IMPROVING THE 8th YEAR STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ACHIEVEMENT BY USING INDONESIAN FOLKTALES AT SMP NEGERI 2 CANDIPURO LUMAJANG

Abstract

This Clasroom Action Research is intended to improve the VIII A year students’ reading comprehension achievement at SMP Negeri 2 Candipuro by using Indonesian folktales. The subjects of this research were the students of class VIII A in the 2009/2010 Academic Year that were determined purposively. That class was chosen because its reading comprehension achievement score was the lowest among the four existing classes (the mean score was 53,8). This research was done in two cycles, in which each cycle covered four activities namely the preparation of the action, the implementation of the action, evaluation and reflection of the action. Each cycle was conducted in two meetings. The main data about the students’ reading comprehension achievement were collected by using reading test through Indonesian folktale. The supporting data were collected by interview and documentation. The results of the reading comprehension test of the first cycle were 51,61% of the students gained the score at least 65. This mean score had not achieved the standard mean score requirement in this research that was at least 75% of the students gained 65. Further, there were only 21 students or 67,74% of the students fulfilled less than three indicators being observed or passive. Therefore the actions were continued in cycle two by revising the teaching techniques, (the students did the exercises individually was changed into the students did the exercises in pairs, which consist of two person. The result of the students’ reading comprehension test by using folktale in cycle two was better, because there were 90,32% or 28 students who gained the score at least 65 that was categorized as good. Further, the result of classroom observation in cycle two was 77,42 % of 31 of the students were active because they fulfilled at least three indicators being observed. It means that the students’ reading comprehension achievement by using Indonesian folktale improved in two cycles. Based on the results, it could be concluded that teaching reading by using folktale could improve the students’ reading comprehension achievement in two cycles. Then, it is suggested to the English teachers to use Indonesian folktale as an alternative materials since they could motivate the students to enjoy reading and improved their reading comprehension achievement. Besides, it is also suggested to the students that should be more active in joining the reading comprehension class. Further, for the future researchers who have the similar problem in teaching reading are encourage to use this research result as an input to conduct further research dealing with the use of folktales to develop the students reading comprehension by using a difference research design.