107
students rise from 5.50 to 6.97. It can be concluded that the students made significant progress during Cycle 2 in term of score.
F. Discussion
This research resulted improvement in both the students‟ reading comprehension and the teaching and learning process of reading. The
improvement was achieved by using the Semantic Mapping Strategy which is defined by Mah 2001 as an approach in which students relate new words to their
own prior knowledge in a graphic form. Based on different types of Semantic Mapping proposed by Frederick 1957 in Sinatra et al. 1986, the researcher
used Narrative Sequential Organization Map or Episodic Web because the text types taught were recount and narrative texts. The procedure of the Semantic
Strategy includes introducing the topic, brainstorming, categorization, personalizing the map, and post-assignment synthesis as proposed by Heimlich
and Pittleman in Zaid 1995. Based on the findings of this research, the brainstorming activity was an
effective activity to activate the students‟ background knowledge of the topic being discussed because they could brainstorm many ideas related to the topic
based on their prior knowledge in order to predict the words or phrases that they might find in the text. This finding is in line with Zaid 1995 who states that
brainstorming activity allows the students to make use of their prior knowledge or experiences. He adds that the students‟ prior knowledge is useful as a stepping
block to new knowledge. Zaid 1995 says that Semantic Mapping is a predictive activity because it includes brainstorming to anticipate what will appear in the
108
reading material. Therefore, the students said that they could comprehend the text better because they had predicted the words before reading the text. The
researcher also found that the students could brainstorm more ideas when they were given a picture in brainstorming activity. It was in line with Heimlich and
Pittleman 1986 in Zaid 1995 who say that using a picture which is related to the topic help to stimulate students‟ thought get the brainstorming procedure
going. Heimlich and Pittleman 1986 in Zaid 199 5 also stressed out “a chain
reaction thought process” in which ideas from one student trigger ideas from other students. Grade VIII C students also made improvement in their participation and
interaction during the lesson by giving ideas related to the topic being discussed. In categorization or the categorizing activity, the students transformed
their ideas into categories which were in the form of generic structure of the text. Zaid 199
5 named this activity as a “pulling together” phase in which the students begin to relate their ideas to see the connections between their
suggestions. The researcher found that the students could comprehend the generic structure of the text more easily and they could break down the text based on the
generic structure in connected nodes. Same as the brainstorming activity, this categorization activity is also seen as predictive activity in which the students
anticipated what they might find in the upcoming text Zaid, 1995. In personalizing the map activity in which the students modify their map
with new information found in the text, the researcher found that the students could comprehend the content of the text more easily. As it is stressed by Zaid
1995, in this activity, the students integrated new information in the text with
109
their prior knowledge. The students‟ prior knowledge had been mapped in pre- reading map so that they could add and eliminate the information which is
appropriate with the new information in the text more easily. They said that they found it easier to order chronological events and find detail information in the
text. In this activity, different color pens were used to differentiate between prediction and new information. It is in line with what is stated by Zaid 1995
that the use of colored chalk allows the students to see the relationship among the sources-prior knowledge, categorization, and the reading. In this research, the
researcher also found that the use of color made the students easier to comprehend the text.
Post assignment synthesis which was in the forms of retelling the content of the text, discussion, and answering comprehension questions developed the
students‟ interaction, confidence, and participation. The students also found it easier to answer multiple choice comprehension questions than before.
Based on the discussion above, the Semantic Mapping strategy can be used as a strategy to help the students comprehend the text better because
Semantic Map integrates what is called schema theory with reading comprehension. Schema theory as defined by Gillet Temple 1986: 207 is
“a model of reading comprehension that takes into account what readers may already
know and how they go about developing and adding to schemata as they read”.
Therefore, Grade VIII students‟ reading comprehension improved after they used the Semantic Mapping strategy.
110
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS
This chapter presents the conclusions, implications, and also some suggestions of the research. Those items above will be discussed below.
A. Conclusions
This action research aimed at improving the reading comprehension of grade VIII C students of SMP N 3 Pakem using the Semantic Mapping strategy. The
subjects of the research were the students of grade VIII C. The research was begun on 15
th
of January and ended on 8
th
of March 2014. There were two cycles in this research.
After implementing the actions in the Cycle 1, there were some changes in the teaching and learning
process of reading as well as the students‟ reading comprehension. However, to solve the unsuccessful actions and to bring more
improvements, some actions were revised in Cycle 2. The findings of the research in Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 are presented below.
1. The use of the Semantic Mapping Strategy during the teaching and learning of
reading was useful to improve the students‟ reading comprehension. This strategy could help the students understand the content of the text especially
recount and narrative text better than before. They could also answer multiple choice comprehension questions more easily than before. It was a strategy
which was more effective compared with the students‟ previous strategy which was matching the words in the multiple options with the words in the text.
