Improving Seventh Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension through Nias Local Culture Based Flashcards: A Classroom Action Research

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a fundamental skill for EFL learners, yet many students struggle to engage with English texts, particularly when instructional materials lack cultural relevance. Previous studies have emphasized the effectiveness of flashcards in vocabulary learning, but limited research has explored their use with culturally contextualized content to improve reading comprehension, especially within Indonesian contexts such as Nias. This study aimed to improve seventh grade students' reading comprehension at SMP Negeri 2 Gido through Nias local culture based flashcards, using a classroom action research design across two cycles involving 31 students. Data were collected through reading comprehension tests, observation sheets, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with five students. In Cycle I, students achieved an average score of 68.06, with 51.61% meeting the KKTP (classical mastery). After refinements, including one cultural theme per meeting, interactive vocabulary activities, peer tutoring, and scaffolding, Cycle II showed improvement, with an average score of 82.74 and 100% classical mastery. Interviews suggested that culturally familiar visuals helped students understand vocabulary and texts and enhanced their motivation and confidence, although students found the amount of new vocabulary demanding. The findings suggest that Nias local culture based flashcards, combined with a controlled vocabulary load, can support reading comprehension and student engagement.