The implementation of venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts.

ABSTRACT

Harlan, Agnes Febrian. (2016). The implementation of Venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.

In teaching English language skills, reading was often taught with almost no variety of methods to help the students understand the text better. This kind of circumstance took place in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta where reading was taught conventionally and the students were less engaged. The students believed the level of difficulty was also influenced by the genre of the text. Furthermore it was revealed that an analytical exposition text was one of the most difficult text types taught in senior high school. One evident proof could be seen from their achievement in reading comprehension tests which was not satisfying yet.

This study was conducted with the aim of improving the teacher’s quality in teaching reading and assisting students increase their reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. To achieve these goals, the researcher implemented the use of the Venn diagram strategy. Thus, the formulated research question was: how is Venn diagram strategy implemented to improve students’ reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts?

In this study, the researcher employed classroom action research. The research was done in two cycles. Each cycle was conducted in one meeting. The researcher analyzed the data from twenty-two (22) students in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta, who were present in both cycles. The main instruments used here were observation sheets, field notes, students’ reading comprehension tests, and students’ work (Venn diagrams).

The result of the research showed some changes after the second cycle. The changes were indicated by the students’ better understanding of the text and the increase of students’ engagement during group work as observed and noted in the observation sheets. As the consequence, the improvement of scores in reading comprehension test in cycle two also took place.

Keywords: reading comprehension, analytical exposition texts, Venn diagram strategy, classroom action research

Harlan, Agnes Febrian. (2016). The implementation of Venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.

Dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, keterampilan membaca seringkali diajarkan hampir tanpa metode yang bervariasi untuk membantu siswa memahami teks dengan lebih baik. Hal seperti ini terjadi di kelas XI IS 1 SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta, di mana membaca diajarkan secara konvensional dan siswi menjadi kurang terlibat. Siswi meyakini bahwa tingkat kesulitan sebuah teks dipengaruhi oleh jenis teks. Lebih jauh lagi, mereka mengungkapkan bahwa teks eksposisi analitis adalah salah satu jenis teks yang paling sulit yang diajarkan di SMA. Bukti nyatanya dapat dilihat dari pencapaian para siswi dalam tes pemahaman membaca yang kurang memuaskan.

Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan tujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas guru dalam mengajar membaca dan membantu siswi meningkatkan kemampuan mereka dalam memahami teks eksposisi analitis. Untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan ini, peneliti menerapkan penggunaan strategi diagram Venn. Oleh karena itu, rumusan pertanyaan dalam penelitian ini adalah: bagaimana strategi diagram Venn diterapkan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan siswi dalam memahami teks eksposisi analitis?

Dalam penelitian ini, peneliti melakukan penelitian tindakan kelas yang dilakukan dalam dua siklus. Tiap siklus dilaksanakan dalam satu pertemuan. Peneliti menganalisa data dua puluh dua siswi XI IS 1 yang hadir pada kedua siklus. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah lembar observasi, catatan lapangan, tes membaca, dan hasil kerja siswi (diagram Venn).

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan beberapa perubahan setelah siklus kedua. Perubahan-perubahan tersebut diindikasikan oleh pemahaman siswi terhadap teks yang lebih baik dan peningkatan keterlibatan siswi saat bekerja dalam kelompok sesuai dengan hasil pengamatan. Sebagai konsekuensinya, peningkatan skor tes membaca di siklus kedua pun terjadi.

Kata kunci: membaca, teks eksposisi analitis, strategi diagram Venn, penelitian tindakan kelas

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VENN DIAGRAM STRATEGY

TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION OF

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXTS

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Agnes Febrian Harlan Student Number: 121214127

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

i

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VENN DIAGRAM STRATEGY

TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION OF

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXTS

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Agnes Febrian Harlan Student Number: 121214127

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

iv

For our Jesus Christ,

my parents, my maternal grandparents

and my little best friend

vii

Harlan, Agnes Febrian. (2016). The implementation of Venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.

In teaching English language skills, reading was often taught with almost no variety of methods to help the students understand the text better. This kind of circumstance took place in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta where reading was taught conventionally and the students were less engaged. The students believed the level of difficulty was also influenced by the genre of the text. Furthermore it was revealed that an analytical exposition text was one of the most difficult text types taught in senior high school. One evident proof could be seen from their achievement in reading comprehension tests which was not satisfying yet.

This study was conducted with the aim of improving the teacher’s quality in teaching reading and assisting students increase their reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. To achieve these goals, the researcher implemented the use of the Venn diagram strategy. Thus, the formulated research question was: how is Venn diagram strategy implemented to improve students’ reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts?

In this study, the researcher employed classroom action research. The research was done in two cycles. Each cycle was conducted in one meeting. The researcher analyzed the data from twenty-two (22) students in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta, who were present in both cycles. The main instruments used here were observation sheets, field notes, students’ reading comprehension tests, and students’ work (Venn diagrams).

The result of the research showed some changes after the second cycle. The changes were indicated by the students’ better understanding of the text and the increase of students’ engagement during group work as observed and noted in the observation sheets. As the consequence, the improvement of scores in reading comprehension test in cycle two also took place.

Keywords: reading comprehension, analytical exposition texts, Venn diagram strategy, classroom action research

viii ABSTRAK

Harlan, Agnes Febrian. (2016). The implementation of Venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.

Dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, keterampilan membaca seringkali diajarkan hampir tanpa metode yang bervariasi untuk membantu siswa memahami teks dengan lebih baik. Hal seperti ini terjadi di kelas XI IS 1 SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta, di mana membaca diajarkan secara konvensional dan siswi menjadi kurang terlibat. Siswi meyakini bahwa tingkat kesulitan sebuah teks dipengaruhi oleh jenis teks. Lebih jauh lagi, mereka mengungkapkan bahwa teks eksposisi analitis adalah salah satu jenis teks yang paling sulit yang diajarkan di SMA. Bukti nyatanya dapat dilihat dari pencapaian para siswi dalam tes pemahaman membaca yang kurang memuaskan.

Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan tujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas guru dalam mengajar membaca dan membantu siswi meningkatkan kemampuan mereka dalam memahami teks eksposisi analitis. Untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan ini, peneliti menerapkan penggunaan strategi diagram Venn. Oleh karena itu, rumusan pertanyaan dalam penelitian ini adalah: bagaimana strategi diagram Venn diterapkan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan siswi dalam memahami teks eksposisi analitis?

Dalam penelitian ini, peneliti melakukan penelitian tindakan kelas yang dilakukan dalam dua siklus. Tiap siklus dilaksanakan dalam satu pertemuan. Peneliti menganalisa data dua puluh dua siswi XI IS 1 yang hadir pada kedua siklus. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah lembar observasi, catatan lapangan, tes membaca, dan hasil kerja siswi (diagram Venn).

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan beberapa perubahan setelah siklus kedua. Perubahan-perubahan tersebut diindikasikan oleh pemahaman siswi terhadap teks yang lebih baik dan peningkatan keterlibatan siswi saat bekerja dalam kelompok sesuai dengan hasil pengamatan. Sebagai konsekuensinya, peningkatan skor tes membaca di siklus kedua pun terjadi.

Kata kunci: membaca, teks eksposisi analitis, strategi diagram Venn, penelitian tindakan kelas

ix

While a thesis is mostly seen as the climax of a journey, I see this as a medium to test how wise I am to make use of my competence in integrating

knowledge, to feel my individual conscience that I believe in my determination, and to thank for other people’s compassion for me in making

this journey meaningful:

I owe my greatest debt of gratitude to our Jesus Christ whose divine intervention has changed me a lot during my study. It is Him who never forgets me despite my absent-mindedness of His grace and protection. It is Him who is my only comfort when I am sad and tired. It is only to Him I devote my all.

