READING Interests and Academic Writing Motivation as Correlate to the News Writing Skills of Special Program in Journalism STUDENTS

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between reading interests, academic writing motivation, and news writing skills of Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) students in selected public secondary schools in Davao City during the school year 2024–2025. The respondents are composed of 209 SPJ students in the school year 2024 – 2025 who were purposively chosen through cluster sampling. Employing a descriptive-correlational research design, Mean, standard deviation, Pearson r moment correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis were the statistical tools used to analyze the data. Results showed that there was a moderate level of reading interests among students enrolled in SPJ. The level of academic writing motivation was high, which is often manifested. Results also showed that the level of news writing skills of SPJ students was found to be high. Findings revealed that both reading interest and academic writing motivation had a significant positive correlation with the students’ news writing skills. Furthermore, regression analysis indicated that these independent variables significantly influenced overall news writing performance. The results underscore the importance of fostering students’ engagement with reading materials and strengthening their motivation to write in order to enhance their journalistic competencies. The study provides vital insights that can guide SPJ teachers in crafting targeted interventions and pedagogical strategies to support the development of students’ writing skills, ultimately contributing to improved journalistic outputs in campus publications.