PRACTICES, CHALLENGES, AND COPING STRATEGIES OF TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING READING COMPREHENSION OF ELEMENTARY LEARNERS IN GENERAL LUNA DISTRICT, DIVISION OF QUEZON

This study investigated the practices, challenges, and coping strategies of elementary school teachers in developing reading comprehension skills among learners in General Luna District, Division of Quezon. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research employed a concurrent explanatory design, integrating quantitative and qualitative data in examining teachers' practices in four key areas: vocabulary knowledge, text comprehension, finding the main idea, and answering questions. 50 public elementary school teachers responded to the survey questionnaire with open-ended questions where data is analyzed using weighted mean, frequency count and percentage, and Kendall Tau Correlation. The study found that while teachers highly practiced all four reading comprehension strategies, they faced significant challenges, especially in addressing students’ concentration issues, limited home reading support, and balancing curricular demands. Teachers adopted several coping strategies, such as integrating multimedia tools, contextualizing lessons, and promoting critical thinking activities to overcome these challenges. Also, statistical analysis revealed significant relationships between teaching practices and challenges, particularly in the areas of vocabulary knowledge and finding the main idea. Text comprehension was also significantly related to student factors. Based on these findings, the study proposed a policy recommendation to enhance instructional support for teachers, focusing on the provision of resources, teacher training, and parental involvement.