THE EFFECTIVENESS OF READING HABIT TO IMPROVE THE LANGUAGE SKILL

IN ENGLISH OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS

A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE SHS DEPARTMENT OF AMA

COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER, NAGA CITY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL- GENERAL ACADEMIC STRAND

ALVAREZ, ANGELINE F.
BANADERA, CHRISTINE MAE B.
LOZADA, VANESSA
MONDONEDO, PAULINE LOREIN P.
VALDEREY, MA. MECAILA G.

JUNE 2023
 Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

In a 2018 global survey called Program for International

Assessment (PISA) among 600,000 students worldwide, Filipino

students around the age of 15 got a rating of 340 points in

reading comprehension, lower than the average of 487 points.

Consequently, in the said study, the Philippines ranked last

among 79 countries. The reading variables include negative

reading self-concept, low awareness of reading strategies, low

enjoyment of reading, and low reading of fiction for leisure. 

The problem of reading is more seriously felt in the Philippines

where reading is taught in a foreign language which is also the

medium of instruction. If only students possess good reading

habits, they can increase their critical reasoning skills and

improve their language skills that may have a better academic

outcome. In addition, even the reading of non-academic books

enhances students’ language skills.

Nevertheless, some students who used to read have shown

marked progress after participating in extensive reading

projects. Unfortunately, leisure time preferences have become

increasingly bent towards technology and social media instead of

reading (Obaidullah & Rahman, 2018). The use of, YouTube,

Facebook and other online websites make it easier for students to

watch videos and other online programs and they ignore reading

(Obaidullah & Rahman, 2018; Palani, 2012).; Palani, 2012).

Consequently, an increasing number of students have a negative

attitude towards academic reading. It is because of these reasons

that the number of students who read outside the classroom has

declined at an alarming rate.

Home environments and cross-cultural issues also affect

reading habits (Ameyaw, Anto, 2017; Chen, Yang, 2014; Heath et

al., 2014). Those who have read from the time they were young,

excel in reading and are more knowledgeable (Cunningham &

Stanovich, 2001; Peaerson, 2013) while those who come from low-

income families or cultures where reading is not introduced or

emphasized, display very poor reading skills. In some home

environments where there is a lack of reading resources and where

children are expected to do chores at home instead of reading, it

is difficult for them to form reading habits ( Ameyaw & Anto,

2018; Yamoah, 2015). However, the level of reading is still

unsatisfactory (Poedjiastutie., 2018) These issues necessitates

the investigation of reading habits and its effect on academic

performance.

Inrjit (2014) said that growth of reading habits does not

only occur in the classroom or at home, but also in the community

or the public. Reading habits is catalyst for improving language

skills of a person to develop their grammar and vocabulary.

Apparently, it can be very useful not only in academic learning

but it can also use when applying for work and when talking for

formalities and those people who don’t know how to speak in that

country or place. For this reason, improving language skills can

make student or a person a good communicator either outside the

classroom or a school. Furthermore, this can help a student to be

prepared to face the world outside the room. Ultimately, this

study focused on investigating the relationship between reading

habits and improving the language skills in English. At the end,

this study will be beneficial for teachers, students, parents,

and others researchers. It will give variety of methods or

strategies that can be implemented in teaching and learning

process due to reading habits bring benefits in improving the

language skills.

Statement of the problem

The study you described aims to determine the effectiveness

of reading habits and the factors that influence the improvement

of language skills in English among Grade 12 students. The

specific research questions being addressed are as follows:

1. What is the effectiveness of reading habits in improving the

language skills in English of Grade 12 students?

2. What are the factors that affect the improvement of language

skills in English of Grade 12 students?

3. Has the reading habit of students increased in the digital

age?

Scope and Delimitation

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how reading

habits influence the improvement of language skills in English

among Grade 12 students. This study's only participants were

Grade 12-H Senior High School Students from the GAS strand. Due

to limited time, connections, and physical contact with fellow

SHS schoolmates, and to still observe the safety protocols

against the infection of this deadly virus known as Covid-19,

only twenty-six (26) students-respondents were taken.

