ENHANCING THE VIII C GRADE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ACHIEVEMENT BY USING SQ3R TECHNIQUE AT SMPN 1 JELBUK JEMBER

Abstract

This Classroom Action Research was intended to enhance the eighth grade students’ reading comprehension achievement by using SQ3R technique at SMPN 1 Jelbuk, Jember. Based on the preliminary study conducted by the researcher in the form of interview with the English teacher of SMPN1 Jelbuk Jember, it was known that the eighth grade students of SMPN 1 Jelbuk Jember still have difficulties in English subject since the eighth grade students’ English scores are mostly below 75. The problems are they feel sleepy when they join a reading class, they feel bored easily when the teacher asks them to read a certain text, they often do not pay attention on what they have to do with the passage, they just read the text given by the teacher without catching the message of the text. There were only 15 students who had achieved the passing grade, while 16 students got score below 75. In other words, only 48% students achieved the passing grade. The researcher tried to overcome the problem by using SQ3R technique as the teaching technique in teaching reading narrative text. The data collection methods used reading test and observation in the form of checklist to get the primary data. The data were analyzed statistically. The action was implemented in two cycles in order to achieve the criteria of success of this research. The first cycle was done in three meetings including the reading test. The result of the observation toward students’ participation in the first cycle were 62.07% students were active in meeting 1 and 68.97% students were active in meeting 2. Those results showed that the students’ active participation in the first cycle had not achieved the criteria of success. In addition, the result of the reading comprehension test in the first cycle had not achieved the criteria of success since there were only 68.97% of the students could pass the criteria of success. Based on the result of the first cycle above, the second cycle was necessary to be conducted. Some revisions had been made to solve the problems occurred in the first cycle. In the observation toward students’ active participation in the second cycle showed an improvement since 76.67% students were active at the first meeting and 80% students were active in the second meeting. Then, the result of the reading comprehension test conducted in the second cycle revealed that 76.67% of the students got score > 75. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the actions in the second cycle had achieved the criteria of success. The results of the first cycle to the second cycle showed an improvement as well as achieved the criteria of success. Finally, it can be summarized that SQ3R technique could be improved the VIII-C grade students’ reading comprehension achievement and their active participation at SMPN 1 Jelbuk, Jember.