My deep gratitude goes to my advisor Drs. Pius Nurwidasa Prihatin, M.Ed, Ed.D. who has guided me during the making of this thesis. I am so grateful for knowledge he had shared since I took his classes. I thank for his time, advice, patience, and trust that I would be able to experience this research meaningfully. I also thank Drs. Barli Bram, M.Ed., Ph.D. and Laurentia Sumarni, S. Pd., M.Trans.St. who have been willing to make the time to proofread my work and inspire me to work even harder.

I am also thankful for the warmth and kindness from the big family of my alma mater, SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta. I also thank my English teacher, Th. Indriati, S.Pd., M.Hum., who has facilitated and helped me a lot in conducting research in her class.

I also send my deep gratitude to Jesus’ best gift whose names I bear, Haryanto and Yen Lan. I thank for their sincerity to finance my study and to

x

trust me that I can navigate and sail my own ship. I also thank my Ama, Sia San Mei, who has always been proud of me. May Jesus grant all their wishes and bless them with nothing but health and peacefulness in their hearts.

My special thank also goes to my friends in class E 2012, especially Andreas Rahardjo, who has been willing to share knowledge and experiences on writing this thesis. Also, I thank my most sincere best friends during my study, Ludgardis Venny, Andi Lintang, Agatha Elma, Reinildis Agrini, Ardhi Chaco, and Albertus Adi. Through them, I learn the true meaning of friendship; friends who laugh when our jokes are not that funny, friends who stay still when others seem to leave, and friends who keep believing when others start to doubt. May their years ahead be blessed and our friendship last forever.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the one whom I believe I have a rendezvous with, Adityo Prawinanto. I thank him for his sincerity in sharing experiences so I could be a wiser decision-maker and braver risk-taker. I am so thankful for letting me have his back every time I need someone to lean on.

Deus vos benedicat. Agnes Febrian Harlan

xi

Page

TITLE PAGE ... i

APPROVAL PAGES ... ii

DEDICATION PAGE ... iv

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... v

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... vi

ABSTRACT ... vii

ABSTRAK ... viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... xi

LIST OF TABLES ... xiv

LIST OF FIGURES ... xv

LIST OF CHARTS ... xvi

LIST OF APPENDICES ... xvii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ... 1

A. Research Background ... 1

B. Research Problem ... 4

C. Problem Limitation ... 5

D. Research Objectives ... 6

E. Research Benefits ... 6

F. Definition of Terms ... 7

1. Reading Comprehension ... 7

2. Analytical Exposition Texts ... 7

3. Venn Diagram Strategy ... 8

4. Classroom Action Research ... 8

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ... 9

xii

1. Reading Comprehension ... 9

a. The Nature of Reading Comprehension ... 9

b. Levels of Reading Comprehension... 10

c. Purpose of Reading Comprehension ... 12

d. Process of Reading Comprehension ... 13

e. Influential Factors in Reading Comprehension ... 15

f. Designing Reading Comprehension Questions ... 17

g. Teaching Reading Comprehension ... 20

2. Analytical Exposition Texts ... 22

a. The Nature of Analytical Exposition Texts ... 22

b. The Generic Structure of Analytical Exposition Texts ... 23

c. The Elements of Analytical Exposition Texts ... 23

d. The Importance of Analytical Exposition Texts ... 24

3. Venn Diagram Strategy ... 24

a. The Nature of Venn Diagrams ... 24

b. Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Reading Comprehension ... 25

c. Steps of Venn Diagram Strategy in Reading Comprehension .. 25

d. Advantages of Venn Diagram Strategy ... 26

4. Classroom Action Research (CAR) ... 27

a. The Nature of CAR ... 27

b. Characteristics of CAR ... 28

c. The Model of CAR ... 28

B. Theoretical Framework ... 29

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 31

A. Research Method ... 31

B. Research Setting ... 33

C. Research Participants ... 34

D. Instruments and Data Gathering Techniques ... 34

1. Observation ... 35

xiii

E. Data Analysis Techniques ... 38

1. Exploring the Index of Difficulty ... 38

2. Descriptive Statistics ... 39

3. Observation Data Analysis ... 40

4. Content Analysis ... 40

F. Research Procedure ... 41

CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ... 42

A. The Implementation of the Venn Diagram Strategy ... 42

B. Lessons Learned from the Implementation of the Venn Diagram Strategy ... 73

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ... 76

A. Conclusions ... 76

B. Recommendations ... 79

REFERENCES ... 81

xiv

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

3.1. Types of Reading Comprehension Questions ... 37

4.1. The Venn Diagrams Analysis in Cycle 1 ... 51

4.2. The Index of Difficulty of Reading Test in Cycle 1 ... 54

4.3. Students’ Reading Scores in Cycle 1 ... 56

4.4. The Venn Diagrams Analysis in Cycle 2 ... 66

4.5. The Index of Difficulty of Reading Test in Cycle 2 ... 67

xv

Figure Page

2.1. Venn Diagram Strategy in Reading Comprehension ... 26 2.2. Model of Classroom Action Research ... 29

xvi

LIST OF CHARTS

Chart Page

4.1. Test Result on Multiple-Choice Items in Cycle 1 ... 53

4.2. Test Result on Short-Essay Items in Cycle 1 ... 55

4.3. Test Result on Multiple-Choice Items in Cycle 2 ... 67

4.4. Test Result on Short-Essay Items in Cycle 2 ... 68

4.5. The Percentage of Correct Answers of Inferential Questions ... 71

xvii

Appendix Page

A. Covering Letter for the Headmaster of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta ... 87

B. Research Letter from SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta ... 89

C. Research Instruments ... 91

1. Observation Sheet ... 92

2. Field Notes ... 99

3. Students’ Work (Venn Diagrams) ... 100

4. Tests ... 101

D. Lesson Plan and Teaching Materials ... 104

1. Lesson Plan and Teaching Materials of Cycle 1 ... 105

2. Lesson Plan and Teaching Materials of Cycle 2 ... 116

E. Test Result ... 125

1. Test Result in Cycle 1 ... 126

2. Test Result in Cycle 2 ... 128

3. The Comparison of the Tests Results in Cycle 1 and 2 ... 130

F. Samples of Students’ Work (Venn Diagrams) ... 131

1. Sample of Students’ Venn Diagrams in Cycle 1 ... 132

1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

The first chapter covers the general overview and description of the research. This section consists of six sub-chapters, namely the research background, research problem, problem limitation, research objectives, research benefits and definition of terms.

A. Research Background

Today, English is the world’s most widely studied foreign language (Richards & Rodgers, 1998). Therefore, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is considered essential in this globalization era. Its proficient use is urgent when someone is dealing with professional work and global communication. Due to this, the English subject has been included by the Indonesian government in the curriculum of formal education.

Each learning process aims at accomplishing success. Resnick (1989) states that a successful learning process is accomplished when the learner is able to relate the relevant information to his prior knowledge and get the meaning of the knowledge by interpreting it, not by recording the information. In a teaching and learning process, typically teachers will explain the materials and give students exercises to measure their understanding. However, teachers’explanation mostly ends up with students’ recording the information since students are generally expected to produce good scores. Consequently,

this occurrence might lead to a short-term understanding of the information given.

