Enhancing the Tenth Grade Students’ Active Participation and Reading Comprehension Achievement by Using Know, Want to Know, and Learned (Kwl) Strategy

Abstract

This classroom action research was intended to enhance the tenth grade students’ participation and reading comprehension achievement by using KWL Strategy. Based on the preliminary study conducted by the researcher in the form of interview with the English teacher at SMAN Tamanan, Bondowoso. The result was that the X IPA 2 students had difficulty in reading comprehension since their reading scores were mostly below the standard minimum score, that is, below 73. The students experience difficulties by using traditional method in reading. They just read the text and did exercise without comprehending the text. As the result, the students could not get the deep information from the text. The students were not confident and afraid of asking things that they did not understand to the teacher. It could be concluded that students had problems dealing with their reading comprehension. Students can only read and translate the text. From the preliminary study, it was found that there were no students who achieved the standard minimum scores. The average score of the students was 68. Thus, the researcher tried to solve the students’ problem in reading comprehension by using KWL Strategy. This strategy is one of reading strategies that can be used to help the students activate their background knowledge and help them to understand the text better. The data of this research were collected from interview, reading test, observation, and documentation. The participants were the X IPA 2 students of SMAN Tamanan, Bondowoso, consisting of 31 students. The researcher chose the X IPA 2 students as participants because of the consideration that X IPA 2 students have the lowest mean score of reading comprehension and have difficulties in comprehending the text. Besides, X IPA 2 students had lack of confidence so they were not active during the teaching and learning process of reading. This research was done in two cycles in which each cycle covered four stages covering, planning, acting, analyzing, and reflecting. Based on the result of students’ participation, it was found that the students’ participation improved. It can be seen from the data before the action, the percentage of the students who were active was 22.5%. After the action in Cycle 1, the percentage of the students who were active increased to 75.5% while in Cycle 2 was 87%. The result of the students’ active participation was successful because there were more than 75% of the students who were active in teaching and learning process. Further, the result of students’ reading comprehension achievement improved Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. It was found that the students mean score of reading comprehension test improved from 68 in the previous reading score to 76,1 in Cycle 1 and 80,1 in Cycle 2. Moreover, the percentage of the students who got score at least 73 improved from 0% in the previous reading score to 76% in Cycle 1 and 88% in Cycle 2. In conclusion, reading comprehension test result had achieved the target criteria expected in this research that was at least 75% of the students achieved the standard minimum requirement score that is 73. The result of this research leads to a conclusion that KWL strategy could help the X IPA 2 students of SMAN Tamanan, Bondowoso to enhance their active participation and reading comprehension achievement.