Using Entropy to Measure Text Readability in Bahasa Malaysia for Year One Students

Authors

  • Mohamad Hardyman Barawi Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
  • Siti Nabilah Mohamed Osman Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
  • Noor Fazilla Abd Yusof Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
  • Ebuka Ibeke Robert Gordon University
  • Muhibuddin Fadhli Universitas Negeri Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33736/jcshd.6817.2024

Keywords:

readability, reading, text analysis, text difficulty

Abstract

Text readability is essential for effective learning and communication, especially for beginner readers. However, there are no known measures to calculate the readability of Bahasa Malaysia, the national language of Malaysia. This research proposes a new method based on entropy, a measure of information and uncertainty, to assess the readability of Bahasa Malaysia texts for Year One students. An experiment was conducted with six Year One students to determine the relationship between entropy and readability. The results indicated a positive correlation, suggesting that higher entropy values corresponded with lower readability for this age group. This study also revealed the need for beginner readers to focus on the text difficulty level to enhance learning.

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Published

2024-03-31

How to Cite

Barawi, M. H., Mohamed Osman, S. N. ., Abd Yusof, N. F. ., Ibeke, E. ., & Fadhli , M. . (2024). Using Entropy to Measure Text Readability in Bahasa Malaysia for Year One Students. Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, 10(1), 103–123. https://doi.org/10.33736/jcshd.6817.2024