In learning a foreign language, one language skill that enables students to gain information and knowledge is reading. However, the importance of the reading skill is often neglected. Reading is a receptive skill whose process takes place inside the brain. It can be said that this skill is invisible; it cannot be measured unless by using a test. Meanwhile, the other two skills, speaking and writing, are productive skills whose output can be seen and measured directly. This often leads to the negligence on receptive skills which include reading and listening. On the contrary, proper receptive skills are essential since extensive exposure to receptive skills leads to productive one (Al-Jawi, 2010). Besides, Wilkins (1984), as cited in Al-Jawi (2010), argues that the transfer of linguistic knowledge from receptive to productive is probably a relatively slow process, but it does take place. Thus, Al-Jawi comes to a conclusion that a rich exposure to reading as well as listening is required to attain mastery and proficiency in natural production.

As mentioned before, receptive skills cannot be seen and measured directly like productive skills. Therefore, it is quite difficult to monitor students’ understanding of reading comprehension. However, there is a vague understanding of what is meant by being able to read. Alderson (2000) states that the ability to read is “the ability to make inferences” (p. 9). This can be

the text. Thus, to test how far students understand the content of the texts, a reading comprehension test is used. However, students sometimes have different points of view and understanding. A reading passage might be difficult for them due to some factors. The factors here refer to the failure of understanding the words, the sentences, the sentences’ unity and organization, and the lack of interest or concentration (Harmer, 2003).

In teaching reading, teachers should signal themselves for students’ failure by setting learning goals. It intends to make the reading activity meaningful. Establishing a goal for reading will be beneficial for students as well. For teachers, it is a prerequisite to monitor the reading process and to plan appropriate strategies for understanding the text. Meanwhile, establishing reading goals also enables students to generate hypotheses and formulate expectations which will guide their reading (Brown & Briggs, 1989). On the other hand, one of the goals proposed by Hedge (2003) is to build schematic knowledge. This is clear that students are not only assigned to read and answer the questions, but also to get the meaning of the content. In order to successfully infer the content of the text, students’ knowledge needs to be built prior to the reading activity.

One of the text types taught in high school is an analytical exposition text. This kind of text allows students to look at an issue based on certain viewpoints. Regarding to knowledge building, reading this type of texts completely requires students’ background knowledge on the issue being

discussed. In activating students’ background knowledge, teachers need a technique or strategy. Unfortunately, reading activities done in high school are quite monotonous. There is almost no variety of strategies proposed by the teacher to comprehend the text more effectively. Since it is a reading activity, students are required to read only. The texts are likely not to be analyzed deeper. As the consequence, students might not be able to see the whole subject of the topic being discussed.

In order to help students overcome their difficulties in comprehending the texts, the researcher carried out classroom action research (CAR). The researcher intended to implement a Venn diagram strategy to improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. Due to the nature of CAR, the

action “is done by the teacher for themselves.” CAR also helps teachers

understand their classroom better especially their students, their teaching methods, and their assessment in order to improve their quality of teaching (Mertler, 2009, p. 4). Besides, this particular strategy was expected to assist students in comparing and contrasting their prior knowledge with the content of the text. At the end, students are to comprehend the text better since they have built relevant relation about the texts before and after reading.

B. Research Problem

Regarding the background above, the researcher intended to figure out the answer to the formulated question below:

How is the Venn diagram strategy implemented to improve students’ reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts?

C. Problem Limitation

The researcher conducted the research in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta because based on the observation in the preliminary study, the

researcher thought that it was essential to improve the reading activity conducted in this class. The curriculum used was Kurikulum 2013 (K13) which utilized a scientific approach as the main characteristic. Based on Permendikbud No. 81a in 2013 about the Curriculum Implementation, a

scientific approach consists of observing, questioning, associating, experimenting, and communicating.

However in the observation during the preliminary study, the reading activities tended to be conventional particularly in the associating step. There was almost no variety in using certain strategies to help students comprehend the texts deeper. As the consequence, students were likely to produce unsatisfying scores. Therefore, the researcher intended to fix this problem. Specifically, the researcher limited the type of text used in this study. The text used was an analytical exposition text since this text was taught to grade XI according to the syllabus of Kurikulum 2013. It will benefit students as well as accelerating their critical thinking. Most importantly, this kind of text also focuses on actual issues which hopefully will raise their awareness towards their surroundings. Analytical exposition texts also propose the authors’

opinion on the issues. According to Fisher and Frey (2008), the texts contain authentic information on the subjects that the authors discuss. This will make students decide whether to agree or disagree with the author’s position and finally state their own position which is supported by logical and critical arguments.

In order to reach the ultimate goal of the study, the researcher proposed the use of the Venn diagram strategy. This strategy facilitated students to compare and contrast their prior knowledge to the new information they got after reading the texts. Therefore, this study was limited to the use of the Venn diagram strategy in reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts for students of XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta.

D. Research Objectives

The researcher attempted to propose a specific strategy namely Venn diagrams. The researcher was curious about whether or not the implementation of this strategy could help teacher improve their teaching in reading. This strategy was also to help students increase their reading comprehension.

E. Research Benefits

The researcher expected that this study could be beneficial for teachers, students, as well as educational practitioners since it dealt with the betterment of language teaching and learning. Besides, the researcher expected

that this study could successfully motivate English teachers not only to teach their students for the sake of good scores. Teachers should be able to educate their students and build their characters. In this scope, teachers are expected to teach students how to think critically, state their opinion confidently and politely, and be open to others’ points of view.

F. Definition of Terms

There are several terms that will be used in this thesis. The researcher provides the definition on four essential terms to avoid any misunderstanding and misconception.

1. Reading Comprehension

Reading is defined as a process whereby one looks at and understands what has been written (William, 1984). Meanwhile, comprehension is generally defined as the ability to understand. In this study, reading

comprehension then refers to students’ ability to draw implicit meanings from

what they have read. Thus, students’ reading comprehension is figured out and

measured through tests.

2. Analytical Exposition Texts

Generally, an exposition text is a text that is used to describe or explain non-fictional issues. Exposition texts are divided into an analytical exposition and a hortatory exposition. In a hortatory exposition, the author gives recommendation which usually does not exist in an analytical exposition. In

this study, the researcher used analytical exposition texts based on the syllabus of Kurikulum 2013.

3. Venn Diagram Strategy

Jones (2012) states that a Venn diagram is a visual representation of the similarities and differences between concepts. Although the Venn diagram originates from the field of mathematics, it can be used as a general graphic organizer. The researcher here used the Venn diagram to help students compare and contrast the concepts before and after reading. The researcher also used the Venn diagram consisting of two overlapping circles. The first

circle is labeled ‘Before’ and the second one is ‘After’. Finally, the

intersection will present the similarities of the ideas.

4. Classroom Action Research

Reason and Bradbury (2001) state that classroom action research is research in which someone participates in the process of bringing theory and practice together, and bringing action and reflection together in a systematic process. There are four stages in CAR namely planning, acting, observing, and reflecting (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988).

9 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of two sections: the theoretical description and theoretical framework. In the first section, the researcher would like to present theories that are considered relevant to the study, whereas the second section presents the relation between the selected theories and their roles in the study.

A. Theoretical Description

The researcher would like to discuss several related theories and employ the theories of reading comprehension, analytical exposition texts, the Venn diagram strategy, and classroom action research.

1. Reading Comprehension

This section covers the theories of reading comprehension which are relevant to this study. They are the nature, the levels, the purposes, the process, the influential factors of reading comprehension, designing reading comprehension questions, and teaching reading comprehension.

a. The Nature of Reading Comprehension

There are a number of definitions of reading. In a very general point of view, reading is understood as a language process which interacts with a language that has been coded into prints. It is an active process that is affected directly by an individual’s interaction with their environment (Heilman et. al, 1981).

