Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ISSN(print): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875 Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 DOI: 10.47191/ijmra/v8-i09-46, Impact Factor: 8.266 Page No. 5322-5333 IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5322 Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City GINA V. MORENO Looc Integrated School Calamba City, Laguna ABSTRACT: One of the most pressing problems of today's teachers is how to guarantee that their students are capable of adjusting and becoming self-sufficient learners who can fully comprehend what they are being taught. This study explains the students’ selfpaced learning strategies and how they helped them improve their reading comprehension; the quantitative descriptive correlational method was adopted in two secondary schools of cluster 3 in the DepEd-Calamba City, namely Calamba Bayside Integrated School and Looc Integrated School. There were 300 students to be considered in the study, equally distributed to the two schools where most respondents are in the age bracket of 14-15 and are primarily female. The study results show that the Grade 9 students fully implement self-paced learning strategies in managing the physical environment and effort regulation while implementing goal-setting, help-seeking, and self-study levels. Considering the status of students learning strategies, they were able to obtain a rating of an outstanding level of reading comprehension on fluency, very satisfactory levels of decoding and vocabulary, satisfactory levels of reasoning and background knowledge, and fairly satisfactory levels of sentence construction and cohesion, working memory and attention. As its inferential proof, it is depicted that there is a significant positive relationship between the implementation of the self-paced learning strategies and the level of reading comprehension of the students, which implies that when students can employ well a specific plan that would help them learn independently, it allows them to attain very satisfactory to outstanding levels of reading comprehension. KEYWORDS: Self-Paced Learning, Independent learning, Reading Ability, Reading Comprehension INTRODUCTION The dangers that everyone face become more interconnected as the global perspective grows more linked. The COVID-19 outbreak has not stopped at national boundaries. People of various ethnicities, educational philosophies, economic levels, and genders have been affected. However, the consequences, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, cannot be stated. In the area of education, there are no exceptions. With the help of their parents and a willingness to learn, students from affluent households may be able to make their way beyond closed school doors to alternative learning alternatives. When schools closed, many youngsters from low-income families were left out. As a result of the crisis, many faults and injustices in our educational system have been highlighted (Schleicher, 2020). When adopting Self-Paced Learning, students think about how they learn. Teachers have focused on helping students understand the distinctions between studying SPL and learning in a traditional classroom. To demonstrate this difference, understandings and intentional questions about what kinds of methods may have been needed in a conventional environment vs. how learners believe it to be different on SPL were utilized. Inquiring directly about the expectations of students seems to be a successful strategy. Learners, on the other hand, will very likely need help in setting appropriate SPL expectations. This may require assistance with challenging ideas such as, "Online learning would be easier than conventional teaching since I can do it at home." Carter, Rice, Yang, and Jackson (Carter et al., 2020). This pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) delivered Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) with alternative learning delivery modalities to various sorts of students around the country as part of its preparations for the School Year 2020-2021. Although face-to-face classes are still prohibited due to the public health crisis, the Department of Education can use SLMs in conjunction with other teaching methods (modular, televisionand radio-based, blended, and online) to ensure that all students in SY 20202021 have access to a high-quality primary education. As it is, SLMs and other alternative educational delivery modes are in place to respond to the needs, circumstances, and materials of every student according to DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, and they Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5323 will cover all the bases in ensuring that primary education is available despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. School-based learning materials (SLMs) are generated and sent to schools in coastal areas, far-flung provinces, and rural villages without internet or power access. According to the Department, families with gadgets and devices may be able to access SLMs online or offline. One of the most pressing problems of