IMPROVING
STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH “DIRECTED READING-THINKING
ACTIVITY” TECHNIQUE ON NARRATIVE TEXT AT THE SECOND SEMESTER OF ENGLISH
DEPARTMENT OF UNISKA
IN
THE 2011/2012 ACADEMIC YEAR
ERWIN HARI K, M.Pd
erwinharikurniawan@gmail.com
Abstract
One of the important skills in
comprehending and interpreting written language is reading. This reasearch is aimed at describing
the way DRTA
technique improves students’ reading comprehension achievement. This research was
conducted at English Department of UNISKA Kediri using CAR. It was carried out
at second semester at B-2. In applying the technique, it was preceded by
preliminary study. The researcher got the data from direct observation, and
also the score of students’ test before.in the process of treatment.
The findings showed that the researcher
conducted the research in two cycles. In the first cycle, there were 11 students reached score under 75.00 as the
Passing Grade. From the process in the second cycle, the students score
average in reading comprehension of narrative text was 80.71 and there was no
students got score under 75.00. It means that the second cycle was
successful.
Based on the findings, it can
be concluded that
DRTA technique improves students’ reading comprehension on narrative text.
Key words:
DRTA Technique, Reading Comprehension
1.
Background
Reading means to
understand the meaning of written or printed words. Cunningsworth, A (1995:85)
says that reading is the one activity that can be done easily and without any
equipment by students outside the classroom. All they need is access to
suitable texts and reference material, such as a dictionary or wordlist. Besides that, reading is also an activity
where a complex act occurs. In this case, reading does not only involve the
skill in understanding the scrip but also the relationship between the scrip.
This is in line with the nation that the understanding of the message of a text
should be the focus of the reading purpose (Hammer, 2000). The importance of
reading is also stated by Grabe (2009: 4). According to Grabe, reading is also
important to recognize that many people around the world read in more than one
language. Large populations of people have learned to read in second or third
languages for variety of reasons, including interactions within and across
heterogeneous multilingual countries, large-scale immigration movements, global
transportation, advanced education opportunities, and the spread of language of
wider communication.
In this research, the
researcher found some problems in teaching and learning process at UNISKA English
Department. The researcher teaches in Writing II at the second semester. The
result of reading comprehension preliminary test showed that many students
still find difficulties in comprehending a reading text. The real fact, in
preliminary of study, the students’ average score was still so far from the
target. This matter leads the researcher to find out an appropriate way or
solution to overcome. Several solutions can be proposed in order to improve of
students as stated above. However, the ways would be advantageous for the
student when they are provided with the activities, which help the students improve
their, ability to comprehend a text. One of the reading strategies that can be
used for bringing about an improvement in the students' ability in
comprehending a text is DRTA.
Grabe (2009:232)
expalaines “DRTA stands for Directed Reading-Thinking Activities in this
approach, students relate background knowledge to the text, determine goals for
reading, and then engage in predicting activities at set stopping for points
throughout the text. The predicting practice develops monitoring processes and
the discussion of predictions promotes main-idea comprehension and
text-evaluation abilities. DRTA draws on empirical research, which demonstrates
the effectiveness of predicting, clarifying, monitoring, and evaluating strategies,
and so it has indirect but powerful support for its instructional activities
reading ( Baumann et al.,1992:Kern, 2000:Stauffer,
1976:Trabasso&Bouchard,2000)”
A DRTA may be used with an individual, a small group, or
a whole class. This activity can be easily adapted for a variety of subjects
and reading levels. This strategy helps strengthen reading and critical
thinking skills. Any problems encountered by the students on
reading comprehension leads the researcher attracted to help them overcome their difficulties in
making a research on the Classroom Action Research through DRTAtechnique at
Second semester of English Department of UNISKA Kediri.
Based on the background of the research above, the
research problem was formulated to be “How can DRTA technique improve students’
reading comprehension achievement?”
Teaching Reading
Purpose
In comprehending process of
reading, there are a lot of methods and steps that readers pass through. Those
processes lead the readers from the first thing to the final. It
is started from getting a message from a text. Nuttall, C. (1982:4) states that
we shall exclude from consideration any activity that does not have as its main
purpose the extraction of meaning from writing. Our business is with the way
the reader gets a message from a text. So we should establish what we mean by a
message. To make the message possible, the writer must first put message into
words. Once it is encoded, in either spoken or written form, it is available
outside his min d as a text. The text is accessible to the mind of
another person who hears or reads it. Once it is decoded, the message enters
the mind of the decoder and communication is achieved.