According to Snow (2002), reading comprehension is defined as the “process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language” (p. 11). Snow also states that there are three elements involved in this process: the reader, the text, and the activity. These three are interrelated each other and what build the reading activity itself. However, if one element does not exist, the reading activity will not run well.

Snow believes that the reader is at the central of the learning. The difficulty of a text depends on the reader’s ability. The reader must have complex cognitive abilities to comprehend the text. The text itself also has a big influence on the reader’s comprehension. However, the text might be easier to understand if the reader has a proper background knowledge about the topic. Thus, there are strong relationships between the types of text, knowledge and the reader’s ability. The third element is the activity. Snow believes that the purpose of reading could affect the reader’s comprehension. For instance, reading is often mandated if it is done in the class. Students might not fully engage with the text since they do not see the purpose.

b. Levels of Reading Comprehension

Comprehension is not merely the readers’ ability to answer the questions related to the text. Comprehension is heavily dependent on the reader’s oral language abilities, understanding of word meanings and the ability to engage with the text at a deep level (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

Reading comprehension itself is divided into three major levels namely literal reading, interpretive reading, and applied reading (Berry, 2005).

1) Literal Reading

Literal reading is said to be the lowest level of reading comprehension since it is easy and does not require any heavy thinking (Carnine, Silbert, & Kame'enui, 1997). In literal reading comprehension test, the questions will just examine how well the readers can identify and understand information that is directly stated in the text (Berry, 2005). Due to its nature, this level of reading is then suitable for young learners.

2) Interpretive Reading

The second level of reading comprehension is interpretive reading. Berry (2005) defines this level as what is implied, rather than what is actually stated. What the readers are supposed to obtain here is the understanding of what the authors meant in the text by drawing inferences. Therefore, the answers to interpretive reading comprehension are likely to be not stated in the text but are suggested or implied.

3) Applied Reading

This level is higher and more complex than the previous levels. Berry (2005) defines applied reading as the integration of all levels of reading comprehension. He also describes this as taking what was said (literal), what was meant by what was said (interpretive) and extending the concepts or ideas beyond the situation through analyzing, synthesizing, and applying. In this

level, readers are facilitated to criticize, identify and consider the authors’ viewpoints, attitudes, the authority of texts and their messages, and infer motives of characters and themes (Carnine, Silbert, & Kame'enui, 1997).

Based on the characteristics of each reading comprehension level above, it can be inferred that high school students are best to deal with interpretive and applied reading. These levels require proficient background knowledge and ability to think critically so later the implicit meaning from the text can be obtained. Hence, it has to be ensured that high school students are facilitated to read texts which require higher thinking ability.

c. Purposes of Reading Comprehension

Snow (2002) believes that the purpose of reading could affect students’ comprehension. Therefore, students need to know the purpose of reading so they will know what they are looking for. By doing so, the reading activity will not be meaningless. However, the reading activities are adjusted to the type and the social function of the text in order to facilitate students in understanding the whole text.

According to Tarigan (1979), the purpose of reading is closely related to meanings. There are some goals in reading depending on its necessity. In reading comprehension, readers are doing reading for “details or facts, reading for inference, reading to compare or contrast, reading to evaluate” (Tarigan, 1979, pp. 9-10).

Tarigan (1979) describes reading for details or facts as finding out what the character is, what he has done, what happen to him, or what issue is taking place in the text. The next is reading for inferences which requires readers’ ability to understand information and figure out what the author is trying to convey. The inferences are then done by interpreting and drawing conclusion. Reading also intends to compare or contrast two or more concepts. The concepts might be available in the text but it is also possible that the comparison is between the information in the text and readers’ background knowledge. Besides, reading can be done for evaluation. Readers here evaluate what has been written and connect it to readers’ current situation. Readers might also evaluate the position or attitude of the authors.

d. Process of Reading Comprehension

The ability to comprehend the text successfully is strongly related to the way it is done. It is best to do it step by step particularly if it is done in the classroom. It is not only merely giving the text and asking students to read without any further involvement from the teacher. In order to accomplish the goals mentioned in the previous section, it is highly recommended that teachers divide the reading activity into several interrelated steps. They are pre-reading, while reading, and post-reading (William, 1984).

1) Pre-reading Activities

Pre-reading activities are supposed to make students aware of the reasons why they have to read the text. After informing why they should read,

teachers also provide students with necessary background. These pre-reading activities are also crucial since they elicit prior knowledge, build background, and serve to focus attention (Ringler & Weber, 1984). Background knowledge activation is the core of the beginning activity in this stage. It is in line with reciprocal teaching designed by Palincsar and Brown (1986). Predicting the content of the paragraph before reading is done as the initial phase. In addition, teacher could also teach some critical vocabularies that they need to understand the text (Armbruster & Osborn, 2002).

2) While Reading Activities

In this activity, students are to interact with the text by the help of their relevant background knowledge. Thus, such interaction enables students to identify and understand the authors’ purpose, text structure, and content. However, it is necessary to develop the activity gradually (William, 1984). The structure should be from global understanding of the text to smaller units. This is the right phase for the teacher to apply what strategy they would like to use. Other than that, Armbruster and Osborn (2002) remark that teachers are also expected to “encourage students to make inferences, draw conclusions, or predict outcomes”. Students are also expected to “record main ideas and supporting details, outline, and summarize” by the help of the teacher (p. 86).

3) Post-reading Activities

The essence of this last stage is drawing conclusion from what has been read. Besides, this post-activity also aims at measuring how far students

extend their background knowledge and understand the implicit meaning. After summarizing what they have read, students then seek for clarification on difficult points in the text. This is very important and useful because if students do not understand certain points in the text and ask teachers to clarify, there might be some misunderstanding or misconception. Eventually, it may lead them to incompleteness of the text comprehension. Furthermore, Armbruster and Osborn (2002) also suggest that:

Post-reading activities should help students do something with what they have read in order to tighten the connection between prior knowledge and new information in the text. Teachers can encourage them to think critically and creatively about what they have read and to apply and extend their new learnings (p. 87).

Teacher could design such activities that can push students to do something after they read. Students might be invited to further questioning, discussion, and/or writing.

e. Influential Factors in Reading Comprehension

In doing reading comprehension activities, it is undeniable that some factors are influential in the activity and the result as well. There are several internal factors that affect the readers’ succeeding in comprehending the text. Those are readers’ prior knowledge, reader’s motivation, reader’s skill, reader’s fluency, vocabulary, and physical characteristics (Alderson, 2000).

Although all factors are considered influential to one’s achievement in reading, the discussion will be about reader’s prior knowledge. This skill is supposed to be the initial step done by teachers and students. Students are

supposed to be accustomed to the activation of background knowledge prior to reading. Studies have shown that readers who activate their schemata, the “performance on reading tasks can improve as a result of such training” (Alderson, 2000, p. 43).

In reading a text, “readers actually bring information, knowledge, emotion, experience, and culture” Those aspects are called schemata (Brown, 2001, p. 358). Schemata are divided into two: formal and content schemata (Carrell, 1983). Formal schemata include readers’ knowledge of the language and genres or text type. Meanwhile content schemata are more about knowledge of the content of the text. It includes knowledge of subject matter or topic, the world, and culture.

As the word suggests, formal schemata mean readers’ background knowledge on formal surface. It is line with Nation (2005) that besides “the meaning of individual words, domain knowledge is also considered crucial for comprehension” (p. 261). By possessing sufficient knowledge of the subject matter, readers are enabled to move from explicit words in a text to broader knowledge which is integrated from their prior knowledge. Even Chiesi, Spilich and Voss (1979) point out that readers’ background knowledge predicts their comprehension of the text.

