A THESIS Presented as a Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements to Obtain the Magister Humaniora (M.Hum.)Degree in English Language Studies

  

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY THROUGH

LOCAL TEXT WITH A SCANNING TECHNIQUE

A THESIS

Presented as a Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

to Obtain the Magister Humaniora (M.Hum.)Degree

in English Language Studies

by

Thinneke J. Ansaka

  

Student Number: 07 6332 008

THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

  

A THESIS

  

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY

THROUGH LOCAL TEXT WITH A SCANNING TECHNIQUE

by

Thinneke J. Ansaka

  

Student Number: 07 6332 008

Approved by

  _________________________ Dr. J. Bismoko Thesis Advisor Yogyakarta, 14 Agustus 2012

  

A THESIS

  IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY THROUGH LOCAL TEXT WITH A SCANNING TECHNIQUE

Presented by:

Thinneke J. Ansaka/ 07 6332 008

   Defended before the Thesis Committee

and Declared Acceptable.

  

THESIS COMMITTEE

Chairperson : F.X. Mukarto, Ph.D ......................

  Secretary : Dr. B.B. Dwijatmoko, M.A. ...................... Members : Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd. ....................... Dr. J. Bismoko ....................... Yogyakarta, The Graduate Program Director Sanata Dharma University Prof.Dr. A. Supratiknya

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

  This is to certify that all the ideas, phrases, and sentences, unless otherwise stated, are the ideas, phrases, and sentences of the thesis writer. The writer understands the full consequences including degree cancellation if she took somebody else’s ideas, phrases, or sentences without a proper reference.

  Yogyakarta, 14 Agustus 2012 Thinneke J. Ansaka

  

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIK

  Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Thinneke J. Ansaka Nomor Mahasiswa : 07 6332 008 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:

  

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY THROUGH LOCAL

TEXT WITH A SCANNING TECHNIQUE

  Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin apapun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

  Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal: 14 Agustus 2012 Yang menyatakan Thinneke J. Ansaka

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First of all, my best thanks giving to my Savior-Jesus Christ, because of His Blessing and His surely goodness, this study has completely written.

  I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the following persons of my college friends: Pipin, Bunga and Chosak. I am grateful to each for their advice and support throughout this study. I particularly want to thank both Dr. Bismoko and Dr. Mokarto for their frank and honest words of wisdom throughout this process.

  I would also like to express my genuine appreciation to my teacher friends in SMP N 3 Jayapura and for their unending support and words of encouragement.

  I would especially like to thank both, my beloved husband, Freddy Lasamahu, and my beloved son, Jemz Lasamahu, and also my really big family Ansaka who lived in Jayapura

• – Santarosa for instilling in me the belief that I could accomplish anything that I set out to do in life.

  May God bless you all, always! Thinneke Juliana Ansaka

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Page

  

TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................. i

APPROVAL PAGE ....................................................................................... ii

DEFENSE APPROVAL PAGE ................................................................... iii

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................ iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN ............................................. v

ACKNOWLEDGMENT .............................................................................. vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. vii

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................ x

LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................... xi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................... xii

LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................. xiii

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... xiv

ABSTRAK ..................................................................................................... xv

  1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .............................................................

  2 A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .........................................................

  4 B. PROBLEM FORMULATION ..................................................................

  4 C. RESEARCH SCOPE AND LIMITATION ..............................................

  5 D. RESEARCH GOAL …………………………………………………….

  5 E. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ..........................................................

  CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................

  8

  8 A. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .........................................................

  8 1. The Reading Process ..........................................................................

  13 2. The Importance of Reading Ability ...................................................

  15 3. Learning Outcome ..........................................................................

  16 4. The Meaning of Local Text ...............................................................

  B. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .............................................................

  49 6. Learning Outcome Comparison .........................................................

  2. Qualitative Data ..........................................................................

  47 3. Verification of Findings .....................................................................

  48

  4. Triangulation ..........................................................................

  49

  5. Independent data ..........................................................................

  50 D. SUMMARY ..........................................................................

  46 1. Quantitative Data ..........................................................................

