AN ANALYSIS OF READABILITY LEVEL IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK ENTITLED "PATHWAY TO ENGLISH" FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADE XI BASED ON KURIKULUM MERDEKA IN SMA MUHAMMADIYAH 2 TUGUMULYO KABUPATEN MUSI RAWAS

This study aimed to analyze the readability level of the English textbook entitled “Pathway to English for SMA/MA Grade XI Based on Kurikulum Merdeka” used byGrade XI students at SMAMuhammadiyah2 Tugumulyo. The main objective was to evaluate whether the reading texts in the textbook are appropriate for the students' reading proficiency level and to identifythe students’ perceptions of the reading materials. The significance of this study lies in its potential to support teachers, curriculum developers, and textbook authors in selecting or designing more suitable English learning materials under the newly implementedKurikulumMerdeka.Thisresearchemployedaqualitativedescriptive approach through content analysis and student response data. The researcher analyzed 14 reading texts selected fromsix chaptersofthetextbook. To assess the readability level, the study applied two widely recognized formulas: the Flesch-KincaidGradeLevelandtheFleschReadingEaseFormula,usingonlinetoolssuch as WebFX and Datayze Readability Analyzer. Additionally, a questionnaire was distributedto 28studentsofGradeXIto gathertheirperceptionsofthereadability, relevance, and engagement of the texts. The findings revealed a wide range of readabilitylevelsacrossthe14texts,from“VeryEasytoRead”to“VeryDifficult,” indicating inconsistencyin text complexitywithin the same textbook. While some texts wereappropriate for highschoolstudents, others were at a college or college graduate level, which may hinder comprehension. The student questionnaire showedmixedresponses:althoughmanystudentsexpressedinterest andfoundthe texts helpful in learning English, others reported confusion, difficulty with vocabulary, and a preference for simpler texts. Overall, the study suggests that while the textbook includes engaging content, it requires improvement in readabilityconsistencyto ensure better learning outcomes and accessibility for all students.