LITERAL, INFERENTIAL, AND CRITICAL READING COMPREHENSION PERFORMANCE AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Comprehension, the apex goal of reading instruction, operates at multiple cognitive levels: literal (surface), inferential (deep), and critical (evaluative). This study examined JSS 3 students' performance at each of these three comprehension levels in Jebba, Kwara State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, 180 students were assessed using the Alternative Diagnostic Reading Assessment (ADRA), which included 30 comprehension questions per student distributed across literal (6 items × 3 passages = 18 marks), inferential (3 items × 3 passages = 9 marks), and critical (1 item × 3 passages = 3 marks) categories. Mean scores and frequency distributions were used for data analysis. Results showed that literal comprehension performance (mean = 9.75/18) was at the average level, while inferential comprehension (mean = 3.07/9) was below average. Critical comprehension was also below average, with 55% of students scoring 0–1 out of 3. The findings revealed a progressive decline in performance from literal to inferential to critical comprehension, pointing to significant deficits in higher-order reading skills. Targeted interventions in inferential reasoning and critical thinking are urgently recommended for JSS students in Jebba. Thus, it was recommended that English language teachers should explicitly teach inferential reading strategies such as prediction, inference from context clues, summarisation, and visualisation, using both narrative and expository texts. Moreover, critical comprehension should also be explicitly integrated into lesson plans, with guided activities that require students to evaluate author’s purpose, identify bias, and relate textual content to real-world experience.