ABSTRACT

Avindha Kusuma Dewi K2217017. First supervisor: Hefy Sulistyawati, S.S., M.Pd. Second supervisor: Dewi Cahyaningrum, S.Pd., M.Pd. “A CASE STUDY OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN READING ENGLISH TEXTS FOR LEARNING ENGLISH POST COVID-19 ERA IN PACITAN”. Thesis, Surakarta: Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Sebelas Maret University, June 2024. 

The aims of this study are: 1) To investigate how students' motivation in reading English texts in the post-COVID-19 era; 2) To describe the challenges students faced in reading English texts while learning English after the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is qualitative with the approach using case study for analyzed participants from eleventh-grade Islamic High School students in Pacitan, West Java, focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with a total of 37 students. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations. Data analysis showed that students with intrinsic motivation led to modest performance as they viewed reading activity as a task. Meanwhile, the extrinsic motivation are dominance as the students wanted to get good grades by improving international communication, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. The challenges that students faced in reading activity were low confidence, difficulty identifying reliable sources, preference for social media over academic content, and limited time for in-depth reading practice. The class observation showed students struggle with accuracy, fluency, and clarity. This research expected to engage students reading motivation in post pandemic situation. Teachers can also develop engaging reading materials and activities that make learning enjoyable while guiding students towards good grades and deeper understanding. Additionally, educators should encourage discussions and peer collaboration to boost student confidence and teach critical reading skills to help them identify reliable sources.

Keywords: EFL; Motivation; Reading Habit; Student Motivation.