Eduvest - Journal of Universal Studies Volume 4 Number 08, August, 2024 p- ISSN 2775-3735- e-ISSN 2775-3727

THE EFFECT OF LITERACY TREE MEDIA ON STUDENT READING INTEREST IN INDONESIAN LANGUAGE SUBJECTS GRADE 4 SDN 1 TIGAJURU MAYONG
Diana Ragil Saputri , Dwiana Asih Wiranti ^1,2Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic University, Jepara, Indonesia Email: : [email protected], [email protected]
ABSTRACT
This study aims to examine the effect of using Literacy Tree media on students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in grade 4 of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong. The method used in this study was a pseudo-experiment with a pretest-posttest design. The research sample consisted of 30 randomly selected 4th grade students. Data were collected through reading interest questionnaire and analyzed using t test to determine the difference in reading interest before and after using Literacy Tree media. The results showed that there was a significant increase in students' reading interest after using the Literacy Tree media. This finding indicates that the Literacy Tree media is effective in increasing students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects. The implication of this study is the importance of using innovative and interesting learning media to increase students' interest in reading.
KEYWORDS	Literacy tree media, reading interest, Indonesian language, grade 4 students, SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong
	*This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International*

Education is a structured fundamental effort to create a learning atmosphere and learning process that allows students to actively develop their potential. The goal is to strengthen spirituality, hone self-control, shape personality, improve intelligence, and equip them with ethics and knowledge of life. Education is an important key for a nation in preparing for the future and competing with other countries (Kesuma et al., 2021). Therefore, the education system is required to be responsive to changes that occur in society. The world of education in Indonesia has been shocked by the emergence of research results that show the low interest in reading of students in Indonesia. In an increasingly advanced era, students need comprehensive knowledge and insight to compete in the modern era (Hendrawijaya, 2020);(Karunaratne & Perera, 2019);(Hakimi et al., 2011). In relation to literacy, innovations are needed that can foster motivation in learning, in order to form creative, innovative, critical and independent students (Yazon et al., 2019);(Karimi et al., 2021). Students' literacy skills are closely related to literacy needs, so as to produce the ability to understand, analyze, and critically reflect on information. (Syaripah et al., 2024);(Augustin et al., 2020).

Reading is the process of learning how to pronounce words and enriching vocabulary through written information. When people start reading, their interest in the activity tends to increase (Guarino et al., 2006). The readiness to seek out and read reading materials, either on their own initiative or with external support, indicates a strong desire to read. Interest in reading is a strong urge accompanied by efforts to engage in reading activities. The level of reading pleasure of each student is influenced by their personality, so to increase interest in reading, students need to understand and recognize their respective natures. Interest in reading is a deep interest and pleasure in reading activities, which encourages individuals to do it voluntarily. Interest in reading does not appear suddenly; it must be developed early. (Fudhlah et al., 2023)

Cultivating students' interest in reading should start at an early age (Faraj, 2015). The goal is to make reading an essential need for students' lives, not just a hobby or leisure activity. The higher students' interest in reading, the greater their desire to read (Anwar et al., 2021);(Ramdani et al., 2021). This increased interest in reading will have a positive impact, both in academic aspects and their personal and social development. However, some primary schools face challenges related to students' reading interest, especially in the early grades. Many students have difficulty in reading, comprehending texts and have low interest in reading. This can affect their academic performance and hinder their personal and social development, especially in subjects that require reading skills. All subjects require reading activities to obtain the necessary information, with Indonesian language lessons specifically emphasizing reading activities (Fudhlah et al., 2023).

Students' reading interest can be increased by utilizing interesting learning media, one of which is literacy tree media. Literacy tree is a learning media that aims to build students' creativity to always read and attract students' interest in reading and work with the help of literacy trees, the solution to the influence of literacy trees can attract students' interest in reading and produce work from books that have been read, this can be seen from the lush literacy trees whose contents are hangers from the work of students' reading results. With the stimulus of literacy trees, it can foster students' interest in reading and work. (Sari, 2020).

