ABSTRACT

Pupils who feel good about their reading abilities tend to perform better in school. Research has shown that picture books will contribute to pupils taking the initiative to read. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of picture books on reading self-perception among Year Two pupils at a National-type Chinese Primary School in Hulu Selangor. This study employed a quasi-experimental research with pre-test and post-test designs that involved 75 pupils and four picture books, namely, No David, Swimmy, Next Please, and The Dot. This study utilised the Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS) that consisted of 33 items and four scales (Progress, Observational Comparison, Social Feedback, and Physiological States). The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 24. The descriptive results indicated an increase in the Mean and Standard deviation scores for reading self-perception levels in the experimental group. A significant difference was observed in the scores between the control group and the experimental group following the intervention. The study subjects from the experimental group had enhanced their self-perception in reading compared to the control group. This study has shed greater light on the application of picture books in the classroom to boost pupils’ reading engagement. The results in this study can be used as a guide by pupils, teachers, and parents to enhance pupils’ reading self-efficacy levels, especially at the National-type Chinese Primary Schools.

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