Relationships Among Reading Interest, Reading Self-Efficacy, And Reading Competency In The Junior High School

The objective of this study was to describe and relate the students’ reading interest, reading self-efficacy to the students reading competency in the Junior High School in Singaraja. This study applied quantitative research. There were 94 students as samples by using cluster quota sampling. The data were collected through a reading interest scale, a reading self-efficacy scale, and an objective reading competency test. The obtained data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. The descriptive analysis consisted of central tendency measures and dispersion. While inferential analysis, the data were analyzed using pair-wise correlation and multiple correlation technique. The findings show that: 1) the students’ reading interest, reading self-efficacy, and reading competency on high-order-items proven to be at the moderate levels; 2) the relations pair-wisely between the students’ reading interest and reading self-efficacy, students’ reading interest and reading competency, the students’ reading self-efficacy and reading competency on high-order-items are positively and significantly correlated; and 3) the simultaneous relationships of the reading interest and reading self-efficacy to the students’ reading competency is proven to be significant. In order to develop high students’ reading interest, reading self-efficacy, and reading competency, the school and EFL teachers should provide literacy programs in reading. Previous researches show that literacy-rich environments tend to be effective ways to support the development of literacy in reading by sharing book readings. The EFL students should be trained millennial reading strategy, emphasizing the four skill dimensions, namely critical thinking skill in reading, creative effort in reading processes, collaborative endeavors in working on high-order-items, communicative skills in working out the reading indicators.