A study on the factors contributing to the interest of form five students in learning literature component in English Language at SMK Tun Telanai / Aminah Isa

This study was carried out to determine factors that contribute to the interest of Form Five Students in learning Literature Component in English Language at SMK Tun Telanai. The variables investigated were classroom environment, teacher’s teaching styles and behaviours, school library or resource centre, literary texts used (the syllabus) and allocation of time in learning Literature. The study was conducted by distributing a set of questionnaires to 60 Form Five students at SMK Tun Telanai. They represented a good and a moderate class.
The following were the overall findings of the study:
1.Majority of the students (66.6%) perceived that they were more or less agree and agree that the physical of classroom offers a conducive environment for learning. It was found that 50% of the students have no interest in learning Literature Component in English.
2.The students indicated that the ways the teachers carry out their teaching enhance the interest of learning. The results of the study showed that the teacher should apply variables teaching styles and technique to suit the students’ level of ability.
The teachers must also vary the kind of learning activities carried out in the classroom. Among the activities preferred by the students are note taking, group works, lecture-based teaching and project work.
3.The literary texts used also contributed to the students’ interest in learning the Literature Component. They perceived that they would be interested to leam Literature more if they were given lesser number of literature items, materials of local authors and simpler texts to leam.
4.The study indicated that most of the students who frequented the school library prefer to read materials that are not related to the examinations such as story books and magazines. This reading habit can inculcate the interest in learning Literature. It shows that there is a strong relationship between the materials in the library and the students’ interest in learning Literature
5.The study also shows that sufficient time is needed to teach Literature Component efficiently. The students indicated that 2 periods per week is sufficient for Literature. When the subject is taught within enough time, the students feel more relax, thus enhance their interest in learning Literature.
The findings of the study suggested that the classroom environment, teaching and learning activities, teacher’s behaviour, literary text, school library and allocation of time play important role in enhancing the interest of students in learning Literature Component in English Language.