View of DIRECTED READING ACTIVITY (DRA) IN TEACHING READING NARRATIVE TEXT; THE IMPLEMENTATION AND RESPONSES

DIRECTED READING ACTIVITY (DRA) IN TEACHING READING
NARRATIVE TEXT; THE IMPLEMENTATION AND RESPONSES
Mustain
Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Bangkalan
muz_tain@yahoo.co.id
Abstract: This research used Qualitative method. The setting and subject were
the second semester of English Department at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan. The
instruments of the research are observation checklist and interview. Data collected
were analyzed by data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The results were
lecturer employed it well, but the students felt confused and satisfied. The
students thought that (DRA) method was good in reading class, but it should be
supported by easy material
Abstrak: Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif. Seting dan subjek
penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa semester II Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa
Inggris di STKIP PGRI Bangkalan. Instrument penelitian ini mengguunakan
observasi checklist dan wawancara. Data dikumpulkan dan dianalisis menggunakan data reduksi, data display, dan kesimpulan. Hasilnya adalah dosen
menerapakan DRA method dengan baik, tetapi mahasiswa merasakan kebingungan dan puas. Mahasiswa berpikir bahwa DRA method baik di dalam kelas
reading, tetapi seharusnya didukung dengan materi yang mudah.
Key Word: Directed Reading Activity (DRA) Method, Reading Comprehension,
and Narrative Text
(listening and reading), and between

Introduction
Language, naturally, constitutes a

spoken and written language. The

substantial part of any person’s theory

chapter also refers briefly to grammar

of the world. It obviously plays a

and to other conventions of language.

central role in reading. The present

All of these aspects of language

chapter is concerned with language

are relevant for an understanding of

from a number of perspectives, inclu-

reading, yet each is a complex area of

ding the relationships between the

study in its own right. It isn’t possible

sounds of speech and their meaning,

here to study any topic to the same

between the printed marks of written

theoretical depth as the professional

language and their meaning, between

linguist

productive aspects of language (talking

would, but fortunately such detail is

and writing) and receptive aspects

also unnecessary. The basic insights
21

or

cognitive

psychologist

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 1, Juni 2015, hlm 21 - 27

According

that a student of reading must

to

Goodman

(in

grasp are relatively few and easy to

Hudson, 2007: 38) pointed out Reading

explain and to demonstrate. These

is a selective process. It involves partial

insights, how-ever, are not always part

use of available minimal language cues

of the general awareness of educators

selected from perceptual input on the

in the field of reading they are widely

basis of the reader expectation. As this

disregarded

instructional

partial information is processed, ten-

programs and materials and in a good

tative decision are made to be con-

deal of reading research, so that they

firmed, rejected, or refined as reading

may appear to be new and even

progresses. Reading is approached as

unfamiliar ideas.

holistic, meaning-making task, with the

in

many

reader as the teacher of the process

Reading is an important tool for

(Skidell & Becker, 2001:1)

people of many societies, allowing
them to access information which

In improving the reading skills, the

might have otherwise been unavailable.

students face and find few problems of

According to Carroll (in Hudson, 2007:

the English competence for how to

34) Reading is the activity of recon-

comprehend the meaning context, the

structing a reasonable spoken message

information in it, and the identification

from a printed text, and making mea-

of the text type. All of them need the

ning responses to the reconstructed

way out of how the reading text more

message that would parallel those that

easily for the students. They also share

would be made to the spoken message.

a personal experience that they often

The emphasizing of Caroll’s defi-

get asleep when they are reading a

nition of the reading is the phoneme-

book. They always ask about the stra-

grapheme correspondence notion and

tegy as encountering unknown words.

the information-processing view of re-

Looking up dictionary again and again

constructing an existing message. The

often spoil the enjoyment of reading.

process is assumed to require the

After reading a certain passage, they

processing of all grapheme information

feel that the information they just read

on the page.

is gone from their mind. If we are

22

Directed Reading Activity (Dra) In Teaching Reading Narrative Text; The Implementation and
Responses, Mustain

doing a certain activities, say reading,

ence, or question Freire and Macedo

but we cannot have function it to

(Rohim, 2009: 9). From this point, the

develop our knowledge, skill, or atti-

narrative emphasizes the text based on

tude as a positive contribution. Then

the situation or the time when it

reading activities are really useless.

happened. According to Oshima (2007:

Based on the background knowledge

24) states that narration is story

influences the ability of reading com-

writing. It presents that narrative text is

prehension, the students differentially

a text in which tells a story to entertain

identifies, predict, and interpret the

the reader. Several studies have looked

meaning of the text. So, those are rai-

at how narrative texts are processed by

sing our awareness about the impor-

second language readers. Carrel (in

tance of addressing these problems.

