READING HABIT AND READING COMPREHENSION OF BSED 1-ENGLISH

MAJOR STUDENTS

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to
The faculty of the College of Education
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture- Sipocot
Sipocot Camarines Sur

In partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education

ABASOLA, JHUSTINE S
LOZANO, DOMINIC A.
ROLDAN, DANN MYLES B.

MAY 2021

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Reading is an important life skill because it is the basis for having a

deeper understanding of schools subjects and life in general. For students, it is

considered as one of the most important skills for their academic career as it

could be considered as a foundation for placing them into their next grade stage

(Schlauch, 2014). Apparently, reading itself is meaningless without

comprehension; therefore, reading comprehension is an important skill that

students should develop.

Reading comprehension pertains to the amount of understanding readers

have when they read a text (Al Odwan, 2012). Also, it refers to a person’s ability

to process and comprehend the true meaning of written documents and apply

that understanding to prior knowledge. Nowadays, a lot of students know how to

read but do not understand what they are reading due to insufficient reading

materials and lack of reading habit required in learning (Voltaire, et al. 2017).

Hence, students encounter difficulties in accomplishing their course works

effectively and efficiently.

Evidently, research have proven that reading comprehension can be

augmented through establishing a sound reading habit. According to Mu’awana

(2018), reading habit refers to how often, how much, and what the readers read.

It means that to get good understanding about what is read, someone needs to

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read a lot. Reading a lot refers to the frequency of reading as well as the average

time on reading and amount of reading materials being read. As such, it was

concluded that reading habit and reading comprehension are complementary.

One vital reason for this is that a reading habit is a powerful and long-lasting tool

in the development of students’ reading comprehension and later on their

academic success. Moreover, applying reading as habitual activity can expand

the students’ knowledge and increase focus and concentration. Furthermore,

reading habit is an essential and important aspect for creating a literate society in

this world. It shapes the personality of individuals and it helps them develop

proper thinking methods, and creates new ideas (Palani, 2012).

Meanwhile, one of the forms of written language that would help improve

one’s reading comprehension is through literary texts. In recent years, literature

has been considered as one of the basic supplements in the improvement of

vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension in English language. Therefore,

a number of learning institutions across countries used literature as a tool to

language learning, especially in the Philippines where literature is a compulsory

subject in the general education curriculum of senior high school and in

universities and colleges, particularly for those students who specialize in

language and literature courses (Magulod, 2018). As a result, the country is

recognized as one of the top three Asian countries with high degree of fluency in

English language. However, the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) 2018 result showed that the Philippines has the poorest

reading comprehension out of participating 79 countries. In fact, Filipino students

2
scored a mean of 340 points in their reading comprehension exam, which is

below the average of 487 points. With this, it only connotes that there really is a

problem with regards to the reading comprehension of the students; thus,

providing strategies and techniques to solve this problem is an important matter

to consider.

Due to the prevailing issues on reading comprehension, the researcher

will investigate the reading habits and reading comprehension of first year

English major students who are next in line to cultivate reading habits and

reading comprehension to students. In view of the foregoing problem, the

researchers will seek to provide interventions in order to properly address the

issues and concerns regarding the problem under consideration.

Statement of the Problem

This study will determine the Reading Habit and Reading Comprehension

of BSED 1-English Major Students. Specifically, it aims to find the answers to

the following questions:

1. What are the reading habits of BSED 1-English major students?

2. What is the level of reading comprehension of BSED 1-English major

students?

3. What are the factors that hinder the reading habit of BSED 1-English

major students?

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 4. Is there a significant relationship between reading habit and reading

comprehension among BSED 1-English major students?

5. What is the pedagogical implication of the study with respect to improving

reading comprehension?

Objectives of the Study

This study is anchored to the following objectives:

1. Determine the reading habits of BSED 1-English major students.

2. Assess the level of reading comprehension of the BSED 1-English major

students.

3. Identify the factors that hinder the reading habit of BSED 1-English major

students.

4. Analyze the significant relationship between reading habit and reading

comprehension among BSED 1-English major students; and

5. Draw implications from the results of the study to improve reading

comprehension.

Scope and Delimitation

The scope of this study is limited to the BSED 1-English major students of

Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Sipocot Campus. The researchers

select the BSED 1-English major students among all the different specialization

in the BSEd Program because they assume that the respondents have varied

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reading habits and varied reading comprehension levels. Moreover, as future

language teachers, they are more likely to teach and develop reading habits and

reading comprehension among students. Also, they are chosen because of their

availability which will help the researcher achieved the purpose of this study in

the best way possible.

