Enhancing the Reading Acumen of Manobo Junior High School Students Through Linguistically Relevant Literature

This study focused on the development, validation, and evaluation of PAGLAYANG: Discovering the Ancestral Trail toward English Reading Success, a localized supplementary reading booklet designed for Grade 7 Manobo learners at Rajah Cabungsuan Integrated School in Lingig, Surigao del Sur. Using a Design and Development Research (DDR) framework with a developmental-evaluative approach, the study involved 23 Grade 7 Manobo learners, three instructional practitioners, and five expert validators selected through complete enumeration, purposive sampling, and criterion-based sampling techniques. Data were collected using adapted and researcher-developed instruments, including the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), validation and usability questionnaires, and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed through weighted mean, standard deviation, and independent-samples t-test, while qualitative responses were examined using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results indicated that reading comprehension emerged as the learners’ most pressing reading concern. The developed booklet demonstrated strong alignment with the Revised K to 10 Curriculum (M = 4.900) and received very high validation ratings across content, instructional design, language clarity, technical quality, and suitability for the intended learners (M = 4.905). Both teachers and students likewise rated the material as highly relevant and usable (M = 4.880). Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the evaluations provided by the respondent groups. Qualitative findings further showed that the booklet enhanced learners’ engagement with reading, supported better text comprehension, and fostered a stronger appreciation of their cultural heritage. Overall, the findings suggest that culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate reading materials can contribute meaningfully to reading development while reinforcing the cultural identity of indigenous learners.

Design and Development Research, Manobo learners, reading comprehension, culturally responsive pedagogy, supplementary reading material, indigenous education

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