PENERAPAN MEDIA KOMIK EDUKASI UNTUK MENINGKATKAN MINAT MEMBACA SISWA SD UNISMUH MAKASSAR

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of using educational comic media to increase reading interest among fourth-grade students of SD Unismuh Makassar. The background of this research lies in the low reading interest of elementary school students, which is influenced by the dominance of conventional textbooks and the lack of engaging learning media. This research employed a quantitative method with a quasi-experimental design using a pretest-posttest control group. The participants consisted of 60 students, divided equally into an experimental group, which received learning using educational comics, and a control group, which received conventional instruction. Data on students’ reading interest were collected using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using an independent sample t-test. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the posttest scores between the experimental group and the control group (p < 0.05). Students who learned through educational comics demonstrated higher reading interest, were more engaged during lessons, and showed increased enthusiasm for reading activities. This finding supports the theory that media combining visual and textual elements can effectively enhance students’ reading motivation and comprehension. Educational comic media can thus be recommended as an alternative instructional tool to foster reading interest in elementary school students.