Enhancing Students’ Reading Comprehension of Descriptive Texts through Nearpod: Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions in an Indonesian EFL Classroom

Abstract

Reading comprehension is one of the essential skills in English language learning, yet many Indonesian students face persistent challenges in understanding texts, particularly descriptive texts. To address these difficulties, technology-based platforms such as Nearpod have been introduced to provide more interactive learning environments. This study aimed to investigate the use of Nearpod in teaching reading comprehension and to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of its implementation at SMPN 2 Mantup. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, the research involved one English teacher and a group of seventh-grade students. Data were collected through classroom observations, questionnaires, and interviews, and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings revealed that Nearpod was systematically integrated into pre-teaching, while-teaching, and post-teaching stages, facilitating vocabulary activation, interactive practice, and immediate assessment. The teacher perceived Nearpod as an innovative and engaging tool that increased participation, supported comprehension with multimedia, and enabled real-time assessment, though internet instability and limited device access were identified as obstacles. Students expressed overwhelmingly positive perceptions, highlighting enjoyment, motivation, and improved comprehension as the main benefits, while technical difficulties were considered minor. The study concludes that Nearpod holds strong potential to transform reading instruction into a more interactive, student-centered process, contributing both cognitively and affectively to English learning.