CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Rationale

“Reading comprehension is a process that involves

intentional and interaction of the readers to the text”

(Melinda, 2005). Based on this definition reading

comprehension requires many different skills. It involves

understanding of the words, seeing relationships among

words and concepts, organizing ideas, evaluating the

context, and making judgment of the message. Chunzhi (2009)

pointed that comprehension is vital in the sense that

everyone needs to read to be informed and communicate and

it is the ultimate goal of reading.

Reading is the cornerstone of an effective education.

Without this skill we are limited in so many important life

activities: we cannot understand a newspaper, read

directions of a new recipe, enjoy a favorite novel, or read

a prescription bottle of medication and many others. Lack

of reading places individuals at a serious disadvantage in

our society (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004).

 Reading comprehension has always been a key ingredient

for students and workplace readiness for the future career.

It is one of the components that determine a student’s

success or failure in class. However, it is a fact that low

performance in reading comprehension among students is seen

to be a problem.

Wooly (2005) reported that in the United State,

students showed a significant reading disability. In the

Philippines, reading experts reported during the 20th World

Congress in Manila that many students read words but

whether or not they comprehend them is the problem (Baylon,

2004). This is a dilemma in reading comprehension that

happens among students.

Poor performance in reading comprehension among

students is influenced by many factors. Lens (2005) these

factors include “decoding deficiency”, short span of

attention, grammatical knowledge, reasoning abilities,

limited vocabulary, and motivation. There are several

studies that have shown the relationship between vocabulary

knowledge and reading comprehension. Manyak & Bauer (2009)

stated that vocabulary knowledge is a strong indication of

reading ability when factoring reading speed with decoding

and comprehension. Martin-Chang and Gould (2008) stated

that there is a strong connection both between “vocabulary

and reading comprehension” and between reading rate and

stored knowledge. Vocabulary knowledge is essential in

reading comprehension because helps students in decoding,

which is an important part of reading (Qian, 2002).

According to Nation lack of vocabulary knowledge fails the

students to understand the words they read or hear (2011).

Tabudlong states Philippines have the highest rate in

Southeast Asia that has poor reading comprehension because

of its increasing number of alliterate Filipinos specially

those who fail when it comes to understanding what they

read in reading comprehension is lack of vocabulary

knowledge (2012).

SRA test is one of the ways that will help students to

improve proficiency and it expands reading comprehension of

the students (Tantarangsee, 2012). Reading Laboratory is

used to give students a proven level reading program that

builds confidence and fluency, vocabulary, and to help

students to follow direction. Each Reading Lab has

selections that accommodate students at every level within

a classroom (Martella, 2004).

All students of Mountain View College are required to

take English courses such as English plus and English 1.

One of the requirements of these subjects is SRA

comprehension test. The study shows the students performed

satisfactorily in English reading comprehension test. It

revealed that Reading comprehension is a prerequisite in

answering SRA test (Caballero, 2009).

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the relationship between

satisfaction in SRA test and reading comprehension

performance level of first year Business students of

Mountain View College during the school year 2013-2014.

More specifically, it seeks to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the performance of the respondents’ in SRA

test?

2. What is the SRA satisfaction level among the

respondents?

3. Is there a significant relationship between

satisfaction in SRA test and reading comprehension

performance?
Null Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between

satisfaction in SRA test and reading comprehension

performance.

Alternative Hypothesis

There is a significant relationship between in the

satisfaction in SRA test and reading comprehension

performance.

Significant of the Study

The result of this study is useful for both teachers

and students. This study will encourage teachers to expose

their students to varieties of reading strategies to

improve students’ reading skills. For students, this study

will help them to be motivated to overcome reading

difficulties.

Scope and Limitation

This study is to be conducted at Mountain View College

it aims to know and determine the performance in SRA test

in reading comprehension among first year BSBA students who

are taking English plus and English 1.

Definition of Terms

Reading comprehension performance level refers to the

ability of the respondents to understand the words used in

a given context. It is measured through a test using the

SRA instrument.

