The Use of Picture in Series to Improve the Eighth Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension Achievement

Abstract

This classroom action research was conducted to improve the eighth grade students’ reading comprehension at SMP PGRI 03 Bantur, Malang in the 2017/2018 academic year. The results of the interview and observation showed that many eighth grade students had problems with their reading comprehension. It was known from their scores which were below the minimum require score of that school and they were lack of vocabulary. Besides, they lacked of motivation to read text. These reasons lead the researcher to conduct this research to overcome the student’s problems by using picture in series in teaching reading of recount text. The data were collected by doing observation in each meeting of each cycle and reading comprehension test in each cycle. The research was conducted in two cycles to achieve the criteria of success of this classroom action research in each cycle was conducted in three meetings, two meeting for giving the materials and the third meeting for reading test. The result of observation showed that the percentage of the students in cycle 1 had improvement, but it had not fulfilled the target that was 70% of students actively involved in reading class. The average score the students’ participation in meeting 1 and meeting 2 of Cycle 1 was 46,66%. By conducting the reflection and revising some problems in Cycle 2, the percentage of the students’ active participation showed improvement. It increased from 46,66% in cycle 1 to 71,66% in Cycle 2. In addition, the result of the students’ reading comprehension test in Cycle 1 had not fulfilled the target, the percentage of the students who got 75 or higher in the reading test was 46,66%. After conducting the reflection and revising, there was an improvement in Cycle 2. It increased from 46,66% in Cycle 1 to 76,66% in Cycle 2. Thus, the entire research target had been achieved in Cycle 2. Based on the results above, it could be concluded that the use of picture in series could improve the eighth grade students’ reading comprehension achievement and improve their active participation at SMP PGRI 03 Bantur, Malang in the 2017/2018 academic year in the teaching and learning process of reading. Thus, the researcher suggested using picture in series in teaching reading of recount text to improve the students’ active participation and reading comprehension achievement. Further, suggestion is also addressed to future researchers to use the result of this study as a reference to conduct a further research dealing with the use of picture in series in teaching reading.