Improving Seventh Grade EFL Reading Comprehension Through Cooperative Learning: Classrom Action Research
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Abstract
This classroom action research examined whether structured cooperative learning could improve seventh-grade students' English reading comprehension. The study involved 22 students in Class 7.1 at SMP Darma Patria Bekasi and was conducted from July to August 2024. Following the Kemmis and McTaggart cycle, the intervention comprised planning, action and observation, and reflection across two cycles. Cooperative activities included pair reading, heterogeneous group discussion, sentence reconstruction, round-table brainstorming, numbered heads together, and individual quizzes. Quantitative data were obtained from a 20-item descriptive-text reading test administered before the intervention and after each cycle, while observation notes and teacher collaboration provided qualitative evidence. The mean score increased from 64.77 in the pretest to 73.18 in Cycle 1 and 80.23 in Cycle 2. The proportion of students meeting the minimum mastery criterion of 75 rose from 31.8% to 50.0% and then to 86.4%, exceeding the predetermined 75% success criterion. Classroom observations also indicated stronger participation, peer support, confidence, and attention. These findings suggest that cooperative learning, when combined with individual accountability and reflective instructional adjustment, can improve reading comprehension and classroom engagement in a junior secondary EFL context.
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