Furthermore, the focus of this study will be only on two variables, namely

reading habit and reading comprehension of the respondents. With this, other

macro-skills in English such as listening, speaking, writing, and viewing are not

included in this study. Moreover, this study will look for the significant relationship

between reading habit and reading comprehension among the chosen

respondents. Therefore, implications will be drawn to improve the reading

comprehension of the students.

Significance of the Study

This study will be undertaken to find out the significant relationship

between reading habit and reading comprehension of BSED 1-English major

students of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Sipocot.

Benefiting the study are the various sectors as follows:

Teachers. This study may be beneficial to all language and literature

teachers in primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Through this study, they may

pay more attention in developing reading comprehension of their students by not

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only limiting their students to read alone in the classroom but also encouraging

the students to have reading habit. Also, this may help the teachers to come up

with a good strategy that can be used to immerse their students in reading both

inside and outside the classroom. One of which is to become a model to the

students, because when students see that their teachers are reading, they may

also be encouraged to read by themselves.

Parents. This study may be beneficial to the parents of the students

because by knowing how important reading habit is to the reading

comprehension of the students, they may be aware and invest more in buying

book and other reading materials preferred by their children.

Students. This research may benefit the students by introducing how

reading habit affects their reading comprehension. By this, the students may

understand how important reading habit is; thus, they will make themselves

engage more in reading. Any improvement in the reading comprehension of the

students can pave the way for improving English as a second language, for

academic success, and professional development.

Other Researchers. The future researchers may benefit from this

research because this may serve as a threshold that may fill the gap on reading

habits and reading comprehension research.

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough

and in-depth search done by the researcher. This also includes both theoretical

and conceptual framework to fully understand the research to be done and for

better comprehension of the study.

Reading

Reading is the process of recognizing symbols and associating

appropriate significance to them. It necessitates recognition and comprehension.

Learners may use comprehension skills to grasp the meaning of words both in

isolation and in context (Palani, 2012). Reading, he claims, is a thought,

analyzing, assessing, imagining, reasoning, and problem-solving method.

According to Issa et. al, (2012) as cited by Acheaw and Larson (2014), in

their study entitled “Reading Habits Among Students and its Effect on Academic

Performance: A Study of Students of Koforidua Polytechnic,” reading is an

intellectual activity that can only be accomplished if a man develops a reading

habit and practices it from childhood. As a result, reading patterns play a critical

role in a person's ability to achieve functional productivity. “Laws die, but books

live on.” Indeed, books are the best means for passing down wisdom from

generation to generations.

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 Students bring various attitudes about reading to the classroom.

According to Grabe and Stoller (2013), these attitudes affect students' desire to

participate in reading lessons and related activities. Students' attitudes toward

reading are often related to prior reading experiences, exposure to readers, and

expectations of the value of reading. Understanding the behaviors of the students

will help us plan our lessons and provide individual input to students.”

Reading Habit

Reading habits are a well-organized and deliberate pattern of learning that

has resulted in a level of continuity on the part of students in terms of

comprehending academic subjects and passing exams. According to Nilsen

(2012,) in his study entitled “Creature of Habit: Accounting for The role of Habit

Implementation Research on Clinical Behavior Change,” habit is behavior that

has repeated until it has become more less automatic, enacted without

purposeful thinking, largely without any sense of awareness.

Students' academic accomplishments are heavily influenced by their

reading patterns. Reading and academic success are intertwined and reliant on

one another. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and locations, with

varying degrees of academic achievement. As a result, their reading patterns are

different. Some students have strong reading habits, and others have bad

reading habits. Academic achievement refers to how much information a student

has gained in school (Bashir & Mattoo, 2012).

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 Bashir and Mattoo (2012), in the study of Acheaw and Larson (2014)

entitled “Reading Habits Among Students and its Effect on Academic

Performance: A Study of Students of Koforidua Polytechnic,” stated that a

substantial amount of reading is needed for schooling, general knowledge

development, and recreational purposes. Students' reading habits have a huge

impact on their academic performance. Reading and academic performance are

both consistent and reliant on one another. In the same study, Palani (2012)

stated that reading is a crucial opportunity for successful learning, and it is

intertwined with overall educational development. Educational success

necessitates successful reading.

There is little understanding of tertiary education students' daily reading

habits and how these habits impact their academic performance. Individuals'

reading activities for a variety of reasons, such as relaxation or information, are

referred to as everyday reading (Issa. et al, 2012). They agree that reading

becomes a major component of studying from middle childhood through

adulthood, and that much of the knowledge gained by studying is first obtained

by reading. Thus, students' daily reading habits can have a significant impact on

their studying abilities and subsequent academic success. There is a general

consensus that there is a correlation between good reading habits and student

academic success in general (Issa. et al, 2012).

University students, while studying in the same educational setting, come

from a variety of backgrounds and have varying levels of academic achievement.

