Students’ Perceptions of Learning Reading Using Storybook at Junior High School

Abstract

Reading comprehension is defined as the process of understanding a text through active interaction between the reader and the text, where readers not only recognize words but also interpret their meaning within a specific context (Snow, 2002). Storybooks serve as an effective medium for enhancing reading comprehension as they present narratives with more complex sentence structures and varied vocabulary. However, despite these benefits, students still face challenges in understanding unfamiliar text structures and new vocabulary. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring students’ perceptions in comprehending English storybooks and the strategies they employ to overcome these difficulties. This study used a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to gain deeper insights into students' perceptions in reading English storybooks. Three eighth-grade students from a public junior high school in Jember were selected as participants. The interviews aimed to gather data regarding students' feelings when reading storybooks, the parts of the story they found most engaging, as well as the challenges and strategies they used. The data collected were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The analysis involved three main stages: open coding to identify significant statements, axial coding to group similar codes, and theme identification to develop key themes related to reading interest, comprehension difficulties, and learning strategies. Based on analysis, that students generally feel interested in reading English storybooks, particularly when the stories contain conflicts that are relatable to their age group and are supported by visual illustrations. However, the main challenge faced by the students is difficulty in understanding certain vocabulary that is rarely Reading comprehension is defined as the process of understanding a text through active interaction between the reader and the text, where readers not only recognize words but also interpret their meaning within a specific context (Snow, 2002). Storybooks serve as an effective medium for enhancing reading comprehension as they present narratives with more complex sentence structures and varied vocabulary. However, despite these benefits, students still face challenges in understanding unfamiliar text structures and new vocabulary. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring students’ perceptions in comprehending English storybooks and the strategies they employ to overcome these difficulties. This study used a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to gain deeper insights into students' perceptions in reading English storybooks. Three eighth-grade students from a public junior high school in Jember were selected as participants. The interviews aimed to gather data regarding students' feelings when reading storybooks, the parts of the story they found most engaging, as well as the challenges and strategies they used. The data collected were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The analysis involved three main stages: open coding to identify significant statements, axial coding to group similar codes, and theme identification to develop key themes related to reading interest, comprehension difficulties, and learning strategies. Based on analysis, that students generally feel interested in reading English storybooks, particularly when the stories contain conflicts that are relatable to their age group and are supported by visual illustrations. However, the main challenge faced by the students is difficulty in understanding certain vocabulary that is rarely Reading comprehension is defined as the process of understanding a text through active interaction between the reader and the text, where readers not only recognize words but also interpret their meaning within a specific context (Snow, 2002). Storybooks serve as an effective medium for enhancing reading comprehension as they present narratives with more complex sentence structures and varied vocabulary. However, despite these benefits, students still face challenges in understanding unfamiliar text structures and new vocabulary. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring students’ perceptions in comprehending English storybooks and the strategies they employ to overcome these difficulties. This study used a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to gain deeper insights into students' perceptions in reading English storybooks. Three eighth-grade students from a public junior high school in Jember were selected as participants. The interviews aimed to gather data regarding students' feelings when reading storybooks, the parts of the story they found most engaging, as well as the challenges and strategies they used. The data collected were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The analysis involved three main stages: open coding to identify significant statements, axial coding to group similar codes, and theme identification to develop key themes related to reading interest, comprehension difficulties, and learning strategies. Based on analysis, that students generally feel interested in reading English storybooks, particularly when the stories contain conflicts that are relatable to their age group and are supported by visual illustrations. However, the main challenge faced by the students is difficulty in understanding certain vocabulary that is rarely encountered or has multiple meanings. Some students expressed confusion over differences in vocabulary between British and American English, especially when dealing with words that they were less familiar with. Visual illustrations were reported to be particularly helpful in aiding comprehension, especially when the text contained long or complex sentences. These findings align with Harvey & Goudvis (2000), who emphasize that visualization strategies can effectively enhance students' comprehension of narrative texts. In dealing with these comprehension difficulties, students employed various learning strategies. The most common strategy was using Google Translate to look up the meanings of unfamiliar words. Additionally, some students discussed the text with their parents to clarify the meaning of certain sentences, particularly when they encountered ambiguous or complex structures. However, discussions with peers or teachers were rarely conducted, as students felt shy or unsure about their understanding. Besides, using visual illustrations was also highlighted as an important strategy for comprehending the overall narrative, particularly when the text was too challenging to understand directly. This strategy reflects the concept of “fix-up strategies” (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000), where students attempt to enhance their understanding by utilizing supportive resources such as visuals or translations. This study concludes that the use of English storybooks can effectively enrich students’ vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension skills, provided that contextual and interactive learning strategies are implemented. Students who are emotionally engaged with the story tend to achieve a deeper understanding of the text as a whole (Snow, 2002). On the other hand, those with lower emotional involvement often focus solely on translating individual words without grasping the overall narrative. Thus, it is recommended that teachers implement more interactive learning activities, such as storytelling projects or group discussions, to foster greater student engagement. Additionally, teaching students how to use tools like Google Translate effectively can prevent over reliance on literal translations and encourage them to comprehend the text more holistically