Reading Motivation, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Critical Thinking Skills among Grade 7 Learners at Leon C. Arcillas National High School

Reading plays a crucial role in students' academic development, especially during the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, where greater engagement, confidence, and critical thinking are required. However, limited studies have explored these variables within specific local contexts. Thus, this study examined the relationships among reading motivation, academic self-efficacy, and critical thinking skills among Grade 7 learners at Leon C. Arcillas National High School. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, the study involved 218 respondents selected from a population of 500 learners through stratified random sampling. The sample size was determined using the Raosoft Calculator. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire validated by experts and tested for reliability using Cronbach's alpha. The findings revealed that learners demonstrated high levels of reading motivation, academic self-efficacy, and critical thinking skills across all indicators. Furthermore, correlational analysis showed significant relationships among the variables. Reading motivation was significantly related to academic self-efficacy and critical thinking skills, while academic self-efficacy was also significantly related to critical thinking skills (p