In formal schemata, the knowledge includes readers’ knowledge of the language and text types (Alderson, 2000). If someone reads in a foreign language, the process will be more complex and the comprehension might be

lower than reading in the first language. Thus, proper knowledge of the language is badly needed. However, “readers’ linguistic knowledge continues to develop with age and experience” (Alderson, 2000, p. 34). Hence, it is clear that if readers are more accustomed to reading, the comprehension level might increase. Besides the language, the knowledge of the text type is a part of formal schemata. If one knows the text type, he will likely know how the text is organized, how information is signaled, and how to look for the main idea.

Meanwhile, content schemata are more about the text. Therefore, knowledge about the topic of the text is extremely important. Alderson (2000) believes that if readers know nothing about the topic, the process of understanding the text will be difficult. Alderson and Urquhart (1985) have shown that most reading tests on texts with subject disciplines that students had studied were sometimes easier to process. It is clear that the knowledge of the subject matter is essential. Besides, knowledge of the world helps readers understand the text better. It means that readers know how the world works through the knowledge of general rules and universal values or norms. The last important aspect of content schemata is cultural knowledge. One will relatively be easier to process and understand a text if the cultural setting is familiar to them (Alderson, 2000).

f. Designing Reading Comprehension Questions

One way to detect and diagnose difficulties in reading is by giving students tests. Through testing, students’ being successful in comprehending

the text can be seen and measured. A reading comprehension test is designed to reveal how deep students understand the content and to measure where their reading level is. Furthermore, there are some other reasons why it is important to conduct a reading comprehension test. It is believed to be able to monitor progress and to test psychological theories of cognitive skills that underlie reading development and disorders (Cain & Oakhill, 2006). However, a reading comprehension test is not only to guide students to comprehend a text, but to develop their ability to comprehend texts (Davies & Widdowson, 1974). Hence, it is clear that students are expected to gain knowledge from today’s reading to help them understand tomorrow’s reading (Nation, 2009).

However, the accuracy of students’ comprehension is closely related to the comprehension questions. The result might be invalid if the questions fail to measure their understanding of the texts. Comprehension questions should have a focus so teachers can check the questions whether or not they provide a suitable range of focus (Nation, 2009). These focuses later will result in the relationship among questions-answers, the text, the author and readers. This relationship might help students enhance their comprehension (Raphael, 1984). There are four types of hierarchical questions levels as proposed by Cecil, Baker, and Lozano (1999).

The first type is literal questions. These questions are the lowest level. Here, the answer is “right there” and should be easy to find in the text. In fact, the exact words in the questions are contained within the text. Nation (2009)

adds that the questions are simply stated in the text, so “such questions could be answered by quoting parts from the text” (p. 34).

The second type is inferential questions. This level requires the readers to “think and search” as well as inferring meanings. Unlike the first type, the words used in the questions may be a bit different from the words used in the text. Furthermore, Nation (2009) argues that inferential questions take messages from the text by “working out the main idea of the text, looking at the organization of the text, determining the writer’s attitude to the topic, interpreting characters, and figuring out cause and effect” (p. 34).

The next type is higher than literal and inferential questions; they are critical questions. Cecil, Baker, and Lozano (1999) see the answers to the questions are in the mind of “the author and you”. The readers here are required to combine their own ideas and the authors’ implicit opinions within the text. Some possible elements involved in this text are “applying ideas from the text to solve problems, applying the ideas in the text to personal experience, comparing ideas inside and outside the text, imagining extensions of the text, and fitting ideas in the text to wider field” (Nation, 2009, p. 34).

The highest level of comprehension questions is creative questions. Here, the answers have to be on the readers’ own. Answering these questions probably requires students to “find qualified evidence in the text, evaluate adequate content of the text, and express agreement or disagreement with the

ideas in the text” (Nation, 2009, p. 34). Therefore, there are no right or wrong answers since each student perceives things differently.

In regard to four types of comprehension questions, it is recommended that teachers get the students used to answering all types of questions. It can be said that the questions are improper if they include one type only. It is better to include all types gradually. Including all types in a test might also enable teachers to detect students’ difficulties.

g. Teaching Reading Comprehension

An English subject in the Indonesian curriculum must include reading comprehension activities. Casanave (1988) states that successful reading comprehension depends not only on readers’ ability to access appropriate content and formal schemata. The success also depends on their ability to monitor what they understand to take an appropriate strategic action. Here, the teachers’ role is crucially required to help them monitor their understanding and guide them to take the right strategy. This is what makes teaching reading difficult. The process of comprehension occurs inside the brain and the way to assess it is by tests. Students may score high in terms of answering the questions but it does not always show that students have learned something from the text. If the answers to the questions are explicitly stated in the text, it might be easy. If the answers are implicit, students must be able to decode the words and extract meaning.

It is clear that teachers have to make sure that the text is not only to be read, but also to be understood as well. Therefore, teachers have to set learning goals and smartly choose suitable strategy to help students achieve the goals. When applying a strategy, teachers have to do it in sequence so the students will get used to it. According to Harvey and Goudvis (2000), there are five types of comprehension strategies. The first one is making connection. Connection here refers to the topic or information within the text and what the readers already know about themselves, about other texts, and about the world. This strategy is strongly related to the background knowledge about the topic being discussed. Moore (2008) calls this as “reading beyond the lines.” The next strategy is asking questions. Harvey and Goudvis argue that readers are supposed to ask themselves questions about the text, their reactions and the author’s purpose for writing it. Besides, readers can also ask questions to discern relationships among ideas and information within the text (Gersten, Fuchs, Williams & Baker, 2001).

The next strategy is to visualize the text. Here, Gersten et al. (2001) state that visualization as a strategy forms readers’ sensory and emotional images of textual contents, especially visual images. To help readers visualize the text, the use of pictures or graphic organizer might be utilized. The next strategy is by making inferences. Moore (2008) remarks that making inferences is often known as “reading between the lines.” It is done by linking parts of texts that are not explicitly stated by the authors. Readers utilize what

they already know to form links across sentences and paragraphs. The last one is synthesizing, which puts ideas together from multiple sources. The sources come from new information and existing knowledge that are combined to form original ideas, new lines of thinking, as well as new creations (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). Referring to the comprehension strategies by Harvey and Goudvis above, it is very possible for teachers to conduct activities which involve the strategies above. Teachers have the autonomy in the classroom, so they might apply more than one strategy at once.

2. Analytical Exposition Texts

This section employs several relevant discussion about analytical exposition texts. They are the nature, the generic structure, the elements, and the importance of analytical exposition texts.

a. The Nature of Analytical Exposition Texts

There are many genres when it comes to writing an essay. The genre depends on the social function of the essay. One of the common essays is an exposition text. According to Willis (1966), the word ‘exposition’ is from the same root as ‘expose’, which means to uncover or make clear. An exposition text is then generally used to describe, reason out or analyze non-fictional issue or information. Hence, this text expresses facts, opinions, and ideas. Since it presents the real context, this text is critical, logical, and not imaginative (Willis, 1966).

Exposition texts are divided into two: an analytical exposition and a hortatory exposition. However, the two share the same main element, which is argumentation. This type of text facilitates the author’s opinions on perceiving certain issues.

b. Generic Structure of Analytical Exposition Texts

In writing a text, a sequential order is needed to facilitate readers with proper and chronological stories or events. This intends to make readers understand since the author’s ideas are well-delivered. Research has shown that there is a strong relationship between the readers’ understanding of the text structure and reading comprehension (Armbruster & Osborn, 2002).