SRA Reading Laboratory is one of the most

effective and widely used reading programs in the country.

It is both developmentally and individually an appropriate

reading program. It is developmentally appropriate because

the material is best suited at the child’s current grade

level. On the other hand, SRA is individually appropriate

because the child will read stories based on her/his

current reading level and progresses while in the program

(Mabanes, 2012).
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This section presents some of the issues and studies

that foreground the satisfaction in SRA test and reading

performance of students under study. It also includes the

discussion on satisfaction in SRA test and reading

performance.

Student satisfaction is recognized as the learner’s

perceived value of the educational experiences at an

educational institution (Astin, 1993).

Low, 2000, describe student satisfaction as the

subjective perceptions of learners’ towards learning. It

also deals with the influence and support of learning

environment in the teaching and learning process. Strong

student satisfaction also entails effective teaching

strategies that trigger learners’ cognitive development. He

added that one of the most important elements in student

satisfaction is likely to concern the educational

relationship of the instructor and of the learner.

 There are theories that explain how student

satisfaction in SRA test improves reading comprehension

performance. These are the intellectual and personal

development theories proposed by Perry, 1950 and used by

Pascarella, 1991.

Intellectual development theory proposed that in order

for an individual to be satisfied, the cognitive needs

should be met. It involves critical thinking, reasoning and

engaging in the higher thinking skills. It occupies a key

foundation in college studies (Erwin, 2012) Intellectual

development is all about learning. It is the learner’s

ability to become more and more capable of analyzing,

understanding and evaluating concepts out of the world. As

the learner’s intelligence enable him to adapt the various

learning, and his cognitive needs are catered, the leaner

will have positive attitude toward learning. Once the

learner’s cognitive ability to think is developed, he would

value his learning.

Personal development theory, proposed that a learner

acquire skills, knowledge, and aptitude to live a

fulfilling, satisfying and happy life. “We give to

ourselves the opportunity to realize our full potential”

(Tarr, 2005). Personal development entails with the

intrinsic motivation or the learner’s personal desire to

acquire learning. Once this desire is triggered, leaner’s

beliefs in his ability to control outcomes affecting him

(Payne, 2001). In contrast, students who feel strongly that

they can influence their environment are more likely to see

a causal link between their behaviors and outcomes,

enjoying a sense of mastery (Seligman, 1990).

SRA is a reading program provides individualized

skills instruction, permits independent work, promotes

students’ sense of responsibility, and improve students

current level of learning based on individual ability. The

core components of SRA Reading Laboratory contain 150 four-

page Power Builder folders arranged in color-coded levels

of graduated difficulty, and Power Builder Key Card. The

10-color levels of Power Builders correspond to approximate

reading level (Tantarangsee, 2012).

The key features of SRA includes: (1)a range of

reading levels that enable students to learn

independently and at their own pace; (2) a self-

directed readings that target an entire classroom of

readers at different levels; (3) Power Builders with

high interest fiction and non-fiction stories that

build reading skills and enthusiasm for reading; (4)

Answer Key Cards and Student Record Books give

students ownership of their progress and

understanding; (5) Teachers’ Handbooks which include a

range of invaluable teacher support materials; and (6)

Optional Listening Skill Builders which provide oral

storytelling to add a further dimension to learning

(McGraw-Hill Education, 2008).Each color corresponds

to approximate reading level. After pre-test with

total score of 13 taken from SRA Starting Level Guide,

each student will be assigned to read Power Builder

Color based on his/her score of pre-test. There will

be 15 folders for each color. This feature of SRA

Reading Laboratory meets the needs of slow, average,

and superior learners by providing multilevel reading

materials. Moreover, the reading selections are a

balanced collection of fiction and nonfiction short

stories and articles that can motivate students to

enjoy reading (Tantarangsee, 2012).

