. It will improve their ideas and knowledge and help them more discover

more about this matter.

Definition of terms

The following terms are defined conceptually and operationally.

Reading comprehension. Conceptually, according to King and Stanley cited

in Putra is an active process of exploring and getting the information of the text and

knowing the capability to construct the meaning of written text in process of applying

some aspects of reading comprehension while reading it. Operationally, it has a big

impact to the students to their reading comprehension if learners are exposed to the

readers that could help the readers to enhance the high level of reading

comprehension. The students are given by their teacher different academic text for

them to enhance their reading skills because the academic text is a high-level text, it

is not the same with the other text which the children read.

Literal Comprehension. Conceptually, according to Muayanah it referred to

understand the direct meaning, such as understanding facts, vocabulary, locations,

times, dates, and many more. Questions from this category could be answered

explicitly based on the provided content. Operationally, a literal comprehension is the

indicator of the independent variable that presented to a learner basic information in

a text that can be directly found.

Inferential Comprehension. Conceptually, according to Muayanah involves

determining what the text means. Determining inferential meaning requires you to
think about the text and draw a conclusion. Operationally, an inferential

comprehension is the indicator of the independent variable that presented to a

learner then used to determine deeper meaning that is not explicitly stated.

Evaluative Comprehension. Conceptually, according to Muayanah that it

involves analyzing and weighing an event or an author’s intent, opinion, language,

and style of presentation. It also includes evaluating the appropriateness of the

author’s devices in achieving his aim and then making inferences based on the fact

or idea implied in the event or reading material. Operationally, an evaluative

comprehension is the indicator of the independent variable that presented to a

learners comprehension that requires a deeper understanding of the topic or event in

a texts.

Academic Performance in English. Conceptually, according to Borase

refers to a student’s performance in academic areas such as reading, language arts,

math, science and history as measured by achievement tests. English academic

achievement occupies a very important place in education as well as in the learning

process. Operationally, this refers to the represents performance or specific

outcomes in 1st quarter grades in English subject especially in reading

comprehension processes indicating the extent to which a person has accomplished

specific goals which were speaking, reading, writing and listening in the Grade 11

students in Davao Winchester Colleges, and Inc.

First Grading Grade in English. Conceptually, in Department of Education,

learners’ English grade is the calculated performance of pupils in English based on

their reading performance tasks. Operationally, the first grading Grade is the
indicator of the dependent variable of the study and will be gathered through the

learners’ respective advisers.

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related legal basis, review of related literature,

review of related studies, and conceptual framework of the study. The primary goal

of this quantitative research study is to analyze the Proficiency Level of Reading

Comprehension and English Academic Performance of Grade 11 Students in Davao

Winchester, Colleges, and Incorporated.

Legal Basis

R.A. 9155 is an act instituting a frame work of governance for basic education,

establishing authority and accountability, renaming the Department of Education,

Culture and Sports as the Department of Education and for other purposes. The Act

is known as "Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001." During the assembly the

declaration of policy of the state to protect and promote the right of all citizens to

quality basic education and to make such education accessible to all Filipino children

a free and compulsory education in the elementary level and free education in the

high school level was made. The goal of basic education is to provide students and

learners with skills, knowledge and values they need to become caring, self-reliant,

productive and patriotic citizens. Governance of basic education shall begin at the

national level; it is at the regions, divisions, schools and learning centers. Moreover,
Act No. 74 of 1901 enacted into law by the Philippine Commission, the Act created

the Department of Public Instruction, laid the foundations of the public school system

in the Philippines, provided for the establishment of the Philippine Normal School in

Manila and made English as the medium of instruction.

To achieve the purpose stated above, the state shall encourage local

initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. The state shall ensure that the

values, needs and aspirations of a school community are reflected in the program of

education for the children, out-of-school youth and adult learners. Schools and

learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the

learners they serve.

