Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021, 66-77 Available online at: http://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/reid Evaluation of reading pleasure character in SMPN 19 and SMP Adhyaksa 1 of Jambi City Tanti1; Dwi Agus Kurniawan2*; Muhammad Sofyan Zain2; Febrina Rosa Winda2; Rini Siski Fitriani2 1Universitas Islam Negeri Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi Jl. Arif Rahman Hakim No. 111, Simpang IV Sipin, Telanaipura, Kota Jambi, Jambi 36361, Indonesia 2Universitas Jambi Jl. Raya Jambi - Muara Bulian Km. 15, Mendalo Indah, Jambi Luar Kota, Jambi 36361, Indonesia *Corresponding Author. E-mail: dwiagus.k@unja.ac.id INTRODUCTION Education in Indonesia prioritizes the formation of character, attitudes, and values in society so that students have a sense of nationalism and a desire to compete on the international stage (Sujana, 2019, p. 31). In reality, students' character in everyday life has not shown a good adoption of the national character. According to Purnomo (2014, pp. 74–75), the concept of character education in Indonesia is already beneficial, but the problem of poor student character lies in the process of transverting the value. Whether or not the character of students in school is very dependent on the teacher as a medium for transverting values as well as an example or role model for students and parents as supervisors and mentors with more intensity to educate their children's character at home (Purnomo, 2014, pp. 73–74). Also, according to Ramdhani (2014, pp. 34–35), a person's character is influenced by interactions in everyday life. Whether or not students' character needs supervision by teachers and parents so that students do not enter the wrong association. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History Submitted: 18 October 2020 Revised: 22 June 2021 Accepted: 29 June 2021 Keywords reading pleasure; junior high school; character Scan Me: This study was conducted to determine the reading pleasure of junior high school stu- dents through four indicators. The research was conducted with a total sample of 281 students from grades VII, VIII, and IX in junior high schools. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The research design used is an explanatory design. The quantitative instrument in the form of a reading pleasure instrument consists of 40 statements, while the qualitative instrument is in the form of interviews with ten stu- dents, four teachers, and two heads of the library. The data collection technique was carried out by survey (field research). The results of this study indicate that the indica- tors of general attitudes towards reading are on a neutral scale, the indicators of read- ing preferences are on a neutral scale, the indicators of the effects of reading on ability are on the agreeing scale, the indicators of students' negative views on reading are on the disagree scale. The results of interviews with the teacher can be seen that the teacher has reminded students always to read books other than in face-to-face activ- ities in class, then the results of interviews with the head of the library can be seen that junior high school students have high enthusiasm for reading and borrowing books in the library, the results of interviews with male students and female students show that female students have better reading pleasure than male. This is an open access article under the CC-BY-SA license. How to cite: Tanti, T., Kurniawan, D., Zain, M., Winda, F., & Fitriani, R. (2021). Evaluation of reading pleasure character in SMPN 19 and SMP Adhyaksa 1 of Jambi City. REID (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 66-77. doi:https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 67 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) According to Setiawan (2013, p. 55), the character is a way of thinking and behaving in so- cial and everyday life. The pleasure of reading is a character that is closely related to academic activities. The perception of reading pleasure is the habit of reading various readings that benefit him (Hasan, 2010, p. 10). Thus, the character of reading pleasure is a habit of liking reading activ- ities that are manifested through ways of thinking and behaving in everyday life so that they be- nefit themselves. This reading pleasure character is included in 18 characters that are applied at the basic education level (Ningsih et al., 2016, p. 231). The application of character education is strengthened by Hasan (2010) through a book of training materials for the development of na- tional character and culture education published by the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Indonesia. This book is also the basis for this research because, based on the book, the character of the pleasure of reading needs to be applied in learning in junior high schools; besides, reading activities are never separated from learning activities. In academic activities, reading is an exercise that is needed and always exists (Acheaw, 2016, p. 214). Reading activities that are not limited to fiction and non-fiction show that a student has a good reading pleasure (Clark & Rumbold, 2006, p. 7). According to Alexander and Jarman (2018, p. 78), the reading pleasure shows a person's mood and personal preferences. The mood is determined by attitudes (Elen et al., 2013, p. 922) and views or perceptions of something (Zadra & Clore, 2011). Meanwhile, the personal preferences to be achieved in this study are students' reading preferences. General attitudes towards reading, reading preferences, students' views on the effects of reading on their abilities, and negative views on reading are indicators that need to be explored in order to find out how much fun reading junior high school students have. The im- portance of tracking these indicators