Challenges in implementing extensive reading (ER) programs: Voices from English teachers at Indonesian secondary schools

Abstract

This article reports on the implementation of extensive reading (ER) among English teachers of secondary schools and the challenges they face as a part of their efforts in supporting the Indonesian government program of school literacy initiative (SLI). The data were obtained from an online survey to a group of English language teachers (N = 22) from 22 different schools in one regency in East Java Province, Indonesia. The survey was then followed by a focused group discussion (FGD). The results show that in general, English teachers have a relatively good knowledge of ER as one way to support the success of SLI, but not all of them implement the programs due to such challenges as lack of support from the government and school administration, the overwhelming workload, and the unavailability of ready-to-use materials and activities. There is, therefore, a definite need for the government and school administration to support the implementation of SLI through ER by giving teachers and students necessary provisions, such as graded readers and structured ER activities.

Reading engagement of Indonesian secondary EFL teachers as literacy indicators perceived over reading resources and pleasure reading

“…Overall, the data on personal reading resources and school reading resources indicate similar trends of responses in that only a few teachers had excellent collections, the majority had satisfactory collections, and many admitted poor collections of reading resources. Regarding school collection in particular, our findings are consistent with what has been empirically proven by Wulyani et al (2022), reporting that one of the many challenges Indonesian EFL teachers faced in implementing extensive reading activities to support the success of SLI programs at schools was the insufficiency of reading materials. The EFL teachers in their study suggested further that SLI programs would not run effectively without full support from various parties, especially from schools, in the form of the provision of reading resources (Wulyani et al, 2022).…”

“…Regarding school collection in particular, our findings are consistent with what has been empirically proven by Wulyani et al (2022), reporting that one of the many challenges Indonesian EFL teachers faced in implementing extensive reading activities to support the success of SLI programs at schools was the insufficiency of reading materials. The EFL teachers in their study suggested further that SLI programs would not run effectively without full support from various parties, especially from schools, in the form of the provision of reading resources (Wulyani et al, 2022). Schools need to provide not only students but also teachers with an array of reading materials, with choices to access different reading media (soft or hard copy materials), in their attempts to foster school literacy culture.…”

Teaching Extensive Reading to EFL and Non-EFL Students: Benefits and Problems

“…Extensive reading enhances reading fluency and speed, but it also encourages learners to pay less attention to specifics (Bamford & Day, 2004). Wulyani et al (2022) state that English teachers have a good comprehension of ER as a tactic for bolstering the achievement of students learning English as a second language (SLI), but not all of them put it into practice in their classrooms. This is due to challenges such as an excessive amount of work to complete, a dearth of ready-to-implement materials and activities, and inadequate support from the government and school administration.…”

The digital-mediated extensive reading on English Language learning of agriculture students

“…Some institutions are unable to provide many references. Teachers expressed that their schools lack English references [8], preventing them from implementing extensive reading. It is one of the challenges in implementing extensive reading at certain schools or universities in Indonesia.…”