As a result of these differences, there are differences in reading patterns among

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students when it comes to learning time, content, and format. Reading habit,

according to Palani (2012), is a necessary and significant aspect of developing a

literate culture in the world. It shapes a person's personality and aids in the

development of proper thought methods and the generation of new ideas. At the

moment, however, the widespread use of mass media has continued to have an

effect on interest in reading (hard copy literature such as books, magazines, and

journals, among others) among young readers. A number of studies have been

conducted to look for the shift in reading patterns influenced by the increasing

popularity of the internet and the use of alternative reading resources in relation

to young readers.

Reading and academic achievement are critical for researchers and

educators to understand that each child, whether gifted, average, regular, or

behind in school, should be trained in his or her own way, but that if he or she

has good study habits, he or she will succeed academically and in any

circumstance. It is the learner's reading habits that aid in the acquisition of useful

and desirable information. Students should use good reading habits as a

powerful tool to help them succeed (Bashir & Mattoo, 2012).

Academic performance in terms of examination results has been dismal

lately, possibly due to a lack of good reading habits among students, creating a

great source of worry and concern for all stakeholders in the educational sub-

sector (Issa et al, 2012). The use of "crashed programs," which is common in

today's school systems, has been detrimental to the growth of healthy reading

habits. As a result, the passion associated with the desire to participate in

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reading activities voluntarily, pleasurably, and thoroughly is almost non-existent

among today's schoolchildren (Issa et al, 2012).

As a result, if you are in the habit of reading frequently without thinking

about it because of the permanence of its consistency, you might assume that

you have developed good reading habits. This is because a habit is developed

unintentionally when a person repeats a behavior several times, and it becomes

an integral part of that person's life. Many pupils, by the way, do not fall into the

category of those who have strong reading habits. Their poor or bad reading

habits can be a contributing factor in the overall poor results that school systems

typically record in both internal and external assessments (Issa et al, 2012).

From the study of Florence, et. al (2017), entitled "A Survey on the

Reading Habits among Colleges of Education Students in the Information Age," it

revealed that the reading habit among Colleges of Education students in Oyo is

encouraging. However, there is the need for students to read more of novels and

articles in order to boost their vocabulary. Students should make the library their

first point of call to get updated from time to time. Also, it was inferred that half of

the respondents love reading informational books such as magazine, journals

and periodicals. This can be encouraged the more, so that the students will

experience all round development in their academics. Furthermore, it can be

deduced that most students read in their areas of specialization for academic

development.

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 Moreover, in the study of Acheaw and Larson (2014) entitled “Reading

Habits Among Students and its Effect on Academic Performance: A Study of

Students of Koforidua Polytechnic, they determined the reading habits and their

effects on academic performance among the students of Koforidua Polytechnic.

The study revealed that majority of the respondents had the view that reading

habits have effect on academic performance and that there is a direct

relationship between reading habits and academic performance. The study

further found out that laziness is one of the basic hindrances to reading among

the respondents.

Factors that hinder the Reading habit of students

Based on the research of Foluke Fatimayin (2013) entitled "The influence

of Environmental Factors on Student's Reading habits,” she concluded that these

environmental factors were: A child's home background which included provision

of needed reading materials, home libraries, encouragement and freedom to

read; reading friendly school environment and well stocked school/class libraries,

shape students' reading habits. The home and school, which should be the base

upon which the rudiments and love for reading is to be laid appear to be militating

factors against children imbibing good reading habits. This may be because

some of the homes have challenges which include ignorance, poverty and

parents forcing their choices/wishes on children in selecting what to read. Above

all, one needs to understand that when children have good experiential

backgrounds and are exposed to books, pictures, stories, etc., early on, they

would be able to develop love for reading and be motivated to try their hands at

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reading so that they can satisfy their imaginations about characters, places and

fairies.

Meanwhile, on the research of Aliye Erdem (2014) entitled "A research on

reading habits of students: (Sample of Ankara University and Erciyes

University),” she concluded the following factors why students are not able to

spare enough time for reading, and these include: intensity of studies; busy

social life; preparation for examination; spending time on the computer internet;

chatting with friends; watching television; and expensive prices of books.

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension, on the other hand, is defined as a complex

cognitive ability requiring the capacity to integrate text information with the

knowledge of the listener or reader and resulting in the elaboration of a mental

representation (Meneghetti, Carretti and De Beni, 2006) as cited by Cayubit

(2012).

In addition, Hans (2015) defines reading comprehension as the capacity

at which a person can comprehend text. This type of comprehension arises from

the written words and how they bring about knowledge existing outside the text.

In other words, comprehension in this sense is a complex, yet creative process

that depends on the four skills of language which are the phonology, pragmatics,

semantics and syntax.