today's instructors is how to guarantee that their pupils are capable of adjusting and becoming self-sufficient learners who can fully comprehend what they are being taught. Similarly, teachers are worried about the children's home surroundings and whether or not they are capable of learning at their own pace. In light of this, the research team is excited to look into the possibility of developing self-paced learning strategies for students. An environment that encourages children to learn new things and makes it easy for them to understand what the teachers are saying. Because students would spend most of their time reading the self-paced modules provided to them, especially in the English subject, the study would want to know whether a suitable learning strategy at home may help them condition their learning and comprehension of what they read in class. In the 1980s, the theory of self-regulated, which was used to frame Self-Paced Learning, was established, emphasizing the importance of learners taking responsibility for and having control over their learning processes. A student’s capacity to effectively participate in their own metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral learning processes is called self-regulation. In other words, self-regulation is a set of skills that significantly impact learning, according to the definition. "An active and constructivist process in which learners try to monitor, regulate, and manage their cognition, motivation, and actions after setting learning objectives, directed and limited by their own goals and learning strategies," according to the definition. Setting objectives, employing practical learning approaches, coding, repeating knowledge, evaluating performance, asking for help when required, and trusting in one's abilities are all examples of self-regulation (Kocdar et al., 2018). Koller's group (Kumar, Packer, and Koller 2010) established a novel formulation known as self-paced learning to address the issue of Curriculum Learning (CL) (SPL). SPL utilizes the word "curriculum design" as a regularization concept in the learning aim. SPL offers two advantages over CL: first, it optimizes the learning objective with the curriculum, guaranteeing that the curriculum and the learned model are consistent under the same optimization problem; second, the regularization term is independent of specific issue loss functions (Jiang et al. 2015). According to Lee (2015), there are six skills for reading comprehension. Decoding is the capacity to sound out words they've heard but haven't seen written down. The second skill is fluent reading, which allows children to detect words even if they cannot pronounce them quickly. Students acquire the meaning of words via everyday experience and reading; therefore, having a large vocabulary is necessary for reading comprehension. The fourth skill, sentence construction, and cohesion help pupils grasp how sentences are constructed, which may appear to be a writing talent. Cohesion is the term used to describe the act of linking concepts inside and between sentences. The sixth display, in which kids have prior knowledge of the world when reading, is Reasoning and Background Understanding. Aside from that, they must be able to "read between the lines" and deduce meaning even if it isn't stated. Finally, working memory and attention are examined. Students' attention allows them to absorb text information as they read. People with working memory may preserve and utilize this information to make sense of what they're reading and learn from it. It also concerns one's capacity to keep oneself in check when reading. When a child doesn't comprehend something, they need to be able to spot it and act on it. After that, they must take a break, return to the material, and reread it to ensure there are no misunderstandings. Considering that the relationship of Self-Paced Learning on students' reading comprehension will be measured, it's critical to choose which reading comprehension abilities should be emphasized to maximize the odds of defining proficiency. Children may have difficulty comprehending what they are reading for various reasons. Regardless of the reason, knowing which skills are required and which ones your child lacks may help you get the help you need (Jiang et al. 2015). The objective of this study is to determine the self-paced learning strategies of the student respondents at home and how it contributes to enhancing the reading comprehension of the students. Specifically, it aimed to determine the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies as assessed by Grade 9 students in terms of Goal Setting, Help-Seeking, SelfStudy Strategies, Managing Physical Environment, and Effort Regulation. It also assessed the reading comprehension level of Grade 9 students in terms of Decoding, Fluency, Vocabulary, Sentence Construction & Cohesion, Reasoning and Background Knowledge, and Working Memory and Attention. As an inference, the study proved whether the there is a significant relationship between the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies and reading comprehension level of the Grade 9 students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City. And finally, based on the findings of the study, it presented a reading comprehension program as an output. Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5324 MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Design Since the goal of the study was to explain the student respondents' home-based self-paced learning practices and how they helped them improve their reading comprehension, the quantitative descriptive correlational method was adopted. These were current occurrences or circumstances. Descriptive research, according to Calmorin (2010), investigates the real facts about a contemporary situation. Furthermore, its goal was to not only uncover a new truth but also to find a new one. Research Locale The study involved two secondary schools of cluster 3 in the Department of EducationSchools Division of Calamba City, namely Calamba Bayside Integrated School and Looc Integrated School. Cluster 3 was selected by the researcher considering its convenience since she was a teacher employed in one of the schools covered particularly in Looc Integrated School. Participants of the Study The study’s respondents were the enrolled Grade 9 students for the school year 2021-2022 from Calamba bayside Integrated High School and Looc Integrated High School. There were 300 students to be considered in the study, equally distributed to the two schools in Cluster 3 of DepEd Calamba City. It is observed in the given table that most of the respondents are in the age bracket of 14-15 and are primarily female. Research Instrument The study used a modified version of the Kocdar et al. (2018) self-regulation instrument/questionnaire to assess self-regulation in self-paced open and remote learning modalities. Essentially, it is the survey questionnaire's initial section. With a 4-point Likert Scale, the data are interpreted verbally. The second part assessed the proficiency level of reading comprehension of the study’s respondents using an examination having 40 items, checked adequately by a language teacher. Data Gathering Procedure The study asked the permission of the Schools Division Superintendent of Calamba City to conduct the data collection to thoroughly investigate the student respondents' self-paced learning strategies at home and how it contributes to improving their reading comprehension. The letter of approval and the survey questionnaire with an examination in google form was given to student respondents through a web link with the authorization of the principals of the two secondary schools in Cluster 3 of DepEd-Calamba City after the Schools Division Superintendent's approval. During disseminating the questionnaire, the researcher coordinated adequately with the teacher-in-charge of Grade 9 in both schools. The copies were given to the teachers, who asked for assistance in sending the web link to the students. Ethical Consideration The study was consider the ethical principles in researching the survey. The study asked for the consent of the respondents and explained the importance of the study’s objective. The data and information collected from the survey were kept anonymous and confidential. This highly considers the data privacy act. Treatment of Quantitative Data The following were the statistical treatments utilized by the study to answer the problems of the study: The frequency and percent distributions were used in presenting how many respondents achieved advanced, proficient, approaching proficiency, developing, and beginning on reading comprehension examination based on students’ scores. The Simple Mean and Standard Deviation were used to describe the self-paced learning strategy of the student respondents at home. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed to establish the significant relationship between the assessed self-paced learning strategies at home and the level of proficiency of the student-respondent on reading comprehension. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1.1 shows the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies in terms of Goal Setting. The composite mean is 3.15 and interpreted as Implemented. This means that the students were able to set goals and strive for certain results while learning. Setting goals for students has the primary goal of assisting them in acquiring suitable learning skills as well as improving their learning performance in English since they have targets to meet and pursue (Abu Bakar et al., 2014). The grade 9 students who set goals for themselves while studying have the highest mean of 3.26 and are interpreted as Fully Implemented. It is important among learners that they have the end in mind and they can be able to visualize what they have to accomplish. It can be done through goal-setting. Some students have their target notes so that they are guided to what they have Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5325 to do for the day and days to come. Learners must remain dedicated to attaining goals, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and creating a virtuous cycle toward new goals (Mikami, 2020). Table 1.1 Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies in terms of Goal-Setting I study by myself during flexible learning as I… Mean SD VI 1. set my study goals daily. 