In many EFL contexts, students struggle to develop adequate reading comprehension due to limited vocabulary and an over-reliance on teacher-centered instructional methods. This study aims to examine how EFL learners perceive picture series-based storytelling in developing reading comprehension and to identify the contextual difficulties students face when using this strategy. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, empirical data were collected from 16 eighth-grade students at MTs NWDI Loyok through a Likert-scale questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and participatory classroom observation. The findings reveal that students hold predominantly positive perceptions of the strategy, reporting stronger motivation, greater confidence, and higher engagement when reading is scaffolded by visual and narrative support. However, students also encountered distinct psychological, linguistic, and contextual difficulties, specifically foreign language anxiety when retelling stories, struggles with limited vocabulary, and a loss of concentration due to classroom noise. The study concludes that picture series-based storytelling is a highly useful and motivating strategy for EFL reading comprehension in rural schools, provided that teachers proactively support students with vocabulary preparation and structured classroom management.
Zahratul Fikni, Murniati Murniati, Astrid Dwimaulani et al.· Jurnal Ilmiah Profesi Pendid...· 0 citations
This study investigates the implementation of Mindful, Meaningful, and Joyful Learning (MMJL) principles within the Merdeka Curriculum framework in English language teaching at SDN 01 Pijot Utara. The research subjects consisted of a sixth-grade English teacher who served as both the designer of the Teaching Module and the classroom practitioner, along with sixth-grade students as secondary participants. Adopting a qualitative descriptive case study design grounded in Policy Enactment theory, data were collected through document analysis of the Teaching Module and systematic classroom observations. The findings reveal that while the MMJL principles are thoroughly embedded in the macro-structural design of the Teaching Module and successfully enacted during foundational and receptive instructional phases, a significant divergence occurs during productive phases. Activities demanding student autonomy, such as independent writing, reflection, and collaborative summarization, were only partially enacted, largely due to a lack of anticipatory scaffolding in the written plan and the persistence of teacher-centered norms intended to manage classroom silence. The study concludes that although MMJL principles effectively support classroom management and emotional well-being, their potential to drive higher-order intellectual engagement remains constrained by the gap between policy intentions and classroom realities. Practically, this research contributes to curriculum development and teacher training by recommending that Teaching Modules evolve into dynamic pedagogical instruments, supplemented by anticipatory scaffolds and differentiated strategies, to bridge the distance between curriculum vision and practice.
Muhamad Romzi Romzi, M. Junaidi, A. Yusri et al.· Journal of Authentic Researc...· 0 citations