The results of the interview with Mrs. Nur Hidayah, S.Pd showed that the reading interest of fourth grade students of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong is low. 60% of students based on the recap of grades in class IV do not have an interest in reading. The low interest in reading can be seen by the lack of interest in books, students rarely borrow or read books in the library or at home. Low frequency of reading, students do not read books regularly or only read when required by the teacher. Less active in book discussions, students are not enthusiastic when asked to talk about the books they have read. Low academic achievement, students may show less understanding in subjects that require reading skills.

Observations at SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong show that educators have not applied interesting reading techniques in the learning process. The method used is still teacher-centered, causing learners to feel bored, bored, and have difficulty in arranging words into correct sentences. Learners who learn to read only rely on books, without any motivation to be enthusiastic in reading, resulting in their limited knowledge and insight. The lack of innovation in teaching methods also has an impact on the low interest in reading and the level of learning completeness of students. Therefore, teachers need to play an active role in increasing interest in reading by utilizing innovative media such as literacy tree media that can support the literacy movement in schools. This media can be an effective tool to motivate students and enrich their reading experience.

The learning media used at SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong is still relatively monotonous, because most of them only rely on textbook media and Student Worksheets (LKS). Students in this school lack variety in learning methods, so they tend to feel bored and less motivated. This limited use of media also limits student interaction and involvement in the learning process, and reduces the opportunity to develop critical and creative thinking skills. By only focusing on textbooks and LKS, the full potential of more interactive and innovative learning cannot be realized, so it is necessary to enrich learning media to make it more interesting and effective.

Learning media are means, methods, or tools used to facilitate the teaching and learning process. The use of this media can increase the attractiveness of learning and help students understand the concepts taught. One example that can be used is the literacy tree media. Literacy trees are teaching aids or learning resources made from paper folded into the shape of a tree (2 dimensions) or using dry tree branches with additional pieces of paper folded into leaves, flowers or fruit (3 dimensions). The use of literacy tree media in learning aims to improve reading comprehension skills in children. For better results, it is recommended to use different colored paper or bright colors such as green leaves, colorful flowers, or fruits on paper, so that children are more motivated to interact with the literacy tree. The literacy tree is not only a learning medium, but also a symbol of creativity by creating and displaying the literacy tree in the classroom, using various types of materials available. (Rosdiani & Puspitasari, 2022)

Previous research that supports this study includes the results of Rosdiana and Puspitasari's (2022) research entitled Policindo Media (Literacy Tree Love Indonesian Products) to Increase Students' Reading Interest. This study showed that the use of POLICINDO learning media succeeded in increasing students' reading interest. This can be seen from the questionnaire results which show an increase in the percentage of interest in reading compared to before using the media. Observation of learners' activities in each cycle also showed improvement. In cycle I, many learners were less enthusiastic, did not actively ask or answer questions from the teacher, and showed a lack of cooperation. However, in cycle II, there was a significant improvement; learners responded well to questions and instructions from the teacher, showing increased enthusiasm and engagement.

Based on the above background, this study aims to analyze the effect of literacy tree media on students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in Grade 4 of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong. This research is useful to identify the extent to which literacy tree media can increase elementary school students' interest in reading, which in turn can help develop more effective learning strategies.

RESEARCH METHOD

This research is a quasi experimental research, which is conducted in one group without a comparison group (Arikunto, 2019: 32). The research design used was a one group pre-test post-test design, where a pre-test was taken before treatment and a post-test after treatment was given. The population that became the subject of this study were 4th grade students of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong. The sampling technique used was saturated sampling technique, where the entire population was used as a sample, namely 24 grade 4 students of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong. Data collection techniques include observation and the use of questionnaires. The questionnaire instrument used was in the form of a statement with a Likert scale of 4 answer options: always, often, sometimes, rarely. Data analysis used inferential analysis techniques, including instrument validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests such as normality, homogeneity, and linearity tests, and hypothesis testing using paired sample t-test, regression, and partial t-test.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The study started by distributing a pretest questionnaire to assess learners' interest in reading. The observation results from the pretest questionnaire showed that most learners had low interest in reading. Detailed information about the results of the pretest questionnaire regarding learners' reading interest can be found in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Tabulation of Students' Answers to Literacy Tree Media Variables and Reading Interest