  50 CHAPTER IV FINDINGS ..........................................................................

  51 A. FINDINGS PERTAINING TO THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ..........

  51

  1. Amora .......................................................................... 52

  2. Blandina ..........................................................................

  54

  3. Christian ..........................................................................

  46

  45 C. DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................

  23 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ............................................................

  35 B. DATA COLLECTION ..........................................................................

  26 A. OVERVIEW OF THE METHODOLOGY AND RATIONALE ............

  27

  1. Action Research ……………………………………………………

  27 2. Working with A Critical Friend ........................................................

  32 3. Study Participants and Local Texts Selection Process ......................

  33 4. Overview of Local Text With Scanning ............................................

  38

  45 8. Class Attendance ..........................................................................

  1. Observations ..........................................................................

  40 2. Semi-Structured Interviews ..............................................................

  41 3. Learning Journal Notes ......................................................................

  42 4. Students’ Treatment ..........................................................................

  42 5. Learning Outcome Assessment..........................................................

  43 6. The Learning Process Assessment .....................................................

  44 7. Over The Shoulder Miscue Analysis .................................................

  56

  62 5. Herry ..................................................................................................

  ..........................................................................

  64

  6. Insorakhi ..........................................................................

  67

  7. Olivia ..........................................................................

  69

  8. Petronela ..........................................................................

  72

  9. Wellem ..........................................................................

  75

  10. Zion

  78 B. FINDING PERTAINING TO THE GROUP ..........................................

  79 C. FINDINGS PERTAINING TO THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........... ..........................................................................

  80

  1. Reading Ability 83 2. Students’ Attitudes ..........................................................................

  83 a. Timely feedback .........................................................................

  84

b. Oral discussion ..........................................................................

  84

c. Use of technology .......................................................................

..........................................................................

  85 D. SUMMARY CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS .......................

  86 ..........................................................................

  87 A. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................

  88 B. IMPLICATIONS ..........................................................................

  89 C. SUMMARY

  90 BIBLIOHRAPHY ..........................................................................................

  APPENDIX .....................................................................................................

  93

  

LIST OF TABLES

  Page TABLE 4.1 : Data collection summary or Amora ..........................................

  52 TABLE 4.2 : Data collection Summary for Blandina ....................................

  54 TABLE 4.3 : Data collection summary for Christian ....................................

  57 TABLE 4.4 : Data Collection Summary for Deki ..........................................

  60 TABLE 4.5 : Data Collection Summary for Herry ........................................

  62 TABLE 4.6 : Data Collection Summary for Insorakhi ..................................

  65 TABLE 4.7 : Data Collection Summary for Olivia ........................................

  67 TABLE 4.8 : Data Collection Summary for Petronela ..................................

  70 TABLE 4.9 : Data Collection Summary for Wellem ......................................

  73 TABLE 4.10 : Data Collection Summary for Zion ..........................................

  75 TABLE 4.11 : Reading Ability

• – Learning Process ......................................... 81

TABLE 4.12 : Reading Ability

• – Learning Outcome ...................................... 82

  

LIST OF FIGURES

  Page FIGURE 3.1 : The Action Research Spiral .................................................

  29 FIGURE 3.2 : Action Research Study Timeline .........................................

  37 FIGURE 3.3 : Principle of Triangulation in Action Research ....................

  50 FIGURE 4.1 : Reading Ability

• – Learning Process .................................... 81

FIGURE 4.2 : Reading Ability

• – Learning Outcome .................................. 82

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

  IEP : Individual Education Plan LT : Local Text Sc : Scanning Sk : Skimming

  

LIST OF APPENDICES

  Page APPENDIX A : Sample Lesson Plan ...........................................................

