Action Research on Reading Comprehension Shortfall of College Students

I. Context and Rationale

Nowadays, students have easier access to information. A ready answer is

available, in a tap on the screen of a phone. However, it may result in habit
formation when done repeatedly. We call it digital laziness. Digital laziness is the
dependence on technology for the acquisition of a needed answer and or to satiate
one's interests. According to a study at the University of Waterloo (March 5,
2015), authored by Nathaniel Barr, a Professor of Creativity and Creative
thinking, specializing in Cognitive Psychology, and Gordon Pennycook, a Ph.D.
candidate in the Department of Psychology, reliance on phones has a direct link to
lazy thinking. They researched 660 participants who are heavy and average users
of smartphones. Their study was corroborated by an independent claim from the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the United
Kingdom.

The convenience at our fingertips has impeded with active thinking. Barr
and Pennycook were explicit that too much dependence on smartphones limited
the brainpower, thereby lowering the academic standards of the students. Their
study furthered my assumption about the difficulty of students with reading
comprehension.

As a matter of basis, learning is a cognitive process. Therefore if we will

habitually use gadgets as the extension of the mind, according to Nathaniel Barr,
then we are fragmenting our ability to think. I coin this phenomenon as an
extension of memory. The brain becomes idle as a consequence of the habit.
Hence people, irrespective of age, are prone to think less, seldom analyze, and
eventually regress to passive thinkers. Likely, Selective Attention, another natural
activity of the mind, would be affected negatively. Selective attention is the
natural filtering of the mind, also known as "inattentional blindness" in cognitive
psychology. Learning is experiential by nature, if the brain could not perceive
the realization of information through experience within the body, because we are
using smartphones as extension of our memory, our selective attention narrows
further. This is exemplified in the students inability to read instructions even
though it was written clear and bold on test papers, blackboards, whiteboards and
even showing them graphic illustrations.

The students nowadays are bingers of search engines for anything that
muse them. Their dependency on an instant solution to their queries has forged

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 Action Research on Reading Comprehension Shortfall of College Students

them to become passive thinkers. Sadly, I observe my students while I was

instructing the details of our activity. They would take photos of the instruction
on the board so they could remember better. That act is an example of digital
laziness. The students are not aware of its limiting effect on their memory.
Ironically, only a few were able to follow to the letter. As a result, most would
have failed the activity if reconsideration was not given.

Now that the students have acclimated to thinking less, their reading skills
plummeted as well. This dilemma showed up when they had to make reaction and
reflection papers. Their grammar and punctuation were incorrect. They failed to
capitalize proper nouns. They would not be able to yield acceptable output if they
would not copy and paste excerpts from different sites of their reference. Thus,
resulting in plagiarism.

II. Research Questions

What could be the underlying factor why my students have difficulty in

following instructions?

What preoccupies the students’ mind resulting therefore in their inability

to comprehend instructions?

III. Proposed Innovation Intervention and Strategy

To address the problem, I made them realize the ill effects of excessive use of
technology. Utilize their smartphones to their advantage not otherwise. They should
be in control and recognize, hence referring to their phones when deemed necessary.
True, technology is here to stay and flourish, but we can moderate our need of it, not
allowing it to consume us. The rule of moderation I suppose applies in all aspects of
us.To determine the extent of the problem, I conducted a reading comprehension test
from the syllabus for the first term of the school year 2019-2020.

The problem concerns cognition, that being the case, Metacognition approach
would be helpful. Metacognition refers to thinking about thinking, created formally by
John Flavell in 1979. This method pertains to how an individual should process in his
mind the way he thinks of a stimulus. He should think of how he thinks.

Metacognition aims at instilling awareness, control, and conscious cognitive

processing. An individual would learn how his mind processes information that he
could recall and effectively reflect on the succession of his action. Memory is
enhanced in the process consequently. Application of the Metacognition Cycle as a

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 Action Research on Reading Comprehension Shortfall of College Students

method in teaching would bridge the means to the end. Because learners will adapt the
cycle to their system of handling any responsibility.

Metacognition Cycle

-Asses the task.

-Evaluate strength and weaknesses.

-Plan the approach.

-Reflect

-Apply strategies.

IV. Research Methods

Participants and Other Sources of Data/ Information

Participants/Respondents

BSHM11C 47 STUDENTS

BSTM11B 50 STUDENTS

Data Gathering Method

Reading Comprehension Test taken from The Flight from

Conversation by Sherry Turkle of the Week 3 of Syllabus of the first term
2019-2020.

Data Analysis Plan

The research will be done on two classes of freshmen that I

handle at Pambayang Dalubhasaan ng Marilao. A pretest had been
conducted on them in the earlier stage of the study. Within midway as the
research progresses, the intervention will be applied as a method of
teaching. The BSHM11C will be the intervention students and BSTM11B
section will be the comparison one. In the end of the study, the postest will
be given to the subject students.

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Action Research on Reading Comprehension Shortfall of College Students

Work Plan and Timelines

JULY 2019 AUGUST 2019 SUBJECT

PRETEST BSTM11B
BSHM11C

INTERVENTION : BSHM11C
Application of
Metacognition
Approach

POSTEST BSTM11B
BSHM11C

V. Cost Estimates

MATERIALS COST TOTAL COST

BOND PAPERS 200.00PhP

PRINTING AND
PHOTOCOPYING 300.00Php 500.00Php

VI. Plan for Utilization and Dissemination

UTILIZATION This research intends to BSCS11A

address the shortfall of BSHM11B
students in reading BSHM11D
BSHM11A
comprehension and
BSTM11A
following instructions,

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Action Research on Reading Comprehension Shortfall of College Students

therefore since BSHM11C

freshman level is a BSTM11B
foundation of any
course, it is but
appropriate to apply the
Metacognition
Approach in the level.

DISSEMINATION COMMUNICATION
ARTS AND PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT

VII. References

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wired-
love/201603/selective-attention-limits-your-ability-see-others

https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_leading-with-cultural-
intelligence/s06-02-what-is-metacognition.html

https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2016/01/is-technology-
making-students-lazy/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150305110546.htm

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/instruction-metacognitive-
strategies-enhances-reading-comprehension-and-vocabulary

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-
learning-disabilities/distractibility-inattention/why-some-kids-
have-trouble-following-directions

https://www.demenzemedicinagenerale.net/images/mens-
sana/Theories_of_Learning_in_Educational_Psychology.pdf