IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH VOCABULARY SELF-COLLECTION STRATEGY AT THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMP N 3 GADING REJO (A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH)

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(CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH)

By SUKISMAN

Submitted in a Partial Fulfillment of The Requirment for S-1 Degree

The Language and Arts Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty

LAMPUNG UNIVERSITY BANDAR LAMPUNG

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IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH VOCABULARY SELF-COLLECTION STRATEGY_{AT THE EIGHTH}

GRADE OF SMP N 3 GADING REJO (A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH)

BY SUKISMAN

Reading is one the skills that should be taught at school. Based on the writer’s teaching experience at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo, he found that the students still have difficulties in reading. One of the problems are they lack of vocabulary dealing with verb, noun and noun to be taught that makes students difficult to reveal unstated information or tell an idea with their own words. Therefore, the writer employed Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy to improve students’ reading comprehension.

The subject of this research is the Second year students of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo. A classroom action research is carried out in order to improve students’ reading comprehension after using Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy in reading class.

The result of the research proved that Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy improves the students’ reading comprehension. The indicators of the research are concerned on the learning process. In cycle I, there were 17 students (42.5%) who gained score > 60, thus, she conducted cycle II, and there were 33 students (82.5%) who gained score > 60. It means the indicator is achieved. For the learning process, that is the students’ activities, there were only 20 students (50%) who did 70% of the activities in cycle I, then he conducted the other cycle to reach the indicator, and in cycle II there were 35 students (87.5%) who did 80% of the activities, it showed that the indicator is achieved. Meanwhile, for the teacher’s performance the indicator of the research is, if the teacher can get score at least 80 for his teaching performance. The teacher got 60 in cycle I, and then he got 87 in cycle II which means that he could teach the students well after using vocabulary Self-Questioning Strategy.

Based on the data, the researcher concluded that there is an improvement of the students’ reading comprehension after being taught using Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy. Therefore, Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy is

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Page

ABSTRACT………... APPROVAL………... ADMISSION ………. CURRICULUM VITAE ………... DEDICATION………... MOTTO……….. ACKNOWLEDMENT………... CONTENT………... List of Tables……….. List of Appendices……….

i ii iii iv v vi vii ix x xi I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Problem………. B. Research Problem………. C. Objective of the Research……… D. Uses of the Research……… E. Scope of the Research………..

II. FRAME OF THEORIES

A. Concept of Reading………... B. Concept Reading comprehension……….. C. Concept of Teaching Reading………... D. Concept of Vocabulary………..……… E. Concept of Teaching Learning Vocabulary………... F. The Relation between Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension…. G. Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy………... H. Procedure of Teaching Reading Using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy………. I. Advantages and Disadvantages of Vocabulary Self-Collection

Strategy……….

III. METHOD OF CLSSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

A. Concept of Classroom Action Research………... B. Setting of the Research……...……….. C. Description of the Research………..

1 4 4 4 5 7 9 13 15 18 21 22 23 27 29 31 31

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Instrument of the Research………... G. Data Analysis………... H. Observation………..

IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION A. Cycle I

1. Planning………. 2. Acting……… 3. Observation………..………. 4. Analysis and Reflection……… B. Cycle II

1. Planning………. 2. Acting……… 3. Observation………..……….. 4. Analysis and Reflection………

V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions……… B. Suggestions………

REFERENCES………. APPENDICES……….. 38 40 42 43 44 52 56 56 59 61 68 69 71 76

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LIST OF APPENDIX

Appendix

1. Test 1………... 2. Test 2………... 3. Lesson Plan 1………... 4. Lesson Plan 2……… 5. Observation Sheet of Students Activities Cycle I ………... 6. Observation Sheet of Students Activities Cycle II ……….. 7. Teacher Observation Form Cycle I ……….. 8. Teacher Observation Form Cycle II ………. 9. Result of Cycle I ………...

10. Result of Cycle II ……….

11. Surat Keterangan Mahasiswa ………... 12. Surat Keterangan Izin Penelitian ………. 11. Surat Keterangan Telah Mengadakan Penelitian………. 12. The Example of Students’ Reading Comprehension………

Page 76 80 84 91 99 101 103 105 107 108 109 110 111 112

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LIST OF TABLES

Tables

1. Figure the Cycle of Classroom Action Research ………... 2. Specification of the Observation Sheet ……….. 3. Students’ Reading Score at Cycle 1……… 4. Students’ Score in Each Component of Reading at Cycle I …………... 5. Students’ ReadingScore at Cycle I and Cycle II………... 6. Students’ Score at Cycle I and Cycle II………..

34 37 45 46 59 60

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I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of The Problems

In Indonesia, English is a foreign language that has been taught formally from the Elementary School through University. According to the 2006 English Curriculum, there are four language skills that should be taught to the students, they are: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The objectives of teaching English based on the curriculum are divided into some categories: to have a basic knowledge and competence in English; to have advanced knowledge of English, and English skills, mainly in reading; and to be able to appreciate English literacy work. In this curriculum, reading is more emphasized than the other skills.

In teaching reading, the students are expected to be able to comprehend reading tests. Students who are reading with purpose tend to comprehend what they read better. To set the purpose, the teacher may give them questions which enable the students to comprehend the passage. Ideally the students can answer the questions correctly after reading activity in the class. They can give the most significant information required by the questions. But most of the students lack skills to locate the details by including inappropriate words in their answers. These statements were based on the writer’s experience especially when she taught

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reading in the second year students of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo. Unfortunately the students’ reading ability is very low.