  93 APPENDIX B : Sample Completed Lesson Plan .......................................

  95 APPENDIX C : Sample Learning Reading Interest Survey ........................

  96 APPENDIX D : Learning Reading Attitude Survey ....................................

  97 APPENDIX E : Sample Miscue Analysis January to March 2011 .............

  98 APPENDIX F : Sample of Local Texts .......................................................

  99

  

ABSTRACT

  Ansaka, J. Thinneke. 2012.Improving Student

  s’ Reading Ability Through

Local Text with A Scanning Technique. Yogyakarta: English Language Studies,

Graduate Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  The Papua Province, rich in biodiversity and also representing one of the largest remaining untouched rainforests in Asia, yet its prosperous natural resources, in many other aspects of resources, is left behind by other islands in Indonesia. Two of them are the aspects of education and technology media. The role of technology media is inseparable from the development of teaching and learning process. Learning reading was one of the problems among other learning issues. The use of texts which are not familiar to the junior high school students happen commonly. Most of students likely to lack confidence in their ability to read or even to improve their reading skill. Students tend to notably unmotivated. Many students, especially junior high students find reading activities tiresome, even frustrating at times. This condition has led the children to a halt in their language development.

  As an English teacher, the researcher wanted to deepen her understanding of how to improve students reading ability in her professional teaching. She then planned an action research study to investigate: does local text with scanning and skimming can improve students reading.

  Ten students of grade seven of State-3 of Junior High School in Jayapura participated in this action research were students who have low interest and outcome in reading ability. Students are taught English by using scanning technique in reading texts and incorporating story or local texts.

  Teacher’s logs are kept to record what happened in the action research. The questionnaire was distributed to the students to find students interest the Local Text. The result of questionnaire showed that it is necessary to give the students instructions about scanning technique in reading and it is important to introduce local texts as familiar text to students who lived nearby that text within any particular situation in teaching learning process.

  During the action research, the teacher researcher reflected on teaching and enhanced the teaching ability. Qualitative data collections were used as the research methods of this study. Classroom observation notes, the reading task scoring sheet and a questionnaire were used to determine the significance of the improvement. The result showed that the students were able to read and able to do the task to achieve the goal and in turn built the student

  ’s confidence and understanding towards the reading so that their reading ability was improved.

  

ABSTRAK

  Ansaka, J. Thinneke.2012. Improving Student

  s’ Reading Ability through

Local Text with A Scanning Technique. Yogyakarta: English Language Studies,

Graduate Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  Provinsi Papua kaya dengan aneka ragam hayati juga mewakili sisa hutan tropis terbesar yang yang berada di Asia, masih memiliki sumber daya alam yang makmur, dalam berbagai aspek masih ketinggalan jauh dari pulau lainnya yang ada di Indonesia. Dua diantaranya adalah aspek pendidikan dan media tehnologi. Peran tehnolgi tidak dapat dipisahkan dari proses pembelajaran dan pengjaran. Pembelajaran reading atau membaca merupakan satu dari masalah pembelajaran. Penggunaan text-text yang belum dikenal siswa SMP umumnya terjadi dalam proses pembelajaran. Dengan demikian isu glokalisasi dilupakan. Kebanyakan siswa tidak yakin dengan kemampuan membaca mereka atau ketrampilan membaca mereka. Mereka cenderung tidak termotivasi. Beberapa siswa, khususnya siswa SMP menemukan bahwa kegiatan reading atau membaca membosankan dan bahkan membuat mereka frustrasi. Kondisi ini telah menuntun anak-anak untuk berhenti dalam mengembangkan bahasa mereka.

  Sebagai seorang guru bahasa Inggris, peneliti ingin memperdalam pemahamannya dengan tentang bagaiman meningkatkan kemampuan membaca siswa dalam mengajar. Peneliti kemudian merencanakan sebuah kajian penelitian tindakan untuk meneliti apakah local teks dengan tehnik scanning dan skimming dapat meningkatkan kemampuan membaca siswa.

  Sepuluh siswa kelas tujuh SMP N 3 Jayapura berpartisipasi dalam penelitian tindakan ini, adalah siswa-siswa yang rendah ketertarikannya dan lemah kemampuannya dalam kompetensi membaca. Dalam proses mereka diajarkan dan mengerjakan tugas-tugas bacaan lokal dalam bahasa Inggris dengan menggunakan tehnik scanning. Terdapat juga alat ukur yang digunakan guru untuk mencatat dan merekam hal-hal yang terjadi dalam penelitian tindakan ini. Kuesioner didistribusikan kepada siswa untuk menemukan rasa tertarik siswa terhadap Lokal text. Hasil kuesioner menunjukkan bahwa adalah penting memberikan instruksi tentang tehnik scanning dalam bacaan dan juga penting dalam memperkenalkan Teks Lokal sebagai teks yang dikenal siswa dan tinggal dekat dengan teks tersebut dalam proses belajar mengajar.

