Core literature

METHODOLOGY

This study is part of a larger study that was carried out in various schools within the area of Johor Bahru. For the purpose of data collection, two groups of respondents, which were the 26 English language teachers who have taught the literature component to secondary school students and 420 students who have undergone literature lessons in school, were selected as participants of the study. Those students were in Form One to Form Five.

To obtain the needed data, two sets of questionnaires were designed and distributed to the respondents. The data obtained from both questionnaires were then descriptively reported in percentage form where pertinent results that show a match between the two groups of participants were presented and discussed. This is done to observe perceptions among teachers and students and find out how they are adapting after a period of eight years in the syllabus

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Based on the overall findings obtained, the following are some evidence that show a match in the perception of the two groups of respondents namely the teachers and students who participated in the study. The corresponding results are depicted according to their general perceptions of the incorporation of the literature component in teaching English, the selection of literary texts for the literature component and the preferred activities conducted in the literature lessons.

Items	Yes	No	Items	Yes	No
Literature may provide motivating materials	92.1	7.9	Literature can motivate students’ interest in learning the English language	82.2	17.8
Literature may expand students’ vocabulary	83.0	17.0	I learn many new words when I read literary texts	92.8	7.2
Literature can enhance language proficiency	95.0	5.0	I can improve my proficiency in the language through literature	85.7	14.3
Literature can provide access to other cultures	76.4	23.6	I can learn about other culture and values through literature	86.3	13.7
Literature can inculcate reading habit among students	100	0	I like reading literary texts in English	63.5	36.5

Literature can develop critical thinking

95.0

5.0

I like it when the teacher asks for views in the class

77.5

22.5