Reading literacy has become a global educational priority as schools prepare students with critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills needed in the twenty-first century. In Indonesia, descriptive texts are one of the core text genres taught in junior high school Indonesian language classes. Mastering descriptive texts requires students not only to recognize facts presented in a passage but also to interpret details, infer meaning, evaluate information, and relate texts to their prior knowledge.
However, many classrooms continue to emphasize memorization and factual comprehension instead of deeper interpretation. This gap between curriculum expectations and classroom practice has become an important concern for educators seeking to improve students' literacy outcomes and academic achievement. The research by Hikmatul Hamidah and Prof. Dr. Kastam Syamsi provides evidence that improving instructional practices is just as important as improving learning materials themselves.
The researchers employed a descriptive qualitative research design involving Indonesian language teachers and seventh-grade students from several junior high schools. Information was collected through classroom observations, interviews with teachers and students, and documentation of instructional materials and learning activities. The collected information was then analyzed through qualitative data reduction, organization, and interpretation to identify the actual learning needs experienced by both teachers and students.
The study reveals that classroom instruction continues to rely heavily on conventional teaching methods. Teachers generally explain the structure of descriptive texts, ask students to read passages, identify main ideas, and answer textbook questions. While these activities help students locate explicit information, they rarely encourage deeper analysis or critical reflection.
Several important findings emerged from the study:
- Most students can identify explicit facts and main ideas but struggle to interpret implied meanings.
- Students experience difficulty drawing conclusions and connecting reading content with everyday life.
- Complex vocabulary and longer passages reduce students' reading comprehension.
- Reading lessons are frequently viewed as monotonous because instruction relies primarily on textbooks.
- Teachers still depend on lectures, written assignments, and simple question-and-answer activities.
- Interactive learning media such as videos, educational games, digital resources, and collaborative discussions are rarely integrated into reading instruction.
- Classroom activities remain predominantly teacher-centered, limiting students' opportunities to actively construct meaning from texts.
Student interviews further revealed that learners prefer more engaging instructional approaches. Many expressed interest in lessons incorporating visual media, videos, classroom discussions, educational games, and collaborative learning rather than simply reading textbooks and completing written exercises.
Teachers also acknowledged several practical challenges. Differences in students' reading abilities make it difficult to implement a single instructional strategy that accommodates everyone. Limited instructional time, extensive curriculum requirements, and insufficient professional development opportunities have encouraged teachers to continue using traditional teaching approaches instead of more innovative reading strategies.
Another important finding concerns instructional resources. Classroom observations showed that textbooks remain the primary learning resource in most reading lessons. Digital media, authentic reading materials, contextual images, and multimedia learning tools are still underutilized. Consequently, reading instruction often fails to capture students' interest or relate learning materials to their everyday experiences.
The researchers argue that reading comprehension develops more effectively when students actively connect new information with prior knowledge. Yet the observed instructional practices focused primarily on locating correct answers instead of helping students interpret meaning or reflect critically on what they had read.
To address these challenges, the researchers recommend adopting more interactive instructional strategies, particularly Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA). This approach encourages students to predict content before reading, verify predictions during reading, and reflect afterward, making comprehension a more active and meaningful process.
The study also emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development for teachers. Training programs should help teachers design critical-thinking questions, facilitate classroom discussions, and implement instructional methods that actively engage students throughout the reading process.
As Hikmatul Hamidah and Prof. Dr. Kastam Syamsi of Yogyakarta State University suggest, improving reading comprehension requires more than revising teaching materials. Their findings indicate that effective literacy instruction should combine innovative teaching strategies, engaging learning media, contextual reading materials, and greater student participation to strengthen both comprehension and critical thinking. This ethical paraphrase reflects the authors' overall conclusions regarding the future direction of descriptive text instruction in Indonesian junior high schools.
The implications of this research extend beyond language classrooms. Schools can use these findings to redesign literacy programs that foster higher-order thinking skills. Teacher education institutions may strengthen professional training in student-centered reading instruction. Education policymakers can consider supporting schools with digital learning resources and continuous teacher development initiatives. Meanwhile, educational technology developers may find opportunities to create interactive literacy tools aligned with students' learning preferences.
Ultimately, the study demonstrates that improving reading literacy depends not only on what students read but also on how they are guided to think, interpret, question, and connect texts with real-world experiences. Strengthening these aspects of instruction can contribute to better literacy outcomes and prepare students for lifelong learning.
Author Profile
Hikmatul Hamidah is a researcher and postgraduate student at Yogyakarta State University (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta) specializing in Indonesian language education, literacy development, and reading instruction.
Kastam Syamsi is a professor at Yogyakarta State University (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta) whose expertise includes Indonesian language education, literacy, reading pedagogy, curriculum development, and language learning.
Source
Article Title: Analysis of Learning Needs in Reading Descriptive Texts for VII Grade Junior High School Students
Authors: Hikmatul Hamidah & Kastam Syamsi
Journal: Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (FJMR)
Publication Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjmr.v5i7.121
Official Journal: https://journalfjmr.my.id/index.php/fjmr
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