View of THE USE OF MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN LEARNING NARATIVE TEXT IN READING COMPREHENSION AT THE FIRST GRADE OF SMK NEGERI 1 LABANG BANGKAN

THE USE OF MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE THE
STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN LEARNING NARATIVE TEXT IN READING
COMPREHENSION AT THE FIRST GRADE OF SMK NEGERI 1
LABANG BANGKAN
Ardiyansah
email: Syafiradenin@gmail.com
Abstrak : Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui penggunaan tehnik Mind
Mapping memperbaiki prestasi belajar dalam pemahaman membaca. Riset ini
berbentuk penelitian eksperimental. Dalam pelaksanaanya membutuhkan dua
kelas yaitu kelas eksperiment dan kelas control. Hasil dari penelitian ini
menunjukkan kelas eksperimental yang diajar dengan menggunakan mind
mapping memiliki nilai lebih tinggi. Ini dibuktikan dengan adanya perbedaan
yang sangat berarti dari penghitungan statistik diantara kelas eksperimen dan
kelas control. Hal ini berarti bahwa pengajaran reading dengan menggunakan
tehnik mind mapping membantu siswa memperoleh prestasi belajar lebih tinggi.
Kata Kunci : Penelitian eksperiment, prestasi belajar, tehnik Mind Mapping.
Abstract : The purpose of the research is to know the implementation of Mind
mapping Technique improve the students achievement in reading comprehension.
The design of this study was an experimental research. In conducting this
experiment took two groups, the experimental group and the control group. The
result of this study, the reading scores of the experimental group, who were taught

by using Mind Mapping technique are higher. It was proven by the significant
differences showed by the statistical computation between experimental group and
control group, It means that the teaching of reading by using Mind Mapping
technique helps the students to reach higher achievement.
big role as a means of communication

Introduction
greatest

to deliver ideas and information and

invention. It is used to inform, explain,

also as an indispensable role in the four

move, and sometimes to express fear,

basic language skills.

Language

is

humans’

hate and loves, both spoken and

There are several studies using

written. Learning a language is very

concept or mind mapping in the

essential in order to become proficient

instruction process. Ought on and Reed

in certain skills; listening, reading,

(2000) carried out a study with 21

speaking, and writing. As it is generally

graduate students to examine the

assumed,

the

concept maps they constructed in

language skills that should be mastered

relation to their learning styles and

by foreign language students. It plays a

levels

reading

is

one

of

150

of

hypermedia

knowledge.

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

Findings indicated that assimilators and

future curriculum experts and to relate

diverges were the most productive on

them to the universal context in an

their

integrated and collaborative approach.

concept

students

maps.

with

In

higher

addition,
levels

According

of

to

the

background

hypermedia knowledge had deeper

above, the writer recommends as

levels of processing on their concept

alternative technique to be applied in

maps. Some researches have reco-

teaching reading which is called Mind

mmended mind mapping as a study

Mapping. It is choosen because it has

technique within medical curricula

been used for centuries, for learning,

suited to problem based learning and

brainstorming, memory visual thinking,

using effective training for encouraging

and problem solving by educators,

and motivating students to adopt a

psychologist and people in general. As

deeper level of learning. All et al have

Kern

discussed

the

role

of

“concept

(2000: 197) said that Mind

Mapping

has

been

embraced

by

mapping” as a useful tool in critical

process-oriented composition teachers

and analytical thinking. In the same

as an effective way to help students

line, curricular research has to involve

develop and organize their ideas before

some key questions related to human

they begin to read.

development and real problems in life

The study found that semantic

within a humanistic, experiential and

mapping is good to be implemented in

reflective

perspective.

teaching descriptive reading because it

educational

leadership

Moreover,
has

to

be

can activate students’ prior knowledge

developed to take the responsibility for

in

dealing

and

According to this finding, the writer is

reflective

more encourage to propose a study

solutions. It is necessary to reflect on

entitled “ The Implementation of Mind

the issues and relate theory to practice

Mapping Method to Improve the

in different contexts. Within the light

Students’ Ability In Learning Narrative

of these, the purpose of this paper is to

Text In Reading Comprehension at the

identify the major curricular issues in

first grade of SMK Negeri 1 Labang

Turkey using mind mapping through

Bangkalan”.

the perceptions and experiences of

between these two studies and the

with

continuously

problems

developing

151

order

to

create

There

ideas

is

easily.

similarity

The Use Of Mind Mapping Technique To Improve The Students’, Ardiyansah

previous mentioned above. Both of

might be faced by the teacher while

them emphasize the effectiveness of

using Mind Mapping as an alternative

mapping theory to be implemented in

technique in teaching reading activities.

