Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 34 no. 7 (2025)

From Reading to Comprehending: The Influence of Reading Habits on Reading Comprehension among Grade 7-9 Students in A Private Catholic School in Davao City

Alexie Haspe | Samantha Dennise Locson | Phoebe Kate Gonzaga | Gabriel James Reyes | Christian Jake Gregorio | Emmanuel Templa

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This study explores the reading habits and comprehension levels of Grade 7 to 9 students at St. Peter's College of Toril, Inc., with a particular focus on engagement, reading frequency, material preferences, and working memory. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study found that students demonstrate moderate reading engagement (M = 3.10). Among the key indicators, Reading Interest and Motivation recorded the highest mean score (M = 3.34), underscoring the significant role of personal interest in shaping reading behaviors. Conversely, Reading Frequency and Time Allocation received the lowest score (M = 2.66), highlighting difficulties maintaining consistent reading habits. Regarding comprehension, Working Memory was assessed with a mean score of 3.28, indicating a moderate ability to retain and process textual information. The most frequently employed comprehension strategy was rereading when encountering difficulties (M = 3.62), suggesting that students actively understand texts. However, the low mean score for difficulty understanding meaning (M = 2.81) points to areas requiring further instructional support. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to enhance students' reading engagement and comprehension skills. Schools and educators can implement structured reading programs, allocate dedicated reading time, and diversify reading materials to sustain student interest. Additionally, integrating evidence-based comprehension strategies, such as summarization, annotation, and guided discussions, further supports reading development. Strengthening these areas is crucial for fostering improved literacy and academic success among junior high school students, reinforcing the importance of a supportive reading culture within educational institutions.



References:

