Addressing Student Disengagement: Teachers’ Challenges and Strategies in Reading Comprehension Instruction

This study investigated student disengagement in reading comprehension in Philippine elementary classrooms, examining its causes, the challenges teachers encounter, the intervention strategies they employ, the perceived effectiveness of these strategies, and the proposed support systems. It employed a mixed-methods design using an exploratory sequential approach, where qualitative data were collected first to inform the quantitative phase. The qualitative phase involved purposively selected public elementary school teachers who participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews, while the quantitative phase included teachers selected through random sampling. Data collection tools consisted of a researcher-developed semi-structured interview guide for the qualitative phase and a validated structured survey questionnaire with Likert-type scales for the quantitative phase. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, while quantitative data were examined using descriptive statistics.Findings showed that student disengagement was moderately to highly observed, with teachers identifying emotional, cognitive, and environmental factors as major causes. Comprehension difficulty, low motivation, and lack of relevance of reading materials were frequently reported. Large class size emerged as a significant challenge, along with limited time for individualized support and varied reading levels among learners. Intervention strategies were generally perceived as effective, particularly in improving participation, motivation, and comprehension. Proposed support systems were rated as highly needed, emphasizing smaller class sizes, remedial reading sessions, and diagnostic tools. The study recommends strengthening institutional support, improving access to resources and training, and implementing early and targeted reading interventions to enhance student engagement.