IMPROVING STUDENTS READING COMPREHENSION OF NARRATIVE TEXT THROUGH SCAFFOLDING STRATEGY AT GRADE X5 OF SMAN 1 TUKKA, TAPANULI TENGAH

ROSMAWAR TANJUNG NIM : 19400 (STATE UNIVERSITY OF PADANG)

Abstract

The students reading comprehension of narrative text in class X 5 of SMAN 1 TUKKA, Tapanuli Tengah was not satisfied yet, this could be seen from their learning motivation and learning achievement which were under the Minimum Standard of Achievement (KKM). Therefore the researcher tried to conduct a classroom action research by applying scaffolding strategy in teaching and learning process in three cycles. Each cycle consisted of planning, action, observation and reflection. The subject of this research was class X 5 which consist of 36 students. The data of the research was collect from the reading comprehension test, observation sheet, field note and interview. The other data was in the form 0f Qualitative and Quantitative data. Based on the data analysis it was found that the use of scaffolding strategy at SMAN 1 TUKKA, Tapanuli Tengah could improve the students reading comprehension of narrative text at class X 5. This could be seen from the result of students score on the pre-test and reading comprehension test administered at the end of each cycle. The students score increased significantly from average of 54, 86 through 62,2 to 68,61 and 73,19. These data were also confirmed to the result of observation analysis of students reaction. It was found that almost all of students were interested to scaffolding strategy and most students could understand the test easier. Introduction Reading is one of the important skills in learning a language besides 1

listening, speaking and writing. Readingand clarifies the objectives of the lesson. may define as the meaningfulSecond, while-reading teacher gives

interpretation of printed or written verbalmodel how to do the strategies, asks symbols. The main goal of reading process is comprehension. Many teachers have some difficulties to teach reading to the students. To help students with better understanding, it is necessary to discover what particular weakness is contributing to their comprehension difficulties. Lenz (2005 : 1) indicates that reading comprehension is the process of constructing meaning from the text. It them to read the text loudly or silently, then asks the students to clarify the problem of the text that they had found when they read. And the third step is post-reading ; the teacher asks the students to have a small discussion,

report their discussion result and make summary by using their own words. Reading Comprehension of Narrative Text Reading is an activity with

means, if someone read a text, he or shepurpose. The main purpose of reading is will have his or her own interpretationto comprehend the ideas in the material. and convey the meaning of the text. Scaffolding, strategy is one of the strategies to built students interest in Without comprehension, reading would be empty and meaningless. Reading (Pang, 2003 : 6) defines

reading because we divide it into threethat reading is about understanding steps. First, pre-reading, teacher askedwritten text. students several warming up question 2

Comprehension is a process ofconstructive format ( written, spoken, negotiating understanding between thepoetry, prose) that describe a sequence of reader and the writer. According to Lenz (205 : 1) fictional events. Reading text comprehension is the process of of

reading comprehension is the process ofnarrative constructing meaning from the text. Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts (2003 :3) explain that reading comprehension is an interactive process involving the reader, the kind of text, setting and interaction with the text

understanding meaning from written narrative text that is read and the readers interact with the narrative text to elicit the meaning by connecting their

background knowledge to what the narrative text conveys. Scaffolding Strategy in

to construct meaning before, during andApplying after reading. Narrative text is kind of text

Narrative Text Reading. Scaffolding as a teaching strategy

which amuse or entertain the reader withoriginates from Lev Vygotskys socioactual or imaginary experiences incultural theory and his concept of the difference ways. Gibbon (2002 : 55) states that narratives have a purpose which may be to entertain or perhaps to teach. Feluga (2002) states that a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) or the distance between what children can do by themselves and the next learning that they can be helped to achieve with competent assistance. As Stuyf ( 2002 : 8) says that through

narrative is a construct created in 3

scaffolding strategy, the students canreview important ideas in the text that minimize the level of frustration in doingthey have read and (2) Cooperative the task. The scaffolding strategy provided activities and task : (1) Motivate or enlist the childs interest related to the task ; (2) Simply the task to make it more manageable and achievable for a child ; (3) Provide some directions in order to help the child focus on achieving the goal ; (4) Clearly indicate differences learning group roles, the researcher also has to explain that there are three basic steps to apply scaffolding strategy as one of the strategy to improve students reading comprehension skills. They are : 1. Whole class introduction ; 2.

