This study aims to investigate students’ understanding of
language features in narrative texts, including characters, past tense, adverbs of time, direct speech, and moral values. It also explores the factors that contribute to students’ difficulties in comprehending these features. This study was conducted at SMK Islam Bustanul Ulum Pakusari Jember with 29 male students, using a convergent mixed-methods design, quantitative worksheet analysis, and qualitative questionnaire insights. Quantitative data were used to identify students’ understanding of language features and moral values in narrative texts based on worksheet results. Qualitative data to explain the factors contributing to students’ difficulties, including reading strategies and learning obstacles. Data sets complement by showing well-understood or challenging aspects and reasons behind results. Results showed students had a strong understanding of past tense, direct speech, and specific characters, with all (100%) identifying them correctly.
However, some aspects needed improvement, especially
adverbs of time (correctly identified by 65.52% of students), spelling consistency, and English moral value (34.48%). The questionnaire results highlighted variations in reading strategies, such as scanning and skimming techniques, as well as obstacles, including limited vocabulary and lack of focus, which were addressed through dictionary to improve comprehension of narrative meaning. This study shows that culturally relevant worksheets effectively improved comprehension and supported students’ understanding by linking linguistic learning with local heritage. These findings suggest focusing future instruction on gradual support for inferential comprehension and spelling accuracy, with further research exploring longer interventions, mixed-gender participants, and strategies to strengthen moral value interpretation in narrative texts.