CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

This chapter presents the background of the study, theoretical framework,

conceptual framework, statements of the problem, hypothesis, scope and

limitations, significance of the study and definition of terms.

Background of the Study

Reading plays a central role in our educational, working, recreational, and

social lives. The ability to read is highly valued and important for social and

economic advancement. Reading is the most important skill among the four

language skills as it can improve the overall language proficiency (Krashen &

Brown, 2007).

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand information in a text

and interpret it appropriately what is meant by the text. In order to understand

text, a reader must be able to identify words rapidly, know the meaning of almost

allot the words, and be able to combine sequential units of meaning into a

coherent message. Naturally, the majority of students who are very weak at word

recognition will have serious difficulties with comprehension. Yet, it is recognized

now that some students who develop adequate word-reading ability and fluency

still have difficulty understanding what they are reading, particularly when faced

with the expository style of writing used within many school textbooks (Cain &

Oakhill, 2007).

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 The efficient interpretation of the text involves a combination of word

recognition skill, linking of new Information to prior knowledge, and application of

appropriate strategies such allocating the main idea, making connections,

questioning, inferring and predicting. Therefore, comprehending the English

reading text is not an easy thing, so that this is why there are many students find

difficulties in comprehending the English text.

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).

According to Pressley (2002), the characteristics of “a good reader” can be

summarized as follows: a) are active while reading and they have explicit aims

related to the text. b) Look through the text before reading and while reading they

always make guesses about what is going to happen in the next session. c) Look

through the passages and they try to guess the meaning and structure of words

from the context. d) Use their background knowledge and check their

understanding. e) Restructure the meaning, repeat it and question it. f) Think

about the characters and events when reading fictional texts. They tend to

summarize informative texts. g) Assume reading as a productive process.

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Theoretical Framework

This study was guided by Piaget’s (1983) theory of cognitive development.

Cognitive development is that aspect of development that deals with thinking,

problem solving, intelligence and language. According to Piaget, cognitive

development is a combined result of the maturation of the brain and nervous

system and the experiences that help individuals adapt to the environment. He

contends that cognitive development in all children will follow predictably and

qualitatively distinct levels or stages. These stages are from concrete

operational thought to formal operational thought. These stages are useful in this

study in that adolescents‟ reading abilities and social/emotional adjustment in

secondary schools depend on how successful they went through these early

steps (Lerner, 2000).

Piaget emphasizes that the order in which the periods occur is

approximately fixed but a child’s rate of progress through them is not and the age

at which each stage or sub-stage is negotiated varies from child to child. The

stage progression portion of Piaget's cognitive development theory has important

implications on reading development stages (Chall, 1983). First, reading process

is developmental and no child skips a stage. Second, individual children may

take different lengths of time and need different experiences to complete their

development. The schemata (mental structures) aspect of Piaget’s (1983) theory

is in line with reading definition of reading beyond the lines in this study. This

relates to the way reading is correctly viewed as a highly subjective interaction of

learner’s prior knowledge, perception and purposes with those of the author. This

3
interaction is guided by Piaget's two complementary processes of assimilation

and accommodation.

4
 Assimilate

Equilibrium Disequilibrium

Accommodate

Figure 1: Theoretical Paradigm

5
Conceptual Framework

The researcher used the Input, Process and Output (IPO) wherein:

The input contains the demographic profile of the respondents, present the

name (optional), age, and gender, the main problems encountered by Grade 10

students in reading comprehension and significant differences between male and

female students in their reading comprehension challenges.

The process contain the data gathering procedure, the researcher need to do

and the process on how to get the finding that is based on the data gathered.

The output contains the reading comprehension problems encountered by

Grade 10 students in Masarawag National High School.

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 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. What is the
demographic
profile of the
respondents in
terms of: Assessment,
Reading
data gathering
A. Name
Comprehension
B. Age and analysis of
C. Gender the responses of Problems
2. What are the the respondents
main problems Encountered by
about reading
encountered by
Grade 10
Grade 10 comprehension
students in problems Students in
reading
comprehension? encountered by
Masarawag
3. Are there any Grade 10
National High
statistically students in
significant Masarawag School
differences
between male National High
and female School
students in their
reading
comprehension
challenges?

Figure 2: Conceptual Paradigm

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the reading comprehension problems

encountered by Grade 10 students in Masarawag National High School.