In reading class the teacher did not stimulate the students to give a positive response and apply specific teaching reading technique based on the students’ needs, interests, and habits. The teacher only focussed on giving writing tasks from the English book to the students without guiding them in comprehending the text and knowing whether the students were to do it or not. So many students were not able to answer the questions and also they got difficulties in determining the main ideas. Beside that many students have no dictionaries for help them to study English, and of course the students’ vocabularies were very low.

In facing this condition, the students’ reading ability should be improved, because the students should master the English reading comprehension ability. To do so, the teacher has responsibility to find out the alternative way to solve the problem in reading comprehension.

The use of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy is very important in teaching reading. Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy refers to the raising questions by individual student readers. They took responsibility for their own reading and enhance the aesthetic experience. According to the statements above, the writer assumed that Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can overcome the difficulty in reading comprehension because teaching students to activate relevant prior

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knowledge and develop their metacognition during reading may enhance questioning and consequently, lead to better comprehension.

In order to locate the details or information required, the students need some directions about the types of details signalled by specific questions. It is also necessary to develop the ability how to locate the details which affect the meaning by having them to construct Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy by themselves throughout reading activity. One of the skills is to apply Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy of any meaningful statements printed in the reading material throughout reading activity.

The writer expected that this technique would be useful in teaching reading. It also can help the students’ ability to locate some details or information that they have already read before. By using such technique, the students of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo, hopefully would be motivated because they have set the purpose of reading which are realized by using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy.

Therefore, Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy was employed in order to solve the problem of students at the second year of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo in reading comprehension could be improved. This classroom action research would be focused on investigating whether or not students’ reading ability if taught through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy and how Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can be used to improve students’ reading ability at the second year students at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo.

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B. Research Problem.

Concerning with the background of the problems, the researcher formulated the problem as follows:

1. Can Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy be used to increase students’ reading comprehension in teaching learning process at the Eighth Grade of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo?

2. How is the process of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy in improving students’ reading comprehension in teaching learning activity at the Eighth Grade of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo?”

C. Objectives of the Research

The objectives of this research are as follow:

1. To investigate how Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can be used to increase students’ reading comprehension in teaching learning process. 2. To describe the process of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy in improving

students’ reading comprehension in teaching learning activity.

D. Uses of the Research This research is used as follows: 1. Practically.

This research would be useful for English teachers to implement this strategy to improve their students’ reading comprehension.

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2. Theoritically

The result of this classroom action research would be useful for supporting the theory about the implementation of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy used to improve students’ reading comprehension.

E. Scope of the Research

To give the limitation in this research, the researcher made the scope of the research as follows:

1. This research was conducted at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo and the subject was the the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo.

2. This research is focused on the students’ learning achievement of a narrative text reading through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy.

3. The researcher explained the process of teaching a narrative text reading through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy and the problems that may arise during the teaching process.

4. The researcher focused the research on narrative text reading in order to make this research more specific and the researcher takes the students material in accordance to 2006 curriculum of SMP. The materials of the teaching reading are taken from Smart Steps, an English textbook for the

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first semester of the eighth grade of Junior High School. The topic is discussed by the students in reading narrative text is Pinocchio.

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II. FRAME OF THEORIES

A. Concept of Reading

Reading is extracting information from print (Smith, 1982: 2). In other words, reading is the cognitive process of deriving meaning from written or printed text. It is supported by Clark and Silberstein in Simanjuntak (1987:24) who defined that reading is as an active cognitive process of interacting with print and monitoring comprehension to establish meaning. It means that students are required to be able to get a lot of information based on what they are reading in the text. Meanwhile, Nuttall (1990:7) defined reading as meaningful interpretation of printed or written symbols. It means that reading is a result of the interaction between the perception of graphic symbols that represent language and the reader’s language skill, cognitive skill and knowledge of the world. From the definition above, it can be concluded that reading is a process of brains, which work together with eyes in order to get the information in verbal or printed symbols.

In the process of reading, both in intensive and extensive reading, there are three models of reading process (Eskey in Simanjuntak 1989:7):

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a. Bottom-up process is a process of reading involving exact, detailed, sequential perceptions and identification of letters, words, spelling patterns and larger language units.

b. Top-down model deals with the general notion of reading as the reconstruction of meaning based on skillful sampling of the text, and such specific notions as the use of linguistic redundancy, the crucial role of prior knowledge in prediction, and the necessity for reading at a reasonable rate in larger, more meaningful chunks of a text.

c. Interactive model deals with a particular cognitive behavior based on certain kinds of knowledge which forms a part of the reader’s cognitive structure. To begin with, the reader must know both the written forms and the meaning of the subject matter, structures and words of which this sentence is composed.

Furthermore, Woodward (2001:62) said that reading skill can be seen in terms of bottom-up and top-down skills. Bottom-up (or systemic) skills consist of building up meaning from analyzing the form of the language used (e.g. from words to clauses to sentences to paragraph). A text may be partially understood at this level, but it is unlikely that a full understanding can be achieved without top-down skills. Top-down (or schematic) skills involve the prior knowledge brought by the reader to the text. This kind of knowledge can be seen as being cultural or word knowledge. Our learners therefore need both types of skill if they to make sense of a text, and our methodology needs to pay attention to both.

