OKARA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra

Motivation, Mentorship, and Peer Role among Indonesian Students in Creative Literature Projects: An Exploration of Problem-Solving Abilitiess

Harmita Sari, Dedi Aco, Ming Chou Liu , Anshari, Abdul Halim — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Despite the recognized benefits of creative project-based learning, research on problem-solving abilities remains largely focused on STEM disciplines, leaving a significant gap in the humanities. Furthermore, how motivation, mentorship, and peer dynamics collectively interact to drive creative problem-solving within the Indonesian educational context remains underexplored. To address this, this study investigates the impact of these psychosocial factors on students’ problem-solving abilities during creative literature projects. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we analyzed survey data from 100 elementary and junior high school students in Indonesia who actively participated in university-collaborated literature programs. The model evaluated motivation, mentorship, and peer relationships as independent variables; problem-solving abilities as a mediator; and project outcomes as the dependent variable. The findings reveal that motivation and mentorship significantly enhance problem-solving abilities, whereas peer relationships exert a comparatively lesser influence. Crucially, problem-solving abilities fully mediate the relationship between these psychosocial inputs and final project outcomes. In practice, educators should prioritize cultivating intrinsic motivation and active mentorship to enhance the success of creative problem-solving. Future research should explore these dynamics globally using a multi-level approach.

Exploring English Self-Efficacy Among Vietnamese Undergraduates: The Role of Gender and Academic Major

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Self-efficacy has been shown to be a key determinant of foreign language learners' efforts and academic achievement. Hence, understanding learners' self-efficacy and the factors that may influence it is vital to improving learners' language learning outcomes. This study investigated Vietnamese learners' overall English self-efficacy and explored potential differences by academic major and gender, using a cross-sectional, quantitative design. 549 participants from four majors at a university in Vietnam were recruited through non-proportional quota sampling. The results revealed that the participants generally have moderate English self-efficacy, with the highest self-efficacy reported in reading. There was a significant difference between majors, as English majors showed higher self-efficacy than their non-major counterparts. In terms of gender, male learners are found to have higher English self-efficacy than female learners, although the gender difference was modest. These findings highlight the importance of structured training, underscoring the need for new pedagogical strategies to boost English learners' self-efficacy and providing implications for further research.

Green Narratives in the Indonesian Context: Exploring Ecological Issues and Adaptation Strategies in the Children’s Book

Reza Sukma Nugraha, Gun Gun Gunawan, Eva Farhah, Khabibi Muhammad Luthfi — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Children’s literature serves as an effective medium for instilling various ideologies, including ecological awareness, in young readers. This study analyzes the representation of ecological issues in the children’s book Pilus Rumput Laut untuk Rasi (2022). It evaluates its suitability for children’s literature, considering its adherence to children’s literature characteristics and the challenges of adapting complex topics. Using a qualitative approach with ecocritical content analysis, grounded in Glotfelty and Fromm’s (1996) theoretical framework, this study identifies five main issues: local climate change, mining-induced damage, plastic pollution, environmental justice, and ecocentrism. The results indicate that the book effectively adapts complex issues through simple language, action-based narratives, a focus on hope, and strong visuals, aligning well with characteristics of intermediate-level children’s literature (Jenjang Semenjana). However, criticisms include the potential for oversimplification of complex structural environmental justice issues and the risk of eliciting anxiety or controversy. This research contributes to filling gaps in studies on environmental issue representation within Indonesian socio-cultural contexts, the effectiveness of visual/narrative messages, and the handling of emotional dimensions in children’s literature.