Questionnaires and focus groups are the approaches, tools,

and techniques used in data collection for this study, which were

distributed to fellow GAS students in Grade 12-H via hard copy

and soft copy via their FB messenger account to avoid possible

physical contact and exposure of the researcher to other students

in order to avoid infection by the Covid-19 virus.

Significance of the Study

The people who will benefit from this research study are the

following:

To the Students. They will be educated how reading habit can help

to improve their language skills in English.

To the Parents. They will gain awareness from reading this

research because they can help their children to focus on

reading.

To the Teacher. They will benefit from this research paper

because this concerns their students Language skills in English.

Future Researcher. This research can be a source of another study

or can be replicated using additional variables in another locale

or setting or with different respondents.

Theoretical framework

This study was founded on the following theories:

Theory of Primary and Secondary Discourses, James Paul

Gee(1996). Primary Discourse refers to the way you learn how to

act in socially acceptable ways through using your own home

language to interacting socially and communicating informally,

usually with close relatives or friends. It includes the aspects

of attitudes, beliefs, values etc. While, Secondary Discourse,

these are usually learned outside of the family environment and

later on in life, usually once the individual becomes an adult or

encounters situations where he socializes with others who’s

language or cultures are different. It broadens the individual’s

frames of reference, acquired in the primary discourse with

regards to values, attitudes and beliefs etc.

Self-efficacy theory, Albert Bandura, (1977). Bandura

defined self-efficacy beliefs (or expectancies) as the beliefs

regarding one’s ability to perform the tasks that one views as

necessary for attaining valued goals. He proposed that self-

efficacy beliefs are among the most important determinants of

human behavior and offered self-efficacy theory as a unifying

theory for all types of behavior change, including the effects of

psychological interventions and psychotherapy. He contrasted

self-efficacy expectancies, concerning one’s abilities to perform

behaviors, with outcome expectancies, which are concerned with

the expected results of the behaviors that one performs. Bandura

proposed that self-efficacy beliefs are the most important and

powerful of the two in influencing people’s decisions to attempt

or not attempt certain behaviors and to persist in the face of

obstacles. Bandura proposed that self-efficacy beliefs developed

from four main sources: (1) performance attainments and failures—

what we try to do and how well we succeed or not; (2) vicarious

performances—what we see other people do; (3) verbal persuasion—

what people tell us about what we are able or not able to do; and

(4) imaginal performances—what we imagine ourselves doing and how

well or poorly we imagine ourselves doing it. Since the

publication of the 1977 article, self-efficacy theory has guided

thousands of studies in psychological and related fields such as

social work, public health, education, medicine, nursing,

communications, organizational behavior, and management. These

studies have examined the role of self-efficacy beliefs in just

about every imaginable behavior of interest or relevance to human

beings. The list of topics selected for this article is not

exhaustive. These topics were selected because they have been

among the most frequent topics of research. In addition, the

readings listed in this article were chosen because they are

either reviews or summaries on the research on that topic or

representative of the types of studies that address the topic.

Finally, preference was given to more recent studies because they

represent current knowledge and contain in their references

sections citations of previous studies that need not be listed

here.
 Theory of Reading Habits Negatively, Asagwara (2001).

According to Asagwara's final theory, poor reading habits

negatively affect students' comprehension, affecting their

performance and advancement.

Overall, these theories provide a theoretical framework for

understanding the relationship between reading habits, language

skill improvement, self-efficacy beliefs, and the social and

cultural contexts in which language learning takes place. They

help guide the study in exploring the factors that influence

language skill improvement among Grade 12 students and emphasize

the importance of developing effective reading habits for

language learning success.