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In addition, Nuttall (1982:4) stated that reading involves communication process between encoder and decoder. The encoder is the writer since he can well speak his message. The encoder has a message in his mind which he wants somebody else to share. To make it possible he must first put it into words: that is he must encode it. Once it is encoded, in either spoken or written form, it is available outside his mind as a text. The text is accessible to the mind of another person who hears or reads it, i.e. who decodes the message it contains. Once it is decoded, the message enters the mind of the decoder and communication is achieved. In other words, reading means getting out of the text as nearly as possible the message that the writer put into it.

B. Concept of Reading Comprehension

Smith (1982:5) mentioned that comprehension is not a quantity of anything and therefore cannot be measured. Comprehension can be regarded as a condition where no uncertainty exists that, therefore, results in the attempt of someone to make sense of something, in this case the content of a text. Therefore, students’ attempt to understand the text in term of questions of what are stated in the text is able to be defined as a process of comprehension.

The first point to be made about reading process is that reading comprehension and the knowledge of the language meaning are the basic element for comprehension (Eskey in Simanjuntak 1989:7). In line with her, Smith (1982:6) mentioned that comprehension in reading as a matter of making sense of text, of relating written language to what we know already and to what we want to know.

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It is a correlation between reader’s background knowledge and the information stated in the text. The reader tries to get something based on her or his background knowledge while reading the text. Therefore, comprehending a text, as it is mentioned earlier, is an active process between reader’s background knowledge and the text (Eskey in Simanjuntak 1989:7).

According to Nuttall (1982:146), reading approach can be categorized into two: 1. Extensive Reading

Extensive reading program is a private world of reading for reader’s own interest. Reader reads what they want to read for their own pleasure. This program should be encouraged to do because by reading extensively, a reader will find the best way to improve his knowledge of a foreign language. The more students read in the foreign language, the better result in their progressing at increasing speed of productive skill’s improvement, for example they can read novel, magazine, article and short story.

2. Intensive Reading

Intensive reading program deals with assignment of reading lesson in the classroom to students guided by teachers. It is sometimes labeled as reading for accuracy while the extensive reading is labeled as reading for fluency. In the classroom, students’ role is as a reader. It demands that he should make sense of the text for himself. Then, the teacher has to take the responsibility to find out what students can or cannot do, work out on the program aimed at giving them the skills they need, choose suitable texts to work on and the activities,

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prepare the class undertake the tasks, make sure everyone in class works productively and improve steadily according to his capabilities.

In addition, Eskey in Simanjuntak (1989:1) implied that the purpose of intensive reading program is to understand and remember the content of reading text. There are seven stages cover the program for very effective reading focused for detailed comprehension and long retention:

a. Overview

The teaching reading activity that implies intensive reading method is preceded by overview stage. At this stage, the teacher makes the students explore the content of the text. Next, the teacher asks them to obtain some news, messages and information from the text.

b. Planning Purpose

After conducting the overview stage, the teacher should formulize the target of his teaching reading activity. He should analyze the elements of students’ reading comprehension that must be increased after the students pass the teaching reading activity.

c. Questioning

After conducting the overview stage and plan the purpose his teaching reading activity, he should arrange several questions for the students about the content of the text. The questions should reflect the whole content of the context in

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order to ease the students in comprehending the content of the text in the next stage.

d. Reading

Reading is the core of intensive reading program because at this stage the students’ reading comprehension is really trained to be increased.

e. Summarizing

After the teacher conducts the reading stage, he asks the students to summarize the content of the text.

f. Testing

At this stage, the students’ reading comprehension is tested.

g. Understanding

The end of intensive reading is to be sure that the students understand the content of the reading text in details. They have to be able to answer every important question that asking about the content of the reading text.

It is important that intensive reading can lead students to have an exposure to a text which deal with anything difficult vocabulary in the text. Stahl (1999:56) says that vocabulary mastery has a significant correlation to reading comprehension. By understanding the vocabulary well, learners will mostly have better comprehension to the content of the text. In other word, vocabulary should be

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prerequisite before students are given the exposure to the text so that students will have better reading comprehension.

C. Concept of Teaching Reading

Reading skills are often regarded as receptive skills and likened to listening skills. There are similarities, but one important difference is that the reader can take control of the input more easily. Woodward (2001: 62) says that a listening input is often taped with pauses built in or controlled by teacher. When reading, however, a reader determines the speed of the activity by himself so that this becomes one of the positive things to stress to students in the teaching of reading.

When trying to gauge how difficult a particular text will be for students, teachers need to bear in mind not only the inherent difficulty of the text, but also the nature of the tasks they plan to set and whether they require students to attempt such task before, during or after students have studied the text. Woodward (2001:63) classifies the activities in reading class into three as follows:

1. Pre-reading task

This task can be in form of vocabulary games, word searches and matching synonyms. These activities can help students to approach a text in a more confident way. Other pre-reading activities that can help readers related to the full meaning of a text are ones which activate top-down skills, or schematic knowledge. All of them enable students to familiarize themselves with the content of a text. The activities can be systematic (such as vocabulary exercise)

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or schematic (such as thinking of the purpose of a text or predicting the content from its title).

2. While reading tasks.

These kinds of task, as Woodward (2001:63) states, have become more used since the adoption of the idea of reading as an interactive process. These encourage learners to be active as they read. Students can be given activities which require them to do any of the following: follow the order of the idea in a text; react to the opinion expressed; understand the information it contains; ask themselves questions; make notes; confirm expectations of prior knowledge or predict the next part of a text from various clues.

3. Post reading tasks.

These tasks follow up the work covered and seek to extend candidates. Such activities are directed writing activities, or role play and group discussion activities.

