THE EFFECT OF USING BLENDED LEARNING WITH PIJAR SEKOLAH APPLICATION ON STUDENTS’ READING SKILLS

Abstract

The central purpose of this study was to systematically explore the impact of integrating a blended learning framework with the localized Pijar Sekolah digital application on the reading comprehension abilities of tenth-grade learners at SMAN 1 Bojong. The investigation utilized a quantitative pre-experimental methodology, explicitly adopting a one-group pretest-posttest structure. Through a purposive sampling technique, 36 students originating from class X-3 were selected as the primary research subjects. The required data were gathered utilizing a highly reliable multiple-choice reading assessment that contained 25 validated questions focusing entirely on narrative texts. Following the evaluation phases, the collected numerical data were statistically processed using IBM SPSS software via the Paired Sample T-Test. The analytical findings exposed a highly significant enhancement in the students' reading capabilities. The classroom average experienced a substantial surge, escalating from 60.33 in the initial pre-test to 77.11 in the final post-test, which indicates an impressive mean cognitive improvement of 16.78 points. Moreover, the inferential statistical testing confirmed that the absolute t-counted value (28.534) vastly exceeded the critical t-table boundary (2.030) at a 5% significance threshold. This was further reinforced by a Sig. (2-tailed) probability value of 0.000, which falls strictly below the 0.05 alpha margin. As a direct consequence, the null hypothesis (H0) was decisively rejected, leading to the acceptance of the alternative hypothesis (H1). To summarize, the systematic combination of conventional face-to-face classroom instruction with autonomous digital exercises through the Pijar Sekolah platform exerts a highly positive influence on the development of students' English reading comprehension skills.