Self–
Theory of efficacy
Primary and Theory, Theory of
Secondary Reading Habits
Discourses, Albert Negatively,
James Paul Gee Bandura Asagwara (2001)
(1996)
 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF READING HABIT TO IMPROVE

THE LANGUAGE SKILL IN ENGLISH OF GRADE 12

STUDENTS

Conceptual framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Demographic profile of the Preparation of a Proposed measures to

Grade 12 student questionnaire: Development improve language skills in
respondents, including sex, of a survey instrument to English: Providing
age, medium used in reading gather data on reading recommendations and
habits, and number of hours habits, language skills, and strategies based on the
spent in reading. demographic information. findings to enhance the
Dry run of the questionnaire: language skills of Grade 12
Testing the questionnaire students through reading
with a small group of habits.
participants to ensure clarity Level of effectiveness of
and validity of the questions. reading habits in improving
Collection of data: language skills: Assessing and
Administering the determining the impact of
questionnaire to Grade 12 reading habits on the
students and collecting their language skills of Grade 12
responses. students.
Analysis: Tabulating and Insights on factors
organizing the collected data influencing language skill
for statistical analysis. improvement: Identifying
Interpretation of data: and discussing the factors
Analyzing the data to identify that affect the improvement
patterns, trends, and of language skills in English
relationships between among Grade 12 students,
reading habits, language based on the data analysis.
skills, and demographic Examination of reading
factors. habits in the digital age:
Investigating the changes
and trends in students'
reading habits in the context
of the digital age.
 This research aimed to the Effectiveness of reading habit in

improving Language skills in English of Grade 12. The respondents

are from grade 12 who are currently enrolled here in ACLC Naga,

1st semester S/Y 2022-2023.

Overall, the input consists of the demographic profile of

the respondents, the process involves questionnaire preparation,

data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and the output

includes proposed measures for language skill improvement,

assessment of reading habit effectiveness, insights on factors

influencing language skills, and an examination of reading habits

in the digital age.

Hypothesis of the study

This study designed to assess the following:

Ho: There is no significant difference between the effectiveness

of reading habits and improvement the language skills in English

among Grade 12.

H1: There is significant difference between the effectiveness of

reading habits and improvement the language skills in English

among Grade 12.

Definition of term
 The terms are defined conceptually and operationally:

Discourses. This term covers only the Primary and Secondary

Discourses from Gee’s theories.

Language skills. In this study, it refers to the benefits of

reading habit that can make students or a person a good-

communicators.

Reading Habits. This term includes the time spent in reading and

refers to the benefits of improving the language skills that

develops grammar and vocabulary.

Self-efficacy. This term covers the theory of Albert Bandura.

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter is composed of the review of related literature

and studies that entitled “The effectiveness of reading habit in

improving the language skills in English of Grade 12 students” 

Related literature 

In today's globalized world the importance of English

language is beyond discussion. The thrust and focus of all the

existing English language teaching theories, approaches and

methods is to enable teachers and learners attain optimum success

in the teaching and learning of English language (Philominraj &

et al., 2018). Research shows that learners who read extensively

tend to accomplish a high level of academic achievement (Hidayah

& et al., 2021).  

Collins and Cheek (1999) described reading as a process that

requires the use of complex thought processes to interpret

printed symbols as meaningful units and comprehend them as a

thought unit in order to understand a printed message. Also,

Geetali Das (2019) states that it is important to encourage the

reading habit so that people grow mentally and fulfill their

potential at every level from village to university. Nobody can

fulfil his or her potential without the cognitive growth that

comes from reading widely and people will not read further than

their immediate needs if they are not given the reading habit.

Such growth is every person’s right and will benefit the country

economically as well as benefiting the individual personally.  

Furthermore, Kumar & Ansari (2010) concluded that senior

secondary students need to improve their reading habits. It will

be beneficial to have a record of their reading habits in order

to make predictions about their academic success in the study.