The activities above are a part of a structured program of learning probably chosen by teachers when teaching reading. All the above kinds of activity can be undertaken on an individual or group basis. Reading is frequently taught as being a solo and quiet activity, but group pre- and post-reading activities can motivate the crucial while-reading activities. The task of the teachers in class is to go beyond course books and to introduce the students to a challenging element of the

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target language which can add a new dimension to their learning and which can give them some autonomy.

D. Concept of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is a set of lexeme including simple word, compound word, and idiom. Oshima and Hague (1993:3) defined a simple word as single word that may or may not have a prefix and/or suffix, for example: table, chair, door, etc. While a compound word is a word joined from two or more other words. Compound word can be written as one word, two words or as hyphenated-word, for example: classroom, textbook, policeman, etc. Idiom is a group of words with a meaning which is different from the individual words and often difficult to understand the individual words, for example: look up, look at, give up, etc

Mastering vocabulary as a basic element of language is a must, since vocabulary is basic element of language that will make language become meaningful and without vocabulary one cannot use language for communication purpose. It is impossible to learn language without vocabulary (Rivers, 1978:462). Moreover, Finnochiaro (1973) stated that the essential part of the language learning is the lexicon or vocabulary of the language. Wallace (1989:30) says that vocabulary is the stock of word used by the people, a particular class of people or even person. Concerning with those statements indeed vocabulary is fundamental for everyone who wants to speak or to reproduce any utterances for reading. In short, Vocabulary is the number of words which is used to communicate.

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Literally vocabulary is a total number of words which with rules for combining them to make up language. We cannot develop four language skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing without having enough mastery of vocabulary. So, this becomes an English teacher task to help students enlarge their vocabulary mastery. The teacher of language should increase the students’ vocabulary because vocabulary is an important part in language. Stahl (1999), states that vocabulary is a building block to build the language. In order to communicate effectively the learner needs adequate numbers of vocabulary. This statement is supported by Rivers (1970:462), who says that it would be impossible learning a language without words. It means that by mastering vocabulary one is able to communicate in English.

According Allen and Rebecca (1977:124), vocabulary is a sum or stock of words used in language by class, individual, or field of knowledge.

Meanwhile, Stahl (1999:38) says that it would be impossible to learn a language without vocabulary, learning a language means learning vocabulary. It means that vocabulary take an impotent part in language in which the vocabulary would make a language meaningful.

There are some types of vocabulary in English. Fries (1974:4), classifies English words into four groups, namely:

1. Content words represent the names of object or things that is concrete nouns (athlete, ball, racket, etc), for example: Athletes from many different nations take part in the Olympic Game; action done by or with these things, that is

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verbs (run, jump, hit, push, etc), for example: Wahyu runs fast in the competition; and qualities of these things, that is adjectives (noisy, fast, big, long, small, tall, heavy, etc), for example: The spectators at the stadium are very noisy.

2. Function words are those words which are used as a means of expressing relation of grammatical structure, such as, conjunctions (and, but, however, etc), for example: The cheerleaders cheer and dance energetically articles (a, an, the), for example: A football coach should have a very loud voice; auxiliaries (do, does, did), for example: Susi Susanti does her job as well as in her previous competitions.

3. Substitute words are those which represent to individual things or specific action as substitutes for whole from-classes of words, that is, indefinite article (anybody, anyone, somebody, and someone), for example: A referee is someone who controls a game.

4. Distributed words are those distributed in use according to grammatical matter as the presence or absence of a negative, such as, any, either, too, or yet, for example: A climbing is too dangerous sport for children.

From those types of English vocabulary, the content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) were taken as the material in teaching English vocabulary since it is

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appropriate with guessing word game. The writer had chosen them as the material because they are often used as a satisfactory means of communication.

Concerning some concepts of vocabulary proposed by the experts above, that vocabulary is an important part in learning a language. Without mastering a large number of vocabularies, it is difficult for a learner to study, to use the language. A large number of vocabularies can help the students to express their ideas precisely, vividly, and without repeating ourselves in composition. It also helps a learner to understand foreign language easily, including English as the language being researched here.

We can say that vocabulary is basic things in language and has an important role in language learning and it would be said that no vocabulary, nothing could say.

E. Concept of Teaching Learning Vocabulary

Mastering English vocabulary is very important in order that we can communicate with others. Vocabulary is also an important factor in all languages. In teaching vocabulary, there are some important points to be considered. These are spelling, meaning, pronunciation, use, and number of word. And in this research, the aspects that the researcher will take are about meaning, pronunciation, and use. Students must continually learn words as they practice the sound system (Allen & Rebecca M.V. (1977:149).

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Nation (1990:2) said that giving attention to vocabulary is important. This is important, because when teacher teach the student, this aspect of target language at the same time they can help the students to acquire language skills; listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Kriedler (1983:21) said that modern technique of language teaching. Vocabulary in any learning activity consists of memorizing list of word in isolation.

But words are usually introduced in meaningful context and practiced in appropriate sentence pattern, such as word rubbish. The vocabulary comes from the theme of Pollution. By having enough vocabulary, it will be easier for student to comprehend the text and to express ideas in speaking and writing.

Due to the idea previously described, the writer chooses guessing words game because this game hopefully can enlarge student’s vocabulary.

Nation (1990:15) stated that teaching vocabulary by using guessing word game is one of the ways to teach vocabulary.

