Akhmad Mukhibun, Khusnul Fatonah, Dwiana Nur Rizki Hanifah, Mohammad Fadli, Sigit Widiatmoko, Heri Samtani, Harlinda Syofyan, Erfi Firmansyah, Asep Supriyana, Andayani, Sumarwati
Strong reading literacy is crucial for students’ academic achievement, critical thinking, socio-emotional growth, and future career success. However, the reading literacy level of Indonesian junior high school students, as reported by PISA 2018, remains in the low to moderate range, with many students struggling to comprehend texts. This study aims to examine: (1) differences in reading comprehension on ecological wisdom topics between students instructed through the SQ3R strategy and those taught using the direct approach; (2) differences in reading comprehension between students with high and low pro-environmental attitudes; and (3) the interaction between teaching methods and pro-environmental attitudes in influencing reading comprehension. Using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest non-equivalent control group and a 2×2 factorial layout, the study involved seventh-grade students from rural junior high schools in Karanganyar Regency. Data were collected using instruments that measured reading comprehension and pro-environmental attitudes. Results revealed three main findings. First, students exposed to the SQ3R method outperformed those taught with the direct method, with a large effect size (33,6%). The average score improvement was 9,33% for SQ3R-taught students versus 4,15% for direct-method students. Second, students with stronger pro-environmental attitudes demonstrated better reading comprehension than those with weaker attitudes, although the effect size was small (3,9%). Third, no significant interaction was found between teaching method and pro-environmental attitude in relation to reading comprehension. These findings highlight SQ3R’s effectiveness in improving reading comprehension on ecological wisdom themes and underscore the importance of fostering pro-environmental attitudes. The study contributes to Indonesian language teaching strategies by providing practical insights for enhancing reading literacy in rural junior high schools. © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.
Department of Indonesian Language Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Central Java, Surakarta, Indonesia; Department of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas Esa Unggul, Jakarta, Indonesia; Department of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Central Java, Surakarta, Indonesia; Department of Applied Linguistics, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia; Department of Indonesian Literature, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia; Department of Library and Information Science, Universitas Yarsi, Jakarta, Indonesia
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock