EXPLORING STUDENTS' READING STRATEGIES IN COMPREHENDING NARRATIVE TEXT: A CASE STUDY AT SMPN 4 BARANTI
Keywords:
reading strategies, reading comprehension, narrative text, cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, social strategiesAbstract
Reading comprehension is a crucial aspect of English learning, yet many students still experience difficulties in understanding narrative texts due to unfamiliar vocabulary, complex sentences, and limited use of appropriate reading strategies. This study aimed to explore the reading strategies used by Grade VIII students in comprehending narrative texts at SMPN 4 Baranti and to describe how those strategies were applied during the reading process. The study employed a qualitative case study approach involving 10 Grade VIII students as research informants. Data were collected through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that students employed cognitive, metacognitive, and social strategies. Cognitive strategies included reading the title, predicting story content, identifying the main idea, guessing meaning from context, rereading difficult parts, and summarizing the text. Metacognitive strategies were reflected in students' preparation before reading and awareness of comprehension difficulties. Social strategies were demonstrated through asking teachers and discussing texts with peers. Overall, the use of various reading strategies helped students overcome reading difficulties and supported their comprehension of narrative texts.
References
Anderson, M., & Anderson, K. (1997). *Text types in English 2*. Macmillan Education Australia.
Fitriani, N., Usman, N., & Asrifan, A. (2022). The implementation of semantic mapping to improve students vocabulary mastery.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). *Teaching and researching reading*. Pearson Education.
Hermansyah, S. (2023). Investigating difficulties faced by lecturers in teaching general English.
Hermansyah, S., et al. (2022). The role of predicting and summarizing strategies in supporting students' reading comprehension. *Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning Studies*.
Hermansyah, S., & Hasan, H. (2020). Exploring the impact of English movies to improve the students' listening comprehension.
Hermansyah, S., & Majid, A. R. (2025). The use of probing-prompting technique to improve reading comprehension of eighth grade students. *INTERACTION*.
Hermansyah, S., & Usman, M. (2023). Penggunaan flashcard berbasis digital...
Hermansyah, S., Usman, M., & Syamsu, T. (2026). Developing digital learning media for teaching public speaking to improve English skills of junior high school students. *International Journal of Special Education, 41*(16s), 502–509. Retrieved from https://internationalsped.com/index.php/ijse/article/view/5027
Isma, A., Hermansyah, S., et al. (2023). Teaching English to 21st century learners.
Jum'uatullaila, A. J., Buhari, S. L., & Hermansyah, S. (2025). The influences of using Quizizz in student's English learning outcomes.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). *Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook* (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Mudinillah, A., Kuswandi, D., Erwin, Sugiarni, S., Winarno, Annajmi, & Hermansah, S. (2024). Optimizing project-based learning in developing 21st century skills: A future education perspective. Qubahan Academic Journal, 4(2), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v4n2a352
Nunan, D. (2003). *Practical English language teaching*. McGraw-Hill.
O'Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). *Learning strategies in second language acquisition*. Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. L. (1990). *Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know*. Newbury House.
Sam Hermansyah, Usman M., Syamsu T. (2026). Developing Digital Learning Media for Teaching Public Speaking to Improve English Skills of Junior High School Students. International Journal of Special Education, 41(16s), 502–509. Retrieved from https://internationalsped.com/index.php/ijse/article/view/5027
Sain, Y., & Hermansyah, S. (2025). Exploring the language attitudes of the Tolaki community in Kendari.
Sari, H., Hermansyah, S., Maming, K., Kahar, A., & Elfahmi, F. K. (2025). Understanding Indonesian students' reading knowledge in digital literacy... *International Journal of Information and Learning Technology*.
Sugiyono. (2022). *Metode penelitian kualitatif* (Edisi revisi). Alfabeta.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Faizal, sam hermansyah, Lababa, Sitti Aisa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
