From categorizing to evaluating: Mapping the critical reading levels of English language students

Critical reading is increasingly recognized as a fundamental academic literacy skill that enables learners to analyze, interpret, and evaluate textual information beyond surface comprehension. Despite its importance in higher education, limited studies have examined the critical reading competencies of English language students within the Philippine context. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated the critical reading levels of Bachelor of Arts in English Language (BAEL) students in a state university in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Anchored in a quantitative descriptive design, the study utilized a validated and pilot-tested 40-item assessment tool measuring three dimensions of critical reading: categorizing, analyzing, and evaluating. A total of 241 respondents participated in the study through stratified cluster sampling. Descriptive statistics and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyze differences according to year level and gender. Findings revealed that BAEL students demonstrated an overall high level of critical reading proficiency, with categorizing emerging as the strongest dimension, followed by evaluating and analyzing. Significant differences were found across year levels, particularly among second-year students, while no statistically significant differences were observed according to gender. Interestingly, queer students obtained the highest mean scores, suggesting the potential influence of diverse interpretive experiences on critical literacy practices. The findings underscore the multidimensional and developmental nature of critical reading and highlight the importance of pedagogical scaffolding, metacognitive reading strategies, and inclusive literacy instruction in fostering higher-order thinking skills among university learners. The study contributes to the growing discourse on critical literacy and academic reading in multilingual higher education contexts.