is in order to find out how happy reading students in junior high school are. In today's era, obtaining information is an obligation so as not to be left behind by others; a way that can be done to obtain information is by reading (Rahadian et al., 2014, p. 28). Howard (2011, pp. 53–54) divides the positive impact of students' reading pleasure into several perspec- tives, including educational perspectives, social perspectives, and personal perspectives. The posi- tive impact from an educational perspective is to help improve literacy and thinking skills and to help young people clarify and explore career goals. From a social perspective, the pleasure of reading helps young teens understand historical and current events, helps them develop compas- sion and empathy, empowers them to develop and act on their beliefs, and helps them under- stand the consequences of risky behavior. From a personal perspective, the benefits of pleasure reading for teens are entertainment, relaxation, reassurance, creative release, and a means of es- cape. Meanwhile, according to Ikawati (2013, p. 11), the negative impact of reading does not exist in the aspect of science since reading is the key to basic knowledge. Thus, considering there is no negative impact of reading in learning activities, the character of reading pleasure needs to be im- proved in various aspects of learning. Improving the character of the pleasure of reading requires efforts from the government, schools, librarians, and the community (Kasiyun, 2015, pp. 86–89). The efforts made by the Indonesian government in the field of education and culture so schools can apply the character of reading pleasure, one of which is the School Literacy Move- ment (Gerakan Literasi Sekolah) program through the guidebook for the school literacy movement in junior high schools (Retnaningdiyah et al., 2016). It should be underlined that the literacy pro- gram aims to make students able to understand the contents of the reading well or improve stu- dents' reading skills, but in the process, they need to apply the character of reading pleasure. The literacy program is carried out by getting used to reading 15 minutes before studying. The gov- ernment and schools feel that the literacy movement is not optimally implemented. The reason is based on the opinion of Widodo (2020, p. 15), teachers in junior high schools do not understand the essence of doing the program, and in its application, it is not socialized by related parties, even though the goal is to improve the character and character of students. Thus, for the char- acter of reading pleasure can increase, the government needs to seriously maximize its programs to increase the character of reading pleasure in students in schools. https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 68 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Apart from the government, schools play a role in increasing the students' reading pleasure. According to Dewayani (2018, p. 4), schools need to increase intrinsic motivation to read com- pared to extrinsic motivation through the provision of various reading sources, a school environ- ment that is rich in reading, quality and variety of reading sources, various reading activity pro- grams, facilitating student reading clubs, and teachers participating likes and exemplifies reading activities at school. According to Syamsuri et al. (2020, p. 149), what generally results in students not having enough pleasure in reading them is that schools do not make good use of the library. Some things the principal can do, according to Sriwahyuni (2018, pp. 175–177), are to become role models for students by visiting the library to read, directing teachers to take advantage of learning activities in the library, rewarding students who diligently borrow books and visit the library, increasing the collection of books in the library, paying attention to the convenience of the library for students, and fostering librarians with seminars and upgrading activities. Increasing students 'reading pleasure is not only school and government assignments, but students' parents must cultivate the pleasure of reading for their children. However, according to Tahmidaten and Krismanto (2019), the culture of turning off television from six to nine at night and replacing it with reading activities only occurs in a small part of society. According to Lilawati (2020, p. 555), a culture like this is less attractive due to the parents' level of education. In general, parents with at least a high school education are willing to implement reading activities at home, while parents who are not educated or below secondary school do not apply it. This is crucial be- cause the students’ parents have different levels of education, so the need to educate the students’ parents to implement reading activities at home is something that is very much needed today. The role of the teacher as an educator is expected to be able to change the character of stu- dents who do not like reading to like reading. This aims to improve students' ability to under- stand subjects and change their attitudes in everyday life for the better. To improve the character of reading pleasure, teachers must be able to provide good role models for students to imitate and make students aware of the importance of reading (Aulawi, 2012, p. 126). Also, to increase students' reading pleasure, habituation must be done from an early age, when children begin to speak and understand what they are saying (Artana, 2016, p. 11). Then what the teacher does to improve the character of the pleasure of reading is to motivate students to realize the importance of reading (Halidjah, 2011). Students really need a good understanding of the concepts taught by their teachers. Therefore, students must have a character who likes