learning language skills, especially in

Based on the background , the writer

descriptive genre. Semantic Mapping

formulated the problems are : (1) How

was studied in the previous one and

does the teacher implement Mind

Mind Mapping will be in the further

Mapping technique to improve the

study.

students’ ability in learning descriptive

Here,

the

writer

the

text in reading comprehension at the

effectiveness of using Mind Mapping

first grade of SMK Negeri 1 Labang

to

improve the students’ reading

Bangkalan? (2) Is there any significant

abilities of the first grade at SMK

difference in terms of reading ability

Negeri 1 Labang Bangkalan. There are

between the students who are taught by

two reasons of choosing this subject;

using Mind Mapping method and those

first, the 1st grade students of SMK

who are not taught by using Mind

Negeri 1 Labang Bangkalan have

Mapping method?. In line with the

different

economical

statement of the problem above, the

background. They differ in intelligence

study attempts: (1) the implementation

spread through out the classes. But they

of Mind Mapping technique improve

are

the

social

rarely

composition.

and

assigned
Hence,

analyze

to

make

students’

ability

in

learning

representative

descriptive text in reading compre-

data will be obtained. Another reason is

hension, It can make all of students not

that the English teacher of

SMK

only active but also creative in learning

Negeri 1 Labang Bangkalan needs a

process. (2) To find the answer whether

new alternative technique to develop

or

his teaching and learning reading

difference in terms of reading ability

process on classroom with a new

between the students who are taught by

technique, so it may help the students

using Mind Mapping method and those

who are competing to be the qualified

who are not taught by using Mind

students’ of bilingual school. In this

Mapping

case, the researcher tries to find the

significancies of the study, they are :

advantages and disadvantages that

(1) for English teacher , it will be used

152

not

there

is

method.

any

There

significant

are

3

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

as an input to know the students’

researcher

ability in the English teaching learning

experimental group and the control

process, especially in reading and It

group. Both of those classes received

can enrich the teacher teaching strategy

different treatment. The experimental

in teaching English especially for

group was tought reading by using

reading instruction. (2) for Readers, it

Mind Mapping method, while the

is very important to help the readers

control group was tought as usual

understand

without

students

and

teachers

took

two

groups,

manipulation.

Before

the

the

activities while teaching and learning

treatment was given, the researcher

process. (3) for writer, the result of this

gave the pre test to the two classes.
The

study is used to give the information

design

to

conduct

the

about the using of mind mapping

experiment can be illustrated as follows

method to the students’ ability in

:

learning reading

GROUP
E
C

Hypothesis

PRE
TEST
Y1
Y2

TREATMENT

POSTTEST

X
-

Y2
Y2

Firstly, The researcher gave pre-

The writer formulates the
hypotheses as follows :

test to the students in order to know

H1 : There is a significant difference in

their previous reading ability before

terms of reading ability between the

being given the treatment. In this study,

students who are taught by using Mind

the treatments were done three times.

Mapping method.

During the treatment, both classes were

H0 : There is no significant difference

taught by the same teacher, in this case

in terms of reading ability between the

the researcher herself. The Mind

students who are taught by using Mind

Mapping technique was applied to the

Mapping method.

experimental group, while the control
was taught as usual without receiving
any treatment. The three reading text

Method
The design of this study was an

which were presented in this study

experimental research. It is scientific

were adapted from the selected text-

investigation in which a manipulation

book. They were selected in line with

on dependent variable is done. In

the kinds of texts in the curriculum, i .e

conducting

. Narrative text. The title of the first

this

experiment

the

153

The Use Of Mind Mapping Technique To Improve The Students’, Ardiyansah

reading text was “Bawang Merah &

pile. Then, two cards were taken as the

Bawang

was

sample. The first card was RPL-1 as

“Timun Emas”, and the third was

the experimental group tought using

“Lutung Kasarung”.

Mind Mapping technique, and the

Putih”,

the

second

The teacher also gave three (3) test
during the treatments. They were given

second one was TKJ-1 as the control
group.

after each treatment. Then, the post test

One of the most important aspects

was given to find out weather or not the

of teaching reading is how to test the

Mind Map in reading text can improve

students’ comprehension of what they

the students’ reading comprehension.

have read. In order to get the data of

The test items that were given to both

this study, pretest and posttest about

classes were the same.

reading comprehension were used. The

The population of this study

test was a teacher made test. He got the

was the first grade students of SMKN

test items from the reading passages

1 Labang Bangkalan. They were

taken from a selected English text

chosen

pre

book, which was in line with kinds of

observation, it was found that the

texts in the curriculum, i.e. narrative

students were uninterested and bored in

text. Using multiple choice questions

conducting reading activities. As result,

with a reading text helps considerably

they got difficulty comprehend of

to develop not only the learner’s

reading text. Therefore, by applying

intensive reading skills but also general

Mind Mapping technique in reading

thinking ability. The test format makes

text, the students were expected to have

the students more aware of the nature

good ability in reading comprehension.

of the task. For that reason, the test was

In the first grade students of

presented as multiple choice type of

because

from

the

SMKN 1 Labang Bangkalan, there

questions consisting

were eight classes and two of them

(25) items. Each items had a chioce of

were randomly taken as the sample of

four (4) options with only one correct

the study. The sample was taken by

answer. The time allotment for this

using a lottery. Six cards were prepared

pretest and posttest was 60 minutes.

and six classes were written on it. The

These reading comprehension test were

cards were selected into a disordered

conducted

154

before

of twenty five

and

after

the

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

application of Mind Mapping techni-

without using Mind Mapping tech-

que. The pretest was given to asses the

nique.

students’reading comprehension before

The treatments were conducted 3

the treatment, while the posttest was

items. The first treatment was on

given to asses the students’achievement

March 23th 2015, and than the second

after the end the treatment.

treatment was on March 26th 2015, the

In constructing the test, the re-

third treatment was on April 2nd 2015.

searcher should see to it that the test

After the treatment was applied to the

has the validity and reliability. A good

experimental

test should be valid, reliable, and

given to both of groups which were

practical. To see whether the instru-

actually the same as post-test. The data

ment could be used as a pretest and

were taken from two classes, so the

posttest, the try out was conducted. The

writer should give the test in the turn,

try out was held on March 16th 2015.

not at the same time, but were still in

The test consisted of 30 items which

the same in the same day. It was done

should be done in 60 minutes. There

on April 6th 2015. After the post-test

were 36 students involved in this try

was done the result of the test was

out.

scored and the calculated. Thus, for this
First

of

all,

pre-test

group,

post-test

was

was

study, one (1) point was given for the

administered to the experimental group

correct answer to each test item and

and the control group with the same

zero (0) to any wrong answer. There

test, it was on march 18th 2015. After

were twenty five (25) items in the

giving post-test, the treatment was

instrument. Thus, if the student could

given to the experimental group by

answer all the questions correctly, they

using Mind Mapping technique. The

would receive a raw score of twenty

teacher asked the students to read the

five (25) points. This would be later

text first. And than, the teacher asked

coverted into standard score of a

them to comprehend the text. By doing

hundread (100).

this, hopefully the students were also

After collecting the data of a pre-

active in their own learning. For the

test and post-test from the experimental

control group, it was given the lesson

group and control group one, the next
step was tried to find out the difference

155

The Use Of Mind Mapping Technique To Improve The Students’, Ardiyansah

score between pre-test and post-test of

Therefore, the writer reduced the

each group. Then it was analyzed by

sample from 36 students to be 30

using calculation t-test to find out

students in each group.

wether or not the difference between

The data presentation here showed

them is significant. The writer used the

the result of computation by the

following formula (Arikunto, 1993 :

analysis of t-test formula. The data

263)

were collected from the students’ pretest and post-test scores. The pre-test

Discussion

was administered before the treatment

This study is conducted to find out
whether there is a significant difference
in terms of reading ability between the
students who are taught by using Mind

while, the post-test was administered
after the treatment to both experimental
group and control groups. Thus, there
are two scores of pre-test and post-test.

Mapping. As stated before, in subject
of the study that two classes, i.e, class
RPL-1 (experimental group) and TKJ-1
(control group) were taken. There were
36 students in each group.yet, the data
could not be used entirely. When the
writer did the experiment researches
(pre-test, treatment 1, treatment 2,
treatment 3, and post-test), she found
out that some students were absent. In
the control group, three students did
not attend the pre-test, two students did
not attent treatment 1, and one students
did not attend post-test. Mean while, in

Pre-test scores and means of
experimental and control groups.
There were some steps to analyze
the data of this study. First, the data of
a pre-test and post-test scores from the
experimental group and the control one
were collected and put it in the table,
then the means of experimental and
control groups were calculated. The
result of the calculation of the pre-test
scores and the mean of pre-test scores
of the experimental and the control
groups were presented in the following
table (1.1) :

the experimental group, there were four
students did not attend treatment 1, two
students did not attend treatment 3, and

Table 1.1: The pre-test scores and
means of experimental and control
groups.

three students did not attend the posttest. These students then were not
included in the data computation.
156