Moreover, reading comprehension is a complex balance between

recognizing printed symbols and interpreting the meaning behind the symbols

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(Dennis, 2011). There is a growing body of evidence supporting the concept that

a reader’s background knowledge about what he is reading is one of the most

critical factors in determining whether a student will understand what he is

reading or not (Hirsch, E.D, 2009). This means that in order to continue to make

progress in learning, as well as to fuel self-concept and motivation, students

should participate in the regular classroom experience appropriate to their

cognitive and maturational levels, including interesting and cognitively

challenging books presented orally or on tape. This can also be a solution to

students who have poor working memory. Swason, Zheng and Jerman (2009)

state that poor working memory is one of the factors that has an impact on the

person’s ability to read competently and be able to understand texts.

Participation and right choice of material can be a great strategy to improve the

reading comprehension among learners. When reading level is solely

considered, below level basal readers are generally used for instructing the

struggling readers. Reading such “baby books” often make struggling reader

more defeated, focusing on the student’s interest in selecting reading material

may be more beneficial in promoting reading success than a focus on the level.

When students have a strong interest in what they read, they can frequently

transcend their reading level.

Reading comprehension can also be linked to motivation. In the study of

Blay, Mercado and Villacorta (2009, as cited in Attiyat, 2019) entitled “The Impact

of Pleasure Reading on Enhancing Writing Achievement and Reading

Comprehension,” they divide motivation into two kinds; the first kind is intrinsic

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motivation, this motivation is rooted on the person’s willingness and drives to

perform the learning task and acquire new skills and experiences. While, the

second kind, the extrinsic motivation is caused by exterior influence, such as

rewards, punishments and other variables in an attempt to manipulate one’s

motivation. In short, motivation has a large effect on the reading comprehension

of a learner specially the intrinsic motivation since the willingness to learn and the

love of learning must come from within rather than forced.

According to the results of some studies in the study of A. Ersoy (2016)

entitled "Improving Reading Comprehension Skills Through the SCRATCH

Program,” among the reasons why Turkish students get low scores in reading,

mathematics and science sections of international exams (PISA, TIMMS and

PIRLS) is that they are not competent in reading comprehension (Çavuşoğlu,

2010; Özçelik, 2011; Ulu, 2011; Uzun, 2010). Based on the first author's

observations and experiences in his elementary school teaching process along

with the feedback he received from his colleagues, it was asserted that a

considerable proportion of elementary school students have negative attitudes

and poor motivation towards, and they have serious problems in reading

comprehension. Besides, in a literature review, it was seen that one of the major

problems regarding mother tongue education is reading comprehension, and the

problems experienced in reading comprehension negatively affect other courses

as well.

In the same study, the informal reading inventory is used to individually

determine the reading comprehension level of a person who reads a text. This

15
inventory aims to determine the reader's vocabulary and pronunciation

knowledge based on his/her reading errors while reading aloud (shape-sound

association skill), and his/her reading comprehension level through end-of-text

questions about the text being read. It is not a standardized text. According to the

inventory, there are three types of reading levels, which are independent level,

instructional level, and anxiety level (Akyol, 2013). Independent level; students'

reading and comprehending the materials that are suitable to their levels without

needing any help. Instructional level; students' comprehending what they read as

expected through the help of another person. Anxiety level; students'

comprehending only a small part of a text and/or making too many reading

errors. The students were asked ten open-ended questions about the texts used

in the study. Their answers to the questions were scored according to this

inventory. After the scoring, it was determined whether the students' reading

comprehension levels were at independent level, instructional level or anxiety

level. In this regard, the following classification was used for the reading levels

and percentages (Coşkun, 2012, p. 84):

a) Students between 0-50% are at anxiety level,

b) Students between 51-90% are at instructional level,

c) Students between 91-100% are at independent level.

However, the number of Filipinos aged 10-64 years old, who do not

understand what they read, has grown to 20.1 million based on the latest figures

from the 2008 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey

16
(FLEMMS). Therefore, looking for strategies or techniques to solve this problem

is of great importance.

Reading Habit and Reading Comprehension

In the study conducted by TE Mu'awana (2018), entitled “The Correlation

between Students' Reading Habit and their Reading Comprehension of the

Eleventh Grade Islamic Senior High School,” they stated that students’ reading

habit has correlations with reading comprehension, for which there are some

reasons behind this result. The first is that in reading habit, there are so many

advantages that the student can absorb as it is a powerful and long-lasting tool in

the development of students’ academic success. One advantage is that students

can expand the knowledge, and increase focus and concentration. Reading as a

habitual activity also helps the students to pleasure their understanding, helps

them become more intelligent, and boosts their vocabulary meaning. Second is

that the impact of reading in students' lives is extraordinarily widespread. A

reader can learn a new word, can be introduced to new facts, they can become

knowledgeable about the whole world and they can be stimulated to both taught

and emotion. The second reason is that reading habit helps the student to

maximize their ability in gaining academic purpose. Through reading habit, the

students who are having a good reading habit demonstrate a positive relationship

in their academic performance. Thus, reading habits would help the students to

link many sources of the English reading material. Students’ reading habit would

automatically help them to comprehend the English text material. The students

who make reading as their habitual activity would force their selves to acquire a

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new material without any obstacles. Therefore, there seems no doubt that

students’ good reading habit contribute to their reading comprehension.