Grabe (2009:231)
says that there are Multiple-strategy approaches to strategy instruction. Those
are: Know-Want to know-Learned (KWL), Experience-Text-Relate (ETR),
Question-Answer-Response (QAR), Directed Reading and Thinking Activities
(DRTA), Reciprocal Teaching, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR),
Self-Explanation Reading Training (SERT), Direct Explanation, Questioning the
Author, Transactional Strategies Instruction (TSI), and Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction
(CORI)
DRTA Strategy
Directed
Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) is an instructional framework that views
reading as a problem-solving process best accomplished in a social context
(Stauffer, 1969). The lecturer’s role is to select an instructional level text,
divide the text into meaningful sections, and facilitate discussion of each
section of text. The students are responsible for establishing their own
purposes for reading, generating predictions, justifying those predictions,
independently reading the text, and verifying or revising predictions based on
evaluations of information in the text during the lecturer-led discussion of
each section.
Mather
and Jaffe (2002:1) explains that the purpose of the
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) is to improve reading comprehension
by promoting critical thinking in the reading process. Students are expected to
learn to set a purpose for reading, read to prove or disprove a hypothesis, and
evaluate the accuracy of their hypotheses based on the textual information.
Students' active involvement in the reading process improves comprehension and
retention of information. Other expected outcomes include increased ability to
make logical predictions and support decisions based on given information.
Mather and Jaffe
(2002) explain that in procedures of DRTA, there are some steps that can be
taken. Those are direct the students to the title of the selection and
introductory picture (if there is one) and ask the following questions, such
as: based on the title (and picture), what do you think this story will be
about? What do you think might happen in this story? Why? Lead a discussion
wherein students state and give reasons for their predictions. Each student's
prediction forms the basis for further reading, direct the students to read to
a predetermined point for the purpose of verifying or disproving their
predictions. Have the students close their books and ask questions to help them
evaluate their predictions, such as: Were you correct? (Partially correct?
Incorrect?) What will happen now? The following is requiring students to
provide support from the text (e.g., state events from the text, read relevant
sentences) in discussing the accuracy of their previous predictions. The last
is encouraging the students to use evidence given by other students to make or
refine their subsequent predictions. As students repeat the cycle (predict,
read, evaluate) their diverse hypotheses should converge.
Narrative Text
Narrative is telling a story.
It’s social function
is to entertain or amuse the readers. The generic structure
of narrative text is orientation, complication, and resolution. Orientation
introduces main characters, setting, and time. Complication tells the problem
happens among the characters. And resolution contains the problem resolved. It
also has significant lexicogrammatical features, that are using adverbs, such
as; long time ago, once upon a time, etc. And it uses past form. This
kind of story is very familiar and very easy to find in daily life, because the
themes of this story have close relationship with human life and human
characteristics. Anderson‐Anderson
(2002; 3) gives an example of narrative texts which includes: myths,
fairytales, science fiction, and romance novels.
In short, narrative text is very suitable to be applied in the class
room. Because the purpose of a narrative is to amuse, entertain and deal with
actual or vicarious experience in different ways. Narrative deals with problematic events
which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a
resolution.
Research Design
Research design used in this study is
classroom action research. “Action research is a process designed to
empower all participants in the educational process (students, instructors and
other parties) with the means to improve the practices conducted within the
educational experience” (Hopkins, 1993). All participants are known as the
active members of the research process. Currently, this kind of research is
called classroom action research.
Considering the explanation above, the researcher employs
the collaborative action research design. The researcher works together with
the other English lecturers to solve the reading skill problem in the class.
Furthermore, the researcher conducts the action in a
cyclical process. The procedure is done
based on the cycles consisting of certain actions which covers the planning of
the action, the implementation of the action, the observation, and the
reflection.
Observing
The observation was conducted by using
some instruments. They are the interview, field notes, questionnaire or
self-observation checklist, and final work scoring rubric.
The interview is done to get more
information about the students’ progress during teaching and learning process.
The researcher can ask, especially in their comprehension of narrative text,
how their ability before and after studying using the strategy is.
Field note is used to collect the
qualitative data. During the teaching and learning process collaborator noted
any findings that occur. The finding range from situation (atmosphere) of the
class to unexpected things that may happen during the implementation.
Meanwhile, to collect the data about
students’ participation the self-observation checklist or questionnaire is
used. This observation checklist is handed out to the lecturer and he must
observe himself and collaborator checked it. Questionnaire questions are
provided by the researcher and the students can answer by choosing two choices
in alphabet, they are; yes and no.
Final work scoring rubric was given
in the last time after giving the material or doing the cycle. It was used to
know the students final score, so it can be included in quantitative data
because it can be counted.
Summary of the Finding
Based on the finding, it can be
concluded that Directed Reading Thinking Activities can improve the students’
reading achievement in reading comprehension of narrative text. The improvement
can be known from the increasing scores of each cycle.