The generic structure of an analytical exposition text is thesis, arguments, and conclusion/reiteration. In the thesis, the author introduces the topic and provides a brief outline of the key points. Then, the arguments provide a number of points. It starts with a key or general statement with supporting reasons in the rest of the paragraph. Finally, the author sums up the arguments and restates the position in the conclusion or reiteration part.

c. Elements of Analytical Exposition Texts

Each type of text has special elements depending on the nature of the text itself and so does exposition text. Exposition texts have six main patterns which possibly appear (Reutzel & Cooper, 2007). They are cause and effect, comparison and contrast, description, question and answer, simple listing and

time order. Mostly, an exposition text employs one pattern although it is possible to contain more than one. The pattern used will depend on the topic and the author’s preferred focus.

d. The Importance of Analytical Exposition Texts

The advantage of analytical exposition texts is what makes this type of text worth reading. Smith (2003) calls analytical exposition texts information literacy because of its nature which is to convey information. In addition, analytical exposition texts also provide learners with the opportunity to synthesize materials. Learners learn how to search relationships among pieces of information (Moss, Leone, & Dipillo, 1997). The use of multiple texts will also facilitate learners to broader perspectives and ideas.

3. Venn Diagram Strategy

This part discusses the nature of Venn diagrams, how Venn diagram strategy is used as a strategy in reading comprehension, the steps, and the advantages of using Venn diagram strategy.

a. The Nature of Venn Diagrams

Venn diagrams were firstly introduced by John Venn in 1880. Venn diagrams are strongly associated to mathematical concepts since they were indeed designed to teach mathematics. In the simplest way, Venn diagrams consist of two overlapping circles. However, Venn diagrams might consist of more than two circles.

b. Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Reading Comprehension

Venn diagrams have been used for a long time. It was known to teach mathematics only, but now their application can be used to teach language as well. Jones (2012) believes that the concept of Venn diagrams are from the field of math, but now its application to all subjects is pretty well-established. Furthermore, Jones defines Venn diagrams as visual representations of the similarities and differences between concepts.

Due to the nature of Venn diagrams, which is to compare similarities and differences between concepts, language teachers can use them to teach reading. The use of Venn diagrams might be useful to help teachers apply comprehension strategies proposed by Harvey and Goudvis (2000), such as making connections and synthesizing. These two strategies are done by activating students’ prior knowledge and attempting to relate it to the new ones. On the other hand, Venn diagrams are also believed to be beneficial since they help students organize their thinking and sort through information after reading process (Ansberry & Morgan, 2007).

c. Steps of Venn Diagram Strategy in Reading Comprehension

In using the Venn diagram strategy, students’ cognitive skills are utilized. To be able to use Venn diagrams and achieve the learning goals in reading comprehension activity, teachers and students must be careful and aware of putting ideas into the circles. Some procedures are required so that the Venn diagrams can be used optimally. Students must also be given

organized information to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding. Here are the steps of applying the Venn diagram strategy (Joyce, 2008).

First, the teacher activates the students’ background knowledge by giving stimulus. After students mention what they have known, students draw two overlapping circles and label each circle. The first circle is labeled as ‘Before’ and filled in with what students have known about the topic. Then the teacher gives students the text. While reading, students are to find important or new information from the text. Subsequently, students fill in the second circle, which is labeled as ‘After’, with important points from the text. Then, the students identify the similarities between two circles. Students write the similarities in the intersection part which is labeled as ‘Similarities’. To make it clear, Figure 2.1 is the visualization of the Venn diagram in teaching reading.

d. Advantages of Venn Diagram Strategy

According to Junaid (2012), there are several advantages of using the Venn diagram strategy in a teaching and learning process. First, this is claimed

Figure 2.1 Venn Diagram Strategy in Reading Comprehension adapted from Joyce (2008)

to be the most enjoyable strategy to organize thoughts because the students can see the whole subject/area. Besides, Venn diagrams are also enjoyable to look at, read, muse over, remember and write. Consequently, this method will improve memory, concentration, creativity and ability in writing. In regard to writing, students are also taught to be extremely efficient since they have been provided with limited spaces to write. However, it does not mean that their thought is limited. They can still pour their ideas into writing in a more efficient way.

Besides its interesting appearance, the Venn diagram strategy is also beneficial in terms of students’ understanding. Since this method facilitates students to compare and contrast, this method will then improve the understanding of the relationship among facts. The Venn diagram method also helps the students absorb and process information more quickly and easily.

4. Classroom Action Research (CAR)

This section covers the theories of classroom action research which are relevant to the study. The theories are the nature of classroom action research, the characteristics, and also the model.

a. The Nature of CAR

CAR is one of the most used methodologies in the educational field. CAR is teachers’ action on implementing and evaluating their teachings in order to improve their own teachings or their colleagues’ teachings (Hopkins,

2008). Therefore, teacher should be willing to reflect and evaluate their performance and think about the best way to improve students’ learning and achievement (Mertler, 2009). In addition, Wallace (1998) argues that action research intends to develop professionals’ performances.

From the definitions above, it can be inferred that the focus of CAR is on the teachers’ performance. Besides, the teacher is given a chance to reflect and evaluate their performances. Then, the teacher can improve their teaching by proposing new ideas or solutions.

b. Characteristics of CAR

Each research method has their own characteristics and these are the characteristics of CAR presented by Burns (1999). First, action research is contextual and localized. Besides, due to its repetitive cycle, action research is very evaluative and reflective as it aims to bring changes and improvements in practice. Since it involves teamwork, it is also participatory as it provides for collaborative investigation by teams of colleagues and researchers. In regard to the aim of CAR, the changes in practice are based on the collection of information or data which provides the stimulus for changes.

c. The Model of CAR

Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) state that CAR occurs in a dynamic process which consists of four stages: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. These four steps are done in sequence and later will spiral back to

the first stage. These four stages are carried out collaboratively and involve others affected by the action in the action research process (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988). Additionally, Mertler (2009) says that:

The downward spiral suggests that participants gather information, plan actions, observe and evaluate those actions, and then reflect and plan for a new cycle of the spiral, based on the insights that were gained in the previous cycle (p.15).

B. Theoretical Framework

As a receptive language skill which lacks teaching strategy, reading should be given more attention because of its essential benefits. Reading activities of analytical exposition texts conducted in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta needed to be improved since the scores were not yet

satisfying. Therefore, the researcher applied the Venn diagram strategy to help Figure 2.2 Model of Classroom Action Research

students activate their background knowledge prior to reading activity. The importance of background knowledge activation is claimed to be able to improve students’ performance on reading (Alderson, 2000).

In order to implement the Venn diagram strategy, the researcher conducted classroom action research consisting of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In conducting the research, the researcher integrated the theory of reading comprehension and analytical exposition texts in order to create a more effective reading activity and deeper understanding of analytical exposition texts. The researcher also used the theory of teaching reading to help the teacher be more aware of students’ needs and enable teacher to develop reading strategies.

By using the Venn diagram strategy in reading analytical exposition texts, students are to activate their background knowledge and compare their prior knowledge with important points they find after reading the text. They are expected to get more involved in the text so they do not merely read the text. They are also expected to learn something from the text through their ability to make inferences.

31 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology applied in this research as well as the procedural steps done by the researcher. This chapter includes six sections. They are the research method, research setting, research participants, instruments and data gathering technique, data analysis technique, and research procedure.

A. Research Method

In order to gather data and obtain the answer to the proposed research question, the researcher conducted classroom action research (CAR). The researcher chose this method because classroom action research is controlled and done by teachers to improve their own practices (Krathwohl, 1998). To do action research, the data from teacher’s everyday practice are collected in systematic way and analyzed in order to make some decisions about the teachers practice in the future (Wallace, 1998).

