Home⇛International Social Science Review⇛vol. 12 no. 1 (2025)

English Language Proficiency and Entrance Exam Performance: Investigating Senior High School Graduates' Learning Difficulties

Nuriza P. Jalani

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The study investigated the learning difficulties of 50 high school alumni at the university in English. It sought to answer the questions. (1) What are the learning difficulties of the respondents in the English course curriculum? (2) What is the academic achievement of the respondents in the English Course Curriculum? (3) What is the suggested teaching-learning activities and techniques in the English course curriculum? (4) Is there a significant relationship between the respondents' learning difficulties and academic achievement in the English course curriculum? The study falls into the qualitative and quantitative paradigm and applies descriptive and correlational research design. The research instrument used was a 25-item learning difficulty test. The data gathered from the respondents were treated with the mean, standard deviation, and Pearson product-moment correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. The study found that students struggle with using multimedia and electronic information in English classes but excel in short poem memorization. They achieved satisfactory grades of 85-89. The study suggests seven teaching techniques for improving English proficiency but found no significant relationship between learning difficulties and academic achievement. The study concluded that the respondents’ learning difficulty is centered on the use of multimedia. Respondents encountered learning difficulties in English that did not affect their academic achievement. Teaching-learning activities and techniques are observed in the university. Moreover, the learning difficulty of the respondents has no significant relationship to their academic achievement.



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