Similarly, in the study conducted by Marcelina (2019) entitled “The

Correlation between Students’ Reading Habit and Students’ Reading

Comprehension at the Seventh Grade of SMP Surya Dharma 2 Bandar Lampung

in the Academic Year of 2019/2020,” reading habit and reading comprehension

are both interrelated. Habits for reading are viewed as significant effect on the

successfulness of students’ reading comprehension, while comprehension itself

is the result of a good reading habit process. These reading habits would help

the students to link many sources of the English reading material.

Simultaneously, students who are engage in reading habit in their childhood

would have a better knowledge and information rather than those who are not.

SYNTHESIS

All the reviewed studies gave the researchers useful information, insights,

and ideas that serve as rich background in the preparation of the study.

Similarities, differences and uniqueness of the study have been observed as we

gathered the related study of the subject.

The similarities of the previous authored by Bashir and Mattoo (2012) and

Acheaw and Larson (2014) entitled “Reading Habits Among Students and its

Effect on Academic Performance: A Study of Students of Koforidua Polytechnic”

possess are both students came from a variety of backgrounds and locations,

with varying degrees of academic achievement. As a result, their reading

18
patterns are different. Some students have strong reading habits, and others

have bad reading habits. As such, Issa. et al (2012) concluded that individuals

read for a variety of reasons, such as relaxation or information. Similarly, in the

present study, the researchers assume that the respondents, BSEd 1-Engish

major students, have varied reading habits and varied reading comprehension

levels.

Additionally, the study of Ersoy (2016) entitled "Improving Reading

Comprehension Skills Through the SCRATCH Program" among the reasons why

Turkish students get low scores in reading, mathematics and science sections of

international exams (PISA, TIMMS and PIRLS) is that they are not competent in

reading comprehension. Likewise, one of the reasons as to why the present

study will be conducted is that the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) 2018 result stated that Philippines has the poorest reading

comprehension out of participating 79 countries. In fact, Filipino students scored

a mean of 340 points in their reading comprehension exam, which is below the

average of 487 points. Therefore, providing strategies that will solve this problem

is of great importance.

Furthermore, both studies of TE Mu’awana (2018) and Marcelina (2019)

focus on the correlation of reading habit and reading comprehension of the

respondent. Comparably, these are also the variables that the researchers will

use in the study.

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 Lastly, on the research of Aliye Erdem (2014) entitled "A research on

reading habits of students: (Sample of Ankara University and Erciyes

University),” the researcher concluded the following factors why students are not

able to spare enough time for reading include: intensity of studies; busy social

life; preparation for examination; spending time on the computer internet; chatting

with friends; watching television; and expensive prices of books, which in the

present study, these are also the factors that the researchers will use for the

interview, and the factors that they expect to obtain.

Meanwhile, the difference of the study of Ersoy (2016) entitled "Improving

Reading Comprehension Skills Through the SCRATCH Program" is that he

classified the respondents’ reading levels and percentage through these three

classifications: (1) Students between 0-50% are at anxiety level; (2) Students

between 51-90% are at instructional level; and (3) Students between 91-100%

are at independent level, whereas in the present study, the researchers classified

the reading level of the respondents through these levels: Level 1: Elementary

(5-20%); Level 2: Lower Intermediate (25-40%); Level 3: Upper Intermediate (45-

60%); Level 4: Lower Advanced (65-80%); and Level 5: Upper Advanced (85-

100%).

Additionally, the distinction of the research of Foluke Fatimayin (2013)

entitled "The influence of Environmental Factors on Student's Reading habits,” is

that she only focused on the external factors on the students reading habit, which

in this case are the environmental factors that include: A child's home

background which included provision of needed reading materials; home

20
libraries; encouragement and freedom to read; reading friendly school

environment; and well stocked school/class libraries shape students' reading

habits. On the other hand, in the present study, the researchers not only focus on

the external factors, but also on the internal ones, for instance is the intrinsic

motivation.

Moreover, the study of Florence, et. al (2017) entitled "A Survey on the

Reading Habits among Colleges of Education Students in the Information Age”

differs from the present study as it only focuses on reading habits; whereas the

present study focuses on two variables, namely reading habit and reading

comprehension.

