Screentime, Parental Reading Involvement, and Reading Comprehension: The Mediating Role of Homework Completion Among Grade 3 Learners

This study examined the mediating role of homework completion in the relationship between screen time, parental reading involvement, and reading comprehension among Grade 3 learners in Apopong District, Division of General Santos City. Employing a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive-correlational design with mediation analysis, the study involved 167 Grade 3 learners selected through stratified random sampling from seven public elementary schools. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on screentime, parental reading involvement, and homework completion, while reading comprehension was assessed using the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI). Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and path analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Results revealed that learners exhibited moderately high screentime, moderately high parental reading involvement, and high homework completion. However, most learners were classified at the frustration level of reading comprehension, indicating substantial literacy challenges. Significant positive relationships were found between screentime and reading comprehension, parental reading involvement and reading comprehension, screentime and homework completion, parental reading involvement and homework completion, and homework completion and reading comprehension. Mediation analysis further demonstrated that homework completion partially mediated the relationships between screentime and reading comprehension, as well as between parental reading involvement and reading comprehension. These findings indicate that homework completion strengthens the influence of home-related factors on learners' reading achievement by promoting consistent academic engagement. The study highlights the importance of balancing screen use, enhancing parental participation in literacy activities, and strengthening homework practices to improve reading comprehension among elementary learners. The findings provide evidence to inform school-based literacy interventions, home-school partnership programs, and educational policies aimed at improving foundational reading skills and overall academic achievement among young learners.