Socio-cultural Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension Levels and Demographic-based Grammatical Competence of Higher Education Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the socio-cultural factors affecting reading comprehension levels of first-year college students from Basilan State College. This study also analyzed their level of grammatical competence. Stratified random sampling was carried out to sample 464 first-year college students from the college. The mixed method allowed the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data from the participants. While the students generally demonstrated good reading comprehension skills, with an overall competent average score, noticeable individual differences suggested the need for designed support to aid their further development. Conversely, the students displayed a low level of grammatical competence, categorized as limited users, indicating a substantial area requiring educational intervention to enhance their grammatical skills. Notably, education and health sciences students had significantly higher levels of reading comprehension compared to other first-year students. most students believed that factors such as knowledge and attitude directly influenced their reading comprehension levels, with some attributing it to socio-economic status, experience, and hobbies. This study calls for the implementation of strategies that consider the demographics of the students as well as their learning characteristics where educators could effectively assist students in their academic growth and enhance their proficiency in reading and language skill.