DARI PEMBACA MENJADI PENGKAJI: KEMAMPUAN MAHASISWA PGSD DALAM MENGANALISIS KARYA SASTRA ANAK

FROM READERS TO REVIEWS: THE ABILITY OF PGSD STUDENTS IN ANALYZING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Abstract

Children’s literature has an important position in elementary education because it contributes not only to literacy development but also to children’s imagination, empathy, critical thinking, and character formation. Therefore, prospective elementary school teachers need to develop the ability to analyze children’s literary works critically and systematically. This study aims to describe the ability of Elementary School Teacher Education (PGSD) students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Metro to analyze children’s literary works and identify the transition from literary readers to literary analysts. This research employed a descriptive quantitative approach supported by qualitative interpretation. The participants consisted of 30 PGSD students. Data were collected through written assignments in which students analyzed children’s literary works based on intrinsic elements, meaning interpretation, relationships among literary elements, educational values, critical responses, and relevance to elementary education. Data were analyzed using descriptive percentages and qualitative interpretation. The simulated results indicate that students demonstrated relatively strong abilities in identifying intrinsic elements and educational values. However, their abilities to interpret deeper meanings, analyze relationships among literary elements, and provide critical arguments based on textual evidence varied considerably. The findings suggest that students are beginning to move from the position of readers toward that of literary analysts, although critical interpretation and evidence-based argumentation require further development. The study highlights the importance of children’s literature instruction in PGSD programs to strengthen critical literacy and prepare prospective teachers to select, interpret, and utilize children’s literature meaningfully in elementary classrooms.