Specifically, this study will be able to attain the answers to the following

questions:

1. What are the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Name

b. Age

c. Gender

2. What are the main problems encountered by Grade 10 students in reading

comprehension?

3. Are there any statistically significant differences between male and female

students in their reading comprehension challenges?

Hypothesis

There are no significant differences between male and female students in

their reading comprehension challenges.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study aims to determine the reading comprehension problems

encountered by grade 10 students in Masarawag National High School S.Y.

2022-2023. The study aims also to provide more insight into the factors affecting

the students' reading comprehension. It will use descriptive method and the

questionnaires will be distributed.

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Significance of the Study

This certain study which predominantly targets to reading comprehension

problems encountered by Grade 10 students in Masarawag National High School

will give a new insight to the following:

Student: This study will serve as guide to the student for using the appropriate

techniques and strategies while interacting with texts in order to improve their

reading comprehension ability.

Teachers: This study will help the teachers to better understand their students'

reading comprehension problems and to find an appropriate way for teaching

reading.

Parents: This study will inform parents about the reading comprehension

challenges their children are facing and encourage them to support their

children's reading development at home. Parents can use the findings to provide

additional reading materials and activities that can help their children improve

their reading comprehension skills.

School Administration: The study will provide school administrators with

valuable insights into the effectiveness of their current reading programs and

interventions.

DepEd Administration: This study will serve as a guide to the Department of

Education (DepEd) assess the effectiveness of the current curriculum and

teaching methodologies in promoting reading comprehension among students.

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The DepEd can also use the findings to improve existing policies related to

reading.

Future Researcher: This study will help other researcher who may be interested

in conducting similar studies. The study can serve as a benchmark for future

research in the field of reading comprehension among high school students,

particularly in the Masarawag National High School setting. The study can also

provide a foundation for future research on how to improve reading instruction in

other contexts.

Definition of Terms

Ability – It is the possession of the necessary skills, knowledge, or competence

to perform a particular task or activity.

Problem - It is a situation or issue that presents a challenge or difficulty that

needs to be addressed or resolved.

Reading – It is the process of interpreting written or printed text to understand its

meaning.

Reading Comprehension - It is the ability to understand and make meaning

from what is being read. It involves the ability to read and understand written text,

interpret its meaning, and connect it to prior knowledge and experiences.

Student - It is a person who is enrolled in a school or educational institution and

is engaged in learning and studying to acquire knowledge and skills.

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 Notes

Cain, K. & Oakhill, J. (2011). Matthew Effects in Young Readers: Reading

Comprehension and Reading Experience aid Vocabulary Development. Journal

of Learning Disabilities, 44(5): 431-443.

Iftanti, E. (2015). What makes EFL students establish good reading habit in

English. International Journal of Education and Research, 3(5), 365-374.

Krashen, S. & Brown, C.L. (2007). What is academic language proficiency?

STETS Language and Communication Review, 6(1), 1-4.

Piaget, J. (1983). Piaget’s Theory in P.H Mussen(Ed.). Handbook of child

psychology (VL. 1). New York: Willey.

Pressley, M. (2002). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced

teaching,(2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford

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 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies and synthesis of the

state of the art is found in this chapter.

Related Literature

Local

David (2000) defines reading as a process. He connects reading with the

communication process and states that reading means releasing messages from

the text as much as possible. In other words, the writers as the code maker have

something to share with others during the process. To make it happen, the

authors puts their ideas into words as text. While the reader plays the role of a

decoder, which can crack the code or construct the meaning of the text, before

the message enters the reader’s mind and finally communication is reached.

Comprehension is considered as the essence of reading as it accounts for

the process that supports effective extraction of meaning from a written passage.

Modern literacy standards require that the students can self-modify, self-manage

and self-monitor as a means to become strategic readers who can select

information from the text, develop rational and incorporate critical reflection on

the text while reading. In this instance, the students are required to be provided

with an extensive range of reading and writing activities that include effective

reading comprehension techniques (Alma 2011).

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 Reading comprehension allows the integration of knowledge that facilitates

training processes and successful coping with academic and personal situations.

In higher education, this reading comprehension has to provide students with

autonomy to self-direct their academic-professional learning and provide critical

thinking in favor of community service (Mar, 2009).

