The Steps in Numbered Heads Together

by NHT technique to the experimental group, while control group were taught by using lecturing technique as usually applied by the teacher. The result of t-test analysis on the students’ reading comprehension achievement test scores that the statistical value of the t-test was higher than that of the value of t-table with significant level of 5 2.78 1.99. The degree of relative effectiveness was 12.7. It means that the use of NHT technique was 12.7 more effective in teaching reading comprehension than without applying NHT technique that was lecturing technique. The third study is conducted by Seken 2013 under the title “The Effect of Numbered Head Together and Question Answer Relationship Techniques on Students’ Reading Comprehension: A Comparative Study. The objectives of the study was, first, to investigate whether there is a significant effect of numbered head together and question answer relationship technique on students’ reading comprehension; second to compare the effect of NHT and that of QAR on reading comprehension. This research was conducted at the eighth grade students of MTs Birrul Walidain NW Rensing in the school year of 2012-2013. The sample used was obtained by cluster random sampling technique. The total number of sample was 66 students, divided into three groups; NHT, QAR and conventional technique groups. In conclusion NHT is likely higher in effectiveness than the other techniques in improving the reading comprehension. From those experiments that ever had, they were using numbered heads together technique as a technique to teach English. This study concerned in teaching reading on descriptive text by using numbered heads together NHT. They are similar with this study which using numbered heads together technique. The differences among the three studies are the place to conduct it, the English material and theresearch design. The first study used classroom action research, the second study used experimental study and the third used comparative study. This study uses experimental study and conducted using numbered heads together technique in teaching reading on descriptive text at the second grade of SMPN 2 Tangerang Selatan.

E. Theoretical Thinking

Based on those definitions above, it can be concluded that numbered heads together is a technique in group working came from cooperative learning that usually consist of four students. Each student has a number 1-4, then teacher asked a question or problem, and students will put their heads together to discuss about the answer, then teacher asked a number randomly and students with that number must to answer the question. It is used to make students easier in understanding the meaning of descriptive text. Teaching reading descriptive text need an extra time because many students get confuse in understandingdescriptive text because the lack of vocabulary and also the structure used in the text. So they often used a dictionary, it makes reading slowly while the learning time is limit. In this occasion, the researcher used numbered heads together in teaching reading descriptive text. T his technique can improve students’ reading ability because they do not have to use dictionary, they will receive an assist from their friends, they also can discuss about the answer or unfamiliar words together. Then, sometimes the teachersteach students to read aloud. It can be useful for beginner language learner to know how to pronounce words in English text but it cannot be used to understand the meaning of the text.Numbered heads together can help the students in understanding the meaning of the text because they will help each other in group; the higher and middle students help the lowest students. It also can encourages the lowest students to speak confidently. This technique also train them to socialize, active and help each other.

F. Research Hypotheses

The research is to answer the question of, “is numbered head together technique effective in improving the students’ reading ability in descriptive text at SMPN 2 Tangerang Selatan? ”