  Selama penelitian tindakan ini, guru merefleksikan pada pengajaran dan meningkatkan kemampuannya dalam mengajar. Kumpulan kualitatif data digunakan sebagai metode dalam kajian ini. Catatan observasi kelas, lembar skor tugas bacaan siswa dan kuesioner digunakan untuk menentukan signifikansi peningkatan. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa Lokal Text dengan Scanning Technique dalam bacaan mendorong siswa untuk membaca dan mengerjakan tugas-tugas dalam mencapai tujuan pembelajaran dan membangun kembali rasa percaya diri siswa serta memahami kemampuan membaca mereka.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The researcher designed this action research study to investigate how Local Text with Scanning, could positively influence English Language

  development especially students‘ reading ability in school more particularly in classroom. I n researcher‘ opinion, Local Text with Scanning is a potentially excellent material resource for teacher and students. The teacher researcher select the learning reading material for classroom and plan to looking for needed to build a relevant with what teacher has planned before. The researcher actively teaches English Language skills to four classes of Junior High School. When involved in team-teaching activities, she then creates opportunities to work with a smaller grouping of students to enhance learning reading. These activities may contribute to her school‘s English learning achievement but it is difficult to directly determine that the two variables, Local Text with Scanning, effectiveness. She thinks Local Text with Scanning is under-utilized in the area of English language development, despite her knowledge of learning reading goals across the grades. Consequently, the researcher wished to investigate Local Text with Scanning, with the goal of enhancing reading ability t o contribute to students‘ learning reading.

  This chapter provides a background of the study formulates the problems, limitation the scope, the purpose of the study and addresses the benefits of the understand the chapters that follow this one. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of the structure of the written report.

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

  The researcher conducted this action research study from February to April 2011, in the classroom of the junior high school in which she is the teacher of English. The school, situated in Jayapura city, namely SMP N 3 Jayapura, opened in 1970 and was well equipped for the more than thousands students enrolled. Almost 80 (eighty) percent of students were native Papua.

  A small group of ten students who low interest and ability were invited to participate in the study.

  The researcher investigated students‘ reading ability to use teaching and learning strategies effectively to improve reading ability grades. She decided to teach reading skill that has been successful when used by well- known researchers. The balanced text-type approach is used in the classrooms of her school board; she chooses to use local texts with scanning of instruction with the small group because it would be familiar to them.

  Hannay, Wideman, & Seller (2006) describe action research as an interactive process. It starts with the teacher reviewing data about his/her students‘ performance and developing a question of the kind, ―How can local text with scanning improve student reading ability

  ?‖ The teacher then develops and implements a strategy to attempt to improve results. Further analysis of the data provides feedback about the effectiveness of the change in practice. The teacher records his/her observations and findings, draws conclusions that will shape future practice, and shares what s/he has learned with colleagues.

  In other countries learning reading is more tends to improve their literacy skill. It is needed to be more surviving in every field of life. In Indonesia learning reading is more focus on to do the test. Students are faced on many reading texts inside during national final examination.

  Papua especially is the same thing. But students in there are different with other students in other places in Indonesia. They do not like to read.

  Reading is not the culture, reading is not the habit. Spoken culture is stronger. Many students felt failure to do the test. Students begin to avoid reading from text book when they found difficulties, getting frustration and give up soon.

  Sometimes they showed their antipathy to English teacher such as get in and out of room, absenteeism on English learning subject. The teacher herself did nothing to change the situation. What are in teacher‘s mind was she only did her job as teacher the best.

  In the learning process of English, students are forced to be familiar to additional settings. One fact is that their English text books are, once again, dominated by different settings. It does not a matter to the students who stayed at big cities where information and the learning materials are getting easier to find but it does really a matter to students who lived in a remote area information from television or internet is also the facts that colorful followed the minimum of information to acquire the knowledge.

