STUDENTS’ PREFERENCE FOR LITERARY TEXTS AND LITERATURE LEARNING IN THE MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Since 2015, the English syllabus has been aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference in the Malaysian curriculum with new textbooks utilised in the classroom, more emphasis is given to the new textbooks instead of the current literary textbooks. Besides, the literature component is no longer tested in the public examination as the new format of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination does not test it anymore. The aim of this study is to find out the students’ preferences towards the literary texts they studied and their perceptions of learning literature during secondary school. The methodology of this study was a survey design that involved a purposive sampling of 80 students from an institute of teacher education in Malaysia. This study collected quantitative data through a survey questionnaire which was analysed in descriptive statistics. The findings show that the students had positive perceptions towards the literary texts and literature lessons in secondary school. They showed a preference towards texts that are interesting, easy to understand language and bring relevance to their life. The implications are on text selection in Malaysian secondary schools by curriculum planners to sustain students’ interest in reading