In the previous study, the researcher
has explained that narrative text is a text that is used by the students to
improve their skill in reading comprehension. DRTA technique can make students
interested and happy in learning. As stated by Sukasih (2009) that DRTA learning model could develop students’
achievement from the learning aspect and content, and the percentage of
students’ learning mastery
Besides that, Mather, N., & Jaffe,
L. (2002:1) also explaines that the purpose of the
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) is to improve reading comprehension
by promoting critical thinking in the reading process.
In this research, the text used in each
meeting is selected carefully and accurately. The students are allowed to ask
or open the dictionary if they get difficulty to find the unfamiliar words. The
success and the failure depend on the book selected whether it is matched or
not with the material.
By observing the students’ reading skill
from preliminary study, it can be known that there was any improvement in their
reading skill both on the first and the second cycle. They get significance
improvement in the students’ reading achievement. In preliminary study, there
is only 23.53% of students are successful. There are 14 students get the score
under the criteria of success, Then in the first cycle, there is 35.29% of
students successful, and there are 11 students are failed, it is still not
successful, because their score is under the criteria of success. Then, the
researcher does the second or the last cycle that shows no students get the
score under the passing grade.
The development of students
‘achievement from preliminary study, cycle 1, and cycle 2 can be seen in table
below.
Table
1
|
|
Preliminary
Study
|
The
1st
Cycle
|
The
2nd
Cycle
|
N
|
Valid
|
17
|
17
|
17
|
|
Missing
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Mean
|
|
66.35
|
75.06
|
80.71
|
Median
|
|
64,00
|
72.00
|
80.00
|
Minimum
|
|
56
|
68
|
80.00
|
Maximum
|
|
80
|
92
|
96.00
|
From the table above, the numbers of
students are 17. Students’ mean, median, minimum score and maximum score
improved, students’ reading comprehension achievement of narrative text through
Directed Reading Thinking Activities is successful. Mean in preliminary study
is 66.35, median is 64, minimum score is 56, and maximum score is 80, they are
really under the criteria of success, and then, in cycle 1 after applying the
strategy, the students’ score is getting better, mean is 75.06, median is
72.00, minimum score is 68.00 and maximum score is 92.00. They are still under
the criteria of success, so the lecturer as the researcher does the cycle 2, he
gets the score of students improved, mean is 80.71, median is 80.00, minimum
score is 76.00 and maximum score is 96.00. So, the researcher stops the
research in the second cycle, because it reaches success.
It means that by
applying DRTA technique, it will be able to help students to create their own
minds, ideas and share related to the text faced. By predicting and analyzing
the text, these will make students enforced to understand the text.
Automatically, their comprehension will be increased and improved.
DISCUSSION OF THE
RESEARCH FINDING
Erliana (2010) in her thesis
entitled “Using directed reading-thinking activity
(DR-TA) to improve the students' reading comprehension at the English Education
Study Program of STAIN Palangkaraya” finds that by using
DRTA, students’ reading comprehension could be increased. The
researcher applied the strategy to expository text. According to the
researcher, expository text was the most difficult text taught in university
level, especially at STAIN Palangkaraya. In short, DRTA technique practically
can improve students’ reading comprehension achievement. Therefore,
by using this technique with students will help them make prediction about what
they will be reading with the generation of question they would like to have
answered. This technique also help them to organize what they have learned when
they finished reading.
Based on the result of the first
treatment test and questionnaire, the researcher assumes that the first cycle
implementation is not applied maximally. Most of students does not give more
attention. Only few students are active in predicting in teaching learning
process. They do not participate actively. They just keep silent because they
are afraid to get the mistake in predicting or asking questions. Most students
still get difficulty in responding their friend’s statement. Only the students
who have good competence in the base gave attention, they are very active and
do what the researcher asks.
When the first treatment test is
given, they feel difficult to do, because they do not follow the process of
applying the technique. It is found that the main score of the students’
reading comprehension of narrative text mean score is 75.06 and there are only
6 students get score above the passing grade. It is still under the standard
score that school has.
Besides, there are a lot of factors
that influenced students’ comprehension achievement in a narrative reading
text, which was, the limitation of the vocabulary, the amount of previous
knowledge that the reader brought to the text and the complexity of the
concepts expressed (Nuttal, 1982: 6).
The action in the first cycle is not
successful yet, so the second cycle has to be continued by revising and
improving the plan of teaching technique, the materials, classroom management,
and strategy that were more applicable and effective to improve students’
reading comprehension achievement. In the second cycle, researcher reminds the
rule of the technique. The researcher divides the students to be four groups
where each group consisted on four or five students, they are also asked to
bring dictionaries, so if they feel difficult to understand the unfamiliar
words they could open the dictionary, ask their friends or the researcher.
Students write every question that they make or their lecturer gives, so, they
could participate in the action. Synonym and antonym of the words that students
need are given, during the prediction, when every paragraph of the story is
showed, students predicts well, they share with their friends and lecturer, the
condition and situation are very active and focus on predicting the text.
