Needs Analysis of Comic as Science Teaching Material for Junior High School Students

Low students’ interest in reading has an impact on their low knowledge. Teaching materials need to be presented in an interesting way to attract students’ interest in reading. The aim of this study is to identify problems and needs of students and science teachers related to teaching materials in the form of comics. The type of this research is a survey. The questionnaire was filled out by 141 junior high school students and 8 science teachers from 4 different schools. The analysis technique used was descriptive analysis. The results of this study show that most students like reading comics and are interested in using them as one of the teaching materials for science subjects. The frequency of students reading the usual teaching materials is not very high. This is also supported by the statement of science teachers who say that students’ interest in reading the usual textbooks is moderate to low. Therefore, teaching materials need to be presented in a more attractive form for children. Children find it easier to understand the material with accompanying illustrations. Regarding science literacy competence, the existing teaching materials have not supported this competence well.


Introduction
Reading is an activity to process reading text and understand the information in it.Understanding means that the reader knows the context of the reading, its meaning, and receives information from the reading [1].Reading literacy should start early.Reading is like a bridge to get integrated interactive skills.People who like to read will gain new insights and improve human resources so that they are able to face future challenges [2].There are many benefits that students get when they are interested in reading including increasing understanding, deepening understanding, retaining what has been read longer, and other cognitive benefits [3].
Reading interest affects the quality of human resources.UNESCO released the results of a survey on the reading culture of ASEAN countries in 2011.The result was that the reading culture of Indonesian society was very low with a value of 0.001.This means that only one out of a thousand people have a high reading culture.The PISA study in 2018 involved 600,000 15-year-old children from 79 countries and showed that in the category of reading comprehension, Indonesia ranked 74th out of 79 countries.Indonesian students are able to search for information, evaluate, and reflect on information but are weak in understanding information.
One of the subjects that is rich in concepts and tends to be difficult for students is the science subject.The results of Awang's research [4] show that students' understanding of science learning is still lacking.In addition, the dense material tends to make students less motivated to read science material and affect science learning outcomes.Students' interest in reading subject matter can affect learning outcomes [5].According to Muslimin [6] and Sari [7], a person's interest in reading is not acquired instantly but 2 through a process of formation.Interest in reading is shaped by internal and external factors where one of the external factors that influences reading interest is the availability of interesting reading materials or books.This is in line with the opinion of Dewi, Hasanah, & Wahyudi [2] that reading facilities and reading sources also influence students' reading interest.Interesting books are one way to attract students' reading interest.
Comics are a popular reading source for all ages, from children to adults.Lesson materials can be packaged in comic narratives so that students feel like they are not reading material, but reading comics that are integrated with the lesson materials.However, in developing teaching materials, it is necessary to be guided by the needs of students and teachers related to teaching materials.Interventions in teaching materials are given based on a needs analysis.The purpose of this research is to describe the needs analysis of junior high school students and science teachers for teaching materials in the form of comics as one of the alternative teaching materials that can be used in learning.

Methodology
This type of research is a survey research.The purpose of this study is to determine the needs of science teachers and junior high school students for teaching materials in the form of comics.The data collection instrument used is a questionnaire that is filled out by science teachers and junior high school students.The questionnaire used is created using Google Forms.The respondents in this study are 141 junior high school students and 8 science teachers.The analysis technique used is descriptive analysis technique.
The study was conducted in August 2022.The research sample was drawn from middle school students in 4 schools.The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, which is the selection of samples based on certain considerations.The questionnaire filled out by respondents contains statements that include indicators of their interest in comics, reading interest in current IPA reading materials, and interest in comic-based teaching materials.Meanwhile, the questionnaire filled out by teachers contains information about the problems encountered in teaching IPA materials, especially temperature and heat, current reading interests of students, and the potential of comics to be integrated into teaching materials.