In this research, the researcher used the action research model proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988). According to them, there are four essential stages in action research: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The detailed procedure done by the researcher in each stage is elaborated below.

In the planning stage, the researcher did a preliminary study to figure out what problems that the teacher and students had regarding with reading comprehension. After that, the researcher looked for some information to help teacher improve their teaching and aid students overcome their difficulty. The use of the Venn diagram strategy then appeared among the other alternatives. Subsequently, the researcher conducted a library study on relevant theories, such as reading comprehension, analytical exposition texts, Venn diagram strategy, and CAR. The researcher also prepared the lesson plans, materials for teaching, observation sheets and reading comprehension tests. During the making of the materials, the researcher consulted to the teacher as well.

Acting

Having done the preparation, the researcher implemented the method in the acting stage. The researcher also acted as the teacher. While conducting the action, the researcher was helped by peer-observers to write down what was being observed by using observation sheets. Besides, the researcher made field notes after the implementation. The observation sheets and field notes were used as the description of the implementation of the research. During this stage, the researcher also conducted tests.

Observing

After the implementation in the class, the researcher analyzed the observation sheets, field notes, students’ work (Venn diagrams), and the tests.

The data from the observation sheets and field notes were confirmed by the discussion with the peer-observers. Then the researcher also analyzed students’ Venn diagrams to see whether they had understood how to use it. The researcher then assessed the tests and compared the results.

4. Reflecting

This stage enabled the researcher to see what went well and what did not go well during the activities. In this stage, the researcher summarized everything that had happened and tried to find the problems. After that, the researcher tried to solve the problems by proposing new ideas or changes based on supporting theories. The researcher then consulted the plans to the advisor and English teacher.

B. Research Setting

The research was conducted in XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta. The researcher had previously done the observation there to

figure out what problem the teacher and students faced in the English class. After conducting a preliminary study, the research was conducted in two cycles. Cycle one was on Friday, April 8, 2016. The researcher then found some problems during the first cycle and did some reflection. The solutions to the problems were implemented in cycle two, which was done on Friday, April 15, 2016.

The participants of this study were thirty-one (31) students of XI IS 1 of SMA Stella Duce 1 Yogyakarta. The other participants were the English teacher from the school, the researcher, who was teaching while doing the research, and three (3) peer-observers who were also the students of semester eight of English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

D. Instruments and Data Gathering Techniques

In gathering the data, Mills (2003) categorizes into “three E’s: experiencing, enquiring, and examining” (pp. 74-86). In the experiencing step, the researcher collected the data through observation to the teacher and students. In the enquiring step, the researcher obtained the data from students’ work to see if students had understood how to use Venn diagrams. Then, to examine the effectiveness of the method, the researcher used tests which indicated students’ improvement in reading comprehension. The forms of the tests were multiple-choice and short essay items. Based on the data gathering strategies above, the instruments used were observation sheets, field notes, students’ work (Venn diagram) and test sheets.

1. Observation

One way to collect data in CAR is through observation. Observation is one of the teacher’s activities that cannot be separated from daily’s teaching. Observation is claimed to be the most important part of CAR because it gives

teachers chances to “document and reflect” what is going on in the classroom (Burns, 1999, p. 80). In this observation, the researcher used observation sheets and field notes as the instruments.

The researcher was helped by three (3) peer-observers. The observers used the observation sheets to record all activities in the class. The researcher adapted the format of the observation sheets proposed by Leedy and Ormrod (2005). Five columns described the time, the activities, attitude/behavior/response, and observer’s comments (OCs) respectively. In the second column, the order of the activities had been provided. Thus the observers filled in the attitude/behavior/response of the students and the teacher. The observers wrote any detailed descriptions of instructions, interactions/conversation, direct quotes, and verbal and non-verbal communication from the students and the teacher. The last column was observer’s comments (OCs). It was to record the observer’s interpretation toward the activities happened (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). The benefit of using this format was that the researcher would have a sequential plot and complete events since the format was like a timetable. Sometimes, the issue of subjectivity also appeared in observation; whether the notes were pure events or the observer’s viewpoint. Adding OCs was then considered crucial so that the observer and researcher could distinguish the “actual activities from what the observer thought” (Mertler, 2009, p. 108).

Besides, the researcher conducted direct observation and recorded what she had done. Since the researcher taught in the class, researcher did not have

summarize what happened in the class. Field notes basically are the descriptions of the events happening in the class. They commonly include “non-verbal information, physical settings, group structure, and records of conversation” among participants (Burns, 1999, p. 87). Hence, the field notes from the researcher were complementary to the observation sheets from the observers.

2. Tests

The use of tests in this study was very essential since these instruments enabled the researcher to see whether or not the Venn diagram strategy succeeded in improving reading comprehension. Tests are needed to assess achievements, mastery, to diagnose weaknesses, and difficulties (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988). The researcher also found tests important because the Venn diagram strategy was intended to aid students in activating their prior knowledge. Whether the activation succeeded or not, the most obvious result could be seen through their test scores.

The researcher administered a test in both cycles. The types of tests were multiple-choice items and short essay questions. The researcher had considered their strengths and weaknesses so that these two types could complement each other to be a well-constructed reading test. Marshall and Hales (1972) state that multiple-choice is “the most flexible and versatile of all selection-type examinations” (p. 46). In terms of scoring, multiple-choice items could be scored quickly and objectively. However, multiple-choice

items may not be able to measure the students’ ability to clearly express their answers.

In regard to the weakness of multiple-choice items, the test also utilized essay items. In the test, the essay questions were in the form of extended answers. Extended-answer questions are essay items which require “long responses” and supposed to be used “only to measure higher-order mental processes” (Marshall & Hales, 1972, p. 29). This was thought to be suitable with senior high school students. It also suits the nature of analytical exposition texts which expresses opinions and attitude on certain issues or even evaluates policies. In answering extended-answer questions, students were expected to produce words which were not explicitly stated in the text. It was supposed to be their own opinions or arguments related to the issues being discussed.

Regarding with types of reading comprehension questions, the researcher had designed questions with complementary types as shown in the Table 3.1.

Text

Levels of Comprehension

Literal Inferential Critical Creative Text 1: Gay Marriage

Should be Justifiable

3, 5 1, 2, 4 6 7

Text 2: Why Finland’s Schools are So Successful

3, 5 1, 2, 4 7 6

Another instrument used in this study was students’ work. Here, the students’ work referred to the Venn diagrams. From the Venn diagrams, the researcher could see whether or not the students had understood how to fill in it. The researcher used the Venn diagrams in both cycles. In the first cycle, students worked on the Venn diagrams individually. In the second cycle, students worked in groups so they could discuss and stimulate richer background knowledge. Thus, the Venn diagrams were done together in groups.

E. Data Analysis Techniques

After conducting the acting stage, the researcher analyzed the data as the part of the observing stage. In analyzing the data, first the researcher found out the Index of Difficulty and assessed the tests. The researcher then calculated the mean of the scores by using descriptive statistics. Then the researcher analyzed the observation results by using qualitative approach. The researcher also analyzed students’ work by using the content analysis.

1. Exploring the Index of Difficulty

The researcher firstly analyzed the answers of the tests by examining each question and saw how many students answered correctly and incorrectly. The number of the individuals who answered correctly was then used to find the Index of Difficulty for each test item (Marshall & Hales, 1972). From the resulted number, it could be seen which questions that were considered

difficult for students so their area of difficulty could be detected. According to Nation (2005), difficulties in reading comprehension “must be related to weaknesses” in particular components (p.250). Therefore, it is necessary to diagnose students' difficulties and find precisely the right techniques to remediate them (Drummond, 2009). Therefore, the Index of Difficulty is formulated as follows.

