Augmenting Students’ Reading Comprehension Using Source Culture-Oriented Texts: Eighth-Grade in Focus.

This study aimed to enhance eighth-grade students' reading comprehension through source culture-oriented texts using a design-based research approach. It involved 67 students (29 males and 38 females) from two purposefully selected primary schools. Baseline data were collected using document analysis, classroom observation, and pre-reading tests. Initial findings revealed significant challenges in reading comprehension, with only 26.5% of students at School A and 18.2% at School B scoring above 50%. In phase II, local culture-based texts were developed, reviewed, and refined by experts. In Phase III, the intervention materials were implemented in two phases over 16 sessions across 8 weeks at each school. The evaluation included both formative and summative assessments, including reflections from observation results, post-tests, and delayed post-tests. The inferential statistical analysis showed significant improvements in students' scores (p = 0.000) in the one-way ANOVA, indicating the intervention's effectiveness. The results suggest that the use of culturally relevant texts led to improved reading comprehension, addressing issues such as low comprehension skills identified in Phase I. The study recommends further exploration of culturally relevant materials across diverse educational settings.