Result and Discussion
This study used a questionnaire instrument filled out by science teachers and junior high school students.Questionnaires filled out by students contained their interest in comics, reading interest in commonly used science reading books, and interest in teaching materials in the form of comics.Statements filled out by students regarding their hobbies in reading comics can be seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Students' Likes to Read Comics
In Figure 1, 19.9% of students stated that they really like it, 64.5% stated that they like it, 14.9% stated that they don't like it, and 0.7% stated that they really don't like it.The majority of students find comics to be an engaging and enjoyable form of reading, with 19.9% expressing a strong preference for them.An overwhelming 84.4% of students have a fondness for reading comics, leaving only a minority of 15.6% who do not have an inclination towards comic.The high level of enthusiasm for comics among students suggests that comics can be a valuable resource to be developed into engaging teaching materials.According to Topkaya & Yilar [8], educational comics make learning content more interesting through its characters and plot.This will stimulate students' imagination and positively affect their learning motivation.
Comics are increasingly being integrated into teaching materials.Several studies have shown the positive effects of comics in increasing interest in reading, motivation, and learning outcomes.Students' opinions on comics integrated into teaching materials are shown in Figure 2. Based on Figure 2, it shows the results of a survey regarding students' opinions if the learning materials used in science lessons are combined with comics.14.2% expressed a strong interest, 65.2% expressed interest, 19.9% stated they are not interested, and 0.7% stated they are not interested at all.When looking at the diagram in Figure 1 and 2, the percentage values are relatively similar for respondents who chose very like and very interested, like and interested, not like and not interested, as well as very dislike and very uninterested.Therefore, it can be logically deduced that students who enjoy reading comics are more likely to enjoy learning materials integrated with comics.Creating instructional materials in a way that is more appealing to students will have a different impact compared to conventional teaching materials.
A good teaching material must be able to motivate students to learn.A teaching material also needs to have interesting criteria so that students are enjoy to read.A person's reading interest in a reading book affects the frequency or time of reading.The frequency of students in reading science teaching materials can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Frequency of Students Reading Science Teaching Materials
Figure 3 shows that 17% of students read science teaching materials for more than 2 hours a week, 39.7% stated that they read science teaching materials for 1-2 hours a week, and 43.3% rarely read the science teaching materials that they currently use.The duration of 1-2 hours or 2 hours per week referred to in the questionnaire is the duration of reading science books outside the learning process at school.The frequency of reading science teaching materials can be a parameter of students' interest in reading materials that they commonly use.These results indicate that science teaching materials require innovation to become more attractive and increase students' interest in reading.
The last statement in the questionnaire is a question related to whether students need science teaching materials in the form of comics as an alternative teaching material.The results obtained can be seen in Figure 4. Based on the questionnaire completed by the respondents, it can be analyzed that junior high school students enjoy reading comics and are interested in comic-based teaching materials being integrated into science lessons.Regarding the frequency of reading, many students currently rarely read the science teaching materials that they commonly use, indicating the need for innovation to attract students' interest in reading science teaching materials.
Comics can be used as one way to attract students' attention and interest in reading by integrating comic components into teaching materials.Comics have a positive impact on students' motivation and participation.Comics can make the learning environment more enjoyable [9].According to Dewantara [10], educational comics aim to improve student learning achievement through visuals.Saputro & Soeharto [11] stated that teaching materials in the form of comics can stimulate students' reading and learning motivation.Comics can package how to communicate various information in a simple and more interesting way, so they can present complex material in a simple way.Therefore, creating teaching materials in the form of comics that present material in a simple and interesting way is a way to increase students' interest in reading.
The opinions of science teachers as respondents in the questionnaire on the need for comic-based teaching materials were stated in several questions.The first question is related to whether students find it easier to understand the material accompanied by visuals during the learning process.The responses of the teachers who were respondents in this study are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Students' Understanding of Materials Accompanied by Pictures
Based on the analysis of the teachers' experiences during teaching, as shown in Figure 5, 100% of the IPA teachers who were respondents stated that students find it easier to understand materials accompanied by pictures.Comics allow learning materials to be explained through visuals, making it easier for students to understand.Comics explain complex phenomena and materials in the form of a dialogue or prologue full of images.According to Subroto, Qohar, & Dwiyana [12], comics contain a lot of colors and images, and if learning materials are presented in comic versions, the material can be conveyed through everyday conversations.Nuranis & Lubis [13] state that media helps teachers explain materials more easily, and students enjoy comics because they are rich in images, making difficult things easier to digest through simple language and visual explanations.According to Arini, Choiri & Sunardi [14], comics can help students with slow learning interest.The visual aids provided by pictures or illustrations enhance their understanding and provide a more holistic view of the content.