In the teaching vocabulary the teacher has responsibility to make their teaching successful. There are very strong reasons for systematic and principle approach to teach vocabulary. First, because vocabulary is one of vital component to communicate it needs to be directed toward useful word so that the learners can practice their vocabulary. Second there are a lot of variety words which related with vocabulary in foreign language

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Nation (1990:5) stated that the teacher may often give particular attention to a certain word. The purpose of learning vocabulary is that the student can understand the meaning of words in the language but also must memorize a number of words more than that.

Teacher must be able to know what kind of technique that should to achieve their goal. Nation (1990:24) maintained that there are five possible ways of teaching vocabulary; they are:

1. Teaching vocabulary through creativity. It is done by the following way : The teacher should provide many choices to the students as they want to learn.

The teacher can apply some techniques which enable the students to be creative in producing vocabulary, such as by using game or picture. Example, matching the statement with the picture or the students should tell the creativity in the picture.

2. Teaching vocabulary through context clues which is done like the following. The teacher uses the key word or the clues to help the students to produce the word. Example: Who is he? He leads a sport competition. (Referee)

3. Teaching vocabulary through guessing. It is done like the following:

The students should guess the word from the first letter given and the clue. Example: T : What is given by referee for booking the player’s fault?

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The answer is Yellow card and Supporter.

4. Teaching Vocabulary through derivation which is done like the following: The teacher can use the noun, verb, adjective, and adverb then asks the students to mention the derivation of the words. For example: to play (V), player (N), playing (N).

1. He plays badminton every Sunday. 2. David Beckham is a football player. 3. Playing makes him happy.

5. Teaching vocabulary through translation, considered as a conventional technique. Because the teacher teaches the meaning directly for example: Need in Indonesian means memerlukan, warning means peringatan, etc.

According to those five possible ways of teaching vocabulary, vocabulary self-collection strategy is applied as a technique to teach English vocabulary.

F. The Relation between Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension

Vocabulary and reading comprehension are highly correlated, making vocabulary among the best single predictors of comprehension (Thorndike in Curtis, 2003:44). In line with this statement, Stoller and Grabe in Coady (1993:284) emphasizes the important of vocabulary building as an integral part of reading, viewing it as a strategy skill that is necessary to be included in reading instruction. Through the teaching of reading, vocabulary knowledge can be acquired gradually

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and incrementally in a myriad of contexts through repeated exposures (Stoller and Grabe in Coady, 1993:285), and this may lead to the incidental learning of lexical items which provides at least three benefits, namely, richer sense of the words’ use and meaning due to the context, efficiency that can be achieved by simultaneous two fold learning (reading and vocabulary), and the more individualized and learner-based nature of the acquisition (Huckin and Coady, 1999:181).

As explained above, vocabulary self-collection strategy is a tool to aid students in identifying and learning terms that are keys to a text or activity. Students connect prior knowledge to new conceptual understanding acquired through reading or an inquiry-based unit of study. Since the students’ problem in understanding the content of a reading text is due to the lack of vocabulary mastery, vocabulary self-collection strategy was chosen to be implemented in the teaching of reading in this research so that the unfamiliar words will no longer be inhibitor for the learners when understanding a text.

G. Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

The vocabulary self-collection strategy involves having students choose the words they want to learn, chat about their rationale for selecting words, and agree upon words for a classroom collection (Miciano, Remedios:2002). Readence and Baldwin (2001) defined vocabulary that involves some of the following steps; selecting the words, defining the words, finalizing the word lists, and extending word knowledge done through categorizing each of parts of speech. This strategy

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is an effective approach to help students understand the meaning of new words, use them in conversations and writing, and make personal connections with words while reading. The strategy also encourages students to use the words for authentic tasks and on a regular basis in their writing. In addition, the strategy can be applied to any content area reading.

The purpose of the vocabulary self-collection strategy is to help students generate a list of words to be explored and learned and to use their own prior knowledge and interest to enhance their vocabulary. (Readence in Literacy and Learning, 2001:22). This strategy can be used to stimulate growth in word knowledge. Because the list is self-generated, an internal motivation is utilized. This strategy can help students become fascinated with language and thus increase their enjoyment of the subject. The steps in vocabulary self-collection strategy enable the long term acquisition of vocabulary. Because students generate both the vocabulary and the meaning from a text they are currently using, not only do they learn the vocabulary in the context but also they can learn to use a useful reading strategy that will help them better understand their current text and others in the future.

H. Procedure of Teaching Reading Using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

The followings are the steps of teaching reading using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy that were done in this research (Wong, 1985). The text which is used is the text used in the first cycle, ”Tropical Forest.”

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1. Teacher asks students the issues related to the topic going to be read in the text, e.g.:

T: Have you ever heard about “Tropical Forest?” S: Yes, I have.

T: What is that?

S: Tropical Forest is the forest in tropical countries.

2. Teacher divides the class into nominating teams of four to five students and asks them to work on a text. Together the students on a nominating team decide which words to select for emphasis in the text selection, e.g.:

T: Now, I will divide you into 6 groups. You will choose three words that you think important for you to know the meaning in order to comprehend the text.

S: Can you give example, ma’am? T: Sure.

3. Teacher introduces the activity by modeling step 2 using a word from the text selection, e.g.:

T: OK. For example I choose the word “spectacular”. Then, discuss with your friends about where you find the word, what the word means, and why we should learn this word. So, I choose “spectacular”, I find this word in the first line of the first paragraph, “A tropical rainforest is one of the earth’s spectacular natural wonders. “The meaning of this word is very impressive

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or unusual. We should learn this word because we think this word is important and we don’t know the meaning yet. Do you understand?

S: Yes.