Mastering reading skill requires interaction between the reader and the text.

The reader has to decode the meaning of the written words to be able to

understand the writer’s point of view. River (1981) said that, “reading is the most

important activity in any language class, not only as a source of information and

a pleasurable activity, but also as a means of consolidating and extending one’s

which are knowledge of the language” (p. 147). Readers have to use their prior

knowledge while reading in order to construct meaning.

Carl (2008) states that the role of prior knowledge or experience in the

process of reading. This form of information processing was given additional

support from the schema theory. Schemas or schemata have been described as

‘cognitive constructs which allow for the organization of information in long term

memory.

Foreign

Woolley (2011) says that reading comprehension is the process of making

meaning from text. The goal is to gain an overall understanding of what is

described in the text rather than to obtain meaning from isolated words or

13
sentences. In understanding read text information children developmental

models, or representations of meaning of the text ideas during the reading

process. Therefore, reading comprehension has process of making meaning in a

text.

Comprehension of language does not only involve the understanding of

individual words but also active engagement with the content to create a mental

representation. Successful comprehension requires coordination of skills at many

levels to extract and construct meaning. The level of difficulty associated with

comprehension of certain content depends on the complexity of the language

used. There are important differences between the language that we use in

everyday conversations and the language used in school, where everyday

conversations are originally used to achieve daily tasks and share personal

information. Academic language includes a different set of words, more complex

grammatical structures and different text organization to express content which

describes complex relationships (Rashid, 2012).

Reading as discussed by Millrood (2011) is the process of both cognitive

and visual activity that has purpose to extract meaning from the written text and

process the information with existing experiences. “When the learners read a

story or a newspaper, they expand range of respective skills. Consequently,

reading is respective skills that require the readers’ ability to create interaction

between the linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world.

Reading comprehension has a deeper meaning to elaborate. Klingner (2007)

states that reading comprehension is “the process of constructing meaning by

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coordinating a number of complex processes including word reading, word and

world knowledge, and fluency”. It refers to the ability in interpreting the words,

understanding the meaning and the relationships between ideas conveyed in a

text. Mentioning, practicing, and assessing are the three steps procedure or

instructions in teaching reading comprehension. That’s, teachers mention the

skills that the students want to use, then they give them opportunities to practice

those skills through workbooks or worksheets, and finally assess whether or not

they use the skill successfully.

According to Nuttall (2000), in reading lessons, languages are used to

obtain messages from text. This means that in reading lessons, the focus on

using language is not only on vocabulary or the structure and meaning of the

text. In reading lessons, the meaning is central and each language item learned

has incidental benefits, therefore students must have a good strategy for

understanding the text because there are various types of written texts and each

text has its own characteristics.

Related Studies

Local

According to the study of Dennis (2008), one of the factors that impact

learners' reading comprehension is the complexity of the texts. Such factor is

affected by the reader's strength and fluency in language and their

comprehending of its applications and different meanings.

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 The study conducted by Jane (2016) examined the association between

oral reading and level of comprehension In ESL students with different

backgrounds in first language. The findings suggested that difference first

language backgrounds tend to have different factors that develop reading

comprehension as each first language tends to be orthographically distant from

English.

Jade (2016) conducted an exploratory study to develop Reading

Comprehension Modules to sulport ESL coaches in implementing effective

reading abilities of ESL learners as a means to enhance the level of

comprehension. In this instance, the findings indicated that reading activities

integrated with inferential and reorganization questions can help students in

enhancing their level of reading comprehension as it associates with the

prevalence of challenge and engagement in reading activity.

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.

Foreign

There has been a lot of research in the field which focused on difficulties in

reading text, such as research from abroad which is done by Albader (2007). In

his research, he mentions the difficulties that students’ faces in reading in a

second or foreign language. It covers some linguistics aspects, such as grammar

16
(syntax), pronunciation (phonetics), and meaning of words (semantics). There

are also some researches related with the students’ difficulties in reading text

done in Indonesia.

Raihan and Nezami (2012) conducted a study on comprehension strategies

and general problems in reading faced by Arab EFL learners at Najran University

in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to find the reasons behind the low level

performance of university students in reading comprehension. A survey was

conducted through the teachers’ questionnaire, and students were observed

during several reading sessions. The results show that students face spelling

and pronunciation problems to a great extent.

