ANALISIS MASALAH KEMAMPUAN MEMBACA SISWA KELAS VIII DI MTS NEGERI TARAKAN MELALUI TEORI BROWN
AN ANALYSIS OF EIGHTH GRADERS’ READING SKILL PROBLEMS AT MTS NEGERI TARAKAN THROUGH BROWN’S THEORY Abstract This study aims to analyze the reading skills issues faced by eighth-grade students at MTs Negeri Tarakan based on Brown’s theory. The focus of this study is to identify specific problems faced by students in reading English texts based on Brown’s theory and to analyze the factors that influence these difficulties. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques consisting of documentation, observation, and semi-structured interviews. The research subjects consisted of six eighth-grade students from Class VIII-D, selected through purposive sampling based on varying levels of reading proficiency, as well as an English teacher. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, which consists of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions, with source triangulation to ensure data validity. The findings indicate that the reading difficulties experienced by students were caused by limited vocabulary, weak understanding of sentence structure, and problems with fluency and pronunciation. In addition, psychological factors such as anxiety, low motivation, and lack of self-confidence also play a major role in intensifying students’ reading difficulties. The study further shows that foreign language anxiety significantly hinders reading comprehension, leading students to avoid active reading activities. Therefore, it can be concluded that students’ reading difficulties are not only cognitive and linguistic in nature but are also strongly influenced by affective factors that create an “emotional filter” in the English learning process. Keywords: reading skill, vocabulary, reading difficulty, affective factors, Brown’s theory AN ANALYSIS OF EIGHTH GRADERS’ READING SKILL PROBLEMS AT MTS NEGERI TARAKAN THROUGH BROWN’S THEORY Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis permasalahan keterampilan membaca yang dihadapi oleh siswa kelas delapan di MTs Negeri Tarakan berdasarkan teori Brown. Fokus dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi masalah spesifik yang dihadapi siswa dalam membaca teks bahasa Inggris berdasarkan teori Brown serta menganalisis faktor-faktor yang memengaruhi kesulitan tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data yang terdiri dari dokumentasi, observasi, dan wawancara semi-terstruktur. Subjek penelitian terdiri dari enam siswa kelas delapan dari Kelas VIII-D, yang dipilih melalui teknik pengambilan sampel yang bertujuan berdasarkan tingkat kemahiran membaca yang bervariasi, serta seorang guru bahasa Inggris. Data dianalisis menggunakan model interaktif Miles dan Huberman, yang terdiri dari reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan, dengan triangulasi sumber untuk memastikan keabsahan data. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kesulitan membaca yang dialami siswa disebabkan oleh keterbatasan kosakata, lemahnya pemahaman struktur kalimat, serta masalah pada kelancaran dan pelafalan. Selain itu, faktor psikologis seperti kecemasan, motivasi yang rendah, dan kurangnya rasa percaya diri juga berperan besar dalam memperparah kesulitan membaca siswa. Penelitian ini lebih lanjut menunjukkan bahwa kecemasan berbahasa asing secara signifikan menghambat pemahaman bacaan, sehingga menyebabkan siswa menghindari aktivitas membaca aktif. Oleh karena itu, dapat disimpulkan bahwa kesulitan membaca siswa tidak hanya bersifat kognitif dan linguistik, tetapi juga sangat dipengaruhi oleh faktor afektif yang menciptakan "emosional filter" dalam proses pembelajaran bahasa Inggris. AN ANALYSIS OF EIGHTH GRADERS’ READING SKILL PROBLEMS AT MTS NEGERI TARAKAN THROUGH BROWN’S THEORY Abstract This study aims to analyze the reading skills issues faced by eighth-grade students at MTs Negeri Tarakan based on Brown’s theory. The focus of this study is to identify specific problems faced by students in reading English texts based on Brown’s theory and to analyze the factors that influence these difficulties. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques consisting of documentation, observation, and semi-structured interviews. The research subjects consisted of six eighth-grade students from Class VIII-D, selected through purposive sampling based on varying levels of reading proficiency, as well as an English teacher. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, which consists of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions, with source triangulation to ensure data validity. The findings indicate that the reading difficulties experienced by students were caused by limited vocabulary, weak understanding of sentence structure, and problems with fluency and pronunciation. In addition, psychological factors such as anxiety, low motivation, and lack of self-confidence also play a major role in intensifying students’ reading difficulties. The study further shows that foreign language anxiety significantly hinders reading comprehension, leading students to avoid active reading activities. Therefore, it can be concluded that students’ reading difficulties are not only cognitive and linguistic in nature but are also strongly influenced by affective factors that create an “emotional filter” in the English learning process.