Functional Literacy in Public Senior High Schools of Pinamalayan District Towards a Proposed Extension Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23094335Keywords:
functional literacy, reading comprehension, visual literacy, social media literacy, research skills, senior high schoolAbstract
This study determined the functional literacy of Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners in public senior high schools in Pinamalayan District, Oriental Mindoro, during School Year 2025–2026 and used the integrated findings as the basis for a proposed literacy-support output. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase involved 276 learners randomly selected from a population of 1,738 through stratified proportional random sampling across nine public senior high schools. A researcher-made questionnaire measured reading comprehension, visual literacy, social media literacy, and research skills using a four-point scale. The qualitative phase purposively involved 10 learners and 10 teachers through semi-structured interviews to explain the quantitative patterns. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, and weighted mean, while qualitative data were analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Learners demonstrated a High Extent of functional literacy in reading comprehension (M = 3.15), visual literacy (M = 3.15), social media literacy (M = 3.33), and research skills (M = 3.15). Social media literacy obtained the highest overall mean, while comparatively weaker indicators involved inferential and figurative comprehension, production of visual representations, management of online presence, and structured research planning. Qualitative findings showed that functional literacy was shaped by home literacy support, access to resources, teacher scaffolding, motivation, self-regulated and collaborative literacy practices, cognitive and contextual barriers, and the need for responsive school support. Teachers further emphasized socio-economic conditions, literacy interventions, workload, and stakeholder collaboration. The integrated findings indicate that functional literacy is multidimensional and supported by coordinated action across school, home, and community contexts. These results informed the proposed School–Home–Community Collaboration Policy for Functional Literacy Development through Project LITERA-SH.
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