Kuswandi Kuswandi

Culturally Responsive Teaching Modules to Improve Reading Comprehension of Narrative Text for Elementary School Students

Introduction

Culturally responsive teaching modules to improve reading comprehension of narrative text for elementary school students. Improve elementary students' narrative text reading comprehension with validated Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) modules. Integrates West Java culture, proving highly effective.

Abstract

This study aims to develop and examine the effectiveness of a Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)-based module to enhance narrative text reading comprehension among grade 4 elementary students. CRT was selected for its strength in integrating the local cultural context of West Java into the learning process, creating a cognitive bridge between students' daily experiences and the material. The research employed a modified 4D R&D model that included cultural analysis. Participants involved material, language, and media experts, teachers, and 30 fourth-grade students from SDN Puncakmanis, Sukabumi Regency. Data were collected using expert validation, questionnaires, and reading comprehension tests. Results indicated that the CRT-based module was valid (material 87.27%, language 88.33%, media 85%), practical (teachers 93.33%, students 87.22%), and effective—evidenced by an N-Gain of 0.61 (medium category) and an improvement in learning completeness from 40% to 100%. The findings suggest that CRT-based learning can significantly improve students' reading skills and support the integration of cultural relevance in education. However, the study's limitation lies in its specific cultural scope (West Java), suggesting a need for adaptation in other regions with different cultural backgrounds. Additionally, implementation was limited to a single school, requiring broader application for generalization. Highlights:  Culturally Relevant: Integrates West Java culture to boost reading comprehension. Well-Validated: Scored highly in expert and user evaluations. Effective Results: Improved learning completeness from 40% to 100%. Keywords: Teaching Module, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Reading Comprehension Skills, Narrative Text, Elementary School

Review

This paper presents a compelling study on the development and evaluation of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)-based modules designed to enhance narrative text reading comprehension among fourth-grade elementary students. The selection of CRT is well-justified by its potential to integrate local cultural contexts, specifically from West Java, into the learning process. This approach aims to create a vital cognitive bridge between students' everyday experiences and academic material, fostering deeper engagement and understanding. The research addresses a critical need for culturally relevant pedagogical tools in literacy education. Utilizing a modified 4D R&D model, which innovatively incorporated cultural analysis, the study involved a comprehensive validation process with material, language, and media experts, as well as teachers and 30 fourth-grade students from SDN Puncakmanis. The findings robustly support the module's efficacy, demonstrating high levels of validity (material 87.27%, language 88.33%, media 85%) and practicality as perceived by both teachers (93.33%) and students (87.22%). Crucially, the module proved effective, evidenced by a medium N-Gain of 0.61 and a remarkable improvement in learning completeness from an initial 40% to a final 100%. These results strongly indicate that CRT-based learning can significantly boost students' reading comprehension skills while successfully embedding cultural relevance into the curriculum. The study's strengths lie in its structured development methodology, rigorous validation by multiple stakeholders, and clear quantitative evidence of effectiveness. The successful integration of West Java culture into reading instruction offers a promising model for making education more relevant and engaging. However, the authors appropriately identify two key limitations: the specific cultural scope being restricted to West Java and the implementation being confined to a single school. These limitations suggest a need for future research to adapt and test the module in different cultural contexts and across a broader range of schools to ascertain its generalizability. Expanding the study's reach would further solidify its contribution to culturally responsive pedagogy in literacy.

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