The success of students in understanding learning materials is closely related to the learning tools used.One of the tools that plays a role in supporting students' understanding of learning materials is teaching materials.Good teaching materials are those that facilitate students' understanding of the material and attract students' interest in reading.The teachers' opinions on the teaching materials commonly used in learning are presented in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Student's Reading Interest towards Current Learning Materials
Based on Figure 6, 75% of teachers stated that students' interest in reading the current teaching materials is in the moderate category, 12.5% of teachers stated that it is insufficient, and another 12.5% stated that it is low.None of them stated that students' interest in reading using the current teaching materials is high.This leads to the conclusion that the existing teaching materials need to be innovated to be more interesting for students to read.
One effort to make learning materials more enjoyable for students to read is by incorporating comic components into them.Regarding this innovation, the opinions of teachers regarding comics as one of the alternative science teaching materials are shown in Figure 7. Based on Figure 7, 75% of the teachers stated that it is necessary to develop teaching materials in the form of comics as an alternative teaching material in science lessons, while the remaining 25% stated that it is very necessary.Based on these results, it can be concluded that all teachers who were respondents stated the need to develop comic teaching materials as an alternative teaching material in science lessons.
Related to the use of comic book as a teaching aid in science education, the science teachers who participated in the survey indicated their interest in using comic books as a teaching aid in science education.This is shown in Figure 8.Based on Figure 8, it is found that 62.5% of teachers agree and 37.5% very agree to use teaching materials in the form of comics in science learning.This means that all teachers who are respondents agree that comic-shaped teaching materials are used in science learning as an alternative teaching material.
Basically, teaching materials are used to support the achievement of certain competencies.One implication of high reading interest is the support of science literacy competency.Regarding these two competencies, teachers' opinions on current teaching materials can be displayed in Figure 9. Figure 9 shows the results of a survey related to whether the current teaching materials support the improvement of science literacy.62.5% of the teachers stated that the current teaching materials are not very supportive, 25% stated that they are supportive, and 12.5% stated that they are very supportive.This means that most teachers believe that the current teaching materials do not fully support the development of science literacy.These results serve as considerations for the development of comic teaching materials, where the teaching materials that are created will better support the competencies needed in 21st-century society, so that the competencies acquired by students are relevant to the competencies needed today.
The use of comics as a learning strategy can increase various competencies, help develop innovation, and flexibility [15].Comics are a popular strategy in psycho-didactic-oriented learning.Comics are very helpful in understanding science concepts [16].Comics help concretize abstract concepts in interesting way [17].The results of research by N. Maulidah and F. Wulandari [18]and I. Maryani and L. Amalia [19] show that comics are effective in increasing student's understanding of science concepts.In addition, reading interest also affects various competencies, such as science literacy.Low science literacy is influenced by low reading interest [20].
Based on this, comics help students to understand science materials in a more enjoyable way.Understanding science materials is the first step to continue the stage of scientific literacy, where the concepts understood by students are used to solve problems and make decisions regarding a particular issue.In relation to the process of scientific literacy itself, the necessary steps to improve students' scientific literacy can be packaged in teaching materials that contain comic story components.

Conclusion
Comics are a popular reading material for many people.Comics can present complex information in a simpler way.Comics consisting of pictures and dialogue can be packaged as a material to explain a subject so that the presentation of the material becomes more interesting.Most students enjoy reading comics and are interested in using comics as one of the learning materials for science.The frequency of student reading using the usual teaching materials is not very high.This is also supported by the statement of science teachers that students' interest in reading textbooks that are usually used is classified as moderate to low.Therefore, teaching materials need to be packaged in a more interesting form for children.Children find it easier to understand material accompanied by pictures.Most teachers are interested in using teaching materials presented in the form of comic stories.In relation to science literacy competency, the existing teaching materials have not supported this competency well.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Students' Opinions on the Use of Comics as Teaching Materials in Science Learning

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Students' Need for Science Teaching Materials in the Form of Comics

Figure 7 .
Figure 7. Teacher Needs for Developing Comic Teaching Materials

Figure 8 .
Figure 8.Interest in Using Comic-Based Learning Materials

Figure 9 .
Figure 9. Relation of Teaching Materials Used with Scientific Literacy Ability