3.19 0.65 I 2. set goals for me while studying. 3.26 0.60 FI 3. study my lessons in a planned manner 3.18 0.67 I 4. set goals for me to arrange my study hours for distance education lessons. 3.23 0.67 I 5. do not compromise on the quality of what I do for my lessons. 2.88 0.70 I Composite Mean 3.15 0.66 I Legend: Weighted Mean Interpretation Symbol Equivalent Interpretation 3.25-4.00 Strongly Agree FI Fully Implemented 2.50-3.24 Agree I Implemented 1.75-2.49 Disagree SI Slightly Implemented 1.00-1.74 Strongly Disagree NI Not Implemented The grade 9 students who do not compromise on the quality of what they do for the lessons have the least mean which is 2.88 and interpreted as Implemented. Despite it being the lowest mean, it still describes that goal-setting is implemented considering they do not cut standards when it comes to the quality of their work in class. Students that are well motivated and trust in their own abilities with an accurate targeted output are more likely to commence high-quality learning utilizing self-paced learning strategies (Artlet et al, 2003). Table 1.2 shows the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies in terms of Help-Seeking. The composite mean is 2.94 and interpreted as Implemented. This implies that students turn to the Internet and social media for help, as well as friends and subject experts. Whenever students find some unfamiliar terms and unfamiliar concepts in the lessons that they have to take in language subjects, they consider checking the net or asking someone to explain. This strategy will help them understand the concept effectively. In order to study efficiently, students should seek help strategically. That is, students will realize when assistance is required and will seek appropriate assistance from relevant resources to address difficulties and aid them in learning (Tang et al, 2006). Table 1.2 Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies in terms of Help-Seeking I study by myself during flexible learning as I… Mean SD VI contact someone to discuss my understanding. 2.94 0.79 I participate in social media group discussions regarding study subjects. 2.96 0.80 I ask another student for help, when I do not understand the distance education course material 3.00 0.81 I contact other students, who I think are successful, on social media. 2.61 0.84 I determine what I will ask before receiving help. 3.11 0.75 I find someone who has information about the course content to consult when I need help. 3.13 0.77 I share my questions about the lessons with other distance education students on the Internet. 2.85 0.83 I try to talk face-to-face with my classmates in distance education if necessary. 2.83 0.86 I insist on receiving help from someone who has information about the course content on the Internet. 3.02 0.77 I Composite Mean 2.94 0.80 I Legend: Weighted Mean Interpretation Symbol Equivalent Interpretation 3.25-4.00 Strongly Agree FI Fully Implemented 2.50-3.24 Agree I Implemented 1.75-2.49 Disagree SI Slightly Implemented 1.00-1.74 Strongly Disagree NI Not Implemented Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5326 The grade 9 students who find someone who has information about the course content to consult when they need help have the highest mean of 3.13 and interpreted as Implemented. It only means that whenever there are times that they cannot comprehend well the lessons that they are reading, they consider tapping someone to help them. Most likely within reach, are their parents and elder brothers and sisters. But if it still cannot address the concern, that is the moment that they look for friends (Daniela et al., 2021). With this, help-seeking is implemented as a strategy. The grade 9 students contact other students, who I think are successful, on social media has the least mean which is 2.61 and interpreted as Implemented. Though it is the lowest mean, students are still able to implement the strategy of help-seeking by asking their classmates to help them understand some concepts in the lesson that they read. When students help one another, it enhances students achievement, tenacity, and attitudes, according to research. Collaboration with other students boosts motivation and encourages students to take ownership of their own and their friends' learning (King, 2019). Table 1.3 Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies in terms of Self-Study Strategies I study by myself during flexible learning as I… Mean SD VI think of questions on the subject while reading the material. 3.18 0.70 I draw up a draft of reading material to be able to organize my thoughts 3.10 0.67 I practice by repeating the contents of the material. 3.12 0.68 I review my reading materials and notes and try to find the most important opinions 3.31 0.67 I create simple schemes, diagrams, or tables to organize my study materials. 3.05 0.76 I review my lesson notes and draw up a draft of the important subjects, while studying my distance education lessons 3.23 0.70 I summarize the subjects to understand what I have learned from the lessons. 