Efforts to Improve Reading Literacy and Comprehension of Fourth Grade Students Through the Implementation of an Active Learning Approach Based on the Context of Daily Life in an Inclusive Elementary School

Abstract

The background of this research is motivated by the phenomenon that reading comprehension ability remains one of the main challenges in education, particularly within inclusive school environments that accommodate students with diverse backgrounds, abilities, alongside learning needs. Many students, both those with special needs and those without, are only capable of reading texts orally without understanding the meaning, content, or messages contained within them. This problem is further compounded by the utilization of learning methods that tend to be conventional, teacher-centered, alongside instructional materials that are frequently detached from students real-world experiences and surroundings, which results in learning that feels abstract, boring, and difficult to comprehend. The method used in this study was Classroom Action Research conducted in two cycles, with each cycle consisting of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting stages. The research subjects were fourth-grade students consisting of various characteristics and abilities, including students with special needs. Data were collected through observation, reading comprehension tests, interviews, alongside documentation techniques, which were subsequently analyzed using qualitative and quantitative descriptive approaches. An active learning approach based on daily life contexts was implemented by connecting reading materials with students personal experiences, living environments, daily activities, as well as problems they frequently encounter. Learning activities were designed so that students were actively involved through group discussions, direct observations, educational games, and real-world problem solving, so that reading is no longer merely spelling words, but rather a process of searching for meaning and understanding information. The results of the study indicate a significant increase in students reading comprehension literacy skills after the implementation of this approach. In the initial cycle, most students are only able to answer simple questions whose answers are explicitly written in the text. However, in the final cycle, students are capable of identifying main ideas, summarizing reading content, connecting text content with prior knowledge, alongside responding to reading content with their own opinions. Students also appear more enthusiastic, confident, and courageous in expressing opinions, including students with special needs who previously tended to be passive. This approach proves effective because it makes reading materials relevant, meaningful, and easy to understand, while simultaneously accommodating the differing learning styles and abilities of each student in accordance with the principles of inclusive education. The conclusion of this study is that an active learning approach based on daily life contexts is an appropriate as well as effective strategy to improve the quality of reading comprehension learning in inclusive elementary schools. This approach not only improves students academic abilities, but also develops critical thinking skills, communication, and curiosity. This study suggests that teachers should more frequently integrate real contexts into learning, as well as develop varied and contextual teaching materials to support the success of literacy learning for all students without exception.