The different result between the
first and the second cycle is appeared. In the second cycle, all students give
a positive response, they ask about the vocabularies, synonyms, antonym, and
predict the following paragraph that the researcher give. After that, when the
second treatment test is given, the average score increased from 75.06 in the
first cycle to be 80.71 in the second cycle, and no students gets the score
under the passing grade.
From the data obtained, the researcher concluded
DRTA technique really helps students; reading comprehension achievement.
Conclusion
and Suggestion
In applying
DRTA technique, the researcher introduced DRTA technique first to the students,
the researcher also explained the purpose of DRTA technique, so the students
understand well how DRTA technique can improve reading comprehension
achievement. After that, the researcher came to the topic. The researcher
brainstormed students through the pictures and words. It was aimed to lead
students’ mind to the topic given. Then, the students share what they think. To
give the feedback, the researcher continued to ask questions such as why the
students could answer like that, what their reasons to say so, etc. After that,
the researcher invited the students come to the text.
In this part,
the researcher divided the text based on its generic structures. The students
gave predictions, and confirmed what they thought, and why they thought so,
etc.
In fact the
first cycle still failed. So it should be continued. The researcher made some
revision and modification in the second cycle. The researcher divided students
to be some groups. These groups were based on students’ competence background.
To help them in comprehending the texts, the researcher gave them some
vocabularies related to the text.
The result was obtained that the applied
technique of teaching narrative text trough Directed Reading Thinking
Activities technique could improve students’ reading comprehension achievement.
Based on the observation and interview result before the cycle and after the
cycle showed that there is any improvement in students’ reading achievement,
especially in narrative text. The reading score shows that the students’ score
in reading narrative text is increased. Before the cycle, the students’ average
score is 66.35. After the first cycle, the score becomes 75.06, and on the
second cycle the students’ average score is 80.71. Based on the result gotten,
the researcher assumes that Directed Reading Thinking Activities technique
could improve students’ reading comprehension achievement, especially at the
second semester of English Department of UNISKA Kediri 2011-2012.
Based on the research held, the
researcher stated that the students’ reading comprehension achievement of the
tenth grade students at the second semester of English Department of UNISKA
Kediri 2011-2012., after being taught by applying Directed Reading Thinking Activities
technique, had significant result improvement. Based on this, the researcher
suggests and recommends as follow:
It is suggested for the lecturer to
consider the Directed Reading Thinking Activities technique used in this study
to be applied in teaching learning process to improve students’ reading
comprehension achievement. Second, before teaching, the lecturer needs to
formulate instructional objectives to be achieved by the students through
lesson plan, select material or topics which are interesting and useful for the
students, prepares the instructional media, and designs instructional procedure
of assessment.
The researcher presents some suggestions
for the students. They are: the students should have motivation and intention.
If the students do not have high motivation and intention in the learning
process, the learning process will not be effective. Second, the students
should be active in learning process, especially during the response delivery
cycle. By doing it, the students will get a lot of improvements in their
achievement, not only in reading but also in grammatical, vocabulary, and
self-confidence, because those aspects are also required in reading
improvement.
It is suggested to other researchers to
follow up the study by conducting action researchers on improving the students’
reading achievement. It can be conducted not only in UNISKA but also at other
university and also for different level, such as junior high school, elementary
school, or senior high school using DRTA or combined using other techniques.
References
Byrnes,
H., (1998) Reading in the Beginning and
Intermediate College foreign Language Class. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown
University.
Cunningsworth,
A., (1995). Choosing your coursebook.
Oxford, UK: Heinemann.
Erliana,
S., (2010). Using Directed
reading-Thinking Activity to improve students’ reading comprehension at English
Education Study Program of STAIN Palangkaraya. Unpublished Thesis. Palangkaraya: STAIN Palangkaraya.
Fitzgerald,
F.S., (2004). The Great Gatsby. Scribner
paperback edition.
Grabe,
W., (2009). Reading in a Second: Moving
from Theory to Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Harmer,
J., (1998). How to teach English.
Assex: Longman
Mather,
N.,&Jaffe, L.,(2002). Woodcock-Johnson
III: Reports, Recommendation, and Strategies. New York: John
Wiley&Sons.
Nuttal,
C., (1982). Teaching Reading Skills in a
Foreign Language. Oxford: Heinemann.
Staufer
(1976). Teaching Reading as a Thinking
Process. New York: Harper & Row.
Sukasih,
S., (2009). Developing a Directed
Reading-Thinking Activity Model to Improve Reading Comprehension Ability of
Elementary School Students. Unpublished
Thesis. Yogyakarta: Yogyakarta State University.
Trabasso,
T.,&Bonchard, E., (2002). Teaching
readers how to comprehend texts strategically in C. Block&M. Pressley (Eds),
Comprehension instruction:Research-baserd
best practices (pp. 176-200). New York: Guilford Press.
