The role of teachers in enhancing reading interest among elementary school students is crucial in today’s digital age. This study examines how teachers can motivate students to read more, despite distractions from technology. It highlights the challenges faced by educators in fostering a love for reading, including limited resources and time constraints. The research focuses on grade 3 students at SD Negeri 42 Pekanbaru, providing insights into effective teaching strategies and the importance of creating a supportive reading environment.

Key Points

  • Explores the impact of teachers on elementary students’ reading interest
  • Identifies challenges teachers face in promoting reading
  • Analyzes the role of technology in students’ reading habits
  • Provides strategies for teachers to motivate students to read
Ephin Aluni
Author:Syafira, S., & Dafit, F.
14 pages
Language:English
Type:Research Paper
English
Ephin Aluni
Author:Syafira, S., & Dafit, F.
14 pages
Language:English
Type:Research Paper
English
365
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30 | THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN INCREASING THE READING INTEREST OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
P-ISSN: 2580-9326
E-ISSN: 2580-7714
PrimaryEdu : Journal of Elementary Education
Volume 6, Number 1, February 2022
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN INCREASING THE READING
INTEREST OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Syafira
1
, Febrina Dafit
2
1
Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia
2
Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia
1
syafiral[email protected] ,
2
febrin[email protected]
Abstract
The teacher's role is important in increasing students' reading interest, this is because students tend to
prefer playing with peers rather than reading books, especially in the modern era students use gadgets.
When online, students use gadgets more often, so students prefer to play games and tick-tock rather
than reading. The purpose of this study was to describe the teacher's role in increasing the reading
interest of grade 3 students at SD Negeri 42 Pekanbaru, to describe the teacher's obstacles in increasing
the reading interest of grade 3 students at SD Negeri 42 Pekanbaru. The research method uses
descriptive qualitative research. Research subjects are teachers and school principals. Data collection
uses observation, interviews and documentation techniques. The results of this study indicate that the
role of teachers as creators, facilitators, motivators, evaluators and dynamicators is very important to
increase the reading interest of elementary school. The obstacle is that the teacher still has not carried
out several roles such as the teacher has not carried out his role as creator, evaluator, dynamist
completely, this is due to limited face-to-face learning, for the role of the teacher as facilitator and the
teacher's role as motivator has been implemented.
Keywords:teacher's role, reading interest, primary school
INTRODUCTION
The term interest in the Big Indonesian Dictionary is defined as a high heart tendency
towards something, passion, desire. Interest is one of the psychological aspects that can affect
individuals in carrying out activities. Interest is a desire that arises from within a person to try
to get it, interest is very closely related to a person's personality, feelings and emotions. With
interest, someone will continue to try to achieve it even though it takes a lot of effort(Ajat, r.,
2020). Reading is a window to the world to find out various information that we do not reach.
Reading has an important role in education and is useful for people's lives, someone who likes
to read has broader insight and intelligence and has various thoughts and considerations to
carry out daily activities (Darmadi, 2018).
Reading interest is a high desire or willingness to read. Reading interest is the ability of
humans to communicate with themselves to take the meaning contained in writing so as to
provide emotional experiences as a result of deep attention to the meaning of reading
(Elendiana, 2020). Based on this opinion, it can be concluded that interest is not something that
someone just has. Interests can grow and be developed. Interest does not just exist in a person
but arises because of experience and efforts to develop it. Interest arises because of attraction
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN INCREASING THE READING INTEREST OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS | 31
P-ISSN: 2580-9326
E-ISSN: 2580-7714
PrimaryEdu : Journal of Elementary Education
Volume 6, Number 1, February 2022
from outside and also comes from the heart. Interest is basically the acceptance of a relationship
between oneself and something from outside oneself. The stronger the relationship, the stronger
the interest.
Interest in reading is the most basic thing that someone needs to have when carrying
out education. Education is a conscious effort to humanize humans, or to civilize humans.
Education is a process of socialization towards intellectual, social, moral maturity in
accordance with the capabilities and dignity as human beings. Through education a person can
improve his life for the better in terms of knowledge and attitude.(Ramayulis, 2015).
In terms of education, someone who likes to read will have extensive knowledge of his
reading books and he will be smarter in academic terms because he knows many things. Before
arriving at the ability to read, a person needs to have an interest in reading. Interest in reading
will be the basis for the success of reading activities (Taylor, 2020). If a person does not have
a great interest in reading, then whatever reading material he reads will be in vain. This is
because he does not read on his own interests or activities that he likes. And vice versa if
reading activities are based on his own desires, it is likely that he will experience effective
reading activities. It's a shame if someone doesn't like reading or has low reading interest.
Based on the research "Most Littered Nation In the World" by Central Connecticut State
University (CCSU) in 2016, Indonesia is ranked 60th in reading out of 61 countries. This
situation encourages an emphasis on reading culture in all Indonesian people, especially
students, with this the teacher's role is needed in increasing students' reading interest. Interest
in reading will grow when someone always reads books to broaden their knowledge or read
books for personal enjoyment, there is still low interest reading, reading interest needs to be
developed or improved again so that students can understand the meaning of what is
read(Rintang et al., 2021).
Students who have low interest in reading are difficult to understand the ongoing
learning. Learning is a form of human effort that is important and complex (Zein, 2016).
Learning in schools today has changed to distance learning. This learning is completely
dependent on digital content. This digital content fully uses electronic devices as a means of
access. This is also a problem for elementary school age children. They have not been able to
fully use mobile phones wisely for the purposes of reading activities. Therefore, the reading
activities of elementary school students are disrupted.
It is undeniable that we are already in the phase of dependence on cellphones and all
the ease of information we get. However, for elementary school students, this will adversely
32 | THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN INCREASING THE READING INTEREST OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
P-ISSN: 2580-9326
E-ISSN: 2580-7714
PrimaryEdu : Journal of Elementary Education
Volume 6, Number 1, February 2022
affect their reading interest. Moreover, in the modern era, reading content is not practical for
elementary school students to see compared to visual content. This visual content is growing
very fast, for example, Tik Tok and YouTube. If an elementary school student is already only
able to absorb issues from visual content, then he or she will have difficulty if they have to deal
with reading books.
However, reading skills are core skills in students' literacy skills. Reading can awaken
the imagination and train the brain to always think. In contrast to visual content that already
presents images/videos. In other words, the portion of students' imagination and thinking has
been reduced because of the visual limitations presented. If this continues, it will result in a
decrease in the reading interest of elementary school students. Therefore, it is important for the
teacher to play a role in increasing students' reading interest
The teacher's role in increasing students' reading interest is the teacher's role as a
creator, the teacher's role as a facilitator, the teacher's role as a motivator, the teacher's role as
an evaluator and the teacher's role as a dynamicator.(Rintang et al., 2021). The teacher's role
in reading is very influential, there needs to be patterned, planned, guided, consistent and
evaluation activities. The pattern in question is the need for a design before carrying out reading
activities, then planning what is meant is that with a plan from the beginning that has been
made, reading activities will be more directed and clear in accordance with the objectives,
guided means the teacher always provides guidance to students who are still lacking in interest
read it. Consistent is systematic or structured to carry out all activities according to the plans
that have been made at the beginning, and evaluation, namely prioritizing the results of the
plans that have been determined at the beginning. (Muhsyanur, 2019)
Based on an interview in May 2021 with the deputy principal of SDN 42 Pekanbaru,
Mrs. Ria Anggraini, S.Pd, the results of the interview were that students at SDN 42 Pekanbaru
still had low interest in reading, this is because students tend to prefer playing with peers rather
than reading books, especially in today's modern era students who use mobile phones. When
online like this, students use cellphones more often, such as playing games and playing tik tok
instead of reading, even though at this elementary school age students are better at reading
because early childhood has good memory. Based on the betaking background above, it is
necessary for the teacher's role to increase students' reading interest, researchers are interested
in taking the title Teacher's Role in Increasing Elementary School Students' Reading Interest.
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FAQs

