Abstract

Reading comprehension is essential for Humanities and Social Sciences students, who regularly analyze and interpret academic texts. This study examined challenges experienced by Grade 11 HUMSS students, including limited vocabulary, insufficient schema or prior knowledge, pronunciation difficulties, language proficiency, unfamiliar text structures, and limited awareness of cultural context. A descriptive-correlational design was used with thirty (30) Grade 11 HUMSS students selected through stratified sampling. A three-part survey questionnaire assessed vocabulary, schema, and pronunciation challenges; language proficiency, text structure, and cultural context; and students’ reading strategies. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, ranking, Likert-scale interpretation, and Pearson correlation. Respondents identified vocabulary, schema, pronunciation, language proficiency, text structure, and cultural context as challenges related to reading comprehension. The findings suggest that reading-comprehension difficulties are multifaceted and may be addressed through vocabulary development, activation of prior knowledge, pronunciation support, and structured reading strategies. Because the study used a small correlational survey and omitted numerical results, the strength and significance of the reported relationships cannot be assessed.