Lastly, almost all of the related studies reviewed by the researchers are

focused on the correlation of reading habit and other varied variables. As such,

examples include the studies of Acheaw and Larson (2014), entitled “Reading

Habits Among Students and its Effect on Academic Performance: A Study of

Students of Koforidua Polytechnic”; studies of Nilsen (2012), entitled “Creature of

Habit: Accounting for The role of Habit Implementation Research on Clinical

Behavior Change”; study of Florence, et. al (2017), entitled "A Survey on the

Reading Habits among Colleges of Education Students in the Information Age”;

and the study of Foluke Fatimayin (2013), entitled "The influence of

Environmental Factors on Student's Reading habits.” However, in the present

study, the researchers want to determine the relationship of the two variables,

namely reading habit and reading comprehension.

21
 The uniqueness of this study to the previous studies is that, the

researchers will use the Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL test to

determine the level of reading comprehension of the respondents.

22
 Kohler, Koffka
and
Richard Canfield and
Wertheimer
Anderson Zastavker
(1940) Gestalt
(1977) (2010)
Theory
Schema Achievement
Theory Goal Theory

Reading Habit and

Reading
Comprehension of
First Year English
Major Students

Lev Vygotsky Edward L. Deci

(1934/1986, and Richard M.
1978) Theory of Ryan (2008)
Social Intrinsic and
Cognitive Extrinsic
Development Motivation

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework

23
 Theoretical Framework

No one is born a reader. In fact, neuroscientist Maryann Wolf and author

of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading brain (Harper

Perennial, 2007) said that “humans were never born to read.” Reading is a

human invention, and therefore, readers are made.

There are various theories on how individuals develop habit of reading

which in a way helps build their comprehension in reading. Most notable are the

Gestalt Theory of Learning, Schema theory, Social Cognitive theory,

Achievement Goal Theory, and Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation theory. These

theories are relevant to the study.

The Gestalt Theory of Learning as referred to by Collata (2012) was to a

great extent propagate by Kohler, Koffka and Wertheimer. In the same manner,

this theory emphasized higher-order cognitive processes in the midst of

behaviorism. Gestalt theory claimed that we experienced the world in meaningful

patterns or as an organized whole. Thus, knowledge is organized to solve a

problem and therefore we should view learning from the perspective of problem

solving. Therefore, this theory will help us in answering SOP 1 which seeks to

determine the reading habit of the respondents as it can be construed to this that

the child’s ability to understand a text clearly was significantly affected by his or

her perception, behavior, and attitude towards reading English materials

(Iram,2008).

24
 The schema theory developed by Anderson (1977), comprehending a text

is an interactive process between the reader’s background knowledge and the

text. All readers carry different schemata (background information). This is an

important concept in English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching, and pre-

reading tasks, which are often designed to build or activate the learner’s

schemata. This means that the learners need to use their background knowledge

in reading into different learning materials to easily decipher and comprehend the

certain concepts and ideas being written upon. Having said that, this aspect of

the schema theory will help the researchers answer SOP 2 which will assess the

background knowledge of the respondents relevant to their comprehension in

reading. Efficient comprehension requires the ability to relate the textual material

to one's own knowledge.

On the other hand, Vygotsky's theory of social cognitive development

(Vygotsky, 1934/1986, 1978) explained how children can learn about reading

before gaining the necessary cognitive resources to carry out the activity. It is

found in the notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD is

defined as "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined

by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as

determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with

more capable peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). Children can participate in reading

activities through sustained social interactions with knowledgeable others.

Support, or scaffolding, that is provided enables children to be involved in

reading tasks that are too difficult to accomplish alone. In essence, this is the

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notion of Guided Reading where differentiated support allows teachers to target

individual students at their level. More help is provided at first, but less help is

provided as the child progresses for the reason that scaffolding is just a

temporary help that is removed when no longer necessary. From this concept, it

could be inferred that the student's reading comprehension are influenced by

teachers, parents or another student’s support in learning which can be helpful in

solidifying SOP number 2 which tackles about the students’ reading

comprehension.

The Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) has also significant relevance to the

reading comprehension performance of the students. Canfield and Zastavker

(2010) viewed this theory as the primary theoretical framework for understanding

motivation to learn. AGT has two dominant goals, namely; (a) a mastery goal

orientation that is characterized by a desire for self-improvement and an

emphasis on learning; and (b) a performance goal orientation wherein, students

are motivated by a desire for extrinsic approval. In addition, this theory can

strengthen SOP 2 which focuses on reading comprehension level of the

respondents, as students with mastery goal orientation tend to choose books

with challenging reading levels because they are willing to take risks to improve

their reading skills. Hence, the students who meet with the greatest improvement

are the students who exhibit mastery-oriented goals. They are always taking the

extra challenge and they want to do their best. No wonder why the level of

performance of the students in English reading comprehension varies because

each of them has his/her own goals and objectives in learning.