For effective promotion of reading habits, skills and culture,

reading must be made pleasurable and voluntary. And lastly,

Canuel & et al. (2019) states that reading habits can help the

students increase their knowledge in vocabulary words. It means

that students can show their skills and easily understand the

texts and words using reading materials. On the other hand, the

remarks of the reading habits of the participants revealed that

most of the students strongly agree that reading helps them to

learn new words wherein they feel inspired and intelligent.

Students who read books develop their vocabulary skills. 

Related studies
 Reading is the ability to understand words contained in a

document and make use of the knowledge for personal growth and

development (Dadzie, 2008). This suggests making meaning out of

recorded data either printed or non-printed within the life of an

person. Individuals perused for distinctive reasons and purposes,

a few of which incorporate for joy, recreation, unwinding, data

and for information. 

Reading is the identification of the symbols and the

association of appropriate meaning with them. It requires

identification and comprehension. Comprehension skills help the

learner to understand the meaning of words in isolation and in

context (Palani, 2012). Reading requires one to think, assess,

judge, imagine, reason, and solve problems. Reading is a crucial

instrument for knowledge transfer, and developing a reading habit

is a skill-building academic practice. A child educates himself

about the world and its environment through reading books,

newspapers, and other media.

Reading is an intellectual activity that a man can only

engage in if he develops a habit of doing so from an early age.

Therefore, reading habits are essential for a person to develop

practical effectiveness. Indeed, books are the most effective

medium for passing knowledge from one generation to the next.

Laws may change, but books never do (Issa et al, 2012).

 Ogbodo (2010) identifies that there are three main types of

reading habits. These are Hobby, Recreational and Concentration.

A pastime is an activity that one engages in because it brings

them pleasure and happiness. After completing their formal

schooling, some people enjoy reading as a hobby. Its goal is to

broaden the reader’s horizons in a variety of fields, including

non-fiction, educational, religious, political, economic, and

current affairs. One benefits from reading as a hobby by becoming

knowledgeable in a variety of subjects and being able to converse

intelligently with others. 

Fundamentally, the educated elite frequently reads for

leisure or enjoyment. People who are employed full-time spend the

entire day in their workplaces working on issues linked to their

jobs. They typically want a change after work and read books,

newspapers, and other written things that are unique and

interesting to them. Magazine reading should be promoted to

students as opposed to constant textbook reading. Reading

periodicals teaches students how to unwind, calm their minds,

avoid mental exhaustion, and helps them maintain a disciplined

lifestyle in school. In maximum cases, its impact in inducing

sleep and relaxation after tedious studying with inside the

lecture room or the library provides to appropriate fitness

habits. The attention studying is the maximum critical sort of

accomplishing the preferred outcome. It is the bedrock and the

end result orientated studying which makes for achievement

(Ogbodo, 2010). 

Gap-bridge of the study

While there is existing research highlighting the

importance of reading habits and their positive impact on

academic achievement, there is still a need for a specific

focus on Grade 12 students and their language skills in

English. The current study aims to address this gap by

examining the effectiveness of reading habits specifically for

Grade 12 students and identifying the factors that influence

the improvement of their language skills.

The mentioned theories, such as the Theory of Primary and

Secondary Discourses, Self-efficacy theory, and Theory of

Reading Habits Negatively, provide valuable insights into the

influence of primary and secondary language discourses, self-

efficacy beliefs, and the negative impact of poor reading

habits on language comprehension and performance.

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of reading

for personal growth, cognitive development, vocabulary

enhancement, and knowledge acquisition. However, the existing

literature lacks a specific focus on Grade 12 students and their

language skills in English. This study aims to fill this gap by

investigating the effectiveness of reading habits and providing

insights into the factors that contribute to the improvement of

language skills in this specific context.

By bridging this gap, the study aims to contribute to the

existing knowledge by providing practical recommendations and

strategies to enhance the language skills of Grade 12 students

through effective reading habits. The findings of the study can

be used by educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to

design interventions and educational programs that promote

reading habits and improve language proficiency among Grade 12

students.
 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents and discusses the method that will be

used in the study, the population and sampling technique, the

research locale, the research instrument, the data gathering

procedure, the data processing and the statistical treatment of

data.

