Reading Comprehension and Interactive Multimedia In English Classroom

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether the use of interactive multimedia improved students’ reading comprehension and increased their interest in learning reading among eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 4 Panca Rijang. The study employed a mixed-method design involving experimental and control groups. The population consisted of 82 eighth-grade students, while the sample comprised 40 students selected through cluster sampling. Class VIII.C was assigned as the experimental group, and Class VIII.D served as the control group, with 20 students in each class. Data were collected through reading comprehension tests and a questionnaire on students’ learning interest. The findings showed that students taught using interactive multimedia achieved better reading comprehension than those taught through conventional instruction. The mean post-test score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (59.35 > 46.75). In addition, the t-test value was greater than the t-table value at the 0.05 significance level (3.581 > 2.021), indicating a significant difference between the two groups. The questionnaire results also revealed that students showed positive interest in learning reading comprehension through interactive multimedia. Specifically, 20% of students were strongly interested, 70% were interested, and 10% were moderately interested. The mean questionnaire score was 79.55, which was categorized as interested. Therefore, interactive multimedia can be considered an effective and engaging instructional medium for enhancing students’ reading comprehension in the English classroom.