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 Edward and Ryan (2008) defined intrinsic motivation as you are doing the

activity because it is internally rewarding. You may do it because it is fun,

enjoyable, and satisfying. However, extrinsic motivation is when you are doing

the activity in order to get an external reward in return. Therefore, this theory can

help answer SOP 3 which will address the factors that hinder reading as this

means that if there is no intrinsic and extrinsic motivation or internal and external

forces, the willingness to do something might be affected. Hence, intrinsic and

extrinsic motivation can affect the drive of a person to get involved or not in doing

something, just like reading.

It is interesting to note how intertwined the theories are. Each one

supports the other. In order to be a proficient reader, the learners need to use

their background knowledge in reading different learning materials to easily

decipher and comprehend certain concepts and ideas being written upon.

Another factor that can help student improve reading and reading comprehension

is the support given by other people. Support or scaffolding which can be

provided enables children to be involved in reading tasks that are too difficult to

accomplish alone. Moreover, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has also significant

relevance to the reading habit and reading comprehension of a student as it can

affect the drive of a student to get involved or not in reading. Furthermore, one

must be exposed in multiple texts and must develop a reading habit because the

students who have it can have more chances to explore and interact with various

types of text.

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READING HABIT AND READING COMPREHENSION OF BSED 1-ENGLISH

MAJOR STUDENTS

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

I. Reading habit I. Preparation and I. Significant

validation of survey relationship
 Self-Report questionnaires between two
Habit Index variables: reading
questionnaire II. Collection of habit and reading
data and research comprehension
II. Reading documentation
comprehension level
III. Statistical
 TOEFL analysis of the data
Standardized gathered
test

FEEDBACK

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework

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 Conceptual Framework

This section shows the concept of the study entitled “Reading Habit and

Reading Comprehension of the BSEd 1-English Major Students.”

Input. This includes the reading habit of the respondents through the use

of self-report habit index questionnaire and their reading comprehension level

with the use of TOEFL standardized test.

Process. The following includes: preparation and validation of the survey

questionnaires; collection of data; documentation of the study; and the statistical

analysis of the data gathered.

Output: Significant relationship between two variables: reading habit and

reading comprehension of the respondents.

A feedback diagram was made significant part of the framework so that

when goal has been achieved, the different inputs have to be reassessed

regularly to ensure continuous progress of guidelines on the program for policy

directions of formulations.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study are defined conceptually and operationally.

Literature

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 It is a body of written works; basically, refers to any piece of writing

(Lombardi, 2020). In this study, literature is a number of texts in a form of short

passages adapted from the TOEFL reading test that will be used to measure the

reading comprehension of the respondents.

Reading Comprehension

It pertains to the amount of understanding readers have when they read

the text (Al Odwan, 2012). In this study, reading comprehension is the skill or

knowledge utilize by the respondents while administering the TOEFL test which

can be reflected through their TOEFL PBT (Paper-Based Test) scores.

Reading Habit

It refers to how often, how much, and what the readers read (Mu’awana,

2018 as cited in in Wahyudi Agus 2006). In this study, reading habit define as to

the students’ reading enjoyment, their purpose/s of reading, reading frequency,

their means of obtaining reading materials for reading, and their drives/motivation

for reading.

TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL)

It is the official name of the test. A standardized test that measures a test-

taker’s mastery of the English language. TOEFL scores are primarily used by

universities as part of the admissions process (Karpinski, 2019). In this study, the

TOEFL has the same meaning as the conceptual definition.

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 Assumptions

This study was premised on the following assumptions:

1. The freshmen students have varied reading habits.

2. The freshmen students have varied reading comprehension levels.

Hypothesis

This study was guided by the hypothesis that

𝐻𝑜: There is no significant relationship between reading habit and reading

comprehension of BSED 1- English major students.

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 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the research design and methodology of the study,

which includes the respondents, research setting, research instrument, data

gathering procedures, and statistical tools that will be used in this study.

Research Design

This study will use a mixed method research design which is quantitative

and qualitative. Correlational method will be used to unveil the significant

relationship between two variables: reading habit and reading comprehension.

Meanwhile, interview (open-ended) questions will be used to gather data about

the factors that hinder the reading habits of the respondents.