  The focus of this study is then exploring English learning in Junior high school. There is one main reason why the researcher put her choices on this education level. First, the researcher has spent her professional career teaching at junior high school and really wants to help classroom to be more positive climate in teaching learning process.

  B. PROBLEM FORMULATION

  Reflected to the background of the study then researcher formulate the problem with important question: How can Local Text with scanning improve students‘ reading ability?

  C. RESEARCH SCOPE AND LIMITATION

  In this research the coverage of local text is limited to the learning reading of English.

  This study is action research and the main data were taken from questionnaire and interview with students and the result were not input into numbers. Interviews were conducted to ten students. Interpreting result of the study should also be considered. Firstly, action research study works on insightful understanding of actual practice of local text, the participants were limited. The result of interpretation, therefore, cannot be used to draw a limited time, the interviews were done in Jayapura as the writer‘s address, and a few participants only were involved. This study did not cover the whole aspects in doing local text such as gender, geographical region. Thirdly, there might be misinterpretation in the process of transforming into written English dialogue occurred, because the interviews are done by using two languages.

  D. RESEACH GOAL

  It will be clearly define research goal. The goal of this study is to improve English teaching and learning so that can help students to improve their reading ability.

  E. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

  This study contributed to the teachers‘ experiences as they progress through the training and implementation cycle of action research in their classrooms and the subsequent effects on instructional practices.

  In addition, the finding of this study can help teachers to predict how the local text takes part in their students‘ reading improvement. If those benefits are reached, the problem of students‘ reading can be controlled by the teachers or students themselves.

  Schlechty (1990) stated, ―to improve [schooling], one must invest in people, support people, and develo p people‖ (p. 38). Teachers can be liberated to improve their profession with opportunities that promote systemic, collaborative teacher research conducted research to uncover explanations to their own questions about the best way to improve English teaching and learning practices. Johnson (1993) stated ―teacher research will force the reevaluation of current theories and will significantly influence what is known about teaching, learning, and schooling‖ (p. 3). Likewise, Freeman (1998) stated ―[teacher research] is an important step in transforming education from a practice of implementation to a practice devoted to understanding learning‖ (p. 15). This study will help teachers to understand how local text influences the processes of teaching and learning. It is critical that teachers base their decisions about teaching and learning practices in data-driven, classroom-based research findings.

  Educators know that English language rates must improve to better students‘ chances of future success.

  Ultimately, the most important issues on this study are because of students awareness to improve their learning reading, because of teacher awareness to select reading texts and technique to teach and also the researcher was ready to know and together with students and teacher to effort to solve the problem in this research.

  The researcher believes all teachers in a school can positively influence student achievement and that English teacher can play a significant role in English language development. The school community may also benefit from this study because improving English language rates is this school-based objective.

  Pleasure readers are proficient readers; thus, voluntary reading is an indicator of a successful, literate future.

  This action resear ch focused on improving students‘ reading ability and helped the teacher researcher identify practical strategies that she can use as an English teacher to contribute to English language development. Action research uses data to improve practice (Delong, Black & Wideman, 2005). In this school committee and across the province, teachers and English teachers are encouraged to collect data to inform their practice.

  Action research uses cycles of action, data collection and reflection to generate new questions about practice and areas for improvement. In this study, the periodic collection of students‘ achievement results was used to help assess the teacher researcher effective teaching of the targeted reading strategies.

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW As background to the action research study, the writer investigated

  literature related to general areas that were directly relevant to the major research questions: the reading learning process, and learning outcome, the importance of reading ability, meaning of Local Text, and Scanning. This chapter will address literature pertaining to each of these areas, in turn.

A. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

1. The Reading Process

  There are many theories about how students learn to read. Marie Clay (1991) defined reading, ―as a message-getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced‖ (p.6). Based on the researcher

  ‘ experiences with students in junior high school settings, I believe this statement is true.

  In 1993, Louise Rosenblatt‘s theory also described reading as an interactive process. She used the terms aesthetic and efferent (nonaesthetic) reading. Aesthetic reading refers to the act of reading for enjoyment. It is important to foster reading for pleasure in this level school-aged children because it can promote a life-long habit of reading.