Research Design

This research will employ qualitative and will use survey

and questionnaire forms to gather information for our study.

Qualitative research entails gathering and analyzing non-

numerical data in order to comprehend concepts, opinions, or

experiences. It can be used to gain in-depth insights into a

problem or to generate new research ideas. Qualitative research

is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves

collecting and analyzing numerical data for statistical analysis.

 A case study is a comprehensive examination of a specific

subject, such as a person, group, location, event, organization,

or phenomenon. Case studies are frequently used in social,

educational, clinical, and business studies. This design will be

used to seek what is the improvement of Language skill in English

of Grade 12 students by reading habits.

In gathering our data, we will conduct survey and

questionnaires will be given to our respondents which contains

questions that is related to our study.

Population and Sampling Technique

Population in this research is GAS 12-H students at ACLC-

Naga with 30 students. This sampling technique used for this

survey research cluster-simple random sampling-it means taking a

sample in cluster, random, and in simple way. It is done because

of the wide area and a great deal of population. According to

Sugiyono, the cluster-simple random sampling is used in which

related to a geographic location of right respondents where they

are in one school selected section randomly as a cluster and

regarded that they have an equal position for relevant

characteristics towards examined variables. The sample only one

section in GAS 12. It has about 30 students. The sample are

randomly about 26 students in GAS 12-H in the even semester for

academic 2022-2023 to be samples in this survey research.

Research Locale

This study will be conducted in the AMA Computer Learning

Center (ACLC) of Naga City started last February 26,1996 on its

temporary site at Manubay Building along Peñafrancia Ave., Naga

city beside Emily Theater. It’s now located on 4th Floor NagaLand

Emall, Elias Angeles Street, San Francisco, Naga City,

Philippines.

Data Gathering Procedure

After establishing the validity and reliability on how

formulating questions appropriate for the study and all doing

necessary modification to the chosen respondent. Twenty-six (26)

copies of questionnaires distributed will be successfully

completed and returned. Thus, their corresponding answer to the

question are kept in accordance with the agreement of the

respondents and the researchers. The data gathered was organized

and tabulated according to the result of the statistical

treatment done. In this stage, the service of a statistical

consultant was needed.

Research Instrument
 The questionnaire will be used as the main data-gathering

instrument. The instrument to be prepared focused on answering

the statement of the problem. The factors that affect the

improvement of language skills in English. The questionnaire

contains two test types which are A. LIKERT SCALE that cover (1-

10) questions and B. RECOGNITION TYPE that only cover (1-5)

questions. The questionnaire will be distributed to the

respondent. The data-gathering instrument was structured as a

scale ranging from 1-4. Where in the (4) is strongly agree, (3)

is agree, (2) is disagree, and last one is (1) strongly disagree.

The legend will help the researchers to analysis the result of

conducting data-gathering.

Statistical Treatment Tool

To analyze the data and address the study, the researcher

considers the following statistical tools:

Descriptive statistics: Use descriptive statistics to

summarize the data and provide an overview of the effectiveness

of reading habits and the factors influencing language skills

improvement. Calculate means, standard deviations, and

percentages for relevant variables.

The mean, denoted by μ (for a population) or x̄ (for a sample),

represents the average value of a set of data. The formula for

calculating the mean is as follows:

For a population:

μ = (X1 + X2 + X3 + ... + XN) / N

The standard deviation measures the dispersion or variability of

a set of data points from the mean. It quantifies how much the

individual data points deviate from the average. The formula for

calculating the standard deviation depends on whether you are

working with a population or a sample.