4. Teacher asks each team to present the word that each team has selected to the entire class. A spokesperson for each team identifies the nominated word and responds to the following questions:

a. Where is the word found in the text? The spokesperson read the passage in which the word is located or describes the context in which the word is used.

b. What do the team members think the word means? The team decides on what the word means in the context in which it is used. They must use information from the surrounding context and may also consult reference resources.

c. Why did the team think the class should learn the word? The team must tell the class why the word is important enough to single out for emphasis, e.g.:

T: Now, you present the words that you choose. Choose one person in your group to be the speaker and do like what I have shown you. S: Alright ma’am.

5. During the team presentations, teacher facilitates the discussion, writes the nominated words on the board with their meanings, e.g.:

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T: What do you think about your fried’s explanation? Do you agree with her or you have different idea?

S: If we disagree, can we ask question to them ma’am? T: Sure. Just ask!

S: Why does the word “wonder” in dictionary mean “heran” while here means “keajaiban”.

6. Teacher asks the students to write all the nominated words and definitions down in their notebook, e.g.:

T: Now, write down all these words and their meanings in your notebook. S: Yes, ma’am. Should we put it based on its part of speech ma’am? T: Yes, you can write the words based on its part of speech.

7. Teacher helps students to extend word knowledge by discussing the content of the text with the emphasis on the vocabulary they have learned, e.g.:

T: How is the word “spectacular” used in the text?

S: A tropical forest is one of the earth’s spectacular nature wonders. T: What is the meaning of the word based on the text?

S: Here, “spectacular” means “luar biasa,”ma’am.” T: Superb! Is the verb, noun, adjective, or adverb? S: It is adjective ma’am.

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T: Now, I want you to still work in the same group and answer these questions.

S: Is it still related to the text we have just discussed ma’am? T: Sure, it is.

I. Advantages and Disadvantages of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

1. Advantages of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

The Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy has several beneficial outcomes for use in the content area classroom (Wong: 1985). This strategy helps students develop an awareness of the importance of learning content-area words. It is through the development of this awareness that students begin to use self-monitoring strategies. Through the use of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, students become involved in pointing out important vocabulary in a text. This, in turn, helps students take ownership of their own future learning.

2. Disadvantages of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

There are some disadvantages of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy. First, the procedures take time because there are seven steps that teacher has to do, which are shown in the above sub chapter. Therefore, the researcher gave the limit time for the students to do the activity. Moreover, Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can only be used to teach intermediate or advanced learner of English because students will have some exposure of texts and find the meaning of the words through context clues. Then, Vocabulary self-collection

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strategy can merely be used as pre-requisite to master the content of the text before students try to do another task in the text, e.g. finding the stated and unstated meaning in the text. The researcher gave the time limit for the students to do the activity to overcome the limitation of the time in the class.

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III. RESEARCH METHODS

A. Concept of Classroom Action Research

Classroom action research (CAR) is systematic inquiry with the goal of informing practice in particular situation (Angelo and Cross, 1993:1). It means that classroom action research is a way for instructors or teacher to discover what works best in their own classroom situation, thus allowing informed decision about teaching.

Furthermore, Corey (1953:1) defined action research as the process through which practitioners study their own practice to solve their personal practical problems. It means that action research is a collaborative activity where practitioners work together to help one another design and carry out investigation in their classrooms.

In addition, Kemmis and Mc. Taggart (1982:3) stated that action research is deliberate, solution-oriented investigation that is group or personally owned and conducted. It is characterized by spiraling cycles of problem identification, systematic data collection, reflection, analysis, data-driven action taken, and finally problem redefinition. The linking of term “action” and “research” highlights the essential features of this method; trying out ideas in practice as a mean of increasing knowledge about / or improving curriculum, teaching and learning.

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Action research has been employed for various purposes: for school-based curriculum, as a professional development strategy, in pre-service and graduated courses in education, in systems planning and policy development. Besides, action research can be used as an evaluative tool, which can assist in self-evaluation whether the “self” be an individual or an institution. CAR will help the teacher discover what works best in his/her own classroom situation. It is a powerful integration of teaching and scholarship that provides a solid basis for instructional decisions. CAR’s easily mastered techniques provide insights into teaching that result in continual improvement.

Moreover, action research provides teachers with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skill in research methods and applications and to become more aware of the options and possibilities for change (Oja & Pine, 1989:96). It means that the teachers participating in action research become more critical and reflective about their own practice. The teachers engaging in action research attend more carefully to their methods, their perceptions and understandings, and their whole approach to the teaching process.

Kemmis’ model follows the cycle of: Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection. “Planning “ involves the determination of the question that needs answering and the strategy to be used in answering it. During the “Action” stage, the practitioner tries out the strategy. The “Observation” stage includes recording data on the result of the strategy and also keeping a journal on the practitioner‘s

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thoughts and reactions to the entire experience. Finally, during the “Reflection” stage, the researcher makes conclusions so that a new cycle can begin (Kemmis, 1982:5).

B. Setting

In this research, the researcher used classroom action research. This research was done at class VIII. 3 SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo Pringsewu. It was done based on the problem faced by the students and the teacher when students did reading test in the class. Based on the problem found, the research examined the causes of the problem and then found the solution for the problem.

The subject of this research was the eighth grade students at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo. There were 40 students in the class which consist of 23 male students and 17 female students. In this classroom action research, the researcher acted as a teacher, meanwhile the teacher of English at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo acted as observer. The researcher made the lesson plan based on the procedures of the technique that was implemented and taught the students based on the lesson plan.

