Students’ Perceptions of Using Nursery Rhyme Songs in EFL Listening Comprehension at an Indonesian Islamic Junior High School

Abstract

This study aims to explore students’ perceptions of using nursery rhyme songs in EFL listening comprehension learning at an Indonesian Islamic junior high school. Employing a qualitative descriptive research design, this study was conducted at MTs Negeri Parepare, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The participants were 33 purposively selected eighth-grade students who had experienced listening activities through nursery rhyme songs as part of their English learning process. Data were collected through an open-ended perception questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis within a qualitative descriptive framework to identify students’ learning experiences, perceived benefits, and challenges. The findings revealed that students generally perceived nursery rhyme songs as a supportive medium for improving their listening learning experiences. Students described that nursery rhyme songs created enjoyable learning environments through melody, rhythm, repetition, and simple language patterns. The findings further indicated several perceived benefits, including increased vocabulary familiarity, pronunciation awareness, learning confidence, and engagement during listening activities. However, students also reported challenges related to unfamiliar vocabulary, pronunciation differences, and difficulties in recognizing certain spoken expressions. This study concludes that nursery rhyme songs were perceived as an accessible and motivating listening medium for beginner adolescent EFL learners when supported by appropriate teacher guidance and classroom scaffolding. The study contributes to EFL listening research by addressing the limited understanding of students’ subjective experiences toward instructional media, particularly in Indonesian Islamic junior high school contexts where learners’ perceptions of song-based listening activities remain underexplored.