Teaching Reading Comprehension on Narrative Texts Through Whatsapp Group Features: An E-Learning Implementation in Junior Highs Schools

Authors

  • Aniati Aniati UIN Datokarama Palu, Indonesia
  • Herman Herman Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar, Indonesia
  • Christina Anita Elizabeth Siregar Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar, Indonesia
  • Desi Afrianti Universitas Putra Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Rolan Manurung Universitas HKBP Nommensen, Medan, Indonesia
  • Endang Fatmawati Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia
  • Nanda Saputra Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Al-Hilal Sigli, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i1.12853

Keywords:

Reading comprehension, Narrative texts, Electronic learning, WhatsApp, E-learning,

Abstract

The act of reading necessitates that student readers employ various cognitive and linguistic tactics to comprehend the meaning embedded within the text. Using an e-learning method through WhatsApp groups to teach reading comprehension on narrative texts can be a new breakthrough. Therefore, the present study aims to find out the effect of WhatsApp groups on narrative text in junior high school students to teach reading comprehension. To reach the research aims, the study used experimental research method. The population of this research was 330 students of grade 9 of junior high school in Pematangsiantar. The researchers divided the samples intor control group and experimental group. The data collection method used was the reading tests employed to the students which covered pre-test, treatment, and post-test. The statistical analysis employed t-test analysis. Comparison of data from both groups indicated superior performance by the experimental group. The findings unequivocally show that the experimental intervention employing WhatsApp have significant effect on students’ reading comprehension of narrative text compared to traditional approaches. While WhatsApp has proven to be an effective tool, researchers must consider the challenges of using it for reading instruction in remote areas with limited internet connectivity. Students cannot access WhatsApp-based reading lessons without internet access, though they can still search for information through text messages. Therefore, it is important to examine the limitations of utilizing WhatsApp for reading education in areas with poor internet infrastructure.

Author Biographies

Aniati Aniati, UIN Datokarama Palu

Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education, UIN Datokarama Palu, Indonesia

Herman Herman, Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar

English Education Department, Universitas HKBP Nommensen

Christina Anita Elizabeth Siregar, Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar

English Education Department, Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar

Desi Afrianti, Universitas Putra Indonesia

Department of Information System, Universitas Putra Indonesia "YPTK" Padang, Indonesia

Rolan Manurung, Universitas HKBP Nommensen, Medan

Department of Indonesian Language and Literature Education, Universitas HKBP Nommensen, Medan, Indonesia

Endang Fatmawati, Universitas Diponegoro

Department of Information and Culture, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

Nanda Saputra, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Al-Hilal Sigli

Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Al-Hilal Sigli, Indonesia

References

Akkara, S., Anumula, V. S. S., & Mallampalli, M. S. (2020). Impact of WhatsApp Interaction on Improving L2 Speaking Skills. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(03), 250. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i03.11534

Alghamdy, R. Z. (2019). The Impact of Mobile Language Learning (WhatsApp) on EFL Context: Outcomes and Perceptions. International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(2), 128. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n2p128

Ansari, B. I., Junaidi, J., Maulina, S., Herman, H., Kamaruddin, I., Rahman, A., & Saputra, N. (2023). Blended-Learning Training and Evaluation: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 23(4), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v23i4.201

Asnas, S. A. M. (2024). Scrutinizing Students’ Perspectives on Digital Storytelling as an Educational Tool in Learning English. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 12(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v12i1.9142

Blangsinga, G. W. K. A. A., Suwastini, N. K. A., Lasmawan, I. W., Adnyani, N. L. P. S., & Rusnalasari, Z. D. (2021). Patriarchal binary oppositions in narrative texts included in English textbook for senior high school in Indonesia. Proceeding of the 2nd International Conference on Technology and Educational Science (ICTES 2020), 135-141. Atlantis Press. DOI: 10.2991/assehr.k.210407.227

Br Sembiring, D. L., & Simajuntak, D. C. (2023). Digital Storytelling as an Alternative Teaching Technique to Develop Vocabulary Knowledge of EFL Learners. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(2), 211. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v11i2.7523

Budiana, N., & Setiyoko, D. T. (2021). Students’ slang language in WhatsApp on effective sentences: Sociolinguistics review. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 8(1), 373-382. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v8i1.2248

Chapelle, C. A. (Ed.). (2012). Technology in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0448

Chen, Z., Chen, W., Jia, J., & An, H. (2020). The Effects of Using Mobile Devices on Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1769–1789. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09801-5

Dolba, S., Gula, L., & Nunez, J. (2022). Reading Teachers: Reading Strategies Employed in Teaching Reading in Grade School. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 2(2), 62–74. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v2i2.874

Firman, E., Haerazi, H., & Dehghani, S. (2021). Students’ Abilities and Difficulties in Comprehending English Reading Texts at Secondary Schools; An Effect of Phonemic Awareness. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 1(2), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v1i2.613

Habibi, A., Jupri, & Dehghani, S. (2022). Developing the Prototype of Text-Based Learning Materials for the Teaching of Reading Skills at the Middle Schools. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 2(2), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v2i2.760

