Language Learning Strategies as Predictors of Reading Comprehension Performance in English

Abstract

Reading is a crucial skill for school success because it allows students to access information and participate in class. However, there is a lack of local research showing which specific language learning strategies actually predict reading comprehension for Grade 9 students in the Philippines. To explore this, the study used a quantitative predictive design with 304 students from Biñan Integrated National High School. Data was collected using Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) survey and a standardized reading comprehension test drawn from DepEd Open Educational Resources (OER) and the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI). This test assessed students' ability to understand texts at the literal, inferential, and critical levels. The findings revealed that students frequently used learning strategies, particularly metacognitive and social strategies. Despite this high usage, their overall reading comprehension stayed at a developing, "instructional" level. Students were best at finding direct facts but struggled with deeper analysis, such as drawing conclusions or evaluating meaning. The study also found that female students had higher reading comprehension scores and used cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies more than male students did. Most notably, the research showed that metacognitive, cognitive, memory, and social strategies positively predict reading comprehension performance, while affective and compensation strategies were negative predictors. This pattern suggests that affective and compensation strategies were linked to lower scores, likely because struggling readers use these coping methods more often when they experience difficulty. Overall, the study finds that active thinking and self-regulation are key to reading success. These insights provide teachers with practical ways to design targeted reading lessons that help high school students move beyond basic decoding and become independent readers.