reading in learning activities. Some of the results of previous research on reading pleasure include research by Alexander and Jarman (2018), showing that the pleasure of reading non-fiction in science is a good source of pleasure for students. Research by Gilbert and Fister (2011, p. 490), with the results of a sur- vey of academic librarians and a small number of college writing instructors, said that students enjoy reading for pleasure much more than previous reports indicate. Research by Clark and Rumbold (2006, p. 24) found that this overview has shown that reading for pleasure offers many benefits and that encouraging a love of reading, besides, good intrinsic motivation to read is a desirable goal. Research of Garces-Bacsal et al. (2018), with the results that teachers who are identified as unfaithful readers can provide strategies to motivate their students to read, teachers who identify themselves as unfaithful readers can enumerate strategies that can promote more engaged reading, and teachers who identify as unfaithful readers can provide literacy learning practices that are deemed useful in promoting reading engagement. Based on the results of prev- ious studies that are similar, no one has examined the context of evaluating the reading pleasure characters in junior high school. Several previous studies used different methods and models in measuring reading pleasure. Thus, with this statement, this evaluation research is feasible to know how much fun reading students in junior high school are. METHOD This research was conducted at state junior high school (sekolah menengah pertama negeri or SMPN) 19 Jambi City with a sample of 145 students and SMP Adhyaksa 1 Jambi City with a sam- https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 69 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) ple of 136 students from VII, VIII, & IX classes, so the total sample collected from the two schools was 281 students. The purposive sampling technique used in this study is based on Gay et al. (2012, p. 141) that purposive sampling is a sampling technique that focuses on the knowl- edge and experience of the researchers towards the research sample, which is believed to repre- sent the population. The schools were chosen because the number of students was adequate and the learning resources of students were sufficient. This research is a mixed-methods study with an explanatory sequential design; a mixed-method design carried out in two stages of research, namely quantitative data collection, quantitative data analysis, formulating the results of quan- titative data analysis, followed by qualitative data collection, then interpreting the results of the study. The qualitative data collection instrument consisted of interview sheets that were used to obtain in-depth data about the reading pleasures of students in junior high schools. The questions in the interview were conducted in a semi-structured manner (Kumar, 2011, p. 145). Researchers interviewed in SMPN 19 Jambi City and SMP Adhyaksa, and chose to interview two teachers per school with a total sample of four teachers, one head of library administrators per school with the total sample are two of the head of library administrators, and five students per schools with the total sample are ten students. Researchers chose to interview to teachers because teachers as people who interact and observe students while in class, library administrators as people who manage library administration, and ten randomly selected students. The quantitative data collec- tion instrument used to determine students' reading pleasure in this study was a questionnaire consisting of four indicators, including attitudes towards reading, student reading preferences, the effect of reading on students' abilities, and students' negative views on reading. The questionnaire used was adapted from Ögeyik & Akyay (2009, pp. 74–76) research with a total of 40 statements. The questionnaire used in this study is a five-scale questionnaire: Strongly Agree given a score of 5; Agree is given a score of 4; Neutral was given a score of 3; Disagree is given a score of 2, and Strongly Disagree given a score of 1. The distribution of per-indicator statements on the ques- tionnaire is shown in Table 1. Table 1. Indicators and Distribution Statements of Reading Pleasure Indicators Num. of Statement Items Total of Statement Items General attitude toward reading 1, 6, 9, 17, 18, 20, 25, 26, 39, 40 10 Student reading preferences 2, 4, 7, 12, 13, 15, 19, 22, 24, 29, 31, 34, 38 13 The effect of reading on students' abilities 5, 8, 11, 16, 21, 27, 30, 32, 33, 36, 10 Students' negative views of reading 3, 10, 14, 23, 28, 35, 37 7 Total Items 40 Table 2. Interval of General Attitude Toward Reading Interval Category 10 – 18 Strongly disagree 18.1 – 26 Disagree 26.1 – 34 Neutral 34.1 – 42 Agree 42.1 – 50 Strongly agree Table 3. Interval of Student Reading Preferences Interval Category 13 – 23.4 Strongly disagree 23.5 – 33.8 Disagree 33.9 – 44.2 Neutral 44.3 – 54.6 Agree 54.7 – 65 Strongly agree https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 70 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Table 4. Interval of the Effect of Reading on Students' Abilities Interval Category 10 – 18 Strongly disagree 18.1 – 26 Disagree 26.1 – 34 Neutral 34.1 – 42 Agree 42.1 – 50 Strongly agree Table 5. Interval of Students' Negative Views of Reading Interval Category 7 – 12.6 Strongly disagree 12.7 – 18.2 Disagree 18.3 – 23.8 Neutral 23.9 – 29.4 Agree 29.5 – 35 Strongly agree The quantitative data processing technique uses descriptive statistics to analyze data by describing the data collected as it is without intending to make general conclusions or generaliza- tions (Muchson, 2017). In this study, data were processed by IBM SPSS statistics. The percentage of quantitative data obtained is searched for then expressed in several categories according to the predetermined intervals for each indicator, as presented in Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, and Table 5. