WORKING MEMORY AND READING COMPREHENSION

OF GRADE VI PUPILS

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to the
College of Education
Mindanao State University
General Santos City

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Elementary Education

by

CINDIYARI MEDEL
April 2018
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APPROVAL SHEET

The undergraduate thesis entitled WORKING MEMORY AND READING

COMPREHENSION OF GRADE VI PUPILS prepared by CINDIYARI MEDEL in

partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree BACHELOR OF

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION has been examined and is recommended for

ORAL EXAMINATION.

PRECY M. REGALADO, Ph. D. Ed.

Adviser
________________________________________________________________

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination

CATHY MAE D. TOQUERO, MAT JOVAR G. PANTAO, MST

Member Chairman
________________________________________________________________

Accepted and approved in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

degree BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

MARIA THERESA P. PELONES, DM

Dean

Date
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ABSTRACT

One of the most integral ways on enhancing the abilities of the learners is

their reading comprehension and having a good working memory is much better.

This study aimed to relate working memory and reading comprehension of Grade

VI pupils.

This study employed correlational research design. It involved randomly

selected one hundred ninety-three (193) Grade VI pupils from Lagao Central

Elementary School, General Santos City. The data were collected by the

researchers using adapted and modified questionnaire and reading

comprehension test. The gathered data were analyzed using frequency count,

weighted mean, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient.

The result of the study showed that the pupils have high level of working

memory and they have moderate level of reading comprehension. The

correlation analysis found that there is a significant relationship between working

memory and reading comprehension of Grade VI pupils. Thus, this concluded

that working memory influences the reading comprehension of Grade VI pupils.

This study recommended that the school administrators may implement a full-

blown reading program inside the school in order to deal with reading

inadequacies.

Keywords: working memory, reading comprehension, Grade VI pupils,

General Santos City

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researcher wishes to acknowledge the contributions of a number of

people to the accomplishment of this thesis. She would like to express her

deepest gratitude to the following persons who showed their eagerness to inspire

her by their encouragement and guided her all through the way:

Dr. Precy M. Regalado, her adviser, who expressed great efforts in

making this study possible, patience in every correction and suggestion that she

shared, and valuable comments that really motivated the researcher;

Prof. Jovar G. Pantao and Prof. Cathy Mae D. Toquero, members of the

Panel of Examiners, who imparted their ideas and corrections for the

improvement and development of this research study;

Dr. Maria Theresa Pelones, Dean of the College of Education, for the

approval of this study;

Ma’am Marivic Miranda, school head of Lagao Central Elementary School,

for accepting and approving the request to conduct the research study;

To the teachers of the school mentioned, for showing their willingness and

effort to accommodate the researcher very well;

Sir Edgar Salut, her statistician, for sharing his time in terms of helping the

researcher to provide all the needed information;

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Nova, Lorie, Marianne, Kyle, Angel, Chester, Emajene, Kassandra, April,

Queenie, and Joshua, her friends, for their overwhelming support and for sharing

their knowledge and time that really inspired the researcher;

Erika Jeanne M. Berco, her sister, for showing her sincere support and

patience to deal with this study;

Frederick A. Berco III and Jinky B. Medel, her parents and greatest

inspiration every now and then, for their extreme and unconditional love and

support;

Most of all, the researcher is very thankful to the Almighty God, the one of

a kind provider, because He never gives up on her through good and bad times

and He gives her the strength to strive hard and hope to have a positive outlook

in life.

C.M.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE…………………………………………......................................... i
APPROVAL SHEET………………………………………………………………. ii
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………….. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……………………………………………………………
iv
LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………… viii
LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................... ix

CHAPTER

I THE PROBLEM

Introduction………………………………………………………… 1

Statement of the Problem………………………………………... 3

Significance of the Study………………………………………… 3

Scope and Delimitation…………………………………………... 4

II REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE……………………… 6

Conceptual Framework…………………………………………... 33

Hypothesis…………………………………………………………. 34

Definition of Terms……………………………………………….. 34

III METHODOLOGY

Research Design…………………………………………………. 35

Respondents………………………………………………………. 35

Locale of the Study………………………………………………. 36

Instrument…………………………………………………………. 40
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Data Gathering Procedure.…………………………………........ 40

Statistical Treatment…………………………………………........ 41

IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, CONCLUSION AND

INTERPRETATIONS OF DATA………………………….......... 43

V SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary…………………………………………………………... 49

Findings……………………………………………………………. 50

Conclusions………………………………………………………. 51

Recommendations……………………………………………….. 51

REFERENCES............................................................................................... 52

APPENDICES

A Letter of Permission………………………………………………. 61

B Questionnaire Validation Tool…………………………………… 66

C Reliability Statistics….……………………………………………. 72

D Questionnaire on Working Memory of Grade VI Pupils…….... 73

E Questionnaire on Reading Comprehension of Grade VI

Pupils………………………………………………………..….. 76

F Level of Working Memory of Grade VI Pupils…………………. 85

G Level of Reading Comprehension of Grade VI Pupils………… 86

H The Relationship between Working Memory and Reading

Comprehension of Grade VI Pupils………………………….. 87

I Computation of the Relationship between Working Memory and

Reading Comprehension of Grade VI Pupils……………... 88

J Documentation…………………………………………………….. 89

CURRICULUM VITAE………………………………………………………….... 90
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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1 Level of Working Memory of Grade VI Pupils………………………….…85

2 Level of Reading Comprehension of Grade VI Pupils…………….….….86

3 Relationship between Working Memory and Reading Comprehension

of Grade VI Pupils…………………………………………………….….87
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1 Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………33

2 Research Design……………………………………………....……….....38

3 Locale of the Study………………………………………………………..39