Research Setting

The study will be conducted at Central Bicol State University of

Agriculture- Sipocot Campus located at Zone 5, Impig, Sipocot, Camarines Sur

for the school year 2020-2021. CBSUA Sipocot has four colleges. The College of

Education however, offers three programs, such as Bachelor of Secondary

Education (BSEd) that offers four majors which are English, Mathematics,

Science, and Filipino, Bachelor or Elementary Education (BEEd); and Bachelor

of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd). Meanwhile, the researchers

decided upon conducting the research in this school to further investigate the

relationship of reading habit and reading comprehension among freshmen

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English major students. The university implements distance learning that is

categorized into synchronous and asynchronous sessions. Therefore, it is not

possible in this time to conduct a face-to-face survey and interview.

Nevertheless, the researchers plan to conduct the study through online platform.

Wherein survey questionnaires will be sent through the institutional emails of the

respondents and online meeting will be held to gather the respondents all

together.

Respondents

This study will focus on 1st year English major students of Central Bicol

State University of Agriculture- Sipocot. The sample size in the study will be

known through computing for the Slovin’s fomula with 5% margin of error of the

entire BSED1- English major with a total of 82 students in the population. With

this, 68 students will be chosen as respondents that will be expected to

participate in the study.

In order to get the determined participants out of the population, simple

random sampling technique will be employed through lottery wherein the official

list of two sections of 1 st year English major students will be collected. Then, the

researchers will assign a number to each student in the list. After that, the

researchers will pick numbers from a bowl until the expected number of

respondents are completed. Hence, names corresponding to the numbers picked

will serve as a respondent and be part of the said study.

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 Research Instrument

The instrument to be utilized in gathering data are semi-structured

interview and survey questionnaire. With regards to the formulation of the survey

questionnaire, the researcher adapted and modified the research study from

Ankara University and Erciyes University, A research on reading habits of

university students (Erdem, 2014). The crafted survey questionnaire is composed

of Part I: Self-Report Reading Habit Questionnaires used to answer SOP number

1. Moreover, the Reading Habit survey is composed of 30 statements divided

into five parts which are as follows: I. Reading enjoyment; II. Purpose/s of

reading; III. Reading Frequency; IV. Means of obtaining reading materials for

reading; and V. Drives/motivations for reading. These questions will help

determine the reading habit of BSED 1-English major students. In addition, the

researchers decided to use a 5-point Likert scale in the survey.

The table below will be used to quantify the responses of the respondents

in the survey questionnaires with corresponding verbal interpretations using 5-

point Likert scale.

Scale Range Response Verbal Interpretation

5 4.21-5.00 Always Very High
4 3.41-4.20 Often High
3 2.61-3.40 Sometimes Moderately High
2 1.81-2.60 Rarely Low
1 1.00-1.80 Never Very Low

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 Part II: Reading Comprehension test is a TOEFL test to determine the

level of reading comprehension of the respondents as well as to answer the SOP

number 2. The researchers will use a reading text composed of variety of short

passages on academic subjects. Each passage is followed by a number of

questions about the material with a total of 20 items. These questions should be

answered by the respondents with the best of their knowledge and understanding

to get their individual reading comprehension level. Thus, students should at

least comprehend 65 percent of the reading test or should at least earned a total

score of 13 out of 20 items given, to indicate good comprehension. After that,

respondents will be asked to look for their reading comprehension level such as

level 1: elementary (with 1-4 total scores); level 2: lower intermediate (5-8 total

scores); level 3: upper intermediate (9-12 total scores); level 4: lower advanced

(13-16 total scores); and level 5: upper advanced (17-20 total scores) that

corresponds to respondents’ attained scores in the test.

Part III of the collection of data will be a researcher made interview which

is composed of 5 questions only which will be used to identify the factors/reasons

as to why students could not be able to spare enough time for reading. In here,

the researchers will pick 20 students randomly to answer the interview questions.

Afterward, the researchers will look for the common theme of the answers of the

respondents that will help answer SOP number 3.

Any comments and suggestions made by the research adviser and panel

members on the proposed instrument of the researchers for the study shall be

incorporated in the revised research paper.

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 Validity and Reliability

The instruments of this study will be submitted to the group of experts

including the research adviser and the panel members. This will be done to

ensure that the results of the survey and interview questions which will be used

to the respondents are due to the study. Future suggestions and comments will

be followed and revision will take place.

Statistical Treatment for Data

This study will use frequency count and percentage technique, weighted

mean, and Pearson Product Moment of Correlation to present all the data

gathered in the study.

Frequency count and percentage technique will be used to determine the

reading habit and reading comprehension of the respondents.

Weighted mean will be utilized to determine the general results of the

respondents’ reading habits as to their reading enjoyment, purpose/s of reading,

reading frequency, means of obtaining reading materials for reading, and

drives/motivation for reading.

Pearson Product Moment of Correlation will be used to test and measure

the relationship between two variables: reading habit and reading

comprehension.

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