The use of Genre-Based Instruction – Linguistic, Syntactic, and Schematic Knowledge (GBI-LiSSK) model to improve students’ reading comprehension
Rachel O. Tolentino
Abstract
Reading comprehension is considered as the crucial skills of students in the learning areas using English as medium of instruction. Based on the 2022 overall report of school-based Phil-IRI pretest assessment, students’ competency levels in reading were found to be alarming. This study proposed an intervention module based on the GBI-LiSSK model to improve the reading competency of grade 10 learners identified at the frustration level in reading comprehension. To address the reading difficulties, the participants took part in a quasi-experimental intervention conducted during the third quarter using the GBI-LiSSK model-based material. Findings showed that out of 20 participants, 9 demonstrated improvements, moving from the Frustration level to the Instructional level. Five participants did not change in terms of reading level but showed increased scores, while six progressed to the independent level. Overall, the data indicated a trend of improvement among the participants. Additionally, reading speed levels also increased based on the pre-test values, although the gains were not sufficient to advance participants to a higher reading level. Despite noticeable improvements in two of the assessed dimensions, most of the participants remained at the Frustration level. The results highlight the potential of the GBI-LiSSK-based intervention model to enhance students’ reading comprehension skills, reduce their apprehension in understanding text passages, and improve their academic performance across various learning areas.
Keywords
genre-based instruction, linguistic, syntactic, and schematic knowledge, reading comprehension
Author information & Contribution
Master of Arts in Education, major in English. Currently working as Master Teacher 1 at Calendola National High School. Email: rachel.tolentino003@deped.gov.ph
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding; however, the APC was shouldered through the Special Education Fund (SEF) with the support of Hon. Mayor Art Joseph Mercado and OIC-Schools Division Superintendent, Mr. Philip B. Gallendez.
Declaration
Notes
This paper is presented in the 6th ICMIAR 2025.
Acknowledgement
References
Atouf, N., & Issa, E. (2025). Enhancing word recognition skills in English (FL) and Arabic (L1) through transfer effect: An intervention study. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1564043. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1564043
Baker, D. L., Richards-Tutor, C., Sparks, A., & Canges, R. (2018). Review of single subject research examining the effectiveness of interventions for at-risk English learners. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 33(2), 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12160
Berman, R. A., & Nir-Sagiv, B. (2007). Comparing narrative and expository text construction across adolescence: A developmental paradox. Discourse Processes, 43(2), 79–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/01638530709336894
Bowers, J. S. (2020). Reconsidering the evidence that systematic phonics is more effective than alternative methods of reading instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 681–705. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09515-y
Bozic, M., Smolka, E., Alex, P., McManus, F., & Schwarz, J. (2025). Understanding the effects of semantic transparency, affix position, and task on the processing of complex German words. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 40(9), 1232–1251. https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2025.2522269
Brevik, L. M. (2019). Explicit reading strategy instruction or daily use of strategies? Studying the teaching of reading comprehension through naturalistic classroom observation in English L2. Reading and Writing, 32, 2281–2310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-09951-w
Brooks, G., Clenton, J., & Fraser, S. (2023). Exploring the importance of vocabulary for English as an additional language learners’ reading comprehension. In G. Brooks, J. Clenton, & S. Fraser (Eds.), EAL research for the classroom: Practical and pedagogical implications (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274889
Cai, H. (2020). Relating lexical and syntactic knowledge to academic English listening: The importance of construct representation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 494. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00494
Castillo-Martínez, I. M., & Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2021). Research competencies to develop academic reading and writing: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 5, 576961. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.576961