  Efferent reading is also important, particularly for junior-aged science and social studies. It occurs when the student is reading for a specific purpose; it is employed, for example, when reading procedure text materials or analyzing a text in English class. ―The distinction between aesthetic and nonaesthetic reading then derives ultimately from what the learner does, the stance the learner adopts and the activities she carries out in the relation to the text‖ (Rosenblatt, 1994, p.27). Extracting relevant information from a variety of text forms and formats is essential for academic and personal success.

  ―Reading is a thinking process, is part of everything that happens to learner as a person and comprehending a text is intimately related to her/his life‖ (Fountas & Pinnell, 2006, p. 7). This definition reinforces Rosenblatt‘s theory that reading comprehension requires the reader to interact with the text. The Ministry of Education for Ontario (2004) used a similar definition of the reading process in its latest publications: ―Reading in the junior grades is an interactive, problem-solving process, with the primary purpose of making meaning‖ (p.61). The researcher based her research on the concept that reading is an interactive, transactional process that requires the application of a variety of strategies for proficiency.

  In Indonesian traditional classrooms, which practice English as a foreign language, teachers insist that students understand every word in a text to get the general idea for the purpose of looking for required understand each and every word they are somehow not completing the task (Ismini, 2000). This phenomenon reveals the practice of a conventional teaching reading strategies and the writer assumes that those kinds of situations will not help the students to overcome the difficulties they encounter and will not improve their reading abilities. In addition, Wiryodijoyo (1989) stated that the national examination in English subject put a large emphasis on reading aspect, and this situation will assure students who cannot read or comprehend the text and answered the question in the examination to face tremendous difficulties and overwhelm the students.

  A study on reading and its strategies conducted by Amanda (2007) found that students apply several strategies such as making prediction of the strategies from the students in overcoming their reading task. The complete process in this study tended to use Hammond Steps in teaching learning process. The clear picture of this process will be put on chapter

  IV. The words that students do not know, search for words in the dictionary, and many others to help overcome the obstacle in their reading task. This shows the implementation of a conventional reading techniques and the lack of reading.

  The Teaching Reading for SMP Students

  According to English Syllabus of School Based Curriculum (KTSP), the teaching of reading for SMP students involves the descriptive, procedure, recount and report. Descriptive text is a kind of text that is usually found or presented in journals, diary, personal letter, biography, travel report, police report, sport report, brochure, etc. The main elements of descriptive are identification and description. In the identification step the writer identifies phenomenon to be describe. In the description step the writer describes parts, qualities and characteristics.

  Recount text is a kind of text that is usually found or presented in journals, diary, personal letter, biography, travel report, police report, sport report, history, etc. The main elements of recount are orientation, list of events, and reorientation. In the orientation step the writer mentions people and things that are involved, time of the event, the place, and the situation. In the list of events, the writer tells the events happen chronologically. In the reorientation, the writer concludes the story by giving comments. Narrative text is a kind of text that tells a story. It is developed in some steps: orientation, complication, resolution, evaluation, and reorientation. In the step of orientation, the writer tells the characters in the story, their names and the place they live, their ages, their condition, and their willing. In the complication step, the writer presents the unexpected event that happens to the characters. In the resolution step, the writer tells how the complication is solved. In the evaluation step, the writer invites story. In the reorientation step, the writer concludes the story by giving comments.

  Procedure text is a kind of text that tells a procedure of making something. Meanwhile, report text is a kind of text to report an event, things in the world, animals, and flora. In this study, the focus is only how the reading scanning using local text improves students ‗learning of English especially reading skill.

  In the process of reading using local text, students learn how to read the local texts. Indeed, many students master the process of how to read the local text to grade seven. But, even though students have mastered the process of reading, they will have to learn how to pronounce and read technical terms, symbols, and other features of text strange. It can also be taught by reading guide: paragraph structure can be taught as a means of showing students how to locate main idea. In the process of reading guide, students are given the information shown below by teacher‘s words:

  In reading for main idea, students must read the whole of each of paragraph, in the local text. The main idea of the paragraph is the meaning of paragraph, without it there is no point to the paragraph at all. The main idea of the paragraph is usually located in one sentence. This is the sentence to which all the other sentences are related. Most often, this key or topic sentence can be found at the beginning of the paragraph. It may also appear at the end or somewhere in the middle. Sometimes, a paragraph may contain no direct statement of main idea although it may be implied. However, more often than not, one main idea occurs in

2. The Importance of Reading Ability

  Reading is a fundamental skill. Without this essential skill intact students will not be able to meet the demands of the greater society.

