IMPROVING THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH SMALL GROUP WORKING TECHNIQUE AT SMAN 1 SRONO

Abstract

SUMMARY

Improving the Tenth Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension Achievement through Small Group Working Technique at SMAN 1 Srono Banyuwangi; Rini Nur Mauza Arifi; 48 pages. 050210491171; 2012; English Education Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Jember University.

This classroom action research was intended to improve the grade X.5 students’ reading comprehension achievement by using Small Group Working Technique. The students of class X.5 at SMA Negeri 1 Srono was chosen as the subjects due to their difficulties in comprehending the reading text. This classroom action research was done in two cycles in which each cycle covered the stages of planning the action, implementing the action, observation and reflection of the action. Then, each cycle was conducted in two meetings. The data about the students’ reading comprehension achievement were collected through reading comprehension test in each action. Observation was used to monitor the process of teaching reading through Small Group Working Technique and the students’ participation. Further, there were 21 students of 34 students having reading comprehension achievement score ≥ 75. The average of students’ reading score was 74.38. It means that the targeted percentage 75% of the total students obtaining score at least 75 could not be achieved. Besides, based on the classroom observation that was done in Cycle I, it was found that the students’ active participation in teaching learning process of reading through Small Group Working Technique was 67,64%. So, the percentage of the students’ active participation in the process of teaching reading through Small Group Working Technique was less than the targeted percentage that was 75%. Therefore, the actions were proceeded to the second cycle by revising the way of the students doing Small Group Working Technique, that was the activities from doing the

activities in a time into doing the Small Group Working Technique activities one by one before moving to the next activities to make the students more focus in doing each activity of reading comprehension. Besides, the teacher gave clues to make them easier in doing the reading activities. The percentage of the students who got ≥ 75 in reading test in Cycle II was better (88,23%) than in cycle I (61,76%). The average reading test score in cycle II was 81,08. This percentage had fulfilled the targeted percentage that was 75% of the students had achieved the standard score that was ≥ 75. Besides, the students’ active participation in the reading teaching learning process also improved from 67,74% in Cycle I to 82,35% in Cycle II. Thus, the percentage of the students’ active participation in the reading teaching and learning process through Small Group Working Technique had achieved the targeted percentage ≥ 75%. This means that both the students reading comprehension achievement and the students’ active participation in the reading teaching learning process through Small Group Working Technique improved in cycle II and fulfilled the target of this research. Based on the results, it would be concluded that Small Group Working Technique can improve the students’ reading comprehension achievement in two cycles. Then, it is suggested to the English teacher to use Small Group Working Technique as an alternative method in teaching reading comprehension since it can increase the students’ reading comprehension achievement.