No.	Student Name	Literacy Tree Media	Reading Interest	No.	Student Name	Literacy Tree Media	Reading Interest
1	Adi	37	37	13	Anwar	36	35
2	Ali	35	35	14	Auna	36	35
3	Alif	35	36	15	Toriq	35	36
4	Anisa	36	36	16	Rayhan	35	36
5	Putri	37	36	17	Nafisa	39	36
6	Adit	34	38	18	Rizki	35	37
7	Gibta	36	36	19	Said	37	33
8	Hasan	36	35	20	Syaila	36	36
9	Raffa	37	35	21	Syakila	35	36
10	Nisqia	36	36	22	Vania	37	36
11	Khansa	36	35	23	Wisnu	36	35
12	Zainur	36	34	24	Zahara	37	36
Average Media Tree Literacy						36,04
Duck-Duck Minat Baca						35,67

The results of data analysis based on student answers to the literacy tree media variables and reading interest can be seen in the following table:

Table 2. Classification of Descriptive Statistics of Research Variables

Category	Interval	Information	Literacy Tree Media	Reading Interest
1	1 ï¿½ 10	Bad	36,04 (Excellent)	35,67 (Excellent)
2	11 ï¿½ 20	Quite Good
3	21 ï¿½ 30	Good
4	31 ï¿½ 40	Excellent

Based on the descriptive statistical classification table of the research variables, it can be concluded that students' perceptions of the application of literacy tree media are very good because the average value of 36.04 is in the interval 31 - 40. Meanwhile, students' perceptions of student reading interest are very good because the average value of 35.67 is in the interval 31 - 40.

The validity test is used to assess whether a questionnaire can be considered valid or valid. The questionnaire is considered valid if the questions can accurately reveal or measure what you want to examine through the questionnaire. Indicators on each variable are said to be valid if the pearson correlation value is> 0.5. Based on the results of the validity test, all statements on the teenage association variable proved to be valid. This indicates that the research variables can continue testing to the next stage.

The reliability test is used to assess how consistent a questionnaire is as an indicator of the variable or construct being measured. Reliability measurement uses Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, where the instrument is said to be reliable if the alpha coefficient value is> 0.60. In this study, the Cronbach alpha coefficient value for the literacy tree media variable was 0.718, while for the reading interest variable was 0.740. Overall, the alpha coefficient values for both variables are greater than 0.6, indicating that the answers from respondents are reliable and the questionnaire can be used as a good tool for collecting data.

In this study, the normality test is required as a prerequisite for the use of the t-test. The data must meet the normal distribution requirements for the t-test to proceed; if it does not meet these requirements, the t-test cannot be used. The distribution is said to be normal if the significance value is > 0.05. The normality test was conducted using tests of normality. Based on calculations with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the data has an Asymp. Sig> 0.05, so it can be concluded that the data is normally distributed.

The test of homogeneity of variances is required before conducting an independent sample t-test. Data is said to be homogeneous if the significance level is > 0.05; if < 0.05, the data is considered inhomogeneous. The homogeneity test results show that the significance value is 0.080. Since this value is greater than 0.05 (0.080 > 0.05), the post-test data can be considered homogeneous.

The linearity test aims to determine whether two variables have a significant linear relationship. This test is generally used as a requirement in correlation or linear regression analysis. Testing is done using the test for linearity at a significance level of 0.05. Two variables are said to have a linear relationship if the level of significance (linearity) <0.05. Based on the linearity test results listed in the ANOVA table, the significance value for linearity is 0.000. As this value is smaller than 0.05, it can be concluded that there is a linear relationship between the variables of literacy tree media and reading interest.

The hypothesis test used in this study is the Paired Sample T-test, which is a parametric statistical test. This test is used to determine whether there is an average difference between two groups of samples that are paired (related), namely two samples that receive two different treatments. The results of the Paired Sample T-test can be seen in Table 8.