Hudson, 2007: 187) examined whether

The troubleshooting for this will be

a simple story schema influences

very valuable

English second language subjects as

in

confirming

that

reading is essential activities.

they read stories in English. Her

“There are two main reasons for

subjects were each presented with three

reading as the essential activities, those

stories. The stories either followed a

are reading for pleasure and reading for

two-episode standard sequential order,

information” PISA (Rohim, 2009: 5).

or the same story with content from the

Reading for pleasure is when the reader

two episodes interleaved in a non-

considers in finding out something for

conventional text pattern, analogous to

him or herself, whereas reading for

the Mandler (1984, 1987) studies.

information is when the reader wants to

Twenty-four hours after reading the

get information. In this case, a reading

stories, the subjects were asked to

text for pleasure is narrative. Narration

recall the stories as well as possible in

is the type of the text in which the

writing.

information is presented as objet in

To improve the students’ problem

time. Narrative texts typically provide

is to give some useful methods or

answer to when, who, in what sequ-

techniques of reading that are essential

23

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 1, Juni 2015, hlm 21 -27

reading

in the second semester of English

competence and gradually improve the

Department at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan

to

acquiring

students’

a

basic

comprehension

process
Research Method

through varied text type and text

In this research used Qualitative

situation. In the other word, to easy

research design focused on A Case

understand the reading text needed as

Study. Qualitative research is a rese-

anticipation in order that the readers

arch that investigates the quality of

can explore of what information of the

relationship, activities, situation, or

text itself is directed reading activity

materials

(DRA) me-thod. According to Richard

of what goes on in a particular activity

procedures, a system that spells out

or situation rather than on comparing

rather precisely how to teach a second

the effect of a particular treatment.

or foreign langu-age, and an overall

A case study is a detailed study of

plan for systematic presentation of
based

upon

a

2006:

430). This is on describing in detail all

(2001:14) states method is a set of

language

(Fraenkle&Wallen,

one or at most) a few individuals or

selected

other social units, such as classroom, a

approach.

school, or a neighborhood. It can also

The method which will be used to

be a study of an event, an activity, or

understand narrative text is directed

ongoing process. There are three types

reading activity (DRA). The DRA is a

of case studies, one of them is instrinsic

reading comprehension/critical think-

case study. In this research, the rese-

ing activity for the building knowledge

archer used instrinsic case study to

part of a reading lesson with either nar-

know the implementasi Directed Read-

rative or informational text (Crawford,

ing Activity (DRA) method and the

et al, 2005: 50).

students’ respon on the implementation

From the facts above, the rese-

of Directed Reading Activity (DRA)

archer intends to give the title of the

method.

research is the implementation of using

March, 2014. The reasons the

directed reading acticity (DRA) method

location The setting of the research

24

Directed Reading Activity (Dra) In Teaching Reading Narrative Text; The Implementation and
Responses, Mustain

Bangkalan

observation checklist. The researcher,

conducted on of the research choosed,

in this case, acted as participant obser-

because Directed Reading Activity

vation.

(DRA)

researcher actually participate in the

was

STKIP

PGRI

Participant

observation

is

Method used to teach reading

situation or setting they are observing.

compre-hension in the second semester

When a researcher chooses the role of

of English Department. The subject of

participant as observer, he participates

the research was the second semester of

fully in the activities of the group being

English Department at STKIP PGRI

studied, but also makes it clear that he

Bangkalan. The reasons are the stu-

is doing research.

dents was often utilized the DRA

After collecting data of obser-

Method by the lecturer.
The

vation checklist, the researcher inter-

instruments of the research

viewed. There are four types inter-

are observation checklist and interview

views: structured, semi structured, in-

recording. In the observation checklist,

formal, and retrospective. (1) Structur-

the researcher observed the implemen-

ed and semi structured interviews are

tation of Directed Reading Activity

verbal questionnaires. Rather formal,

(DRA) method at the second semester

they consist of a series of questions

of English Department at STKIP PGRI

designed to elicit specific answers from

Bangkalan, while interview recording

respondent. They are often used to ob-

was used to know the students’ res-

tain information that can later be com-

ponds after implementation of Directed

pared and contrasted. (2) Informal

Reading Activity (DRA) method at the

interviews are much less formal than

second semester of English Department

structured or semi structured inter-

at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan.