Chen, T., Koda, K., & Wiener, S. (2020). Word‑meaning inference in L2 Chinese: An interactive effect of learners’ linguistic knowledge and words’ semantic transparency. Reading and Writing, 33, 2639–2660. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-020-10058-w
Csorba, L. M., & Dabija, D.-C. (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ future online education behaviour. Heliyon, 10(20), e39560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39560
Department of Education. (2018). DepEd Order no. 14: Policy guidelines on the administration of the Revised Philippine Informal Reading Inventory. https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/_s2018_014.pdf
Department of Education. (2019). DepEd Memorandum no. 173: Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiative). https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DM_s2019_173-1.pdf
Dera, J. (2025). Students’ perceptions of the benefits of literary reading in school and leisure contexts. Education Sciences, 15(5), 580. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050580
Di Pietro, G. (2023). The impact of COVID-19 on student achievement: Evidence from a recent meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 39, 100530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100530
Elleman, A. M., & Oslund, E. L. (2019). Reading comprehension research: Implications for practice and policy. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6, 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732218816339
Filderman, M. J., Austin, C. R., Boucher, A. N., O’Donnell, K., & Swanson, E. A. (2021). A meta-analysis of the effects of reading comprehension interventions on the reading comprehension outcomes of struggling readers in third through 12th grades. Exceptional Children, 88(2), 163–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029211050860
Friesen, D. C., & Frid, B. (2021). Predictors of successful reading comprehension in bilingual adults: The role of reading strategies and language proficiency. Languages, 6(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6010018
Hackemann, T., Heine, L., & Höttecke, D. (2022). Challenging to read, easy to comprehend? Effects of linguistic demands on secondary students’ text comprehension in physics. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 20(Suppl 1), 43–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-022-10306-1
Härtig, H., Bernholt, S., Fraser, N., et al. (2022). Comparing reading comprehension of narrative and expository texts based on the direct and inferential mediation model. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 20(Suppl 1), 17–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-022-10302-5
Kaivanpanah, S., & Alavi, S. M. (2008). The role of linguistic knowledge in word-meaning inferencing. System, 36(2), 172–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2007.10.006
Kraal, A., Koornneef, A. W., Saab, N., et al. (2018). Processing of expository and narrative texts by low- and high-comprehending children. Reading and Writing, 31, 2017–2040. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-017-9789-2
Kraal, A., van den Broek, P. W., Koornneef, A. W., Ganushchak, L. Y., & Saab, N. (2019). Differences in text processing by low- and high-comprehending beginning readers of expository and narrative texts: Evidence from eye movements. Learning and Individual Differences, 74, 101752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101752
Le, V. T., Nguyen, N. H., Tran, T. L. N., Nguyen, L. T., Nguyen, T. A., & Nguyen, M. T. (2022). The interaction patterns of pandemic-initiated online teaching: How teachers adapted. System, 105, 102755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102755
Li, X., & Koda, K. (2022). Linguistic constraints on the cross‑linguistic variations in L2 word recognition. Reading and Writing, 35, 1401–1424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10266-6
Mar, R. A., Li, J., Nguyen, A. T. P., & Ta, C. P. (2021). Memory and comprehension of narrative versus expository texts: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 28(3), 732–749. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-020-01853-1
Oikawa, G., Sugawara, M., & Uchihara, T. (2025). The roles of vocabulary size, word part knowledge, and semantic transparency in vocabulary learning through the word part technique. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.70017
Poulsen, M., Nielsen, J. L., & Vang Christensen, R. (2022). Remembering sentences is not all about memory: Convergent and discriminant validity of syntactic knowledge and its relationship with reading comprehension. Journal of Child Language, 49(2), 349–365. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000921000210
Rodríguez-Ortiz, I. R., Moreno-Pérez, F. J., Simpson, I. C., Valdés-Coronel, M., & Saldaña, D. (2021). The influence of syntactic knowledge on reading comprehension varies as a function of oral vocabulary in Spanish-speaking children. Journal of Research in Reading, 44(3), 695–714. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12363
