Reading Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Argumentative Text Comprehension among Indonesian Elementary Students

Authors

  • Luncana Faridhoh Sasmito Universitas Tunas Pembangunan Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Aan Budi Santoso Universitas Tunas Pembangunan Surakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i3.9789

Keywords:

reading self-efficacy, argumentative text comprehension, reading comprehension skills, elementary students, literacy

Abstract

Reading self-efficacy is an important psychological factor in reading; however, its role in comprehending cognitively demanding texts, particularly argumentative texts, remains relatively underexplored among elementary school students. This study examined whether reading self-efficacy predicts argumentative text comprehension among fifth-grade elementary school students. A quantitative predictive correlational design was employed involving 120 fifth-grade students from five elementary schools in Surakarta, Indonesia, selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected using a 25-item reading self-efficacy questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale and a 20-item multiple-choice argumentative text comprehension test. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression after normality and linearity requirements were examined. The results showed that reading self-efficacy positively and significantly predicted argumentative text comprehension (B = .712, SE = .077, t = 9.19, p < .001). The regression model explained 41.4% of the variance in argumentative text comprehension (R² = .414), indicating that higher reading self-efficacy was associated with better comprehension of argumentative texts. These findings highlight the relevance of reading self-efficacy to students' comprehension of cognitively demanding texts and suggest that literacy instruction should consider students' confidence in their reading abilities alongside cognitive reading skills. Further research involving more diverse samples and additional cognitive, linguistic, and motivational predictors is recommended.

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Published

2026-09-25

How to Cite

Sasmito, L. F., & Santoso, A. B. (2026). Reading Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Argumentative Text Comprehension among Indonesian Elementary Students. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 18(3), 3650–3659. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i3.9789

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 3 (2026): SEPTEMBER 2026

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