In the Philippines, the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher

Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

(TESDA) fully support the policies sought to be established herein and have

favorably endorsed the issuance of this Executive Order No. 210, establishing the

policy to strengthen the use of the English language as a medium of instruction in

the educational system. In addition, it shall evaluate the proficiency of educators in

the English language and conduct training programs nationwide to develop and

improve it. Understanding depends on the ability of the reader to draw meaning from

printed words to interpret information correctly in English section. This understanding

can include text variables, such as vocabulary, syntax, and grammar and reader

variables, such as background knowledge, cognitive development, and use of

strategies, interests and goals.

Related Literatures

Reading Comprehension
 Reading comprehension is widely recognized as a crucial indicator of

education and plays a significant role in an individual's overall development. It serves

as a mental exercise and a gateway to deeper understanding of the world around us

(Martins, 2016). Fundamental skills required in efficient reading comprehension

know meaning of words, ability to understand meaning of a word from discourse

context, ability to follow organizations of passage and to identify antecedents and

references in its ability to draw inferences from a passage about its contents, ability

to identify the main thought of a passage, ability to answer questions. In other words,

reading refers to how meaning is constructed utilizing reader’s background

information, the information from the text and contextual clues (Wixson, Peters,

Weber, & Roeber, 2016). The Reading Comprehension is anchored to Barrett

Taxonomy theory of reading comprehension skills that has been widely utilize by

basal series. This system describes three levels of questioning and cognitive

understanding: Literal, Inferential and Evaluative (Muayanah, 2018). In addition, this

study is also anchored based on cognitive theory of Jean Piaget this theory asserts

that the way people behave is a product of the information they gather externally and

the way they interpret that information internally. There are two main approaches.

The three degrees of reading comprehension are as follows. There are three types

of interpretation: literal (reading between the lines), inferential, and evaluative

(reading beyond the lines). The texts are read, the words are heard, or the pictures

are seen at the literal level. It entails determining the crucial and vital facts. Students

are capable of differentiating between ideas that are crucial and those that are not.

On the other hand, at the inferential level, the emphasis switches to reading between

the lines and examining the implications of the information being studied, (Berger,

2019). Moreover, familiarity with text structures and the demands of texts from
different genres, such as narrative and informational texts that utilize different text

structures, are also useful in supporting reading comprehension (Gersten Fuchs,

Williams, & Baker, 2015).

Through consistent reading, one can expand other cognitive capacities and

develop imagination. In globalized world, reading English is essential in preparing

learners to study, work, and live in diverse contexts (Grabe & Stoller, 2019). Dechant

(2015) claims that effective reading is the most essential approach of efficient

learning as the unity in the entire teaching and learning process demands effective

reading. As Francis Bacon famously stated, "Reading maketh a full man" (2015),

highlighting the profound impact of reading on knowledge acquisition and the

development of cooperative and language skills. According to Martins (2016) cited

by Henriques and Madeira (2017), mastering written language, encompassing both

reading and writing, represents a critical milestone for children during the early years

of secondary education. The purpose of reading comprehension is to relate new

information with the previous knowledge and expand the knowledge. English

language teachers do plays significant role in creating an environment for students

where students can learn more and improve their performance in reading

comprehension skills. They should teach students reading strategies and encourage

them to read and have them practice reading comprehension through exercises that

will ultimately help them enhance their reading comprehension (Muliawati; 2017).

Literal Comprehension

The Literal Comprehension is the first level of comprehension, requires that a

student be able to extract information that is explicitly stated in a passage (Carnine

et al., 2016). This level of understanding is dependent upon students’ word-level

processing skills, or their ability to accurately identify individual words and

understand the meaning created by the combination of words into propositions and

sentences (Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill, 2019). Although these word-level processing

abilities are requisite skills for understanding a text, they alone are not sufficient for

facilitating comprehension (NRC, 2017).

Moreover, literal comprehension tasks typically require only that a student

locate information that is explicitly stated in the text (sometimes even using the same

phrasing or wording that appeared in the text), the cognitive processing demands for

proficient readers may be fairly minimal; students will need to be able to decode and

understand the words and be able to locate words or phrases that appear in the text

(Carnine et al., 2016).

