Abstract
Mastery of expository text reading skills has received attention in various studies, but research specifically mapping the achievement of reading indicators based on students’ levels of reading interest remains limited. This study aims to analyze the mastery of expository text reading skill indicators in relation to the reading interest levels of Grade X senior high school students. The study employed a quantitative approach with a descriptive-comparative design, involving 44 students consisting of 22 students with high reading interest and 22 students with low reading interest selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale reading interest questionnaire and an expository text reading skills test covering seven indicators and were subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance at a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that students with high reading interest obtained a mean score of 88.45, categorized as very good, whereas students with low reading interest obtained a mean score of 72.00, categorized as more than adequate. The difference in expository text reading skills between the two groups was significant, with F(1,40) = 89.78 and p < 0.001. These findings indicate that the level of reading interest is associated with differences in the mastery of expository text reading skills. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of reading interest in supporting students’ ability to comprehend expository texts. As a practical implication, teachers need to identify students’ levels of reading interest and design reading instruction that is diagnostic, progressive, and tailored to the learning needs of each group.