Reading Interest Following Question-Answer Relationship Instruction: a Secondary Analysis of Fourth-Grade Students

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of the Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy on reading comprehension and reading interest of fourth-grade students at SD Negeri Kaliurang 1. The research was motivated by declining literacy trends, as evidenced by national assessment data and school-level reports, which indicated that only 35.7% of students met the Minimum Completeness Criteria in reading comprehension during the pretest phase. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the study integrated quantitative data from pretest-posttest results with qualitative insights from observations, interviews, and documentation. Over three intervention sessions, students engaged in structured QAR phases: concept introduction, modeling, independent practice, and reflection. The findings revealed a significant improvement in reading comprehension, with posttest results showing 78.6% of students achieving the minimum completeness criteria. Qualitative analysis further highlighted enhanced metacognitive awareness, reduced reliance on teacher guidance, and improved collaborative discussion skills. These results confirm QAR's effectiveness as a cognitive scaffold that systematically transforms students' reading habits from passive reception to active, structured inquiry. This study contributes to literacy education by offering an evidence-based strategy aligned with the Merdeka Belajar curriculum