Table 3. Paired T Test Results

		t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Pair 1	pretest_X - postest_X	8,441	23	0,000

Based on table 3. shows that the significance of 0.000 <0.05, it can be concluded that there is a difference in students' reading interest before and after the application of literacy tree media in Indonesian language lessons in Grade 4 SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong.

The linear regression analysis model was used to evaluate the effect of literacy tree media on students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in grade 4 of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong. Based on the results of the regression analysis calculation, it can be entered into the regression equation as follows:

Y= a + b1X1 + e

Y= 0.705 + 1.230X1 + e

Based on the regression coefficient values of the variables affecting student learning comprehension (Y) with a significance level of α = 0.05, the interpretation is as follows:

1. The constant of 0.705 indicates that if the independent variable is considered constant (0), the average understanding of student learning is 0.705.

2. Every increase of 1 unit in the literacy tree media variable will increase students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in Grade 4 of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong by 1,230. Likewise, every decrease of 1 unit in the literacy tree media variable will decrease students' interest in reading in grade 4 Indonesian language subjects at SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong by 1.230.

In order to test the hypothesis that the literacy tree media variable (X) has a partially significant effect on reading interest (Y), the t-test was used.

Table 4. Partial t Test Results

Variable	Significance Value	Information
Literacy tree media*interest in reading	0,000	Signifficant Effect

Based on table 10. shows that the significance of 0.000 <0.05, it can be concluded that there is an effect of literacy tree media on students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in Grade 4 SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong.

Research conducted at SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong Jepara shows that the application of literacy tree media has a significant influence on the reading interest of grade IV students. The majority of students are familiar with the existence of literacy tree media in their school. The students find this media very interesting because of its creative and interactive design. They often use the literacy tree media to choose the books they want to read, which makes it easier for them to find books according to their interests. This can be seen from the number of students who are satisfied with the collection of books available at the literacy tree, which covers a variety of genres ranging from children's stories to scientific books.

In addition, the study also found that the Literacy Tree media successfully encouraged students to read books outside of class hours. Students felt happy to fill their free time by reading books of their own choosing, without the pressure of schoolwork. They began to realize the importance of reading books as a means to increase knowledge. This reading habit is not only limited to certain types of books, but includes a variety of genres, which shows that students' reading interests are becoming broader and more diverse.

Overall, the application of the Literacy Tree media at SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong Jepara has had a positive impact on the reading interest of grade IV students. Students become more enthusiastic in reading, more active in choosing the books they like, and feel satisfied with the books available. Thus, the Literacy Tree not only acts as a learning tool, but also as an effective motivator in increasing students' interest in reading.

The findings of this study are consistent with the results of Rosdiana and Puspitasari's (2022) study on Policindo Media (Literacy Tree Love Indonesian Products) in increasing students' interest in reading. Their research showed that the use of POLICINDO learning media successfully increased students' interest in reading. This increase can be seen from the results of the reading interest questionnaire which shows an increase in percentage compared to the previous results.

This research also supports the results of Hermawan, et al (2022) which show that literacy affects students' reading skills. Literacy encourages students to be more engaged and motivated in reading activities. With attractive visuals and an interactive note-taking system, students become more interested in exploring different types of reading. In addition, consistent use of this media helps students develop good reading habits, which in turn improves students' text comprehension and analysis skills.

Based on the research results and support from previous research, it can be concluded that the application of literacy tree media can increase students' interest in reading in an effective and fun way. This media uses a tree visualization where each leaf or branch represents a book that the student has read, providing a real visual reward for student achievement. By seeing the development of students' trees, students feel motivated to continue adding new leaves or branches, thus indirectly fostering reading habits and a sense of pride in students' literacy achievements.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of the research and analysis, it can be concluded that students' perceptions of the application of literacy tree media are very positive, with an average score of 36.04. Students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects is also classified as very good, with an average score of 35.67. The results of the analysis show that there is a significant effect of using literacy tree media on increasing students' reading interest in Indonesian language subjects in grade 4 of SDN 1 Tigajuru Mayong, indicated by a significance value that is less than 0.05. In addition, there is a significant difference in students' reading interest before and after the application of literacy tree media.

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