3.19 0.71 I evaluate what I understand by pausing at regular intervals while studying. 3.13 0.70 I Composite Mean 3.16 0.70 I Legend: Weighted Mean Interpretation Symbol Equivalent Interpretation 3.25-4.00 Strongly Agree FI Fully Implemented 2.50-3.24 Agree I Implemented 1.75-2.49 Disagree SI Slightly Implemented 1.00-1.74 Strongly Disagree NI Not Implemented Table 1.3 shows the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies in terms of Self-Study. The composite mean is 3.16 and interpreted as Implemented. This only portrays that they are independent learners who have the study methods and tactics covered in this parameter. Independent reading is something that students may do on their own; it has a good impact on learning and academic accomplishment. The benefits of independent reading on school success have been studied, and initiatives to promote it have been developed (Cullinan, 2000). The grade 9 students who review their reading materials and notes and try to find the most important opinions have the highest mean of 3.31 and are interpreted as Implemented. Taking notes during class allows students to more easily achieve the course's goal and grasp what is being taught. Students who take notes benefit in terms of remembering the most significant elements of the class and memorizing the language issues' substance (Özçakmak, 2019). The grade 9 students who create simple schemes, diagrams, or tables to organize my study materials have the least mean which is 3.05 and interpreted as Implemented. Readers can use graphic organizers to help them recognize the information they need from the material, classify or organize it in templates they make themselves, and guide them in rewriting the same information in a different context (Praveen & Rajan, 2013). As an outcome, students will be able to fully grasp the things they are reading if they use graphic organizers. Table 1.4 shows the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies in terms of Managing the Physical Environment. The composite mean is 3.51 and interpreted as Fully Implemented. It indicates that distance learners organize their learning environment in a physical sense. The physical environment at home must be favorable to reading activities. It should include sufficient lighting and ventilation, as well as a display of learning tools to motivate students to study more successfully. Supported homes for reading were better in terms of displaying learning materials, availability of libraries, availability of book corners, availability of books, and frequent reading opportunities in schools for children, and this favorably affected students' reading performance (Aryal, 2019). Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5327 Table 1.4 Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies in terms of Managing Physical Environment I study by myself during flexible learning as I… Mean SD VI prefer studying in places where I can concentrate 3.58 0.63 FI choose a comfortable place to study. 3.60 0.65 FI have places where I can study efficiently for my distance education lessons 3.46 0.65 FI choose places where nothing distracts me from studying my distance education lessons. 3.50 0.67 FI study my lessons in places where I can focus. 3.54 0.65 FI have a regular place to study 3.36 0.78 FI Composite Mean 3.51 0.67 FI Legend: Weighted Mean Interpretation Symbol Equivalent Interpretation 3.25-4.00 Strongly Agree FI Fully Implemented 2.50-3.24 Agree I Implemented 1.75-2.49 Disagree SI Slightly Implemented 1.00-1.74 Strongly Disagree NI Not Implemented The grade 9 students choose a comfortable place to study. have the highest mean of 3.60 and are interpreted as Fully Implemented. It is vital to establish an interesting, appealing, and pleasant environment for students in order to encourage them to adopt healthy study habits and reading activities. A good reading activity is essential for academic success, and every parent and teacher wants their students to be independent readers (Jato et al, 2014). The grade 9 students who have a regular place to study have the least mean which is 3.36 and interpreted as Fully Implemented. Is evident among the students that they have enough space at home where they can read the lessons and study. Table 1.5 Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies in terms of Effort Regulation I study by myself during flexible learning as I… Mean SD VI study the course subjects until finishing them even though I find the course materials boring. 