Cultural Heritage Preservation through Folktales as World Literature in Minahasa, Turkey, and Vietnam

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

In the contemporary era of globalization and digital culture, local folktales continue to play a vital role in preserving cultural identity and moral values amid increasing cultural homogenization. This study explores how folktales from diverse cultures express universal human values and contribute to world literature. It analyzes six folktales from Minahasa (Indonesia), Turkey, and Vietnam—regions renowned for their rich oral storytelling traditions yet often underrepresented in comparative world literature research. The study addresses two central questions: Which universal themes are reflected in these folktales, and how do they exemplify David Damrosch’s three characteristics of world literature: circulation, transformation, and transcendence? Employing Damrosch’s theoretical framework, alongside the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) and Thompson’s Motif-Index classification systems, this qualitative comparative study identifies five recurring themes: transformation, love and sacrifice, rivalry, wisdom and betrayal, and moral justice. The findings reveal distinct levels of circulation, transformation, and transcendence among the folktales. While Minahasan folktales are more widely circulated within Indonesia, all six narratives exhibit adaptability and cross-cultural resonance, illustrating how local folktales safeguard cultural heritage while enriching global literary discourse. The study concludes that transcendence in world literature depends not only on circulation but also on a folktale’s capacity to convey universal human experiences through reinterpretation, translation, and cultural adaptation across societies.

Cultural Hybridization in Translation: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Dimensions in “Cerita dari Jakarta”

Widya Evayani, Yusuf Haikal, Arimbi Alessandra Naro — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Cultural hybridization plays a significant role in shaping cross-cultural understanding. Nevertheless, research on how local ethnic identities are negotiated through translation remains limited, particularly regarding Betawi culture. This study examines the translation of Betawi cultural terms in Cerita dari Jakarta and its English version, Tales from Djakarta. Utilizing Homi K. Bhabha’s Third Space concept and Peter Newmark’s cultural categories, the study analyzes 257 pairs of cultural terms. Terms are categorized as hybridized when source cultural elements are retained, and as de-hybridized when adapted, generalized, or neutralized. The findings reveal that 63% of the terms are de-hybridized, indicating a tendency to prioritize communicative accessibility and narrative fluency for international readers. However, hybridization is predominant in material culture, especially in names and tangible cultural objects (92%), while idioms and ritual expressions are de-hybridized more frequently (5%). These results suggest that translation functions as a process of cultural negotiation, wherein local identities are selectively preserved or adapted for a global audience.

Reading Comprehension Through Text Structure Instruction: Does It Work?

Thien Thanh Phuong Le, Thi Phuong Dung Cao — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

In English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, reading plays a key role in academic success. However, many learners struggle with complex academic texts (or expository texts) due to limited strategic reading skills. Text structure instruction offers a promising solution by enabling learners to recognize and process textual organization through strategies such as identifying structural patterns, interpreting signal words, and summarizing with graphic organizers. This study investigated the impact of a 10-week text structure instruction program on students' reading comprehension, aiming to determine whether explicit instruction in text structure could enhance comprehension more effectively than traditional methods. A quasi-experimental design was used, with one group receiving traditional reading instruction and the other exposed to text structure instruction. Both groups completed pre- and post-tests to assess gains in reading comprehension. Results showed significant improvement in both groups, with the experimental group demonstrating a greater increase in scores. These findings suggest that structured instruction in text structure is more effective in improving reading comprehension than traditional approaches. The study highlights the value of incorporating text structure into reading instruction to better support language learners.

Trapped in Desired: A Comparative Study of Identity Diffusion in Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary

Zuvyati Aryani Tlonaen, Rohmatul Fitriyah Dewi — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Two female characters from different cultural backgrounds, Russia and France, in the novels Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary, demonstrate signs of identity diffusion. This study employs a qualitative content analysis method. The analysis involves close reading of the novels, identifying relevant quotations, classifying the data, and interpreting meanings related to identity issues. Data were collected through documentation by selecting quotations that reflect the characters' identity problems. The research instrument is based on eight indicators of identity diffusion proposed by Kroger and Marcia (2011): lack of exploration, lack of commitment, external influence, lack of self-definition, emotional emptiness, isolation, lack of autonomy from role models, and the need for external validation. The findings reveal that Anna and Emma experience identity diffusion, characterized by unstable self-concepts, emotional dissatisfaction, dependence on others' approval, and failure to develop independent identities. However, the causes of their identity crises differ. Anna's identity diffusion is strongly shaped by social pressure and aristocratic expectations, whereas Emma's is influenced by romantic fantasies and literary idealization. These unresolved conflicts lead both characters to psychological decline and self-destruction. Future researchers are recommended to examine other identity statuses in cross-cultural literary works and explore their relevance to social and psychological issues.