Group

N

Scores

Mean

Experimental

30

2020

67,33

Control

30

2012

67,07

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

The table showed that the sum of

The table above showed that the

the pre-test scores was 2020 for the

sum of the students’ post-test score was

experimental group and 2012 for the

2192 for te experimental group and

control group. While, the mean of the

2076 for the control group. The mean

pre-test scores of the experimental

of

group was 67,33 and the mean of

experimental group was 73,07 and the

control group was 67,07. It coul be

control group one was 69,20, it was

seen that the scores of experimental

clearly seen that the mean of the

group was higher than the control

experimental

group.

higher than the mean the control group.

the

post-test

scores

group

of

post-test

the

was

Next, after knowing the two different
1.Post-test scores and means of
experimental and control groups

means of both of groups, the writer
calculated the mean of post-test scores

After giving the post-test, the
writer

did

the

treatment

to

the

experimental and control groups. For
the experimental group, the writer
taught reading by applying the Mind
Mapping method. While for the control
one,

she

taught

reading

without

by using t-test to know whether or not
it was significant. Before it was done,
the standard deviation of the two
groups was calculated first this table
(1.3) presented the result of the
calculation.
Table 1.3: The result of calculation

applying the Mind Mapping method.
Then, the post-test were conducted.
The result of the post-test scores

Group

N

Mean

Std.
devia
tion

tvalue

ttable

Experimental

30

73,07

5,93

4,93

2,00

Control

30

69,20

3,79

calculation and the post-test scores
means of the experimental and control
groups were presented in the

table

(1.2) below :

Based on the data in table 1.3
above,

Table 1.2: The post-test scores and
means of experimental and control
groups
Group

N

Scores

Mean

Experimental

30

2192

73,07

Control

30

2072

69,20

the

standard

deviation

of

experimental group (5.93) was higher
than the control group (3.79).Then,
from the result of the t-test calculation
(see appendix), the t-value was (4.93)
with the level of significance 5% and

157

The Use Of Mind Mapping Technique To Improve The Students’, Ardiyansah

58 degrees of freedom the table was

means that the result of the pre-test and

2,00 so, the t-value was higher than the

post-test

t-table. It means that the differences of

experimental group was higher than t-

the

table and the difference were very

post-test

score

between

experimental and control group was

calculation

of

the

significant.

significant.
2.Scores of pre-test and post-test of
the experimental group

3.Scores of pre-test and post-test of
the control group
The purpose of this study was to

In this part, the purpose was to find

find out whether or not there was an

the out whether or not there was an

increase in the whole scores of pre-test

increase in the whole scores of pre-test

and post-test in control group. The data

and post-test in experimental group.

was collected from the pre-test and

The data was collected from the pre-

post-test scores of the control group

test

the

only. The score could be seen in

experimental group. The scores and the

appendix... and the calculation could be

calculation

seen in appendix... The result of the

and

post-test

scores

could

be

of

seen

in

appendix...., whereas the result was

calculation was presented in table 1.5

presented in the table 1.4 below :

Table 1.5: The pre-test and post-test
scores of the control group.

Table 1.4: The pre-test and post-test
scores of the experimental group
Test

N

Mean

t-value

t-table

Pre-test

30

73,07

15,43

2,04

Posttest

30

69,20

Test

N

Mean

t-value

Pre-test

30

67,01

2,76

Posttest

30

69,20

t-table
2,04

From the table above, it showed

Based on the result above, there

that the scores of the pre-test and post-

was an increase in the whole scores of

test of control group was increased. It

the

pre-test

and

post-test

of

could be seen from the t- value of 2,76

group.

From

the

with 29 degrees of freedom and 5%

calculation of the t-test formula, it was

level of significace. Although the

found that t-value was 15,43 with 29

scores of the pre-test and post-test of

degrees of freedom and 5% level of

control group was increased, it was

experimental

significance the t-table was 2,04. It

158

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

much lower than the experimental

it was clear that the calculation of the t-

group.

value was higher than the t-table. It
means

4.The difference between pre-test
and post-test scores of experimental
and control groups
This study was done to calculate
the difference between pre-test and
post-test scores of experimental and
control

groups.

