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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Setting of Research
This research was conducted at the Eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 13 Surakarta. It is located in Jl. Jenderal Urip Sumoharjo 49 Surakarta. It was
built in 1979 and has two floors. Its location is close to the shopping complex so that it affects to the teaching and learning process. There is a gate in front
of the school to prevent other people from freely entering the school. There are some rooms which include 12 classrooms, teacher and headmaster’s room,
a computer room, a library, a mosque, toilets, a cafeteria, an administration room and a yard. This research was conducted from February to April 2011.
B. Subject of Research
The subject of the research was the VIIID class of SMPN 13 Surakarta. There were 33 students consisting of 14 boys and 19 girls. Most of them come
from suburban area and medium level of Economic status. They always wear uniform and obey the law.
The students of VIII D class have average in achievement. They have difficulties in comprehending English text. In the teaching and learning
process, the girls are more active and enthusiastic in following the lesson than boys. Some of boys tend to be lazy and are not motivated especially who sit at
the backside. The high scores of test are mostly gotten by the girls.
C. Research Method
The research method used in this method is action research. There are various definitions of action research stated by some experts. Carr and
Kemmis as quoted by Burns 1999: 30 gives the definitions of action research
as follows:
Action research is simply a form of self reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in a social situation including education in order to improve
the rationality and justice of their own and educational practices their
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understanding of these practices, and the situation in which practices are carried out.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Christensen 2000:7 state that action research is a form of applied research focused on solving local problems that practitioners
face. It can be conducted by teachers, administrators, counsellors and other educational professionals that involve diagnosing a local problem, planning
and carrying out a research study, developing new knowledge based on the research and implementing the research findings to solve or improve local
problem. Mills’ point of view 2000: 6 states that action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researcher, principals, school
counsellors or other stakeholders in teaching learning environment to gather information about the ways how their particular schools operate, how they
teach and how well their students learn. Based on several definitions stated by some experts, it can be concluded
that action research is process of diagnosing a local problem, planning and carrying out a research study, developing new knowledge based on the
research and implementing the research findings which was conducted by teachers, administrators, counsellors and other educational professionals to
solve or improve local problem. Burns 1999: 30 states some characteristic of action research taken from
some experts’ definition as follows. 1. Action research is contextual, small scale and localized. It identifies and
investigates problems within a specific situation. 2. It is evaluating and reflective as it aims to bring about change and
improvement in practice. 3. It is participatory as it provides for collaborative investigation by teams of
colleagues, practitioners and researchers. 4. Change in practice is based on the collection of information or data which
provides the impetus of change. In this study, the writer used classroom action research. This research was
aimed to improve the quality of teaching and learning process. In this case, the
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writer wants to improve students’ reading comprehension of Eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 13 Surakarta by implementing reciprocal teaching
through a classroom action research.
D. The Procedures of Action Research
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