THE INFLUENCE OF STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND VISUAL LEARNING STYLE TOWARD STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

Abstrak: Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh motivasi siswa dan gaya belajar visual terhadap pemahaman membaca siswa di tingkat sekolah menengah pertama. Penelitian ini dilakukan karena banyak siswa menghadapi kesulitan dalam memahami teks bacaan bahasa Inggris akibat berbagai faktor. Sebanyak 192 siswa kelas delapan di MTsN 2 Kota Blitar dipilih menggunakan teknik pengambilan sampel acak sederhana dalam desain penelitian korelasional kuantitatif, dan analisis regresi berganda diterapkan. Data dikumpulkan melalui tes pemahaman membaca yang telah divalidasi, kuesioner motivasi, dan kuesioner gaya belajar visual, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan SPSS versi 20. Hasil analisis regresi berganda menunjukkan bahwa baik motivasi siswa maupun gaya belajar visual memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap pemahaman membaca siswa, baik secara parsial maupun simultan. Temuan ini menunjukkan pentingnya menumbuhkan motivasi siswa, serta bahwa penerapan gaya belajar yang tepat—khususnya gaya belajar visual—dapat membantu meningkatkan pemahaman membaca siswa. Penelitian ini memberikan wawasan berharga bagi pendidik dan pengembang kurikulum dalam merancang strategi pengajaran yang mendukung motivasi siswa dan mengintegrasikan pembelajaran visual ke dalam pembelajaran membaca bahasa Inggris. Kata Kunci: pengaruh, motivasi siswa, gaya belajar visual, pemahaman membaca Abstract: This research examined the influence of students’ motivation and visual learning style on students’ reading comprehension at the junior high school level. The research was conducted because many students face difficulties in understanding English reading texts due to various factors. A total of 192 eighth grade students at MTsN 2 Kota Blitar were selected using a simple random sampling technique in a quantitative correlational research design, and multiple regression analysis was applied. Data were collected through a validated reading comprehension test, a motivation questionnaire, and a visual learning style questionnaire, analysed using SPSS version 20. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that both students’ motivation and visual learning style had a significant influence on students’ reading comprehension, both partially and simultaneously. These findings demonstrate the importance of fostering students' motivation and the application of appropriate learning styles, particularly visual learning styles, can help enhance students' reading comprehension. This research offers valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers in designing teaching strategies that support students’ motivation and integrate visual learning within English language teaching reading instruction. Keywords: influence, students’ motivation, visual learning style, reading comprehension