Exploring the Relationship between Students’ Interest and Research Writing Performance among Grade 12 Students

The study explored the relationship between students’ interest and research writing performance among Grade 12 students at Bangcud National High School, Bukidnon, for the school year 2024-2025. Research writing is a vital skill, yet many students find research writing challenging due to limited skills, motivation, and support. While past studies have focused on general writing difficulties, there is a knowledge gap regarding how students’ interest influence their research writing performance, especially in the context of senior high school. The main objectives were to determine students’ level of interest in research (enjoyment and curiosity, belief in usefulness, and willingness to participate), assess their research writing performance (problem orientation, research implementation, and data analysis), and find out if a significant relationship exists between interest and performance. Using a descriptive-correlational design, 139 Grade 12 students from different strands participated through purposive sampling. Two validated Likert-scale questionnaires measuring the interest and writing performance, and data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and correlation analysis. Results showed that students generally had a high level of interest in research, especially in its usefulness, and also performed well in research writing. A significant positive relationship was found between students’ interest and their research writing performance. This suggests that nurturing students’ interest can improve their research skills and outputs. The findings highlight the importance of engaging instruction, relevant topics, and supportive environments in developing both interest and competence in research writing. Future research could explore interventions that further boost interest and examine other factors influencing research writing success.