A study on the elements impacting EFL learners' reading comprehension skills and the methods for improving reading skills: The case of Grade 9 students at Kellem Secondary School in Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the reading comprehension of grade 9 students of Kellem secondary school, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia and to suggest reading comprehension strategies to enhance their reading skills. The study employed mixed research methods and descriptive design, where quantitative data was collected from 120 Grade 9 learners with a structured questionnaire and reading comprehension test and qualitative data was collected from six English teachers with semi-structured interviews. The descriptive analysis indicated that the students' reading comprehension level was found to be low with a mean score obtained of 42.6% which was far from the expected level. Limited vocabulary knowledge, lack of background knowledge, insufficient reading practice, inadequate strategy instruction, and low reading motivation were the main factors that influenced reading comprehension. The result of the correlation analysis indicated that there were significant positive relationships between strategy use, motivation, and self-efficacy to reading comprehension performance. The study recommends implementing explicit reading strategy instruction, integrating motivational activities, developing extensive reading programs, providing professional development for teachers, and revising curriculum materials to better address students' needs. Keywords: Reading, Comprehension, Strategies, Motivation, Vocabulary Knowledge.