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION In this study, the researchers looked at reading pleasure levels for students in junior high school using four indicators of reading pleasures, including attitudes towards reading, students' reading preferences, the effect of reading on students' abilities, and students' negative views of reading. The results of data analysis on attitudes towards reading indicators are shown in Table 6. Table 6. Descriptive Statistics of General Attitude Toward Reading No. Statistical Description Value 1. Std. Deviation 4.93 2. Mean 33.5 3. Mode 32 4. Median 34 5. Max 46 6. Min 20 7. Total 281 Based on Table 6, the statistical description of the indicators of attitudes towards reading shows that for obtaining a numerical score of 281 respondents by producing valid data, the min- imum value is 20 and the maximum value is 46 with an average of 33.5, median 34, mode 32 and with a standard deviation of 4.93. To find out students' tendency to choose answers to strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree, an interval score is needed to differentiate them, which in this case can be seen in Table 7. Table 7. General Attitude Toward Reading Interval Category Total % 10 – 18 Strongly disagree 0 0 18.1 – 26 Disagree 29 10.3 26.1 – 34 Neutral 136 48.3 34.1 – 42 Agree 108 38.4 42.1 – 50 Strongly agree 8 2.8 Total 281 100 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 71 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Based on the calculated statistical results, it was found that 48.3% of students answered neutral, 38.6% answered they agree, 10.3% answered they disagree, 2.8% answered strongly agreed, and 0% answered strongly disagree. From the results of this percentage, it can be seen that the highest percentage is held by neutral answers, namely 48.3%. Nevertheless, the statistic- ally quite high result was also held by agreeing answers, namely 38.6%. From the results of this percentage, it can be seen that most students are neutral because the neutral percentage tends to agree, so some students also agree to have a positive attitude. Even so, still in percentage terms, the attitude of the students was neutral. Based on the comparison between mode and median, it is known that the value of mode < median, so most students' answers, namely 32, are still below the middle value of the data but are still included in the neutral interval, namely 26.1-34. While the comparison between the mean and median is known that the median > means, then the students' average answers are still below the middle value of the data but are still included in the neutral interval 26.1-34. Based on the stan- dard deviation, the general attitude towards reading is at the lowest data distribution, namely 4.93 compared to other indicators. From the data that has been analyzed, it can be concluded that the general attitude towards reading students is that they are still doubtful because they are at neutral intervals. According to Khir et al. (2019, p. 94), attitudes towards reading can be influenced by motivation from within and outside oneself. The influence from within comes from the experience of reading, while from outside, for example, from the teacher. According to Nootens et al. (2019, p. 9), attitudes towards reading in junior high school students are not as good as when students are still in elementary school. This cannot be denied because the higher the school level, the higher the level of reading skills students must master (Kholiq & Luthfiyati, 2018, p. 3). After getting the general attitudes towards reading, the researchers then analyzed the reading preference indicators that showed the students' preferences for various types of reading. The data that the researchers got were then processed and inputted into Table 8. Table 8. Descriptive Statistics of Students Reading Preferences No. Statistical Description Value 1. Std. Deviation 6.82 2. Mean 42.7 3. Mode 39 4. Median 43 5. Max 58 6. Min 18 7. Total 281 Based on Table 8, the statistical description of the student's reading preference indicator shows that for the acquisition of numerical scores from 145 respondents by producing valid data, the minimum value is 18 and the maximum value is 58 with an average of 42.7, a median of 43, mode 39.00 and with a standard deviation of 6.82. To find out students' tendency to choose an- swers to strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree, an interval score is needed to differentiate them, which in this case can be seen in Table 9. Table 9. Students Reading Preferences Interval Category Total % 13 - 23.4 Strongly disagree 4 1.4 23.5 - 33.8 Disagree 13 4.6 33.9 - 44.2 Neutral 153 54.4 44.30 - 54.6 Agree 99 35.2 54.7 - 65 Strongly agree 12 4.3 Total 281 100 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 72 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Based on the calculated statistical results, it was found that 54.5% of students answered neutral, 35.2% of students answered they agreed, 4.8% of students answered strongly agree, 4.1% of students answered disagree, and 1.4% of students answered strongly disagreed. From these statistical data, it can be seen that neutral answers of 54.5% hold the highest percentage, and the second-highest percentage is held by agreeing to answers with a percentage of 35.2%. Based on these results, it can be seen that most students answered neutral, and some students answered agreed. However, because the neutral percentage is above 50%, it can be ascertained that stu- dents are still neutral about their reading preferences. Based on the comparison of the