Note:

R : the number of test takers who answered correctly n : total number of test takers

2. Descriptive Statistics

The researcher also employed descriptive statistics when analyzing the students’ reading tests scores. The researcher measured the average or the mean of the scores since measuring the average is a convenient way of reviewing data to find a single index that is able to represent a whole set of measures (Ary, Jacobs & Sorensen, 2010). Besides, the measurement of the average is also used to see where the majority of scores are located (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2011). To find the mean of the scores (x̄), the researcher used the formula:

D

=

�

�

x̄

=

∑�

∑x : total scores

n : the number of test takers

3. Observation Data Analysis

To see the implementation of the Venn diagram strategy in the class, the researcher used observation as the main technique. The researcher used a discourse analysis to analyze the observation. Meanings in a discourse analysis were obtained through the observation and language. Thus, the researcher combined the data from peer-observers and direct observation done by the researcher herself. The data recorded in the observation sheets were more about students’ behavior and the class situation in general. In addition, the data from the researcher’s direct observation were more on students’ utterances in a form of conversation, questions, and complaints. However, the data were kept confidential and the researcher made it available upon request.

4. Content Analysis

A content analysis technique was used to analyze students’ work particularly the Venn diagrams. In a broader definition, a content analysis is “any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages” (Holsti, 1969, p. 14). Since students’ work was considered as documents, a content analysis could also be used for examining trends and patterns in documents (Stemler, 2001). Thus, through the content analysis, the researcher interpreted students’

understanding in filling in the Venn diagrams. The researcher provided the samples of students’ work in Appendix F (p. 131) and kept the name of the students confidential.

F. Research Procedure

The researcher conducted this research in procedural steps from the preliminary study to the making of the thesis. First of all, the researcher did a preliminary study by conducting library study, asking permission letters, and interviewing the English teacher. The preliminary study was done in February and March 2016. Then, the researcher conducted cycle one on April, 8, 2016 and cycle two a week after, April 15, 2016. Afterwards, the researcher analyzed the data from the research instruments in April and May 2016. While analyzing the data, the researcher also wrote the research report during May and June 2016.

42

RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the research results and discussion. The researcher presents them in a form of evident explanation of the procedural steps in classroom action research in order to answer the research question.

A. The Implementation of the Venn Diagram Strategy

The researcher presents the explanation of the use of the Venn diagram strategy in order to help students improve reading comprehension of analytical exposition texts. The implementation of the Venn diagram strategy was done in two cycles.

1. Preliminary Study

In the preliminary study, the researcher conducted library research, asked for permission letter, and interviewed the English teacher. The researcher did the interview to the English teacher on Friday, February 26, 2016. This was intended to see the teacher’s way of teaching reading, the

students’ characteristics, and the students’ interest in reading. Based on the summary of the interview, the English teacher informed that in terms of English proficiency, students’ scores in social classes tended to be lower than the scores of students in science classes. She then talked about students’ reading habit which was still low. Students were likely to complain if they had to read. Therefore, in teaching reading, she varied the activities in the

observing stage as the initial stage of a scientific approach to grab students’ attention. However, she never used a certain method or strategy to improve reading comprehension.

In regards to text types, she admitted that analytical exposition texts were the most difficult ones. Students usually found difficulties in understanding the flow of the arguments in the text. Based on the summary of the interview, the researcher then designed the activities in the class in the form of a lesson plan. The researcher also consulted the text and the exercise which would be used in the first cycle to the English teacher. Besides, the researcher taught the students and acted as a teacher-researcher.

2. Cycle 1

The researcher conducted the first cycle on Friday, April 8, 2016. In this cycle, the researcher applied the stages of CAR which consisted of the planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In conducting the activities in the class, the researcher also referred to the scientific approach which was one of the main characteristics in Kurikulum 2013.

a. Planning

In the planning stage, the researcher designed the lesson plan (Appendix D1, p. 105) to help the researcher conduct the teaching and learning process in the class. The lesson plan was also helpful for the researcher to control the time allotment in each stage of the scientific approach. Besides, the researcher also prepared an analytical exposition text

that would be given to the students as well as the reading comprehension exercise. The researcher consulted the materials to the English teacher on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.

b. Acting

The researcher conducted the first cycle in one meeting. The researcher was helped by three peer-observers to record and write down everything happened in the class. In the meeting, there were seven students who were absent and thus the total number of present students were twenty-four. The researcher presents the results in the acting stage in a form of a story as the researcher only reported what had happened in the class.

After entering the class, the English teacher told the students that there would be another teacher that would teach them. The researcher then greeted the students and introduced herself as well as the observers. After that, the researcher asked the students about the difficulty of reading. Most of them answered that reading was not really difficult but there was almost no particular method or strategy to help them understand the text deeper. However, when the researcher stated that they would read a text today, some students seemed to complain and express their disinterest. This reaction might

indicate students’ reading habit which was still low and it had been informed

by the English teacher in the preliminary study. The researcher also added that they were going to try a strategy called the Venn diagram to help them in reading the text.

Afterwards, the researcher informed the students about the analytical exposition text. The researcher asked students what they had known about this text type. The researcher also asked them what the main element of an analytical exposition text was. Only few students answered. However, they seemed unsure about their answers. Therefore, the researcher wanted to play a video as a part of the observing step. The researcher played a video to help students get a glimpse of what was contained in an exposition text. Watching a video might give a clearer image since it provided visualization. However, after several searcher minutes trying to connect the laptop to the projector, the researcher could not play the video. To save the time, the researcher then continued the lesson by directly stating the main topic: same-sex marriage. This activity was included in the gathering data step. This particular topic was chosen since the researcher this topic debatable. This topic also facilitate students to see how others perceived this issue.

For some time, the students laughed and were quite noisy after being informed the topic. The researcher then asked what their opinion was toward this issue and some students gave various opinions. The researcher somehow tried to relate their opinions and arguments to the text that they were going to read. After that, the researcher drew a Venn diagram in the whiteboard. The teacher explained the use of each circle and how to fill in the intersection part. The researcher told them the general function of the diagram which was to compare two or more concepts. The researcher also explained how to use a Venn diagram in reading. The researcher told that the first circle was labeled

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3. The Comparison of the Tests Results in Cycle 1 and 2

Student Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Change Percentage

Increasing Decreasing No Change

1 70 70 0%

2 60 70 16.7%

3 70 60 14.3%

4 85 93 9.8% 5 70 87 23.8%

6 80 60 12.5%

7 35 67 90.5% 8

9

10 50

11 50 87 73.3% 12 50 60 20%

13 80 70 12.5%

14 67

15

16 75 67 11.1%

17 70 60 14.3%

18 95 67 29.8%

19 85

20 75 77 2.2% 21 70 77 9.5%

22 60

23 65 70 7.7% 24 45 70 55.6%

25 70

26 80 70 12.5%

27 85 93 11.8%

28 80 70 12.5%

29 95 80 15.8%

30 60 70 16.7%

31 60

AVERAGE 70 71.2 28.1% 15.03%

APPENDIX F

Samples of Students’ Work (Venn Diagrams)

1. Sample of Students’ Venn Diagrams in Cycle 1

2. Sample of Students’ Venn Diagrams in Cycle 2

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1. Sample of

Students’ Venn Diagram

s in Cycle 1

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

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2. Sample of Students’ Venn Diagrams in Cycle 2