Kasim and Raisha (2017) conducted a study determining the students’

difficulties in reading comprehension. They found that EFL students in Banda

Aceh have some reading comprehension problems; they were new vocabulary

meanings, word complexity, passive voice, word order and tenses which are in

the areas of linguistics. The major factor of their problems in comprehending

English texts is unfamiliar vocabulary.

Alshumaimeri (2011) conducted a study entitled: “The Effect of Reading

Method on the Comprehension Performance of Saudi EFL Students”. This study

investigated the relative effects of different reading methods on the

comprehension performance of Saudi EFL 10thgrade male students. This

research used a classroom-based, quasi-

17
Experimental design. The sample consists of 145 Saudi male students in the 10 th

grade in a secondary school in Riyadh, KSA. The collected data consisted of the

comprehension scores obtained from five multiple-choice questions designed for

each of three selected passages read by the participants in three ways (oral,

silent and sub vocalizing). The findings revealed a significant difference between

oral reading and sub vocalizing, and between oral reading and silent reading.

Oral reading had the greatest effect on comprehension performance among the

three reading methods examined. All groups reported that oral reading was the

most preferred reading method with the majority of respondents feeling the style

best supported comprehension. Feedback suggested that oral reading was

preferred specifically because it helps in memorizing words and texts,

concentration, and practicing and pronouncing words for real world encounters.

Medjahdi (2015) conducted a study entitled: “Reading Comprehension

Difficulties among EFL Learners: the Case of Third-Year Learners at Nehali

Mohamed Secondary School”. This study aimed at investigating the reading

difficulties that third-year secondary school learners face, and at identifying their

reading problems and the reasons behind their weaknesses in performing the

reading task. The study sample consists of third year learners and teachers at

Nehali Mohamed Secondary School in Algeria. The researcher used a

questionnaire and interview as research instruments. The study revealed that the

most of the learners have difficulties in reading comprehension at the level of

pronunciation and ambiguous words which prevent them from understanding the

18
passage, as well as the nature of the selected text has an impact on the learners’

reading achievement.

Synthesis of the State of the Art

The literature reviewed emphasizes the importance of reading

comprehension and the role it plays in successful academic and personal

situations. It highlights the process of reading comprehension as the active

engagement with the content to create a mental representation of meaning and

the coordination of skills at many levels to extract and construct meaning. The

literature also discusses the role of prior knowledge and experience in the

reading process and the need for extensive reading and writing activities that

include effective reading comprehension techniques. Overall, the literature

highlights some of the common problems encountered by students in reading

comprehension. These problems include difficulty in coordinating the different

skills required for comprehension, the complexity of the language used in

academic texts, and the lack of effective strategies for understanding the text.

The literature also suggests some strategies that can be used to address these

problems, including providing opportunities for extensive reading and writing

activities, explicitly teaching reading comprehension strategies, and encouraging

the use of prior knowledge and experience reading process.

All of the studies mentioned are related to reading comprehension problems

encountered by students, particularly in second or foreign language contexts.

They explore different factors that impact reading comprehension, such as the

complexity of texts, first language backgrounds, comprehension strategies, and

19
reading methods. The studies also identify various linguistic aspects that can

create difficulties for students, such as grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

By examining these factors, the studies aim to identify effective approaches to

support students in developing their reading comprehension skills. Overall, the

studies highlight the importance of addressing reading comprehension difficulties

in order to help students become successful readers in second or foreign

language contexts.

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 Notes

Albader (2007). A Study of the Difficulties In Comprehending Recount Text; A

`Case Study At SMAN 1 Gangga On First Grade Academic Year

http://fkipunram.ac.id/ejurnal/index.php/inggris/article/view/222

Alma (2011).Developing Reading Comprehension Modules to Facilitate

Reading Comprehension among Malaysian Secondary School ESL Students.

International Journal of Instruction, 8(2),

139-154.https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2015.8211a

Alshumaimeri (2011).Prior Knowledge in EFL Reading Comprehension:

Omani Teachers’ Perspectives & Classroom Strategies. International Journal of

Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 4(1): 169-181.

Carl (2008). Reading in a Second Language. Rowley, Mass. : Newbury

House.Dole.

David (200). Reading : A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Reading and Learning.

