Factors Affecting the Reading Comprehension

Level of BNAHS Grade 12 Students

Jermice,Mikaela Loraine N.
12- Del Mundo

Review of Related Literature

National Assessment of Educational Progress (2014) defines reading as an

active and complex process that involves: (a) understanding written text, (b) developing
and interpreting meaning, and (c) using meaning as appropriate to type of text, purpose,
and situation. Furthermore, as per Juel (2012), reading as a process extracts meaning
from written symbols in order to put information in the form of codes to derive meaning
into an understanding of complex ideas. The comprehension of a written word is one
method of attracting attention; therefore, expanding a learner's ability to comprehend a
text is crucial. According to Harris and Hodges (1995), “Comprehension is a process in
which the reader constructs meaning (in) interacting with text...through a combination of
prior knowledge and previous experiences; information available in text; the stance
taken in relationship to the text; and immediate, remembered or anticipated social
interactions and communication” (p. 39). Also, they quote “The meanings of words
cannot be ‘added up’ to give the meaning of the whole. The click of comprehension
occurs only when the reader evolves a schema that explains the whole message” (p.
39). Reading is thus a frustrating, pointless exercise in word calling without
comprehension. It is not an exaggeration to state that how well students develop their
ability to comprehend what they read has a significant impact on their entire lives. Texas
Educational Agency (2002)
 However, even in high and middle-income countries, reading skills have not
improved significantly in recent years. PISA (2018). "Over ten million students
represented by PISA in 2018 were unable to complete even the most basic reading
tasks - and these were 15-year-olds living in the 79 high- and middle-income countries
that participated in the test," according to the report. The assessment discovered that
the proportion of 15-year-olds who scored at the highest levels (Level 5 or 6 on the
PISA reading test) increased only marginally since the previous assessment in 2009,
rising from 7% to 9% in 2018. Even in Singapore, where students excel, only one in
every four 15-year-olds achieved the highest level. According to the results released on
December 3, 2019, our country, the Philippines, ranked last in reading comprehension
among 79 participating countries in the 2018 Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA). Our country's reading performance for both boys and girls was the
lowest among PISA-participating countries. In accordance with the profile, average
class sizes for 15-year-olds in the Philippines are the largest, and the student-to-teacher
ratio in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools is the highest.

Several cognitive processes are involved in reading comprehension. A strong

command of the English language is required. to enable students to read competently
(Taylor et al., 2009). Unfortunately, most students avoid reading. They have difficulty
reading. Furthermore, Cain and Oakhill (2011) discovered that reading influences
vocabulary improvement, because learners who do not read regularly have a negative
impact on their vocabulary skills. Research clearly discovers that the depth of
vocabulary knowledge has the greatest influence on reading comprehension
Baleghizadeh and Golbin (2010); Moghadam, Zainal, and Ghaderpour (2012);
Anjomshoa and Zamanian (2014) mMohammadi and Afshar (2016). Chawwang (2008)
investigated English reading difficulties among Thai EFL students. According to the
findings of the study, the majority of students face difficulties in the reading of English
texts One of the major issues identified was a lack of vocabulary knowledge (Gunning,
2002). Vocabulary knowledge is essential for comprehending complex reading materials
such as textbooks, especially those containing technical terms (Carlisle, 2000; Qian,
2002). This is due to the difficulty students with low vocabulary knowledge have
understanding technical words such as superordinate, synonyms, antonyms, or words
with multiple connotations (Nuttall, 2000; Carlisle, 2000; Vilenius Tuohimaa, Aunola, &
Nurmi, 2008). Furthermore, some studies have found that reading comprehension is
linked to students' ability to identify and correct errors. Errors in syntax A common
example of syntax is subject-verb agreement. It explains the connection between in
sentence formation, words (subjects and verbs) Franck et al., (2007). Cain (2007), for
example, confirmed the The connection between syntactic awareness and reading
comprehension This relationship, according to the author, Vocabulary, grammatical
knowledge, and memory all played a role. Shiotsu and Weir (2007) discovered that in
predicting performance on a reading test, syntactic knowledge outperforms vocabulary
knowledge evaluation of comprehension Background knowledge is essential for reading
comprehension Zhang and Shanshan (2011). Working memory capacity also influences
reading comprehension. This means that human memory is regarded as an important
cognitive factor in reading comprehension. It allows students to gain a better
understanding of texts (Kintsch & Kintsch, 2005; Chrysochoou, Bablekou, & Tsigilis,
2011; Nouwens, Groen, & Verhoeven, 2017). According to Vazalwar (2011), anxiety
has a negative impact on reading comprehension. The study discovered that anxiety
has a negative impact on students' reading comprehension. This means that a normal
level of anxiety has a positive effect on reading comprehension. In fact, anxiety is a
fear-related emotion that affects reading comprehension. Other studies (Wu, 2011;
Jafarigohar & Behrooznia, 2012) have found that anxiety has a negative impact on
reading comprehension. Grills-Taquechel et al. (2012) claimed Poorer academic
performance may result if students are distracted by anxious thoughts such as panic
and actions such as hand shaking Homework is another factor that contributes to
anxiety in reading comprehension. Work in class and exam conditions These
circumstances compel students to read for purposes other than pleasure. Certain
students respond positively to these conditions, while others are overwhelmed by the
pressure to read. As a result, students who experience this type of anxiety are more
likely to struggle with reading comprehension. Dennis (2008)
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