mean and median data, it is known that the middle value is greater than the average. However, the mean results are still in the neutral interval, namely 33.9- 44.2. Then the comparison of mode and median data shows that the mode data is smaller than the median, but the mode data is still in the neutral interval, namely 33.9-44.2. Based on the standard deviation results, namely 6.82, which is the highest value among other indicators, then the distribution of reading preference data is the widest compared to other indicators. Thus, it is known that students' answers to reading preferences are the most varied because many students have different opinions. Besides, it is evidenced by a minimum value of 18 and a max of 58. Even so, it can still be concluded that overall student reading preferences are still neutral or students are still in doubt to prioritize reading. Reading preferences are currently starting to experience a shift from conventional to digital, so that libraries in schools must be ready for this (Munandar & Irwansyah, 2019, p. 95). Almost all types of reading are now starting to move from conventional models to digital models so that students' reading preferences have begun to change (Singer & Alexander, 2017, p. 12). This research is different from the research we did, especially in general we saw from the type of reading, for example, digital or printed scientific reading, digital or print- ed novel reading, so we did not differentiate between digital or print. Table 10. Descriptive Statistics of the Effect of Reading on Students' Abilities No. Statistical Description Value 1. Std. Deviation 5.92 2. Mean 37.7 3. Mode 36 4. Median 37 5. Max 50 6. Min 20 7. Total 281 Based on Table 10, the statistical description of the effect of reading indicators on students' abilities shows that for obtaining numerical scores from 281 respondents by producing valid data, the minimum value is 20 and the maximum value is 50 with an average of 37.7, median 37, mode 36 and with a standard deviation of 5.92. To find out students' tendency to choose answers to strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree, an interval score is needed to differ- entiate them, which in this case can be seen in Table 11. Table 11. The Effect of Reading on Students' Abilities Interval Category Total % 10 – 18 Strongly disagree 0 0 18.1 – 26 Disagree 8 2.8 26.1 – 34 Neutral 71 25.5 34.1 – 42 Agree 136 48.3 42.1 – 50 Strongly agree 66 23.4 Total 281 100 Based on the calculated statistical results, it is known that 48.3% of students answered agree, 25.5% of students answered neutral, 23.4% of students answered strongly agree, 2.8% of https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 73 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) students answered disagree, and 0% of students answered strongly disagree. From this data, it is known that the highest percentage of answers is agreed, which is equal to 48.3%, the second- highest answer is neutral at 25.5%, and the third-highest answer is strongly agree, at 23.4%. From these results, it is known that students agree and strongly agree to have a total value of 71.7%. From these data, students know that reading has an effect on their abilities. From the comparison between mode and median, it is known that mode < median, so the highest number of student choices is smaller than the middle value, but the mode is still at the agree interval, namely 34.1-42. From the comparison of the mean and median, it is known that the mean > median, then the average number of answers that students choose is greater than the middle value, and the mean is still at the agreed interval, namely 34.1-42. From the standard deviation, it is known that the data distribution is the second highest compared to other indi- cators. This can be seen from the min value of 20 and the max of 50. From the statistical results that have been analyzed, it can be concluded that students agree that reading affects their ability. Table 12. Descriptive Statistics Students' Negative Views of Reading No. Statistical Description Value 1. Std. Deviation 5.22 2. Mean 16.5 3. Mode 19 4. Median 17 5. Max 28 6. Min 7 7. Total 281 Based on Table 12, regarding the statistical descriptions of students' negative view indica- tors towards reading, it shows that for the acquisition of numerical scores from 145 respondents by producing valid data, the minimum value is 20 and the maximum value is 50 with an average of 37.7, median 37, mode 36 and with a standard deviation of 5.92. To find out students' tenden- cy to choose answers to strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree, an interval score is needed to differentiate them, which in this case can be seen in Table 13. Table 13. Students' Negative Views of Reading Interval Category Total % 7 - 12.6 Strongly disagree 64 22.8 12.7 - 18.2 Disagree 110 39.3 18.3 - 23.8 Neutral 78 27.6 23.9 - 29.4 Agree 29 10.3 29.5 – 35 Strongly agree 0 0 Total 281 100 Based on the calculated statistical results, 39.3% of students answered disagree, 27.6% of students answered neutral, 22.8% of students answered strongly disagree, 10.3% of students an- swered agreed, and 0% of students answered strongly agree. From these data, it is known that the highest percentage disagrees at 39.3%, the second-highest is neutral at 27.6%, and the third- highest is strongly disagreed at 22.8%. Thus, from the percentage, it is known that students do not agree to have a negative view of reading. Based on the comparison of the mean and median, the median > mean, but the mean interval is in disagreement, namely 12.7-18.2. Based on the comparison between mode and median, it is known that mode > median, but the mode is still at the disagree interval, namely 12.7-18.2. Based on the results of the standard deviations, the data distribution is the