views. They do not involve any spe-

In

collecting

those

data,

the

cific type or sequence of questions or

researcher observed the implementa-

any particular form of questioning. The

tion of Directed Reading Activity

primary intent or an informal interview

Method in teaching reading using

is to find out what people think and

25

Jurnal Pendidikan Volume 7, Nomor 1, Juni 2015, hlm 21 - 27

how the views of one individual com-

at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan was teacher

pare with those of another. (3) Retros-

or lecturer employed it well in term of

pective interviews can be structured,

condition, interaction, and activity, but

semi structured, or informal. A resear-

the students felt confused and unsa-

cher conducts a retrospective interview

tisfied. The reasons were (1) the stu-

tries to get respondent to recall and

dent thought that the material and the

then reconstruct from memory some-

method were too much, (2) the teacher

thing that has happened in the past.

/lecturer needed to have alot of time to

In

this

case,

the

researcher

teach, because the method was un-

informal interview to know the stu-

maximally implemented, (3) the condi-

dents’ respon after the implementation

tion of teaching and learning process

Directed Reading Activity (DRA) me-

was crowded, and (4) the material was

thod at the second semester of English

unfamiliar with the students.

Department at STKIP PGRI Bangka-

Based on the result of interview

lan.

obtained to know the students responds
After collecting the data, the

was the students thought that Directed

researcher analyzed the data from

Reading Activity (DRA) method was

observation and interview using data

good in reading class, but it should be

reduction, data display, and conclusion

supported by easy material.

or verification (Bogdan and Biklen,

Based on the research finding obtained

2006).

The

implementation

of

Direc-ted

Reading Activity (DRA) method in
Research Finding and Discussion

teaching reading comprehension at the

Based on the data obtained from

second semester of English Department

observation and interview in research

at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan was teacher

finding, the researcher concluded that

or lecturer employed it well in term of

The implementation of Directed Rea-

condition, interaction, and activity, but

ding Activity (DRA) method in teach-

the students felt confused and un-

ing reading comprehension at the se-

satisfied, it is in line with Crawford, et

cond semester of English Department

al (2005: 50) that The DRA is a reading

26

Directed Reading Activity (Dra) In Teaching Reading Narrative Text; The Implementation and
Responses, Mustain

comprehension/critical thinking acti-

reading class, but it should be suppor-

vity for the building knowledge part of

ted by easy material.

a reading lesson with either narrative or
Bibliography

informational text.

Crawford, A, Saul, Mathews, &
Makinster. 2005. Teaching and
Learning Strategies for the
thinking Classroom. New York:
The International Debate Education Association.
Christine
Nuttal.1987.
Teaching
Reading Skill in a Foreign Language. Oxford.
Hudson. 2007. Teaching Second
Language Reading. Oxford
Jack C. Richard & Theodore S.
Rodger. 2001. Approaches and
Method in Language Teaching.
Cambridge University Press
Oshima, A & Hogue, A. 2007.
Introduction to Academic English.
USA: Pearson Longman.
Myrna B Skidell & Sidney G Becker.
2001. The Main Idea; Reading to
learn. Pearson Longman.
Nunan, David. 1989. Designing Tasks
for the Communicative Classroom.
New York: Cambridge University
press.
Wikipedia. 2010. www. Narrative Text
Definition.com
Zvia Breznitz. 2006. Fluency in
Reading
(synchronization
of
processes). Mahwah, New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Publishers.

Conclusion
Based on the research finding and
discussion, this research concluded
that; The implementation of Directed
Reading Activity (DRA) method in
teaching reading comprehension at the
second semester of English Department
at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan is teacher or
lecturer employed it well in term of
condition, interaction, and activity, but
the students felt confused and satisfied.
The reasons were (1) the student
thought that the material and the
method were too much, (2) the teacher/
lecturer needed to have alot of time to
teach, because the method was unmaximally implemented, (3) the condition of teaching and learning process
was crowded, and (4) the material was
unfamiliar with the students. Based on
the result of interview obtained to
know the students responds are the
students thought that Directed Reading
Activity (DRA) method was good in

27