Reading Fluency and Comprehension Challenges Among Secondary Students and Teachers: Basis for Project READ-UP

Abstract

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the challenges encountered by students and teachers in reading fluency and reading comprehension at Tandubanak National High School in Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, as a basis for a contextualized intervention program. The quantitative phase involved 60 Grade 7 to Grade 10 students identified as struggling readers and all six English teachers engaged in reading instruction. The qualitative phase included 14 students in two focus group discussions and three English teachers in semistructured interviews. Data were generated through reading-related assessments, structured questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. Means, standard deviations, Pearson product-moment correlations, and analysis of variance were used for the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative accounts. Students reported high challenges in reading fluency (M = 3.1733), with reading rate as the most difficult indicator, and very high challenges in literal (M = 3.4333), inferential (M = 3.4900), and critical comprehension (M = 3.4967). Teachers reported very high instructional challenges (M = 3.9333), particularly in monitoring progress under workload constraints. Reading fluency challenges were significantly and positively related to comprehension challenges (overall r = .665, p < .001). Students’ reading challenges were not significantly related to teachers’ instructional challenges, and comprehension challenges did not significantly differ by reading level. Qualitative findings identified foundational reading deficits, higher-order comprehension difficulties, emotional barriers, structural constraints, environmental and linguistic factors, and emerging support mechanisms. These results informed Project READ-UP, an eight-week school-based program combining fluency practice, phonics, vocabulary work, explicit comprehension instruction, peer-assisted learning, teacher support, contextualized materials, and systematic progress monitoring.