Reading Comprehension Ability and Academic Performance in English Among Grade 11 Students in a Public Senior High School in Bohol

Abstract

Reading comprehension remains a foundational academic competency, yet many Filipino senior high school learners continue to understand texts mainly at the literal level and struggle to interpret, evaluate, and create meaning beyond what is directly stated. This study examined the reading comprehension ability of Grade Eleven learners and its relationship with academic performance in English at Hinlayagan National High School, Trinidad, Bohol, Philippines. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, the study assessed students’ comprehension through a researcher-developed test based on selected literary texts and organized around literal, interpretative, evaluative, and creative comprehension. Academic performance was determined from students’ English grades. The findings showed that students performed satisfactorily in English but demonstrated weak overall reading comprehension, with stronger performance in literal understanding and greater difficulty in higher-order comprehension tasks. Statistical analysis also indicated a significant positive relationship between reading comprehension and academic performance in English, suggesting that students who understood texts more effectively tended to perform better in the subject. Age showed no meaningful relationship with reading comprehension, while sex was not associated with reading proficiency but showed an association with English performance. Differences were also observed across the comprehension domains, confirming that students’ main difficulty lies not in recalling explicit information but in interpreting, judging, and creatively applying ideas from texts. These findings support the need for a targeted reading enhancement program that strengthens higher-order comprehension and helps learners engage with texts more critically and meaningfully.