For a sample:

s =√[( (X1 - x̄)^2 + (X2 - x̄)^2 + ... + (Xn - x̄)^2 )/(n - 1)]

where:

X1, X2, ..., XN = represent the individual data

points in the population (or sample)

μ = represents the population mean

x̄ = represents the sample mean

N = represents the total number of data

points in the population

n = represents the sample size.

Percentage Technique. This was used to determine the percentage

of responses and obtain the qualitative meaning of the data.

 The formula used was:

n
P = __________ X 100
N

Where:

P = is the percentage 

n = is the number of responses

N = is the total number of respondents

Frequency analysis: Conduct frequency analysis to determine the

distribution of responses for different questions related to

reading habits, factors affecting language skills improvement,

and changes in reading habits in the digital age.

 AMA Computer Learning Center Naga
4/F, Nagaland E Mall, Elias Angeles, Naga, 4400 Camarines Sur
S/Y 2022-2023

Dear Ma’am/Sir,

Good day!

We, the Senior High school students of Grade 12-B (GAS) from AMA Computer
Learning Center are currently conducting research entitled The effectiveness of reading habit in
improving the language skills in English of Grade 12 students that aim to determine the
effectiveness of reading habit and the factors that affect the improvement of language skills in
English.

In order to accomplish our research objective, we would like to ask you to be part of our
survey as one of our respondents. The survey will only last for about 5-10 minutes. Rest assured
that the data gathered will remain confidential and for academic purposes only. We are hoping
that this request will merit for your favorable approval.

Thank you!

Respectfully yours,
 Researchers

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF READING HABIT IN IMPROVING THE

LANGUAGE SKILLS IN ENGLISH OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS

Greetings dear respondent, we the researchers are conducting a study with its purpose of
determining to demonstrate how reading habits influence the improvement of language skills in
English among Grade 12 students. The respondent is expected to show unbiased response and to
answer truthfully. Your responses will be anonymous and will never be linked to you personally.
Your participation is entirely voluntary.
Thank you for your cooperation.

DIRECTIONS: To ensure accurate data collection, please provide necessary information by

filling in the fields or simply indicating with a checkmark that corresponds to
your responses.

Name (optional): _____________________________________ Age: _________

Address: ____________________________________________ Date: ________
Grade & Section: _____________________________________ Sex: Male Female

A. LIKERT SCALE
Direction: The following pages contain a number of statements with which some people
agree and other disagree. Please rate how much you personally agree or disagree with
these statements and how much they reflect how you feel or think personally.

For each statement, kindly put a check if your answer is (4) strongly agree, (3) agree, (2)
disagree and (1) strongly disagree. Note: There is no right or wrong answer.

INDICATORS STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY

AGREE (3) (2) DISAGREE
(4) (1)
1. You can practice your skills
by reading.
2. Reading can improve my
English skills
 3. I am interested in reading
digital texts.
4. I read more digital than
printed texts because digital
texts are more convenient and
easier to access.
5. I have trouble understanding
what I read in English that’s
why I read as possible as
possible to improve it.
6. Reading English can
improve my knowledge.
7. I believe that reading
English can support my
academic success.
8. Reading is one of the best
way for me to learn things.
9. The main purpose of reading
is to get the most important
facts or ideas from what one
reads.
10. Reading English can
support my future career.

B. RECOGNITION TYPE
Direction: Circle the letter that best answer the question.
1. How do you feel about reading?
A. Happiness C. Fulfillment
B. Emphatic D. Emotional
2. How much time in a day would you prefer reading?
A. 1 hour C. Less than an hour
B. 2 hours D. 3 hours and above
3. Why do you interested in reading English books?
A. To improve my memory.
B. To improve my communication skills.
C. To improve my vocabulary and ability to construct new and
Interesting sentences.
D. All of the above
4. What distract you the most when reading?
A. Technology (Phone, social media, video games and etc.)
B. Lack of sleep and stress
C. Noise around you
D. Cats that keep rolling in front of you.
5. What is the most common topic of your reading?
A. Literature
B. Novels
C. Magazine
D. News