Related studies on Satisfaction in SRA test

and Reading Comprehension Performance

 In the study of reading performance and satisfaction

in SRA test, Tantarangsee (2012) found out that there is a

high correlation between the satisfaction of the students

in SRA test and reading performance. The research has

demonstrated that SRA Reading laboratory interventions will

be more effective in improving scores in reading

comprehension, fluency and basic reading for grade students

reading below grade level when compared to students

receiving Guided Reading interventions. It is found that

while using SRA Reading Laboratory, students often employ

such reading strategies as surveying, using context

clues to guess meaning of the unknown word, questioning and

reading, and using background knowledge. It is, therefore,

suggested that SRA Reading Laboratory or some other kinds

of external readings be assigned to students wishing to

improve their reading comprehension (McGraw-Hill Education,

2012). SRA Reading Laboratory is one of the most effective

and widely used reading programs in the country. It is both

developmentally and individually an appropriate reading

program. It is developmentally appropriate because the

material is best suited at the child’s current grade level.

On the other hand, SRA is individually appropriate because

the child will read stories based on the current reading

level and progresses while in the program (Mabanes, 2012).

 Synthesis

One of most important considerations in the teaching

and learning process is fulfilling student’s satisfaction.

It is the perceived value of the acquired knowledge. This

study is anchored on two theories. First, the intellectual

development theory defines as the learner’s ability to

think and has something to do with the cognitive process.

Second, the personal development theory describes as the

learner’s desire to learn. It has something with the

affective domain or the intrinsic motivation that encourage

the leaner to value the acquire knowledge. Both cognitive

and affective developments are important domains which

improves student’s learning.

Figure I. illustrates the concept of this study.

Reading
Satisfaction Comprehension
in SRA test
Performance

Figure I. The relationship between performance in SRA test

and reading comprehension level among first year business

students of Mountain View College.

 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This section of the paper includes the research design,

environment, subjects, research data and procedure employed

in the study. Each subtopic briefly discusses its concepts.

Research Design

This study is descriptive – correlational. It aims to

describe the relationship of satisfaction in SRA test to

reading performance of BSBA first year students who are

taking English plus and English 1 of Mountain View College

during the first semester of the school year 2013 to 2014.

Research Environment

This study will be conducted in Mountain View College, a

private educational boarding institution owned and operated

by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school is located at

Mt. Nebo, College Heights, Valencia City. The school gives

opportunity to students who are not financially able to work

and study at the same time. Reading is very important in MVC

especially for Business students for them to be able to

comply with school requirements and instructions and problems

in the test and quizzes in business courses.

Research Subject

The subjects of this study will be the BSBA first year

students who will be enrolling English plus and English 1

course during the second semester, academic year 2013-2014.

Research Instruments

To measure reading performance of the respondents the

5-scale rating questionnaire is used to rank the

satisfaction in SRA test in reading performance. There are

26 items in the questionnaire, which is grouped into 2

parts; 1) level of students’ satisfaction of SRA Reading

Laboratory; 13 items, and 2) level of frequency in

employing reading strategies; 13 items. The 5-scale ratings

– Strongly agree, Agree, Not sure, Disagree, and Strongly

disagree – are used to measure level of satisfaction in

part 1, while Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, and Never

are used to measure level of frequency in part 2.

Research Procedures

Data Gathering

The researchers will ask the permission from the

registrar office for all the list of BSBA students who will

be enrolling in English plus and English 1 courses, of second

semester, Academic year 2013-2014.

Data Treatment

The data will be encoded and subject to statistical

treatment and the formulas will be used;

The T-test will be used to describe the sub-problem 1

and 2. To treat the sub-problem 3, Mean and Standard

deviation formula will be used.

SATISFACTION IN SRA TEST IN RELATION TO READING
COMPREHENSION PERFORMANCE

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND

ACCOUNATNCY

MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGE MT. NEBO,

VALENCIA CITY BUKIDNON

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENTOF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE COURSE BUSINESS RESEARCH

BY
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