Exploring the Discovery Learning Model in Teaching English to Enhance Critical Reading Skills at Junior High Schools in Jeneponto Regency

This study aims to measure how discovery learning affects students’ critical reading comprehension in junior high English classes, to find out how discovery learning influences students’ motivation and participation in reading activities, to identify the challenges and supports teachers face when using discovery learning to improve students’ critical reading, after being taught using the discovery learning model, as well as to examine whether there is a significant difference before and after its implementation. Using a mixed-method approach, the population of study involved 101 eighth-grade students of varied junior high schools. The number of samples was 52 students derived from SMPN 4 Tamalatea in the 2024–2025 academic year. The quasi-experimental class was 26 students while the control class was 26 students. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test, which showed an increase in the average score from 30.19 to 75. The results of the Paired Samples T-Test indicated a significant difference (Sig. 0.000 < 0.05), and regression analysis showed that student engagement and motivation had significant effects on reading comprehension (Sig. 0.000 and 0.002), accounting for 44.4% of the variance in reading ability. Despite facing challenges such as limited time and complex lesson planning, teachers saw great potential in developing students’ critical thinking skills and learning independence. Training support, school policy, and adequate learning media are needed to optimize the implementation of discovery learning in English language teaching.