  1. Abequibel, B., Dela Rama–Ricohermoso, C., Alieto, E., Barredo, C., & Lucas, R. I. (2021). Prospective reading teachers’ digital reading habit: A cross-sectional design. TESOL International Journal, 16(4.4), 246–260.
  2. Afgan, M. W., Aisyah, S. A., Pratama, R., Putra, A. M., & Sirodj, R. A. (2023). Correlational research. JIIP (Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(3), 1754–1759. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v6i3.1420
  3. Aggarwal, R., & Ranganathan, P. (2019). Study designs: Part 2 - Descriptive studies. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 10(1), 34–36. https://doi.org/10.4103/picr.PICR_154_18
  4. Akyol, H., & Gedik, O. (2022). Reading difficulty and development of fluent reading skills: An action research. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18, 2022. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.426.2
  5. Alcances, J. C., Besa, L., Petrola, M. C., & Uribe, J. M. (2015). Reading materials versus grade level: Is there a match? [Conference proceedings], 55–59. https://doi.org/10.15224/978-1-63248-085-9-73
  6. Amalia, N., Arifin, M., Emelia, T. W., & Sari, A. M. (2024). Teaching materials for reading in a professional context to improve the reading skills of English education program students. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pendidikan, 8(1), 166–178. https://doi.org/10.23887/jppp.v8i1.65693
  7. Ambrose, S. A., & Lovett, M. C. (2014). Prior knowledge is more than content: Skills and beliefs also impact learning. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 7–19). Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
  8. Anderson, R. C., Reynolds, R. E., Schallert, D. L., & Goetz, E. T. (1977). Frameworks for comprehending discourse. American Educational Research Journal, 14(4), 367–381.
  9. Arofaha, I., & Ningsia, B. A. (2021). The influence of reading interest and study habits against mathematics learning outcomes. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(4), 11201–11206. https://doi.org/10.33258/birci.v4i4.3179
  10. Azizah, D., & Pradita, I. (2022). The construction of reading habit by an overseas student: The story from Czech to Indonesia. The Journal of English Literacy Education: The Teaching and Learning of English as a Foreign Language, 9(2), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.36706/jele.v9i2.17588
  11. Baddeley, A. (2020). Working memory. In Routledge eBooks (pp. 71–111). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429449642-4
  12. Balan, S., Katenga, J. E., & Simon, A. (2019). Reading habits and their influence on academic achievement among students at Asia Pacific International University. Abstract Proceedings International Scholars Conference, 7. https://doi.org/10.35974/isc.v7i1.928
  13. Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering: A study in experimental and social psychology. London: New Psychological Linguistics.
  14. Belouiza, O., Er-Rechydy, A., & Koumachi, B. (2024). Prior knowledge activation through the use of effective reading strategies. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 9(3), 389–394. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijels.93.49
  15. Bishry, H. (2021). The correlation between reading habit and students’ reading comprehension in English I subject at Economic College of Riau. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/65376296/THE_The_Correlation_Between_Reading_Habit_and_Students_Reading_Comprehension_In_English_I_Subject_at_Economic_College_of_Riau
  16. Brandon, D. (2021). The importance of reading comprehension. Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
  17. Butterfuss, R., Kim, J., & Kendeou, P. (2020). Reading comprehension. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia (pp. 1–3). https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.865
  18. Cabural, A., & Infantado, E. J. (2023). The difficulty of reading comprehension and the proficiency of the Grade 10 students of Aloran Trade High School, Philippines. Journal of Tertiary Education and Learning, 1. https://doi.org/10.54536/jtel.v1i2.1814
  19. Carrell, P. L. (1984). Evidence of a formal schema in second language comprehension. Language Learning and Communication, 2, 87–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1984.tb01005.x
  20. Castillo, A. L., Culawit, A. C., Mapendan, S. A., & Plata, R. A. (2019). Academic text reading skills of senior high school students of Batangas City. Semantic Scholar. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:212745718
  21. Chatham, C. H., & Badre, D. (2014). Multiple gates on working memory. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 1, 23–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2014.08.001
  22. Chin, P., Em, S., & Kheang, T. (2024). Reading motivation to promote students’ reading comprehension: A review study. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25641.81766
  23. Clarke, P., Truelove, E., Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. (2013). Developing reading comprehension. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118606711
  24. DiMaggio, P. (1997). Culture and cognition. Annual Review of Sociology, 23, 263–287. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.23.1.263
  25. Fitriani, S. S. (2015). Improving reading comprehension of Acehnese EFL students [Doctoral dissertation, University of New England]. University of New England Repository.
  26. Horowitz, M. (2014). Reading comprehension: Assisting children with learning difficulties. Springer.
  27. Januarty, R. (2018). Extensive reading (ER) practices and the development of language fluency. Lingua Cultura, 12(3), 267–272.
  28. Lim, R. A., & Arcilla Jr, F. E. (2021). Mobile-assisted language learning: Perspectives from senior high school students. International Research Journal of Science, Technology, Education, and Management, 1(2), 108–118.