Cooperative group activity ; and 3. Whole class wrap up strategy. Here are the scaffolding strategy.

between the childs work and theThere are : standard or desired solution ; (5) Reduce frustration and risk ; and (6). Model and clearly define the expectation of the activity to be performed. In teaching scaffolding there are two phases that should be done by 2 1 Helps the students learn specific strategies associated with effective reading comprehension. Provides students with the opportunity to work in small cooperative groups.

teacher. They are (1) Teaching theThe procedure of scaffolding strategy. strategy : ( intentionality, suitability, modeling, collaboration, and A Pre-Reading : after

providing the instruction about the strategies and cheeked the

internalization), is a strategy that teaches students to generate questions and to 4

students

attendance,

teacher

were any difficult words that found in the text. 2 After reading the text, the teacher guided the students interaction by asking some questions concerning with the text. Student A as a leader and student B as clarifier must responsible of their group ( suitability-

introduced and explained the producers of scaffolding

strategies to the students. Teacher showed a picture them

introduced the topic clearly and write the tile of the narrative text on the blackboard. Teacher asked the students to share any personal knowledge about the picture. Students think based on the title and the picture, then teacher asked the students to write their prediction on a piece of paper (intentionality). B 1 While Reading : Teacher divided the C 1

structure\model) Post-Reading Retelling what was read : the teacher to asked report group their

leader

discussion result by writing it on the blackboard or retell it by his\her own words and other groups gave their

students into group that have a leader and member. Then distributed the narrative text to the student read the text silently and teacher walked around the students if there 5 2

responds and comment to the group-presentation.. Summarizing what was read : the students were asked

to generate question based on the text, rephrasing of the main idea of a paragraph or short passage by using their own words. 3 Evaluating what was read : the teacher gave feed back or conclude the materials then teacher gave task related to the text to the students in order to know the students comprehension of the text. 2

It can minimize the level of frustration The disadvantages are :

It

is

not

suitable with a

for large

classroom

number of students b Time scaffolding individualized c Unless property trained consuming strategy since is

The advantages and disadvantages ofResearch Finding scaffolding strategy Van Der Stufy (2002) discussed disadvantages strategy. 1 a b The advantages are : It engages the learner It motivates the learner the of advantages applying From the result, it is found that hasthe students taught with scaffolding andstrategy has higher achievement. It could scaffoldbe seen from the result of students score on pre-test and reading comprehension test administrated at the end of each cycle. The students score increased significantly from average of 54,86 through 62,2 to 68,61 and 73,19. It can be conclude that the students taught by 6

scaffolding achievement.

strategy

has

highera new technique for the students ; (2) The students liked to word

Conclusion and suggestion A After Conclusion concluding the

collaboratively with friend because they could discuss and share their ideas in group to get better understanding of the classroomtext ; (3) The teacher provided

action research in improving the studentsscaffolding strategy during teaching and reading comprehension throughlearning activities, so the passive

scaffolding strategy for three cycles, itstudents could increase their motivation can be concluded that the finding of this and self confident. research is scaffolding strategy is B Suggestion

effective and gives good contribution increasing the ability of the students reading comprehension at grade X5 of SMAN 1 TUKKA, Tapanuli Tengah because the average of students score of reading comprehension are 54,86 in pretest, 62,2 in cycle 1, 68,61 in cycle 2 and 73,19 in cycle 3. The writer also found some factor that changed the improvement of the students reading comprehension through scaffolding strategy. They were : (1) It is 7 2 Some suggestion are stated as the following : 1 should The find English the teacher interesting

materials, so the students can enjoy the lesson, especially

learning reading comprehension. The students are expected to use, scaffolding strategy by themselves to encourage their confidence in order to improve

their

motivation

in

learning

classroom so that the students will feel more comfort and enjoy in studying the lesson.

reading. 3 The English teacher needs to create good atmosphere in the

Reference Feluga, Dino. 2002. Terms Used By Narratology and Film Theory. Retrieved ; 17 th of February, 2009, From http ://WWW.purdue.edu/guidetothery/narratology/terms. Gibbon, Pauline. 2002.Teaching Second Language learners in the Main Stream Classroom. New York : Heinemann Lenz, Keith. 2005. An Introduction to Reading Comprehension. Retrieved on August 10th, 2010 at http ://WWW.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgibin/egilorap/specconn/main.php?cat=intraction and eclion=rc/main Pang. Elizabeth S. 2003. Teaching Reading. The International Academy of Education (IAE), The International Bureau of Education (IBE) : Brussels, Belgium. Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts. 2003. Professional Development Guided : Enhancing-Reading Comprehension for Accondary Student-Part II. Collect of Education, University of Texas at Austin-Texas Education Agency. Regin XII Education Service Center