C. Description of the Research

Based on the problem identified by the researcher, he examined the cause of the problems and tried to find the solution. The solution which was conducted is teaching reading through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy. Researcher made

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lesson plan and taught the students based on the lesson plan. Then, the observer observed students’ activities in teaching and learning process.

Furthermore, the researcher and observer analyzed and discussed the observation result during teaching and learning process (the strength and weakness which were done by the teacher and students using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy) and learning result (the reading test).

This research was done by researcher with the English teacher of the Second year students at SMP Negeri 3 Gading Rejo. The researcher acted as the teacher, who made the lesson plan, taught the students using the technique, observed the students’ activity and conducted the evaluation. While the teacher acted as the collaborator who observed the process of teaching and learning in the classroom including students’ activity to be the input for better process in the following cycle. While the researcher was applying the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy in the classroom, the observer observed the students’ activities. Besides, he observed on the weakness of the first cycle in order to make improvement on the next cycle. During the teaching and learning process, the teacher held a reading test. The test, therefore, scored by both teacher and researcher. The result of the test and the observation data were discussed together to decide whether or not the next cycle needs to be done.

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In conducting the research, the researcher used the procedure of classroom action research designed by Arikunto. According to him, the research procedure in a classroom action research consists of planning, implementing, observing and reflecting (2006:16). Therefore, this research was designed as follows:

1. Planning

The research was done until the minimum score of the reading text, that is 60, is reached by 70% of the students. The researcher prepared lesson plan in each cycle, selected materials from textbook, and prepared reading test for the students and also observation sheet that was filled out by collaborator when the researcher was teaching. In order to get the data, the researcher taught the students, got the collaborator observe, and asked students do reading task process of teaching including test taking took one meeting and the process of analyzing and discussing the result of the observation and the test took three days in each cycle.

2. Implementing

In this step, the researcher taught the material by using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy with the lesson plan and the materials prepared.

2. Observing

Observation was done by collaborator and the researcher during the teaching and learning process. The collaborator and the researcher observed students’

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Planning

CYCLE 1

Observing

Planning

CYCLE 2

Observing

Implementing Reflecting

activities and then the result of the observation was filled out in the observation sheet.

3. Reflecting

Here, the observer and the researcher discussed about the strength and the weakness of a cycle to determine what to do in the next cycle and to determine whether or not the result of the cycle is satisfactory.

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E. Indicators of the Research

There were two indicators in this research: learning product and learning process. Learning product was in form of students’ reading test score while learning process was in form of the observation report of collaborator. Then, the detail indicators are explained as follows:

a. Learning product

The Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy is able to improve students’ reading comprehension if 70% of the students reach the target score of the reading test, 60. So it means that students, at least, should answer 70% of the reading test correctly.

In order to see whether Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy could be used to improve the students' reading mastery in the Classroom Action Research, the researcher determined the indicator dealing with the learning process and products.

b. Learning Process

The observation of the process of teaching was based on the lesson plan made by teacher and the real process in the classroom. It covered pre-activity, while-activity and post-while-activity. The target is that 80% of students are active during the process. The students involve in each activity and response teacher’s instruction appropriately. Students’ activity is measured through written report of the collaborator and researcher in observation sheet.

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While the researcher was teaching, observer and the researcher herself observed the teaching and learning process in the classroom and focused on the participation and the involvement of students in the activity.

F. Instrument of the Research

There were two instruments of the research going to be employed in this classroom action research. They are as follows:

1. Reading test

Reading test was the product of the teaching and learning process. The test was in form of multiple choices. The result of this test was considered as the data of students’ reading comprehension’s improvement. The test is valid and reliable. It has been tried out and it was a good reflection of what had been taught and of the knowledge which the teacher wanted the students to know, the writer compared it with a table of specification. If the table represented the materials that the writer wanted to test, then it was considered to be a valid test.

This test is also reliable since it has been tried out. To measure the coefficient of the reliability between odd and even group, this research used Pearson Product Moment Formula (Arikunto, 2006:69). To find out the reliability of the test is very high, that is 0.8 according to the standard of reliability from Arikunto (2006:260).

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2. Observation sheet

The observation sheet was filled out by observer and researcher during the process of teaching and learning. The collaborator and researcher took a note on students’ activities and the process of the teaching and learning in the classroom reflected on pre-activity, while-activity, and post-activity. The making of the observation sheet was based on the procedure in Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy as written in lesson plan so that it fulfilled the requirement of content validity. The observation sheet is used to determine whether or not students are active in class and whether or not the next cycle is needed to be done.

Table1. Table of Specification of the Observation Sheet

No. Activities Objectives

1. Pre-Activities

 Interested in the opening of the class.

 Responding to the teacher’s

questions about the topic enthusiastically.

 To make students interested in the lesson.

 To build clarity of what is going to be learnt.

2. While-Activities

 Following teacher’s instruction to

work in group.

 Following teacher’s modeling

enthusiastically.

 Actively involved in the discussion of the tasks in group.

 Recording the presented difficult words in worksheet actively.  Answering questions of reading test

in group.

 Checking together the answers of the questions with teacher.

 To make students work freer and enable fast learner help slow learners.

 To give clarity of the stages going to do in the lesson.

 To build students’ understanding to

the vocabulary.

 To build long term acquisition of the vocabulary learnt.

 To test whether students’ vocabulary

mastery relate to reading

comprehension.

 To check students’ mastery in the lesson.

