Parents’ Perspectives on Factors Affecting the Reading Comprehension of Frustration-Level Learners: A Phenomenological Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2026.250Keywords:
Reading comprehension, Frustration-level learners, Parental perspectives, Phenomenological study, Home literacy environmentAbstract
This study explored the lived experiences of parents regarding the factors influencing the reading comprehension of frustration-level learners using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Ten (10) parents from selected public elementary schools in Davao del Sur were purposively selected and participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings reveal that reading comprehension difficulties among frustration-level learners are shaped by an interplay of motivational disengagement, digitally mediated distractions, and constrained home literacy environments with limited structured reading routines. Parents reported declining intrinsic motivation toward reading, as children increasingly preferred gadget-based activities, thereby reducing reading exposure and comprehension practice. Home-related conditions such as noise, sibling interference, and lack of structured learning spaces further hindered concentration and reading engagement. Despite these challenges, parents demonstrated adaptive mediation strategies, including translation, guided explanation, close monitoring, and reinforcement of reading tasks. However, they emphasized the need for stronger school-based literacy support, particularly individualized reading interventions, structured reading programs, and clearer instructional materials. Overall, the study shows that frustration-level readers experience not only academic difficulties but also reading challenges shaped by fragmented and resource-constrained home learning environments, which limit consistent reading support. This highlights the important role of parental adaptive practices in low-resource contexts and extends the understanding of home literacy environments in shaping reading outcomes. The study is limited by its small sample size and localized scope. Future research may include larger, multi-regional samples and incorporate teacher–learner triangulation to enhance depth of interpretation and broader applicability.
Downloads
References
Alhazmi, A.A., & Kaufmann, A. (2022). Phenomenological qualitative methods applied to the analysis of cross-cultural experience in novel educational social contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 785134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.785134
Ballena, C. (2021). Qualitative research interviewing: Typology of graduate students’ interview questions. Philippine Social Science Journal, 4(3), 96–112. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v4i3.376
Bhamani, S., Makhdoom, A.Z., Bharuchi, V., Ali, N., Kaleem, S., & Ahmed, D. (2020). Home learning in times of COVID: Experiences of parents. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 7(1), 9.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Calica, M. (2020). The effect of parental characteristics and home resources on reading performance of 15-year-old students in the Philippines. The New Educational Review, 62(4), 67–79.
Creswell, J.W., & Poth, C.N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE Publications.
de Haan, M. (2021). Supporting struggling adolescent readers through the response to intervention (RTI) framework. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 26(1), 47–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2020.1870512
Eborda, S.M., Opingo, K.M., & Duites, A. (2026). The role of home literacy environment in strengthening the literacy competencies of grade two learners. International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies, 6(1), 15–21.
Gan, Z. (2020). How learning motivation influences feedback experience and preference in Chinese university EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 496. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00496
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2005). How many interviews are enough? Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822x05279903
Into, C.A., & Cajala, V. (2024). Post-pandemic assessment of fundamental reading, writing, and arithmetic skills of Grade 5 learners. Pedagogy Review, 2(1), 119–131. https://doi.org/10.62718/vmca.pr-ijetas.2.1.sc-0624-022
Jomocan, C., & Legaspi, M.J. (2020). Context clues knowledge and reading comprehension skills of Grade 10 students. Philippine Social Science Journal, 3(2), 77–78. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v3i2.230
Lau, C., & Richards, B. (2021). Home literacy environment and children’s English language and literacy skills in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 569581. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569581
Lenhart, J., Suggate, S., & Lenhard, W. (2021). Shared-reading onset and emergent literacy development. Early Education and Development, 33(4), 589–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1915651
Malterud, K., Siersma, V.D., & Guassora, A.D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: Guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753–1760. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315617444
Moser, A., & Korstjens, I. (2017). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 1: Introduction. European Journal of General Practice, 23(1), 271–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375093
Neumann, M. (2019). Social robots and young children’s early language and literacy learning. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00997-7
Niklas, F., Wirth, A., Guffler, S., Drescher, N., & Ehmig, S. (2020). The home literacy environment as a mediator between parental attitudes toward shared reading and children’s linguistic competencies. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01628
Ogurlu, U., Garbe, A., Logan, N., & Cook, P. (2020). Parents’ experiences with remote education during COVID-19 school closures. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/8471
Patton, M.Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Resnik, D. (2020). What is ethics in research & why is it important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://tinyurl.com/57h2h998
Reynolds, M., Buckingham, J., Madelaine, A., Arakelian, S., Bell, N., Pogorzelski, S., Wheldall, R., & Wheldall, K. (2021). What we have learned: Implementing MiniLit as an intervention with young struggling readers. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 26(2), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2021.1989605
Sénéchal, M., & LeFevre, J.-A. (2014). Continuity and change in the home literacy environment as predictors of growth in vocabulary and reading. Child Development, 85(4), 1552–1568. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12222
Silinskas, G., Sénéchal, M., Torppa, M., & Lerkkanen, M.-K. (2020). Home literacy activities and children’s reading skills, independent reading, and interest in literacy activities from kindergarten to Grade 2. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1508. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01508
Suson, R., Baratbate, C., Anoos, W., Ermac, E., Aranas, A.G., Malabago, N., Galamiton, N., & Capuyan, D. (2020). Differentiated instruction for basic reading comprehension in Philippine settings. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(9), 3814–3824. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080904
Tagose, R.K., Maed, R.J., Lagi, J., & Saldivar, J. (2025). Challenges of reading coordinators in the implementation of school-based reading programs among rural and urban schools in Davao del Sur. American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, 4(4), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v4i4.4361
Tatel-Suatengco, R., & Florida, J. (2018). Family literacy in a low-income urban community in the Philippines. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(2), 327–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798418766604
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
JIP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Under the Open Access Policy, appropriate attribution can be provided by simply citing the original article.