3.21 0.67 I make an effort to understand the subjects in my distance education lessons 3.35 0.70 FI Composite Mean 3.28 0.68 FI Legend: Weighted Mean Interpretation Symbol Equivalent Interpretation 3.25-4.00 Strongly Agree FI Fully Implemented 2.50-3.24 Agree I Implemented 1.75-2.49 Disagree SI Slightly Implemented 1.00-1.74 Strongly Disagree NI Not Implemented Table 1.5 shows the level of implementation of self-paced learning strategies in terms of Effort Regulation. The composite mean is 3.28 and interpreted as Fully Implemented. It shows the effort made by distance learners whenever activities are provided to them, they are having difficulty with some aspects of their studies. This concept justifies the readers' condition in terms of how it influences their views and attempts to learn, and it prepares students for the learning process. During the performance control phase, students employ appropriate learning approaches to achieve their own goals and self-monitor their progress, and they may be able to get a better understanding of the courses via their efforts (Oruà & Arslan, 2016). The grade 9 students who make an effort to understand the subjects in my distance education lessons have the highest mean of 3.35 and are interpreted as Fully Implemented. Attendance, involvement in class, and performance of classroom chores and homework assignments are all manifested in students' efforts during a time of flexible learning. During a period of flexible learning, learning effort might simply refer to mental effort or a desire to finish a task (Selda, 2020). The grade 9 students study the course subjects until finishing them even though they find the course materials boring has the least mean which is 3.21 and interpreted as Fully Implemented. They exert efforts to read and study the one’s given by the teacher to ensure that they would satisfy the parameters set and be able to pass the subject. Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5328 Table 2.1. Reading Comprehension Level on Decoding Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding 132 44.00% Very Satisfactory 97 32.33% Satisfactory 42 14.00% Fairly Satisfactory 16 5.33% Did Not Met Expectations 13 4.33% Total 300 100.00% Mean - 85.80 – Very Satisfactory Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation In the assessment given for reading comprehension on decoding most of the students were able to achieve outstanding levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at a very satisfactory level having a mean of 85.80. In the reading instruction, an outstanding level of the skill is used by students to decode words that they have heard but have not seen written down. In order to recognize words in print, students were able to discern letter patterns, letter-sound correspondences, and word patterns. Students at this level can decode multisyllabic words and correctly understand single-syllable words (Johnson, 2018). Table 2.2 Reading Comprehension Level on Fluency Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding 261 87.00% Very Satisfactory - - Satisfactory 28 9.33% Fairly Satisfactory - - Did Not Met Expectations 11 3.67% Total 300 100.00% Mean – 91.30 – Outstanding Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation In the assessment given for reading comprehension on Fluency most of the students were able to achieve outstanding levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at an outstanding level having a mean of 91.30. This means that students were able to detect words quickly even though they can't pronounce them properly. Fluency is well manifested in the ability of the students to read and comprehend information faster. This shows that the respondents can read fluently, indicating how well they learned the reading techniques that promote fluent reading. One of the cornerstones of reading comprehension is the acquisition of vocabulary and being able to read those fluently which is well manifested by the students. A skilled reader with an outstanding level is more likely to benefit from both the acquisition of vocabulary and the growth of world knowledge (Paige, 2020). In the assessment given for reading comprehension on Vocabulary most of the students were able to achieve outstanding levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at a very satisfactory level having a mean of 87.28. It implies that students have a great vocabulary level, they learn the definition of words from ordinary experience as well as reading which is well manifested among them. Table 2.3 Reading Comprehension Level on Vocabulary Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding 174 58.00% Very Satisfactory 65 21.67% Satisfactory 20 6.67% Fairly Satisfactory 16 5.33% Did Not Met Expectations 25 8.33% Total 300 100.00% Mean – 87.28 – Very Satisfactory Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5329 Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation The student looks to have a thorough understanding of the vocabulary word. The student has provided both a definition and an example for the vocabulary term. Both the definition and the example correctly reflect the term's meaning (Ma, 2015). Table 2.4. Reading Comprehension Level on Sentence Construction and Cohesion Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding 25 8.33% Very Satisfactory 51 17.00% Satisfactory 65 21.67% Fairly Satisfactory 73 24.33% Did Not Met Expectations 86 28.67% Total 300 100.00% Mean – 77.18 – Fairly Satisfactory Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation In the assessment given for reading comprehension on Sentence Construction and Cohesion, most of the students were able to obtain did not meet the expected levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at a fairly satisfactory level having a mean of 77.18. Students were not able to comprehend well how sentences are constructed, which may appear to be a writing skill. Cohesion based on the works of the student-respondents is not well manifested in the act of linking concepts inside and between phrases. Writing samples from students demonstrate partly some complex sentence forms. The students may partly fills up the gaps consistently using appropriate phrases and that in writing, compound sentences are utilized. Use the sentence starting consistently. Table 2.5. Reading Comprehension Level on Reasoning and Background Knowledge Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding 50 16.67% Very Satisfactory 78 26.00% Satisfactory 70 23.33% Fairly Satisfactory 48 16.00% Did Not Met Expectations 54 18.00% Total 300 100.00% Mean – 80.28 –Satisfactory Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation In the assessment given for reading comprehension on Reasoning and Background Understanding, most of the students were able to obtain very satisfactory levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at a satisfactory level having a mean of 80.28. It indicates that they have a prior understanding to figure out the meaning and deduce meaning when it is not explicitly stated. Students demonstrated a high degree of logical thinking when evaluating and explaining what they read by giving insightful and convincing evidence and explanations for reasoning and conclusions. At a high level, students can create representations or responses that successfully integrate the most important and challenging ideas in a new form (Trassi et al., 2019). Table 2.6. Reading Comprehension Level on Working Memory and Attention Indicators Frequency Percent Outstanding - - Very Satisfactory - - Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Grade 9 Students in Cluster 3 Division of Calamba City IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 5330 Satisfactory 108 36.00% Fairly Satisfactory 115 38.33% Did Not Met Expectations 77 25.67% Total 300 100.00% Mean – 75.07 – Fairly Satisfactory Legend: 90-100 Outstanding, 85-89 Very Satisfactory, 80-84 Satisfactory 75-79 Fairly Satisfactory, 74 and below – Dis Not Met Expectation In the assessment given for reading comprehension on Working Memory and Attention, most of the students were able to obtain fairly satisfactory levels. In general, the mean reflects those students are at a fairly satisfactory level having a mean of 75.07. As they read, students' attention partially allows them to absorb the information in the text. Students working memory partly allows them to remember such information and somewhat use it to make sense of what they're reading and somehow learn from it. They are students who are classified as not-so-good readers with enough working memory to store reading content. This shows that the readers' working memory capacities are well-developed. It is reflected in the study that there is a positive significant relationship between the level of implementation of the goalsetting strategies of the students and their level of reading comprehension, particularly in fluency, vocabulary, and sentence construction. It implies that when students have implemented well the strategy of goal-setting, they have appropriate goals or targets that they have to meet within a specific time or day of studying their lessons. This would help them comprehend better or carefully analyze the write-ups that they read considering that they can read with an outstanding level of fluency, vocabulary, and sentence construction. Table 3. Test Significant Relationship between the Level of Implementation of Self-Paced Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension Level Implementation of Self-Paced Reading Comprehension r value p value Remarks Decision Goal setting Decoding .109 .058 Not Significant Accept ho Fluency .161** .005 Significant Reject ho Vocabulary .144* .013 Significant Reject ho Sentence Construction .125* .031 Significant Reject ho Reasoning .051 .378 Not Significant Accept ho Working Memory .099 .086 Not Significant Accept ho Help Seeking Decoding -.012 .831 Not Significant Accept ho Fluency .157** .006 Significant Reject ho Vocabulary .041 .480 Not Significant Accept ho Sentence Construction .065 .260 Not Significant Accept ho Reasoning -.023 .698 Not Significant Accept ho Working Memory .072 .215 Not Significant Accept ho Self-Study Strategies Decoding .080 .166 Not Significant Accept ho Fluency .263** .000 Significant Reject ho Vocabulary .220** .000 Significant Reject ho Sentence Construction .150** .009 Significant Reject ho Reasoning .107 .064 Not Significant Accept ho Working Memory .150** .009 Significant Reject ho Managing Physical Environment Decoding .238** .000 Significant Reject ho Fluency .227** .000 Significant Reject ho Vocabulary .396** .000 Significant Reject ho Sentence Construction .176** .002 Significant Reject ho Reasoning .232** .000 Significant Reject ho Working Memory .255** .000 Significant Reject ho Decoding .135* .020 Significant Reject ho Fluency .247** .000 Significant Reject ho