third-highest compared to other indicators. This can be seen from the mini- mum of 7 and the max of 28. From the statistical results, students do not agree to have a negative view of reading. Furthermore, the researchers conducted interviews with four of the teachers from two schools, two of the head of the library, and six students with the following results. https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 74 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Teacher Interview Interviews with four junior high school teachers were conducted to find out whether there was an attempt by the teacher to instruct students to read and use school book literature as scientific reference material. The researchers asked whether, after the learning activities, students were instructed to repeat reading the material that had been taught independently at home? The whole teacher answered yes. After learning, the students were instructed to repeat reading at home so that they could understand more about the material being taught. Furthermore, the re- searchers asked, Do students have more than one reading source? The entire sample of teachers answered yes. Some students have one or more books as a reading source because the school provides one textbook. The rest get it from borrowing as an additional reference. Then the re- searchers asked, Do students provide theories based on clear sources during discussion forums? The entire sample of teachers answered that most of the students had clear sources, namely from available reading books and some from the internet. Do you require students to read books? The teacher replied that he required students to read books at home. Based on the results of inter- views with junior high school teachers, it can be seen that the teacher instructs students to repeat the material that has been taught independently at home so that there is an effort from the teach- er to keep students reading at home. Students also use reading sources in the form of the same textbooks during the learning activities. The teacher also allows books from various sources, and the teacher also allows students to use reading sources obtained from the internet. It can be con- cluded that the teacher makes efforts to support students to enjoy reading. Head of Librarian Interview Interviews with the head of the library are intended to determine the frequency of bor- rowing books every day, student activities in the library, and the purpose of students coming to the library. Researchers conducted interviews with two heads of libraries from private and public junior high schools, Do many students borrow books every day? The head of the SMP Negeri library said that there were a lot of books, about 50 reading books, while the head of the private SMP library also answered that many students borrow books every day. What do students gen- erally do when they are in the library? The head of the public junior high school library replied, Students usually use the library to read and borrow books, while the head of the private SMP libraries answered that there are students who come just to sit around, but most students come and read books. Do students mostly come to the library because they are told by their teachers or because of their own wishes? The head of public and private junior high school libraries had a similar answer, namely that their teachers asked some to go to the library and because of their own wishes, but mostly because of their own wishes. It can be concluded that the number of library enthusiasts can be said to be large. This shows that student enthusiasm in supporting read- ing habits is very high. Also, students generally come to the library to read and borrow books. Some are ordered by the teacher and from their own wishes. Students Interview Interviews with ten students were intended to determine the level of students' reading pleasure. From the results of the interviews conducted, the researchers asked, Do you often read books before learning starts, and why do you do that? The results that the researchers got from ten students were nine students who often read and one who rarely read before learning began. Students who answered often said that because the purpose of reading was to increase knowledge and to improve the ability of their subject areas, while one student rarely mentioned it because there were other activities which he thought were more important. Then the researchers asked, Do you like reading more than one subject book? All students answered that they liked reading more than one subject book. Then the researchers asked, Did you make the library a source of reading material? Of the ten students, it turned out that six students made the library a place to https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 75 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) find reading material while four students did not use the library as a reading source, so the re- searchers asked why? Students who use the library as a place to find reading material say that libraries are fun because they can focus, have a comfortable atmosphere, and have interesting books. Meanwhile, students who did not use the library as a place to find reading sources re- vealed that the location of the library was far from home, they were afraid of being fined for returning the books for a long time, they were afraid that the books were lost, and students felt happier to look for reading on the internet. Based on the results of interviews with ten students, students read quite often. Students read books from school and internet sources. Four students did not make the library a place to find reading material because of their fear of going to the library and the difficult conditions to go to the library. It can be concluded that most students have a positive view of reading and enjoy reading. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that reading pleasure for students of junior high schools. They are quite good, although it is still not optimal, in terms of four indicators, including atti- tudes towards reading which indicate students are still neutral. These students' reading prefer- ences indicate students are still neutral for having reading preferences, the effects of reading on students 'abilities showed a fairly good view of reading. Students' negative views on reading show that the results of students did not view reading as a negative activity. The result of interviews with students indicates that students have positive views on reading to develop their abilities in learning, and students consider reading is a very important activity. The teacher's application of reading pleasure at school is good because there is an attempt to instruct students to read books at home at the end of each lesson. Moreover, based on the results of interviews with the head of the library, students are enthusiastic and happy to read and borrow books from the library be- cause of their own desires. This statement is supported by the statement of a student who fre- quently visits the library. This result was evidenced by students who actively read and borrowed books from the library and students who took the initiative to use more than one sourcebook in learning. The role of teachers and adequate school facilities such as libraries is a supporting factor in cultivating a character who likes reading in junior high school. REFERENCES Acheaw, M. O. (2016). Social media usage and its impact on reading habits: A study of Koforidua Polytechnic students. International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 4(3), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSMILE.2016.079493 Alexander, J., & Jarman, R. (2018). The pleasures of reading non-fiction. Literacy, 52(2), 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12152 Artana, I. K. (2016). Upaya menumbuhkan minat baca pada anak. ACARYA PUSTAKA: Jurnal Ilmiah Perpustakaan Dan Informasi, 2(1), 1–13. https://ejournal.undiksha.ac.id/index.php/AP/article/view/10099 Aulawi, M. B. (2012). Optimalisasi layanan perpustakaan dalam meningkatkan minat baca siswa. Pustakaloka, 4(2), 117–127. https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/pustakaloka/article/viewFile/639/473 Clark, C., & Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for pleasure: A research overview. https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/reading-pleasure-research- overview/ Dewayani, S. (2018). Seri manual GLS membaca untuk kesenangan. Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSMILE.2016.079493 https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12152 https://ejournal.undiksha.ac.id/index.php/AP/article/view/10099 https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/pustakaloka/article/viewFile/639/473 https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/reading-pleasure-research-overview/ https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/reading-pleasure-research-overview/ https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 76 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Elen, M., D’Heer, E., Geuens, M., & Vermeir, I. (2013). The influence of mood on attitude– behavior consistency. Journal of Business Research, 66(7), 917–923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.12.011 Garces-Bacsal, R. M., Tupas, R., Kaur, S., Paculdar, A. M., & Baja, E. S. (2018). Reading for pleasure: Whose job is it to build lifelong readers in the classroom? Literacy, 52(2), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12151 Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012). Educational research competencies for analysis and applications (10th ed.). Pearson Education. Gilbert, J., & Fister, B. (2011). Reading, risk, and reality: College students and reading for pleasure. College & Research Libraries, 72(5), 474–495. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl-148 Halidjah, S. (2011). Pemberian motivasi untuk meningkatkan kegiatan membaca siswa sekolah dasar. Jurnal Cakrawala Kependidikan, 9(1), 1–9. https://jurnal.untan.ac.id/index.php/jckrw/article/view/271 Hasan, S. H. (2010). Bahan pelatihan penguatan metodologi pembelajaran berdasarkan nilai-nilai budaya untuk membentuk daya saing dan karakter bangsa. Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pusat Kurikulum, Kementerian Pendidikan Nasional. Howard, V. (2011). The importance of pleasure reading in the lives of young teens: Self- identification, self-construction and self-awareness. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 43(1), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000610390992 Ikawati, E. (2013). Upaya meningkatkan minat membaca pada anak usia dini. Logaritma: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Pendidikan Dan Sains, 1(2), 1–12. http://jurnal.iain- padangsidimpuan.ac.id/index.php/LGR/article/view/219 Kasiyun, S. (2015). Upaya meningkatkan minat baca sebagai sarana untuk mencerdaskan bangsa. Jurnal Pena Indonesia, 1(1), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.26740/jpi.v1n1.p79-95 Khir, A. M., Kassim, A. F. M., & Zaharim, M. Z. A. (2019). Motivasi membaca, persekitaran membaca di rumah dan sikap membaca dalam kalangan pelajar di Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 4(6), 92–100. https://msocialsciences.com/index.php/mjssh/article/view/268 Kholiq, A., & Luthfiyati, D. (2018). Tingkat membaca pemahaman siswa SMAN 1 Bluluk Lamongan. Reforma: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 7(1), 1–11. http://jurnalpendidikan.unisla.ac.id/index.php/reforma/article/view/35 Kumar, R. (2011). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. Lilawati, A. (2020). Peran orang tua dalam mendukung kegiatan pembelajaran di rumah pada masa pandemi. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 5(1), 549–558. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v5i1.630 Muchson, M. (2017). Statistik deskriptif. GuePedia. Munandar, D. I., & Irwansyah, I. (2019). Format cetak vs digital: Preferensi membaca bahan bacaan akademik mahasiswa pascasarjana Universitas Indonesia. Pustakaloka, 11(2), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.21154/pustakaloka.v11i2.1620 Ningsih, T., Zamroni, Z., & Zuchdi, D. (2016). Implementasi pendidikan karakter di SMP Negeri 8 dan SMP Negeri 9 Purwokerto. Jurnal Pembangunan Pendidikan: Fondasi Dan Aplikasi, 3(2), 225–236. https://doi.org/10.21831/jppfa.v3i2.9811 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.12.011 https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12151 https://doi.org/10.5860/crl-148 https://jurnal.untan.ac.id/index.php/jckrw/article/view/271 https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000610390992 http://jurnal.iain-padangsidimpuan.ac.id/index.php/LGR/article/view/219 http://jurnal.iain-padangsidimpuan.ac.id/index.php/LGR/article/view/219 https://doi.org/10.26740/jpi.v1n1.p79-95 https://msocialsciences.com/index.php/mjssh/article/view/268 http://jurnalpendidikan.unisla.ac.id/index.php/reforma/article/view/35 https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v5i1.630 https://doi.org/10.21154/pustakaloka.v11i2.1620 https://doi.org/10.21831/jppfa.v3i2.9811 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 Tanti, Dwi Agus Kurniawan, Muhammad Sofyan Zain, Febrina Rosa Winda, & Rini Siski Fitriani Page 77 - Copyright © 2021, REiD (Research and Evaluation in Education), 7(1), 2021 ISSN: 2460-6995 (Online) Nootens, P., Morin, M.-F., Alamargot, D., Gonçalves, C., Venet, M., & Labrecque, A.-M. (2019). Differences in attitudes toward reading: A survey of pupils in grades 5 to 8. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02773 Ögeyik, M. C., & Akyay, E. (2009). Investigating reading habits and preferences of student teachers at foreign language departments. The International Journal of Language Society and Culture, 28, 72–78. https://aaref.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28-7.pdf Purnomo, S. (2014). Pendidikan karakter di Indonesia: Antara asa dan realita. Jurnal Kependidikan, 2(2), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.24090/jk.v2i2.553 Rahadian, G., Rohanda, R., & Anwar, R. K. (2014). Peranan perpustakaan sekolah dalam meningkatkan budaya gemar membaca. Jurnal Kajian Informasi Dan Perpustakaan, 2(1), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.24198/jkip.v2i1.11628 Ramdhani, M. A. (2014). Lingkungan pendidikan dalam implementasi pendidikan karakter. Jurnal Pendidikan UNIGA, 8(1), 28–37. https://journal.uniga.ac.id/index.php/JP/article/view/69 Retnaningdiyah, P., Laksono, K., Mujiyem, M., Setyorini, N. P., Sulastri, S., & Hidayati, U. S. (2016). Panduan Gerakan Literasi Sekolah di sekolah menengah pertama. Direktorat Pembinaan Sekolah Menengah Pertama Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. Setiawan, D. (2013). Peran pendidikan karakter dalam mengembangkan kecerdasan moral. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter, 4(1), 53–63. https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpka/article/view/1287 Singer, L. M., & Alexander, P. A. (2017). Reading across mediums: Effects of reading digital and print texts on comprehension and calibration. The Journal of Experimental Education, 85(1), 155–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2016.1143794 Sriwahyuni, E. (2018). Peran kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan minat baca siswa melalui perpustakaan sekolah. JMKSP (Jurnal Manajemen, Kepemimpinan, Dan Supervisi Pendidikan), 3(2), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.31851/jmksp.v3i2.1856 Sujana, I. W. C. (2019). Fungsi dan tujuan pendidikan Indonesia. Adi Widya: Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar, 4(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.25078/aw.v4i1.927 Syamsuri, C. K., M. Hosnan, & Jamaludin, U. (2020). Penanaman karakter gemar membaca melalui program Literasi Sekolah Rakica di SD Negeri Taman Ciruas Permai. Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar Nusantara, 6(1), 147–162. https://doi.org/10.29407/jpdn.v6i1.14424 Tahmidaten, L., & Krismanto, W. (2019). Implementasi pendidikan kebencanaan di Indonesia (Sebuah studi pustaka tentang problematika dan solusinya). Lectura: Jurnal Pendidikan, 10(2), 136–154. https://doi.org/10.31849/lectura.v10i2.3093 Widodo, A. (2020). Implementasi program Gerakan Literasi Sekolah di sekolah menengah pertama (SMP). Tarbawi: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 16(1), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.32939/tarbawi.v16i01.496 Zadra, J. R., & Clore, G. L. (2011). Emotion and perception: The role of affective information. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(6), 676–685. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.147 https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v7i1.35147 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02773 https://aaref.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28-7.pdf https://doi.org/10.24090/jk.v2i2.553 https://doi.org/10.24198/jkip.v2i1.11628 https://journal.uniga.ac.id/index.php/JP/article/view/69 https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpka/article/view/1287 https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2016.1143794 https://doi.org/10.31851/jmksp.v3i2.1856 https://doi.org/10.25078/aw.v4i1.927 https://doi.org/10.29407/jpdn.v6i1.14424 https://doi.org/10.31849/lectura.v10i2.3093 https://doi.org/10.32939/tarbawi.v16i01.496 https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.147