  According to Scott and Shearer-Longo (2002) academic failure, specifically reading failure is a ―major predictor of larger failures‖ (p.

  168) including grade level retention, dropping out and juvenile delinquency (Jimerson & Kaufman, 2003). Students who are retained generally share similar characteristics; most often poor reading ability is present. Other characteristics of retained students often include low socio- economic status, learning problems, minority status, gender (usually male though pregnancy is also a factor of girls), and limited English proficiency (Martin, Tobin & Sugai, 2000). The similarity of characteristics (minority status, economic status, etc.) may indicate that poor reading abil ity an issue of equity that must be addressed. ―Reading is a crucial tool in the effort to build equity and excellence in society as a whole‖ (Jackson & Davis, 2002, p. 87). This difficulty can generally be traced to early schooling, which is another argument to support aggressive early intervention efforts.

  Student Acquisition of Reading Ability The acquisition of reading ability is complex process.

  Typically, junior students learn to speak and to understand spoken language within the first three year of junior high. This ability is the begin to realize that what is in written text is made up of individual understanding. Early instruction, whether offered at home or in school, begins with teaching that the clear instruction to do task. During the first year in this level, students continue to have to answer the wh-questions from the text sharply. As the student begins to expand this knowledge, and begins to know this strategy to find the answers from the text. Reading instruction is deliberate and complicated and blends several processes.

  Based on the students‘ background, it is taught early in a student‘s understanding through direct instruction and practice. The students able to read effectively acquires of skills simultaneously including phonological awareness, decoding, word identification and reading comprehension (McCardle, Scarborough, & Catts, 2001; Shaywitz, 2003). Students must develop a sight vocabulary otherwise they will laboriously find the information from the text. They must also build background so they have a context for what is being read. Students on this level need to know what they are reading for. By looking at questions before they read, they are better able to understand the text and scan for the necessary information. Marc Helgesen as citied in Richard R. Day (1993: 131) described the three procedures for involving unmotivated students or difficulty concentrating to understand the text and scan:

1) Divide the reading in half. Post enlarge copies of first half on the front wall and the second half on the back wall.

  2) Divide the class into pairs. Divide the questions and assign half to the groups. (―e.g., this group, you must answer the questions 1 through 5. The answer in thi s part of the reading.‖ (point to the copies on the front wall) that group, you answer 6 through 10. The answers are in that part.‖ (point to the copies on the back wall).

  3) When you tell them to start, all this group ask the first question to their partners. The partners run to the texts posted on the front wall and scan for the answer. When they find the answer, they run back to the first group and tell the answer. This group writes it, and then asks the next question. Half-way, through the activity, they change roles; the next group asks while the previous one reads and runs.

3. Learning Outcome

  In order to set the research analysis of Local Text with Scanning in the context of curriculum design it is first necessary to consider the nature of the learning outcomes that are sought through educational innovation.

  Bloom‘s (1956) taxonomy was originally developed to classify the complexity of questions asked in assessment, but has become used as a competences to be demonstrated are: knowledge, comprehension,

  application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation (see Bloom 1956 for the

  full schema). There are also competences for psychomotor and affective learning. Teachers are often encouraged to use Local Text with Scanning from Bloom‘s taxonomy to define the desired outcomes of a course or learning session. This is often carried out as a post-hoc justification for teaching decisions that have already been taken and is quite inadequate as a basis for thinking through fundamental pedagogic issues. As students learn, the outcomes of their learning display increasing structural complexity, both quantitatively (the detail in their responses increases) and qualitatively (the detail becomes integrated into a more complex pattern). Biggs (1999) adopts the view that real understanding is

  performative

• – the constructivist challenge is to describe what the students can do differently as a result of their developing understanding, which then specifies the assessment and allows us to measure the alignment of learning objectives and learning outcomes.