First,

the

writer

calculated and made a list of pre-test

while for the result of the calculation
were presented in the following table:
Table 1.6:
calculation

The

result

there

was

significant

difference between the students who
were taught by using Mind Mapping in
narrative text (Experimental group) and
those who were not taught by using
Mind Mapping technique (Control
group).
2. Hypothesis Testing

and post-test scores difference between
pre-test and post-test of both groups ,

that

In this previous chapter, it was
stated that the purpose of this study
was to find out whether the students
who are taught by using Mind Mapping

of

the

tvalue

ttable

5,61

2,00

technique in narrative texts have higher
reading comprehension than those who

Group

N

Mean

∑X

115,
20

Experimental

30

5,6

Control

30

1,73

2

∑Y

2

are not taught by using Mind Mapping
technique. There were two hypotheses ;
Alternative

341,
87

hypothesis.

hypothesis
In

order

and
to

test

null
the

The data showed the subject of the

hypothesis, the writer used the result of

study, the mean of each group, the sum

the statistical computation of t-test. If

of deviation of each group, the t-value,

the result of t-value was lower than t-

and the t-table. From the presentation

table, the null hypothesis was accepted.

above, it could be seen that the

On the contrary, if the t-value was

deviation square of experimental group

greater than t-table, the null hypothesis

was 115,20 while, the control group

was

was 341,87. The result of the t- value

hypothesis was accepted.

rejected

and

the

alternative

was 5,61, then it was compared to the t-

From the distribution of t-table

table with 5% level of significance and

with the level of significance 5%, it

the degree of freedom (df) was 58, it

was found out that the result of t-value

was found that the t-table was 2,00. So,

(5,61) was higher than t-table (2,00)

159

The Use Of Mind Mapping Technique To Improve The Students’, Ardiyansah

with the degree of freedom of 58. This

were not taught by using Mind

result showed that the difference

Mapping technique (control group).

between the experimental and the

From the research finding, the

control groups was significant. The null

writer concluded that the use Mind

hypothesis, which says that there was

Mapping technique in teaching reading

no significant difference in terms of

was sucsessfully. It was also proved by

reading ability between the students

the result of the test during the

who were taught by using Mind

treatments

Mapping technique and those who

vement. The result of the calculation

were not taught by using Mind

was presented in this following table

mapping, was rejected. While, the

(1.7) :

alternative hypothesis, which says that

Table 1.7: The result
treatment tests calculation

there was significant difference in
terms of reading ability between the
students who were taught by using

which

showed

impro-

of

T1

T2

T3

30

30

30

the

Total score
Subject

Mind Mapping technique and those

Mean

who were not taught by using mind
From the table above, it could be

Mapping was accepted. It could be said
that using Mind Mapping in narrative
text

as

additional

material

had

significant influence to improve the
students’ ability in reading compre-

seen that the mean score of the second
mean score of test was higher than the
first test. The the third test was higher
than the second test.
There were some aspects why the

hension.
Based on the whole statistical
calculation, it could be concluded that
the alternative hypothesis was accepted
and the null hypothesis was rejected. It
means that there was a significant
difference in terms of reading ability
between the students who were taught
by using Mind Mapping technique
(experimental group) and those who

implemantation
Method

in

of

Mind

teaching

Mapping

reading

was

sucsessful. First, Mind Mapping is an
interesting method to the students and
could entertain them, besides Mind
Mapping also provided a realistic
context. The writer great hoping to all
of the teacher in every element in order
to use this technique especially in
reading comprehension.

160

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 2, Desember 2015, hlm 150---162

those who were not taught by using

Conclusion
Based on the reliability test of the

Main Mapping technique was accepted.

try out test, it can be concluded that out

It means that the teaching of reading by

of 30 items were used as the pre-test

using Mind Mapping technique helps

and post-test. Based on the result of

the students to reach higher achieve-

this study, it can be concluded too, that

ment. Partically, Mind Mapping techni-

the reading scores of the experimental

que helped the students to be better

group, who were taught by using Mind

comprehend the reading text that they

Mapping technique are higher than

were reading. They were reading able

those who were not taught by using

to stimulate the students’ imaginative

Mind

(control

power and to explain the chronological

group). It was proven by the significant

of the subject. In other words, it can be

differences showed by the statistical

said that the students were able to

computation

experimental

understand the text by reading the

group and control group, in which the

Mapping eventhough they did not

mean score of the experimental group

know exactly the meaning of the entire

(15,43) was higher than the control

words.

group

Mapping

technique

between

(2,76).

After

the

writer

calculated the post-test data, it was
found that the t-value (5,61) was higher

References
Arikunto,S, 2006, Prosedur Penelitian.
Jakarta PT.Asdi Maha Sayta.

than that of the t-table (2,00).
From these findings, it can be
concluded that the null hypothesis,
which says that there was no significant
difference between students who were
taught

by

using

Mind

Mapping

technique and those who were not
taught by using Mind Mapping was

Cresswell. W.J. 1994. Research design
Qualitative
&
Quantitative
Approach. Saga Publication.
Duffy G, Gerald, 2005, Explaining
Reading London & New York,
The gulford Press.
Grellet, F, 1986, Developing Reading
Skill,
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