implementing authentic reading materials to enhance junior hight school students' reading comprehension achievement

Abstract

This classroom action research was intended to improve the eighth grade (VIII C) students’ reading comprehension achievement of historical recount text and their participation at SMP Negeri 5 Bondowoso. Based on the result of preliminary study at SMP Negeri 5 Bondowoso, it was known that the students of VIII C had difficulties in reading comprehension. The students of VIII C had difficulties in comprehending a text, less motivation to read the text, less motivation to look for the meaning of difficult words in dictionary, lack of vocabularies, passive in reading activity, and they do not show positive attitude during reading activity. They also got low score in the reading comprehension achievement. Based on the result of documentation from SMP Negeri 5 Bondowoso, there were only 11 students who achieved the standard score that was 70, while 9 students got scores below 70. Thus the research tried to overcome the students’ problem in reading by using authentic reading materials in teaching reading. In this research, the researcher collected the data using observation checklist and the reading comprehension test. The data were analyzed quantitatively to know the result of the students’ reading comprehension achievement and their participation after conducting the research. The action was implemented in two cycles in order to achieve the criteria of success. In each cycle, there were 2 meeting and a test. The result of the students’ participation in each meeting in cycle 1 showed improvement. In the first meeting of cycle 1, there were 65% or 13 students of 20 students who participated actively in teaching and learning process. In the second ix meeting of cycle 1, there were 75% or 15 students of 20 students who actively participated during teaching and learning process of reading. The average results of the students’ participation in meeting 1 and meeting 2 of cycle 1 was 70%. Thus, it could be concluded that the results of students’ active participation in cycle 1 fulfill the target percentage of the research, that was 70% of the students involved actively in the class. In addition, the results of the reading comprehension test in cycle 1 showed that there were 70% or 14 students of 20 students achieved the target scores ≥70. It means that the results of the reading comprehension test in cycle 1 achieved the target percentage of the research, that was 70% of the students got score ≥70 in reading comprehension test. Eventhough the result of the first cycle showed that the required target score was achieved but Cycle 2 was done to know the accuracy and consistency of the test result. The data showed that there was better improvement in the students’ participation and also the use of authentic materials proved that it consistently improved the students’ comprehension in the reading test of cycle 2. The average percentage of the students’ participation in cycle 1 and cycle 2 increased from 70% in cycle 1 to 77.5% in cycle 2. Thus, it can be said that the results of the students’ participation had achieved the target percentage of the research. Furthermore, the results of the students’ reading comprehension test in cycle 2 also showed the consistency of improvement. There were 80% or 16 students of 20 students achieved the target score ≥70 and 20% or 4 students of 20 students got score ≤70. It can be concluded that the results of the students’ participation and reading comprehension test in cycle 2 had achieved the research objectives, so the research was successful. Based on this result, it means that there were improvemets of using authentic reading materials in teaching reading on the eighth grade students’ reading comprehension achievement at SMPN 5 Bondowoso in the 2018/2019 academic year