  29. Mahshanian, A., Shahnazari, M., & Moinzadeh, A. (2023). The contribution of working memory and word recognition to second language reading across different proficiency levels: An eye-movement study. Teaching English Language, 17(2), 213–250. https://doi.org/10.22132/TEL.2023.407277.1492
  30. Maribbay, R. (2022). Reading interests and habits: Their relationship to the reading comprehension of Grade 11 students. International Journal of Advanced Studies in Education. https://www.ijase.org/index.php/ijase/article/view/128
  31. McClenaghan, E. (2024). Pearson correlation. Technology Networks. https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/articles/pearson-correlation-385871
  32. Miller, E. K., Lundqvist, M., & Bastos, A. M. (2018). Working memory 2.0. Neuron, 100(2), 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.023
  33. Mirasol, R. (2019). Vocabulary size, reading motivation, reading attitudes, and reading comprehension performance among Filipino college learners of English. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 8(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v8i1.15335
  34. Norton, E. S., Beach, S. D., Eddy, M. D., McWeeny, S., Ozernov-Palchik, O., Gaab, N., & Gabrieli, J. D. (2021). ERP mismatch negativity amplitude and asymmetry reflect phonological and rapid automatized naming skills in English-speaking kindergartners. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 624617.
  35. Oakhill, J., Berenhaus, M., & Cain, K. (2015). Children’s reading comprehension and comprehension difficulties. In The handbook of reading comprehension (pp. 231–245). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119705116.ch14
  36. Oclarit, R., & Casinillo, L. (2021). Strengthening the reading comprehension of students using a context clue. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357555609_Strengthening_the_Reading_Comprehension_of_Students_Using_a_Context_Clue
  37. Pantito, B. (2020). Development of teaching critical reading skills through reading strategies for enhancing readers-based linguistics synthesis. Mahachula Academic Journal, 7(2), 330–342.
  38. Patty, J. (2023). Enhancing reading comprehension through the cooperative integrated reading and composition (CIRC) strategy. Research Horizon, 3(4), 362–377.
  39. Perfetti, C., & Stafura, J. (2014). Word knowledge in a theory of reading comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2013.827687
  40. Presadă, D., & Badea, M. (2021). A case study on extensive online reading in higher education. In Handbook of research on modern educational technologies, applications, and management (pp. 908–921). IGI Global.
  41. Rumelhart, D. (1980). Schemata: The building blocks of cognition.
  42. Samrotul, M. (2014). The relationship between students’ reading habit and their reading comprehension: A correlational study at the second-grade students of SMA Dua Mei Ciputat [Master’s thesis, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta]. UIN Repository. https://repository.uinjkt.ac.id/dspace/handle/123456789/25026
  43. Sartika, F. D., Afifah, N., & Anggraini, Y. (2020). The correlation between students’ reading habit and their reading comprehension. BASIS: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris, 7(1). http://journal.upbatam.ac.id/index.php/basis
  44. Schmitt, N. (2014). Size and depth of vocabulary knowledge: What the research shows. Language Learning, 64(4), 913–951. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12077
  45. Septiarini, T., Rahmat, A., & Darmahusni. (2018). The relationship between reading habits and reading comprehension of English department students in UNTIRTA. Journal of English Language Studies, 3(2), 178–191. https://doi.org/10.30870/jels.v3i2.3174
  46. Shivers, L. (2019). Teacher perceptions of define-example-ask vocabulary routines for elementary students. Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.62704/cywvpe46
  47. Singer, L. M., & Alexander, P. A. (2017). Reading across mediums: Effects of reading digital and print texts on comprehension and calibration. The Journal of Experimental Education, 85(1), 155–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2016.1143794
  48. Singh, A. S., & Masuku, M. B. (2014). Sampling techniques & determination of sample size in applied statistics research: An overview. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341552596_Sampling_Techniques_and_Determination_of_Sample_Size_in_Applied_Statistics_Research_An_Overview
  49. Skenderi, L., & Ejupi, S. (2017). The reading habits of university students in Macedonia. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference: Knowledge in Practice.
  50. Sutherland, J., Westbrook, J., Oakhill, J., & Sullivan, S. (2023). An immersive, “Faster Read”: A pilot, mixed-method study, developing whole-text reading comprehension and engagement with adolescent struggling readers. Research Papers in Education, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2023.2238285
  51. Tinggi, K. R. T. D. P. (2017). Garuda - Garba rujukan digital. https://garuda.kemdikbud.go.id/documents/detail/567220
  52. Torres, J., & Alieto, E. (2019). Acceptability of Philippine English grammatical and lexical items among pre-service teachers. Asian EFL Journal, 21(2.3), 158–181.
  53. Vrhovec, A. R., & Soršak, L. G. (2024). Students’ vocabulary and reading comprehension. European Journal of Educational Research, 13(4), 1665–1678. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.13.4.1665
  54. Walia, P. K., & Sinha, N. (2014). Changing trends in reading habits of teenagers in Delhi: An impact assessment of demographic and environmental variables. Library Review, 63(2), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-03-2013-0038

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic