Reading Competency and Academic Performance of Learners Under Distance Learning Modalities

Global pandemic brought changes in many aspects of humans’ lives, and education was not spared on it. Despite that teaching-learning process was limited to distance learning modalities for almost two years, Department of Education Secretary Leonor S. Briones stood firm that education must continue. Reading skills and academic performance were two of great concerns of all stakeholders if learners could develop these in spite of the situation. Thus, this study aimed to measure the reading competency and academic performance of the learners from two different modalities, their differences and relationship. The researchers used quantitative research designs particularly the comparative and correlative designs. They gathered data from existing records and subjected these in statistical treatments. It was found out that learners from Printed Modular Distance Learning Modality were instructional readers while the learners under Online Distance Learning Modality were independent readers in Filipino; but both groups were classified as instructional readers in English. This means that they still needed assistance in reading and comprehending in English. The latter group also performed better in silent reading both in Filipino and in English, in overall reading competency in English, and in all subject areas in terms of quarterly grades. However, the study revealed that there was no sufficient evidence of significant relationship between the learners’ reading competency and academic performance in some subjects under the circumstances of distance learning, except in Araling Panlipunan, Mathematics, and Technology and Livelihood Education. The researchers recommend that the school and teachers might come up with different programs and strategies to improve the learners’ reading competency and academic performance despite of distance learning with improved and continued assessment mechanism.