Students’ Perceptions of Using Unggan Songket as Authentic Material for Learning Report Text

Abstract

The integration of authentic materials into English language teaching has been widely recognized as a means of creating meaningful, contextualized, and culturally responsive learning experiences. Nevertheless, limited attention has been given to students' perceptions of using local cultural heritage as authentic material for learning report text, particularly in the Indonesian secondary school context. This study aimed to explore students' perceptions of using Unggan Songket, a traditional woven textile from Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, as authentic material for learning report text. This study employed a qualitative case study involving 30 eleventh-grade students at a senior high school in Sijunjung Regency. Data were collected through a Google Forms questionnaire consisting of eight Likert-scale items and two open-ended questions after students participated in report text learning activities using Unggan Songket as the primary authentic material. The Likert-scale responses were summarized using descriptive statistics, while the open-ended responses were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. The analysis generated four major themes: meaningful and contextual learning experiences, improved understanding of report text, increased learning motivation and classroom engagement, and strengthened appreciation of local cultural heritage. Overall, students expressed positive perceptions of integrating Unggan Songket into English language instruction, highlighting its relevance to their daily lives and its contribution to creating more engaging and meaningful report text learning experiences. The findings indicate that students perceived Unggan Songket as a relevant and meaningful authentic material for learning report text while also fostering greater appreciation of local cultural heritage. Therefore, English teachers may consider integrating local cultural resources into text-based instruction to create more contextualized, culturally responsive, and meaningful learning experiences.​​