World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. VI, Issue IX (September 2026), pp.353-362
Author
Melaica L. Belarmino
Teacher V/ Dimasalang National High School
Abstract
Reading comprehension is essential to students’ academic performance because it enables them to understand, interpret, evaluate, and apply information from written texts. This study determined the internal and external factors contributing to reading comprehension challenges among Grade 11 students across Grades in English and Academic Strand at Dimasalang National High School during the school year 2025–2026. It specifically described the respondents’ profiles, assessed the contributing factors, examined their relationship with English grades, identified differences across strands, and proposed appropriate recommendations.
The study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational design and used total enumeration involving 316 Grade 11 students from STEM, ABM, HUMSS, GAS, TVL, and ALS-GAS. Data were obtained from the students’ Form 138 and a 20-item questionnaire adopted from Abbas (2021), covering internal and external factors. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey HSD were used to analyze the data. Findings showed that most students obtained passing to satisfactory English grades, with the largest group receiving grades from 81 to 85. Internal factors obtained a weighted mean of 2.10, while external factors obtained 2.18, both interpreted as Disagree. Insufficient effort, poor vocabulary, and weak critical thinking were the most noticeable internal concerns, whereas family problems and home distractions were the most evident external concerns. No significant relationship was found between English grades and either internal or external factors across strands.
However, internal factors differed significantly by strand, with ABM students reporting lower scores than HUMSS, GAS, and TVL students, while external factors showed no significant difference. The study concluded that reading challenges were generally limited but varied in specific internal dimensions. Project READS was therefore proposed as a structured, differentiated, strand-responsive, and school-based intervention program. It will provide diagnostic assessment, vocabulary enrichment, guided reading, explicit comprehension strategy instruction, critical-thinking activities, contextualized materials, psychosocial support, home-school collaboration, and regular progress monitoring.
Keywords: Reading comprehension challenges, internal factors, external factors, senior high school, academic strand, English performance
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The World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication is a reputable, refereed, and peer-reviewed international journal. It is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and promoting interdisciplinary research across diverse fields. The journal covers a wide range of topics, including education, psychology, science, technology, social sciences, humanities, and more, providing a platform for scholars and researchers to share their knowledge and insights.
In addition, the publication places a special emphasis on the promotion and development of the Filipino language, contributing to its growth and recognition in the global academic community.
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