Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension through Short Stories: A Classroom Action Research at SMA Negeri 5 Kupang

Reading comprehension remains a challenge for many EFL students due to limited vocabulary, unfamiliarity with text structures, and difficulties in applying reading strategies. This study aimed to examine the use of short stories to improve students’ reading comprehension and identify instructional factors associated with their learning progress. A Classroom Action Research (CAR) design was conducted with 36 eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 5 Kupang during the 2025/2026 academic year. The research was implemented in two cycles, each consisting of planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data were collected through reading comprehension tests, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and gain scores, while qualitative data were examined through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that the students’ mean score increased from 58.91 in the pre-test to 63.86 after Cycle I and 83.67 after Cycle II, representing an overall gain of 24.76 points. All 36 students obtained higher scores in the final assessment than in the pre-test. Following Cycle II, 55.6% of students achieved the Good category and 44.4% reached the Very Good category. Classroom observations also indicated more active student participation during the second cycle. Culturally relevant story themes, group discussions, moral dilemmas, and varied reading materials were identified as instructional elements associated with students’ engagement and comprehension development. These findings suggest that short stories can serve as a useful medium for supporting EFL reading comprehension when integrated with appropriate scaffolding and structured classroom activities.