Abstrak
The purpose of this study was to describe the learning strategies used by the teachers in teaching reading comprehension of eighth grade students at SMP Negeri 4 Tarakan and to determine their reading comprehension ability. The subjects of this study were the English teachers and 31 students of class VIII-9 in the 2020/2021 learning year. This research used a descriptive qualitative method. Data were obtained through interviews, observations and questionnaires. This research was conducted online during the Covid-19 pandemic using teaching-learning applications. The results showed that the learning strategy used by the teacher in teaching reading comprehension was SQ3R (Surveying, Questioning, Reading, Reciting, and Reviewing). The strategy used by the teacher was effective, because the students not only knew how to understand a text but it also helped students to be more active and critical in understanding the contents of the reading text. It was also found that there were two other methods used in the learning process, namely listening to videos and giving assignments. This methods were used because of the covid-19 pandemic situation, so the teaching and learning activities were carried out online using the Quipper and WhatsApp applications to form online class groups before starting teaching and learning. The results also showed that the level of students' reading comprehension ability in English was average. This was Influenced by several factors originating from students, teachers, and facilities. In conclusion, the learning strategy used by the teacher was effective in improving reading comprehension skills of class VIII-9 students of SMPN 4 Tarakan.