Implementation of self-assessment to develop reading literacy skills for madrasa students

Abstract

Reading literacy is essential for developing madrasah students’ critical, reflective, and independent thinking. However, reading assessment remains predominantly teacher-centered, limiting students’ active involvement in evaluating their learning. This study describes the implementation of self-assessment to support reading literacy development in Indonesian language learning at MTs Negeri. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study involved five Indonesian language teachers and purposively selected students. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, including self-assessment sheets, learning journals, and instructional materials. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Findings indicate that self-assessment was implemented through reflection sheets, checklists, learning journals, and reflective questions integrated throughout reading instruction. These practices encouraged students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their reading processes, thereby strengthening metacognitive awareness, learning responsibility, comprehension monitoring, and active participation. Teachers perceived self-assessment as useful for obtaining feedback on students’ learning development, although implementation was constrained by limited instructional time, students’ readiness for objective reflection, and insufficiently structured guidelines. The study highlights the importance of systematic self-assessment integration through teacher capacity building and valid instruments. Its novelty lies in connecting self-assessment, metacognitive processes, and reading literacy within Madrasah Indonesian language learning.