Hamsia, W. (2024). Intensive English Course in Online Class Through WhatsApp and English Discovery as MALL Platform in Speaking. Edulitics (Education, Literature, and Linguistics) Journal, 9(1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.52166/edulitics.v9i1.6446

Indiran, D., Ismail, H. H., & Ab Rashid, R. (2022). Exploring opportunities and challenges of using WhatsApp in teaching reading: A Malaysian rural primary school context. Creative Education, 13(5), DOI: 10.4236/ce.2022.135107

Jubhari, Y., Sasabone, L., & Nurliah, N. (2022). The effectiveness of contextual teaching and learning approach in enhancing Indonesian EFL secondary learners’ narrative writing skill. REiLA: Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 4(1), 54-66. https://doi.org/10.31849/reila.v4i1.8633

Martati, I., Suminto, S., Kusrihandayani, D., & Wulansari, K. (2022). Analysis of WhatsApp Users’ Consumer Satisfaction and Loyalty During The Covid-19 Pandemic in Samarinda. Proceeding of the International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Social Science 2021 (iCAST-SS 2021), 528-534. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220301.087

Mayer, R. E. (2024). The past, present, and future of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Educational Psychology Review, 36, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09842-1

Mujayanah, S., Maruf, N., & Asari, S. (2023). Whatsapp use on reading comprehension: Exploring the impact among EFL learners. English Review: Journal of English Education, 11(2), 391-404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v11i2.7712

Navarro, Z. I. T. (2021). Metacognitive strategies for reading comprehension in basic education students. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 14(4), 34-46. DOI: 10.9734/ajess/2021/v14i430362

Nurdiana, S., Sudirman, S., Laaribi, M., & Chuyen, N. T. H. (2023). Applying Wattpad Platform as an Instruction Medium to Improve Reading Skills Viewed from Reading Strategies. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 3(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v3i1.999

Ngo, D. H. (2021). Perceptions of EFL tertiary students towards the correlation between e-learning and learning engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(3), 235-259. https://i-jte.org/index.php/journal/article/view/99

Park, E. E. (2022). Expanding reference through cognitive theory of multimedia learning videos. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, â„– 3, p. 102522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102522

Proctor, K. R. & Niemeyer, R. E. (2020). Retrofitting social learning theory with contemporary understandings of learning and memory derived from cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Journal of Criminal Justice, 66, 101655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2019.101655

Purba, R., Herman, H., Fatmawati, E., Saputra, N., and Sabata, Y. N. (2023). The multimodal-based learning improves students’ reading ability in perspective of systemic functional linguistics. Journal of Education Technology, 7(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.23887/jet.v7i1.54336

Purba, N., Sipayung, R. W., Rahmawati, R., Siagian, B. A., Herman, H., Saragi, C. N., and Fatmawati, E. (2024). An implementation of project-based learning (PBL) teaching model in improving early child's critical thinking skill. Library Progress International, 44(3), 96-104. Retrieved from: https://bpasjournals.com/library-science/index.php/journal/article/view/313

Salem M. Alqahtani, M., Bhaskar, C. V., Vadakalur Elumalai, K., & Abumelha, M. (2018). WhatsApp: An Online Platform for University-Level English Language Education. Arab World English Journal, 9(4), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol9no4.7

Sinamo, D. S., Herman, H., & Marpaung, T. I. (2023). Teaching reading comprehension on narrative text by using short story: A case on teaching method. Journal of Education, Linguistics, Literature, and Art, 1(1), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.62568/ella.v1i1.17

Smith, R., Snow, P., Serry, T., & Hammond, L. (2021). The role of background knowledge in reading comprehension: A critical review. Reading Psychology, 42(3), 214–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2021.1888348

Solanki, M., Mehta, N. K., & Mehta, D. (2020). An Exploratory Study on Application of Whatsapp for Enhancing Language Learning Skills in Multicultural Environment. Educational Role of Language Journal, 2019–2(2), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.36534/erlj.2019.02.04

Zoltners, A. A., Sinha, P., Sahay, D., Shastri, A., & Lorimer, S. E. (2021). Practical insights for sales force digitalization success. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 41(2), 87-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1908144

Downloads

Published

2025-01-16

How to Cite

Aniati, A., Herman, H., Siregar, C. A. E., Afrianti, D., Manurung, R., Fatmawati, E., & Saputra, N. (2025). Teaching Reading Comprehension on Narrative Texts Through Whatsapp Group Features: An E-Learning Implementation in Junior Highs Schools. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 13(1), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i1.12853

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

License and Publishing Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:

  1. They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
  2. The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
  3. That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
  4. That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
  5. They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
  6. They agree to the following license and publishing agreement.

Copyright
Authors who publish with JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. 
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Licensing for Data Publication

JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching uses a variety of waivers and licenses, that are specifically designed for and appropriate for the treatment of data:
Other data publishing licenses may be allowed as exceptions (subject to approval by the editor on a case-by-case basis) and should be justified with a written statement from the author, which will be published with the article.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.