EFL STUDENTS’ EMOTIONAL GEOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE DURING LEARNING READING IN ONLINE CLASSROOM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY AT 10TH GRADE OF MA MATHLAUL ANWAR PAMEUNTASAN SOREANG

Abstract

This research, titled EFL Students' Emotional Geography Experience During Learning Reading in Online Classroom: A Qualitative Study at 10th Grade of MA Mathlaul Anwar Pameuntasan Soreang, aims to (1) investigate students' emotions while learning reading in an online class during the pandemic, focusing on physical, moral, and professional geography, and (2) identify the factors influencing students' emotional geography experiences during online reading lessons in the pandemic. This qualitative study was conducted at MA Mathlaul Anwar, involving 10th-grade EFL students. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews, and analysed in three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Findings were categorized into physical, moral, and professional geography. The study found that (1) students face challenges in online learning, including difficulties in understanding the material, limited interaction, and accessibility issues, but they adapt by developing strategies and utilizing resources such as internet data provided by the school, in terms of physical, moral, and professional geography; (2) based on interviews with 6 students, factors influencing emotional geography in online learning were identified, such as difficulties in understanding the material, long sessions causing boredom, poor communication, and internet connectivity issues, while some students appreciated the flexibility of learning at home.