THE EFFECT OF GIVING NON-VERBAL REINFORCEMENT ON READING COMPREHENSION ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS AT SMPN 1 PAKUSARI JEMBER IN THE 2011/2012 ACADEMIC YEAR

Abstract

Reading is important for the students because by reading, the students will get much information and knowledge in their life. In fact, the students often read books, newspapers, notices, forms, and schedules in daily activities. In the reading activities, the students are expected to get connection between what and how the meanings are made from the text and their comprehension However, the students of the eighth grade at SMPN 1 Pakusari Jember were lack of vocabulary and less interested in learning reading. Therefore, the teacher should apply reinforcement to encourage the students to be more interested in learning reading. Reinforcement is believed as one of the solutions to encourage the students to be interested in the learning process. In this research, the researcher focused on giving non-verbal reinforcement in the form of symbols or things including books, pencils, rulers, erasers, and stars. Variable ratio schedule was applied in the teaching and learning process because the time of giving reward was unpredictable and it made the students response high. This research was intended to know whether or not there was a significant effect of giving non-verbal reinforcement on reading comprehension achievement of the eighth grade students at SMPN 1 Pakusari Jember in the 2011/2012 academic year. The research design was quasi experimental with posttest only control group design, while the research area was SMPN 1 Pakusari Jember which was purposively determined. The population of this research was the eighth grade students of SMPN 1 Pakusari Jember consisting of six classes. The homogeneity test was administered to determine the respondents of the research, and then the result of homogeneity test was analyzed by using ANOVA. After conducting homogeneity test, the experimental and the control groups were administered randomly by using lottery