Teachers’ perceptions on reciprocal teaching strategy: Basis for a reading comprehension improvement plan for Grade 4–6

Abstract

Strong comprehension skills benefit learners academically, professionally, and personally, enabling them to problem-solve, communicate effectively, and understand complex concepts. This study aimed to evaluate Grade 4 to 6 English teachers’ perceptions of the Reciprocal Teaching Strategy (RTS) to support a Reading Comprehension Improvement Plan. It was conducted across six public elementary schools in Mandaue during 2024-2025 and utilized a combination of quantitative-descriptive and qualitative methods. Fifty-one English teachers selected through purposive sampling, answered the adapted survey questionnaire. Data collected include teacher profiles, perceptions of RTS components (predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarizing), and implementation challenges. Learners’ reading performance was measured using fourth grading records. The findings showed that most teachers viewed the Reciprocal Teaching Strategy as an effective approach in promoting comprehension and metacognitive skills. However, challenges such as learners’ comprehension difficulties, limited vocabulary, low student motivation, difficulty in generating thoughtful and relevant questions and time constraints hindered consistent implementation. To address these, a Reading Comprehension Improvement Plan was developed focusing on teacher capacity-building, targeted interventions for struggling readers, vocabulary enrichment, guided practice, collaborative planning, monitoring and evaluation, and leadership support. RTS is an effective approach, but its sustainability depends on continuous training, differentiated support, and instructional leadership.