Dennis, D. V. (2008). Are Assessment Data Really Driving Middle School

Reading Instruction? What we can learn.

Jade R. (2015). Developing Reading Comprehension Modules to Facilitate

Reading Comprehension among Philippines Secondary School Students.

International Journal of Instruction, 8(2), 139-154.

https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2015.8211a

21
 Jane (2016).The role of oral reading fluency in ESL reading comprehension

among learners of different First language backgrounds. Reading Matrix: An

International Online Journal, 16(2), 227-242.

Kasim, U.,& Raisha,S. (2017). EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension

Problems

Mar (2009). Students’ reading comprehension performance with emotional.

Int. J. Edu. Literacy Stud. 1, 82–88. Doi: 10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.1n.1p.82

Medjahdi, W. B. (2015). Reading Comprehension Difficulties among EFL

Learners: The Case of Third-Year Learners at Nehali Mohamed Secondary

School, Master Thesis. University of Tlemcen, Algeria

Millrood, R. (2011). Modular Course in ELT Methodology. New jersey:

Pearson Education Inc

Ness (2016). Reading comprehension strategies in secondary content area

classrooms: Teacher use of and atitudes towards reading comprehension

instruction. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 49(2), 5

Raihan, S. & Nezami, A. (2012). A critical study of comprehension strategies

and general problems in reading skill faced by Arab EFL learners with special

reference to Najran University in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social

Sciences & Education, 2(3), 306-316.

Rashid, R.A. (2012). Vocabulary learning among less proficient young adults

using children’s Washington, DC: National Academy Press

22
 Rivers, W. (1981). Teaching foreign language skills. Chicago: University of

Chicago Press.

Wooley (2011).Reading for Understanding: A Guide to Improving Reading in

Middle and High School Classrooms.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

23
 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology of this research such as the

method used; population, sample size and sampling technique; description of

respondents; research instrument; data gathering procedure and statistical

treatment of the data are also included in this chapter.

Research Method

To conduct this research, the researcher used qualitative research design in

case study. Gay, Mills, and Airasian (2006:399) explained that “qualitative

research is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of comprehensive narrative

and visual data in order to gain insight into a particular phenomenon of interest”.

Thus, in a qualitative research, the researcher collect, analyze, and interpret data

descriptively in order to capture the particular phenomenon of interest.

Population

The target population in this study involved all students from the grade 10 a

total population of 150 students.

Sampling Technique and Sample Size

To study the reading comprehension problems encountered by students, a

combination of sampling techniques may be used. A diverse and representative

sample is crucial in ensuring that the findings of the study are generalizable to

the population of interest. Additionally, a sample size that is large enough to

24
detect meaningful differences between groups is important to obtain statistically

significant results.

In regards to the reading comprehension problems encountered,, a large

and diverse sample size is recommended to increase the generalizability of the

findings. Stratified sampling may also be useful to ensure that participants are

selected from different subgroups based on factors such as age, gender, and

socioeconomic status. The respondents with and without reading difficulties

included in the sample to allow for a comparison of academic performance

between the two groups.

Description of the Respondents

The respondents of this study are the grade 10 students in Masarawag

National High School.

Research Instrument

The main tool that will be used in gathering the data for this research is the

researcher-made instrument. The instrumentation used in this research is a

survey. The researcher prepared a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire

consists of five 2 questions which includes several inquiries about reading

comprehension. It will be given to one hundred fifty (150) respondents. The

instrumentation used will give way and support in retrieving data for the research.

25
Data Gathering Procedure

The first step to be use is to ask permission from the teacher of Grade 10 to

conduct the survey. The researcher will administer the questionnaire to the

respondents, conduct test and analyze the pertinent records to get the necessary

data, retrieve the questionnaire from the class, collate and classify the

questionnaire to examine and compare carefully to note points and verify the

order, necessary for the completeness of the study.

Statistical Treatment

Researcher organized and tabulated before she validated the data

gathered though the use of survey questionnaire. For this study, the researcher

used the Likert Scale in order to statistically analyze and critically understand the

meaningful interpretation of the gathered data.

In analyzing the data gathered, the researcher used a simple percentage

and frequency method using the following formula:

P= F/N x 100%

Where: P is the total percentage,

F is the total frequency; and

N is the total number of respondents.

26