Students’ Strategies in Understanding Non-Literary Texts

AUTHOR(S)

Rocky James Guevarra Sarasua, MAEd

ABSTRACT

This descriptive-survey study determined the extent to which the respondents employed different comprehension strategies in reading non-literary texts. Two hundred sixteen respondents were chosen using stratified random sampling to read an adopted non-literary text and fill out the researcher-made Comprehension Strategies Questionnaire. Visualizing is the most frequently employed comprehension strategy with a verbal description of “often,” followed by monitoring and predicting. Setting a Purpose is the least employed comprehension strategy among the study respondents with a verbal description of seldom. Respondents have a diverse set of comprehension strategies that they utilize while reading non-literary texts. Although diverse, only a few of these strategies were often used by the study respondents, and none of these strategies were not used by the respondents. Creating learning activities that enhance students’ reading comprehension, especially their use of the different comprehension strategies, is highly suggested since it is evidenced in the study results. It is also encouraged that teachers explicitly teach how to use the different comprehension strategies so that learners can use them effectively when reading. Topics such as defining and using these comprehension strategies are highly encouraged to be presented explicitly in learner’s materials and books with embedded texts so that students will have strengthened cognizance of the proper use of the comprehension strategies.