THE IMPACT OF AI-SCAFFOLDED READING STRATEGY ON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ READING ENGAGEMENT AND COMPREHENSION

Abstract

Many junior high school students encounter significant obstacles in comprehending English texts, often leading to decreased reading motivation. Conventional teaching methods struggle to provide the individual help to each student’s needs. To address this issue, this study investigated the impact of AI-scaffolded reading strategy on students’ reading engagement and comprehension. It also investigates the correlation between student reading engagement and their ability to comprehend the text. This study used explanatory mixed methods design. In the quantitative phase, a quasi-experimental design was conducted with two groups of seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 2 Ampelgading. Data were collected using pre-test, post-test and questionnaire about engagement. It also used semi-structured interviews for the qualitative data. The results indicated that students utilizing the AI-scaffolded strategy achieved significantly higher comprehension scores (p < 0.001) and a moderate N-Gain improvement (0.3528) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the experimental group exhibited enhanced engagement across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. Qualitative findings revealed that the AI tool facilitated vocabulary acquisition, reduced reading anxiety, and fostered a more active classroom environment. This study concludes that AI scaffolding holds substantial potential for improving EFL literacy and suggests that educators integrate adaptive AI platforms to support struggling readers.