According to Rupley and Blair (2019), several studies conducted that literal

comprehension is composed of two strategies: recall, or the ability to provide an idea

(e.g., main idea or detail) that was part of a passage; and recognition, or the ability to

recognize whether specific information is provided in a passage. It is not sufficient, in

other words, to simply remember a fact stated in the passage. The fact must also be

recognized as existing within the context of a passage to determine whether or not

comprehension has actually occurred; otherwise it is unclear if the reader

comprehended what was read or relied on prior knowledge and understanding.

Inferential Comprehension

Inferential comprehension can be viewed as a logical extension of the

recognition step of literal comprehension in that readers are required to go beyond

recognizing that facts are derived from a passage to actually interacting with a text to

make inferences about meanings not explicitly stated in the text (Rupley and Blair

2019). At this stage, it is no longer sufficient for the reader to recognize and

understand what the author has said. Instead, the reader is required to manipulate

information in the text to search for relationships among the main idea and details

and to use that information to interpret and draw conclusions about the author’s

intended meaning (Vacca et al., 2016).

These relationships between objects, events, or details within the passage are

more frequently than not implied in the text, thereby requiring readers to ‘‘read

between the lines’’ to make their discovery. This interaction with the text, in which

readers bring to the text their own background information and draw connections

between pieces of information presented in the text enable them to construct a

situation model of what the text is about (Perfetti, 2020).

Much of the research conducted thus far on reading comprehension has

examined the role of inferences because they are at the ‘‘heart of the comprehension

process’’ (Perfetti, 2020). Readers are required to make different types of inferences,

such as text-based inferences (also known as text-connecting inferences) and

knowledge based (or gap-filling) inferences to understand the text. Text-based, or

causal inferences, for example, are those that are required to establish coherence

within a text and these types of inferences, however, are not sufficient to fully

understand the text being read. More complex inferences, such as knowledge-based

inferences that draw on a reader’s knowledge to help represent and understand the

relationships between persons or events described in the text are also needed for

understanding (Kintsch & Rawson, 2019).

Evaluative Comprehension

Evaluative comprehension is refer to extending the text beyond and the third

most complex level of reading comprehension proposed by the levels of

comprehension theory is evaluative comprehension (a.k.a. critical or applied

understanding). Moreover, it can be seen as an extension of the knowledge, skills,

and strategies required of literal and inferential comprehension tasks. This extension

is evidenced by the fact that the reader is required to understand the text written on

the page (literal comprehension), make interpretations about the author’s intended

meaning and/or understand the relationships between the elements presented in the

text (inferential comprehension), and subsequently analyze or evaluate the

information acquired from the text in terms of prior knowledge or experiences or

knowledge that is imported from outside of the text (Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti,

Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2016).

According to Herber (2019), the evaluative level readers are required to

juxtapose what they have read in the text with their own prior knowledge and

experience, a juxtaposition that creates new meanings and/or relationships that

extend beyond the scope of the text. The creation of these new meanings and

relationships involves a myriad of different skills including divergent thinking, critical

analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in addition to affective, or personal and emotional

responses, when necessary.

Academic Performance in English

 As stated by Borase, (2015, p. 1), it represents performance outcomes that

indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the

focus on activities related to English instructional environments, specifically in

school, college, and university.

In investigating the relationship between reading comprehension and

academic performance MacGregor and Price (2019), noted that vocabulary, the

ability to read and comprehend, word problems are important factors affecting

academic performance in reading comprehension task in English. Guiding students

to recognize these perceived relationships promotes understanding and decreases

the risk of being overwhelmed by the complexities of the text being viewed, heard or

read (Estremera, 2018).

According to Rodriguez (2017) her study reviews on performance and

spirituality, and compares students’ attributions of the causes of their academic

success or failure across a secular and religiously affiliated colleges, finding similar

results: students who do well credit their spirituality as the major cause, and students

who do poorly blame their lack of spirituality as being a major cause for their poor

academic performance." In addition, self-concept can be defined as student rating of

their skills, ability, enjoyment and interest towards the English subject. He added that

this factor may affect the students’ academic performance (Peteros et al, 2019).