Short Reading Selections and Students’ Perceived Reading Comprehension: A Correlational and Comparative Study in South Cotabato Public High Schools

Reading comprehension constitutes a foundational competency in academic learning; whereas, a significant proportion of students encounter persistent challenges when engaging with extended or conceptually dense texts, thereby impeding their capacity for critical analysis and scholarly integration. This research investigates the impact of short reading selections on self-reported reading comprehension among Grade 10 students at selected public high schools in South Cotabato, Philippines. The study employed a quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and comparative design, involving 400 randomly selected students from three public high schools. A validated 5-point Likert scale questionnaire assessed students' exposure to short reading selections and their self-reported reading comprehension levels. Findings revealed strong agreement that short reading selections were readable, relevant, and effective for improving their perceived reading comprehension. The Kendal-Tau B analysis revealed a moderately positive correlation between exposure to short reading selections and their self-reported reading comprehension (τ = 0.422, p < 0.001). The Kruskal-Wallis H-test reveals substantial differences in self-reported reading comprehension among tenth-grade students across the participating public high schools (χ2 (2) = 22.40, p < .001). These results suggest that short reading selections offer distinct advantages, particularly in resource-limited classrooms. Short reading selections appear to offer students a significant advantage, particularly in classrooms where books, time, and training materials are scarce. Clear, concise, short reading selections are perceived to help lay the foundation for stronger reading comprehension and may contribute to improve literacy rates. To determine if these perceived gains are sustained and reflect actual comprehension, future studies should conduct performance-based assessments and intervention studies to enhance students’ understanding of the effects of short reading selections.