THE EFFECT OF CONTEXTUAL LEARNING METHOD ON STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION

Reading comprehension is a vital skill for English language learners, yet traditional methods of teaching prove to be ineffective in encouraging students. This study aimed to analyse the effectiveness of the contextual learning method in improving the reading comprehension of students. Quasi-experiment research design was applied whereby no random samples of the subjects from the English Department at IAIN Palangka Raya were assigned to treatment. Pre-test and post-test were administered, encompassing 15 items related to reading comprehension utilizing Google Forms for purposes of observation of student improvements before and after intervention. The analysis revealed that students' reading comprehension increased significantly through contextual learning. Readings using contextual learning showed raised interest, improved retention, and critical thinking. The study recommended long-term effects of contextual learning and its application at various levels of language proficiency in future studies.