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G. Data Analysis

In analyzing the data, the researcher classified the data into two categories: the data of the learning product and the data of the learning process. The data of the learning product is the result of the reading test and the data of learning process is the result of the observation.

The data analysis was done after the data were collected from every cycle (1st, 2nd,…). After getting the data the researcher together with the teacher analyzed the data and did reflection based on them. From the analysis and reflection, the researcher knew what should be improved on the next cycle.

Data analysis is the process of organizing the data in order to gain regularly of the pattern and form of the research. The term interpretation can be defined as a procedure of giving meaning on the result of analytic process. Data analysis is done to create understanding of the data and after following the certain procedure result of the study that can be presented by the researcher to readers (Setiyadi, 2006).

In analyzing and interpreting the data, the first step that was done by the researcher was making abstraction of all collected data. After conducting the research, the researcher made an abstraction of all data collected. Then the researcher selected the data related to the research problem. Then the researcher arranged all data collected by classifying the data. In this case, the researcher classified the data into two categories: the data in learning product and the data in

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learning process, they are observation and writing task. When the researcher got the data, the researcher tried to interpret all collected data from each cycle. And based on the analysis and reflection of each cycle, the researcher decided whether there would be the next cycle or not.

1. Learning Product

To know the learning product, the researcher used reading test by asking the students to comprehend a narrative text made by the group of students to collect the data. There is the indicator used to analyze the data gained from the test: If at least 70% of students’ scores can reach 60 or more for the test, it is assumed that Vocabulary self-collection strategy in Increasing Students’ Reading Skill is applicable. To know the percentage of students’ who get ≥ 60, the following formula is used:

Number of students who get ≥ 60 Total number of students

2. Learning Process

In this learning process, observation was done both to the teacher and the students by the observer during the teaching learning process by observing the whole activities in the class and by filling the observation sheets. The observation was done to know the students’ activity and the teacher’s activity during the teaching learning process based on the problems faced by the teacher.

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The indicator that used to analyze the learning process of the students and the teacher is: If 80% or more of students are actively involved in teaching and learning activities when Vocabulary self-collection strategy used in Increasing Students’ Reading Skill is being implemented, it means the target is fulfilled. If more than 80% of students are actively involved in teaching and learning activities, it can be categorized as a good level. If the teacher can get score 80 in his teaching performance, it means she can teach the students reading very well by Vocabulary self-collection strategy. So, if the teacher can reach the target, it meant that the teacher’s teaching performance is good.

And if one of the indicators above is not achieved in the first cycle, the researcher would apply the next cycle. According to result of this research in cycle 1 there were 17 students (42.5%) who gained score > 60, thus, he conducted cycle 2, and there were 30 students (75%) who gained score > 60 it means the indicator is achieved. To get data from the learning process, the researcher used observation sheets. The results of the observation sheets analyzed after every cycle have already been conducted.

H. Observation

Since the observation was done for observing the students’ activities and also the teacher’s performance, the researcher analysed the result of the observation separately. In analyzing the data from observing the students’ activities, the researcher counted the number of students who are actively involved in the teaching learning activities and also calculated the percentage of the students. In

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addition, the researcher made abstraction or description then selected the important data which related to the activities of the students.

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V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

Based on the research finding, the conclusion can accordingly be stated as follow:

1. Vocabulary Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can be used to increase the students’ reading achievement. The research was successful because more than 70% of the students of class VIII.3 got score 60 or higher. In cycle I, there were 17 students (42.5%) who gained score 60 or higher, while in cycle II there were 36 students (90%) who gained score 60 or higher. Thus through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, the teaching narrative text reading became more effective, as it was relevant to the students’ need and interest, It was also able to present and to reinforce the language to be learnt, stimulate the language production and it was as a model for a learner to follow.

By using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, it was found that the students’ activities improved as it stimulated and attracted more the students in learning English. As it was found that there were only 20 students (50%) who got 80% of the activities in cycle I, but there were 34 students (85%) who got 80% of the activities in cycle II.

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to enrich her/his teaching performance; it makes English learning easy for the students as the teacher got score 60 in cycle I, then 87 in cycle II, it means that he could teach the students better after implementing the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy.

B. Suggestions

Concerning the problems in teaching process of reading through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy that was found in the research, the researcher would like to give suggestion as follows:

 Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can be used as an alternative technique to teach reading, since it motivated the students to be active in learning and it helped the students to comprehend the text.

 In implementing Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, the teacher should give more emphasizes in controlling the students so that the teacher can observe the students properly. Also, the teacher should consider that the situation in the class can be out of control so that the teacher can take action as a moderator who directs the class situation properly. For example, when all students wanted to read at the same time and made the situation noise, the teacher asked the students to read one by one and asked them to be quiet.

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 In the teaching process of narrative text reading through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy the teacher should give more attention to the ‘fail group’ or to the students that get conflict in their group, so they can co -operate with their peers.

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REFERENCES

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Kemmis, S. 1982. The Action Research Planner. Geelong, Vic: Deakin University Press.

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V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

Based on the research finding, the conclusion can accordingly be stated as follow: 1. Vocabulary Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can be used to increase the

students’ reading achievement. The research was successful because more than 70% of the students of class VIII.3 got score 60 or higher. In cycle I, there were 17 students (42.5%) who gained score 60 or higher, while in cycle II there were 36 students (90%) who gained score 60 or higher. Thus through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, the teaching narrative text reading became more effective, as it was relevant to the students’ need and interest, It was also able to present and to reinforce the language to be learnt, stimulate the language production and it was as a model for a learner to follow.