PISA READING LITERACY PERFORMANCE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH ENGAGEMENT IN READING ACTIVITY AND READING INTEREST

Abstract

This study was aimed at finding out students’ PISA reading literacy performance level, their engagement in reading activity, and their reading interest category. It also investigated whether or not there was a correlation between students’ engagement in reading activity and PISA reading literacy performance, students’ reading interest and PISA reading literacy performance, the predictor variables (students’ engagement in reading activity and students’ reading interest) and criterion variable (students’ PISA reading literacy performance), and whether or not there was contribution between engagement in reading activity aspects and PISA reading literacy performance. The population of this study was state senior high school students in Ilir Timur II and Kalidoni districts in Palembang. The sample of the study was 252 students who were chosen by using Slovin’s formula purposive sampling. In collecting the data, the students were asked to answer PISA reading 2009 test and to respond to two questionnaires (engagement in reading activity and reading interest questionnaires). In analyzing the data, Pearson product moment coefficient correlation was used. The results showed that students’ PISA reading literacy was categorized in level 3, which is far below the school minimum mastery criteria (KKM). However, their engagement in reading activity was categorized as moderate and their reading interest was categorized as high. There was a very weak correlation between students’ engagement in reading activity and their PISA reading literacy performance, and a very weak correlation between students’ reading interest and their PISA reading literacy performance. There was a very weak correlation between two predictor variables (students’ engagement in reading activity and reading interest) and criterion variable (PISA reading literacy performance), as well.

Keywords:  engagement in reading, reading interest, PISA reading literacy performance