Rogde, K., Hagen, Å. M., Melby-Lervåg, M., & Lervåg, A. (2019). The effect of linguistic comprehension instruction on generalized language and reading comprehension skills: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(4), e1059. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1059
Simpson, I. C., Moreno-Pérez, F. J., Rodríguez-Ortiz, I. R., et al. (2020). The effects of morphological and syntactic knowledge on reading comprehension in Spanish-speaking children. Reading and Writing, 33, 329–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-09964-5
Sing Yun, W. (2023). Digitalization challenges in education during COVID-19: A systematic review. Cogent Education, 10(1), Article 2198981. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2198981
Smith, R., Snow, P., Serry, T., & Hammond, L. (2021). The role of background knowledge in reading comprehension: A critical review. Reading Psychology, 42(3), 214–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2021.1888348
Sumipo, E. P., Dejesica, M. T. M., Tomulin, A. J., & Lazaro, J. M. B. (2025). Reading literacy skills and academic performance of college students. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 9(10). https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.910000476
Suzuki, S., & Kormos, J. (2024). The moderating role of L2 proficiency in the predictive power of L1 fluency on L2 utterance fluency. Language Testing, 42(1), 73–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322241241851
Taşçı, S., & Turan, Ü. D. (2021). The contribution of lexical breadth, lexical depth, and syntactic knowledge to L2 reading comprehension across different L2 reading proficiency groups. English Teaching & Learning, 45, 145–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-020-00065-z
van Viersen, S., Altani, A., de Jong, P. F., et al. (2025). Between-word processing and text-level skills contributing to fluent reading of (non)word lists and text. Reading and Writing, 38, 671–697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-024-10533-8
van Wingerden, E., Segers, E., van Balkom, H., & Verhoeven, L. (2014). Cognitive and linguistic predictors of reading comprehension in children with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35(11), 3139–3147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.07.054
van Zeijts, B. E. J., Ganushchak, L. Y., Tabbers, H. K., Hickendorff, M., & de Koning, B. B. (2025). Children’s comprehension processes and outcomes across different media formats: A think-aloud study comparing expository texts and videos. Discourse Processes, 62(10), 744–764. https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853X.2025.2522639
Wang, J., Kim, Y.-S. G., Lam, J. H. Y., & Leachman, M. A. (2025). A meta-analysis of relationships between syntactic features and writing performance and how the relationships vary by student characteristics and measurement features. Assessing Writing, 63, 100909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2024.100909
Yang, H., Fan, L., & Yin, H. (2023). Knowledge mapping of the research on lexical inferencing: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1101241. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1101241
Yoo, Y. (2024). On the dynamics of inferential behavior while reading expository and narrative texts. Brain Sciences, 14(5), 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14050428
Zhang, S., Wang, X., & Huang, H. (2019). Research on the factors affecting the “Internet +” reading effects among primary and middle school students. In 2019 International Symposium on Educational Technology (ISET) (pp. 293–296). Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8782227
Cite this article:
Tolentino, R.O. (2025). The use of Genre-Based Instruction – Linguistic, Syntactic, and Schematic Knowledge (GBI-LiSSK) model to improve students’ reading comprehension. The Research Probe, 5(2), 73-86. https://doi.org/10.53378/trp.195
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Most read articles in this journal
- Senior High School Strand Alignment and Its Implication to The Tertiary Programs: A Basis for Bridging Program
- Difficulties in the writing skills of Grade 11 HUMSS students
- Identifying gender stereotypes of high school LGBTQ students
- Lived experiences of senior high school focal persons in the implementation of work immersion program
- Humor as a Teaching and Learning Strategy in a Language Classroom
- Digital Marketing Strategies Used by Competing Coffee Shops in Candelaria, Quezon: Perspective of Employees
- Meme-ingful visual: Exploring the pragmatic implications of memes in political polarization through semiotic analysis
- Awareness and attitudes toward artificial intelligence–based learning among higher education students
- Coping with stigma: Factors and experiences influencing millennial individuals’ decision to remain child-free
- Shaping futures: A qualitative exploration of the factors influencing career aspiration among out-of-school youth