Reading Competence of Freshmen Maritime Students: Basis for Program Initiatives

Abstract

This study determined the level of reading competence of freshmen Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering students at Private Maritime Institution in Bacolod City. during the Academic Year 2025–2026 as a basis for developing program initiatives aimed at enhancing reading skills. Specifically, the study assessed the students’ reading competence in the areas of comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary and examined whether significant differences existed when respondents were grouped according to sex, high school of origin, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ employment status. Guided by Rumelhart’s Schema Theory, the study employed a descriptive-comparative research design. A sample of 184 freshmen maritime students was selected from a population of 340 through stratified random sampling. Data were gathered using a validated and reliability-tested reading selection instrument composed of two passages and 48 questions covering comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary. Results revealed that the respondents obtained an overall mean score of 33.76, interpreted as High, with comprehension obtaining the highest mean score (M = 11.84), followed by critical thinking (M = 11.40), while vocabulary registered the lowest mean score (M = 10.52). No significant differences were found in reading competence when respondents were grouped according to sex and high school of origin. However, significant differences were observed when grouped according to mothers’ educational attainment, indicating that higher maternal educational levels were associated with better reading competence. The findings suggest that although freshmen maritime students generally possess satisfactory reading competence, vocabulary remains an area requiring improvement.