what is the role of teachers in increasing the reading interest of elementary school students

The role of teachers in increasing the reading interest of elementary school students is crucial as they act as facilitators, motivators, and evaluators.

  • Facilitators: Teachers create an environment conducive to reading by providing access to diverse reading materials.
  • Motivators: They encourage students by sharing the benefits of reading and recognizing their efforts.
  • Evaluators: Teachers assess students' reading progress and provide feedback to enhance their skills.

how do teachers motivate elementary school students to read

Teachers motivate elementary school students to read by employing various strategies that engage and inspire them.

  • Inspiring Stories: Sharing stories about famous personalities who value reading can spark interest.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Praise and rewards for reading achievements encourage students to read more.
  • Interactive Activities: Organizing reading competitions and group discussions makes reading enjoyable.

what are the challenges teachers face in increasing reading interest among students

Teachers face several challenges in increasing reading interest among elementary school students.

  • Limited Time: The restricted time for teaching limits the implementation of comprehensive reading activities.
  • Lack of Resources: Insufficient access to diverse and engaging reading materials can hinder students' interest.
  • Digital Distractions: The prevalence of gadgets and online games diverts students' attention away from reading.

how can teachers create a reading-friendly environment for students

Teachers can create a reading-friendly environment for students by implementing specific strategies.

  • Reading Corners: Establishing dedicated spaces for reading within the classroom encourages students to explore books.
  • Diverse Materials: Providing a variety of reading materials, including fiction and non-fiction, caters to different interests.
  • Comfortable Setting: Ensuring adequate seating and lighting makes reading more inviting.

what methods do teachers use to evaluate reading interest in students

Teachers use various methods to evaluate reading interest in students effectively.

  • Questioning: Asking students questions about their reading materials helps gauge their understanding and interest.
  • Retelling: Encouraging students to retell stories they have read assesses their comprehension and engagement.
  • Reading Logs: Implementing reading logs allows teachers to track the books students read and their reflections on them.

what strategies help improve reading interest in elementary students

Several strategies can help improve reading interest in elementary students.

  • Interactive Reading Sessions: Engaging students in discussions about books fosters a love for reading.
  • Reading Competitions: Organizing friendly competitions can motivate students to read more.
  • Parental Involvement: Encouraging parents to read with their children enhances interest and creates a supportive reading culture.