IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION IN RECOUNT

TEXT THROUGHT DIRECTED READING THINKING ACTIVITY AT

EIGHTH GRADE OF SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 1 GISTING IN
ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2017/2018

A Journal

By
VIKAYATUL MAULA

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

FAKULTAS KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH PRINGSEWU LAMPUNG
2020
IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION IN RECOUNT
TEXT THROUGHT DIRECTED READING THINKING ACTIVITY AT
EIGHTH GRADE OF SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 1 GISTING IN
ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2017/2018

Vikayatul Maula1), Sutarno2), Novita Eka Tristiana3).

1
English Education Department of FKIP UMPRI
email: 1)vikayatulmaula0896@gmail.com
2)
sutarno@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id
3)
novitaekatristiana@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The objective of this research is to improve students’ reading
comprehension of recount text by using Directed Reading Thinking
Activity technique in class VIII of SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Gisting in the
academic year 2017/2018. Most of the students became attention and
participation in reading lesson, because this technique more the students
easier to analyze the content of recount text. The mean value of their
post-test 1 scores was 57,13 while the mean value of post-test 2 scores
was 72,68. This achievement proved that using DRTA technique could
improve the students’ reading comprehension of recount text.

Keywords: reading comprehension, Directed Reading Thinking Activity

(DRTA).

A. INTRODUCTION Reading is one of the

In this competitive world,
English is used many field such as
science, technology, business and
education. The ability to read in this
language in order survive in global
society in really needed and look for
qualified job applicant who are
capable in English, students have to
aware that English reading ability is
very important for them.
Reading skills is one aspect of
the four aspects of English learning
ability. In the new paradigm, the
curriculum emphasizes the strong
relationship between literacy and
content. Student to read, write and
think critically for active learning.
Students learn how to found and
master reading content. In English
learning, students are trained to
understand reading but reading in
English learning is a still serious
issue for most Indonesians students.
important skills that should be
mastered by the learners. By reading,
the students are able to access much
information might have otherwise
been unavailable, especially English
textbook. Reading is a key of
knowledge. Reading is also
something crucial and indispensable
for the learners because the success
of their study depends on the greater
part of their ability to read. If their
reading skill is poor, they are very
likely to fail in their study or at least
they will have difficulty in making
progress. On the other hand, if they
shave a good ability in reading, they
will have a better chance to succeed
in their study.
According to Rivers
(1981:147) stated that reading is the
most important activity in any
languages class, not only as a source
of information and a pleasurable
activity, but also as a means of
consolidating and extending one’s
which are knowledge of the language.
Reading reinforces the learner’s other
language skills.
It’s mean that reading is
significant activity or action that
students do in the language class.
Reading not only to gain information
and fun activities, but also to read
tool to strengthen and develop one’s
insight about the language. Through
reading the learner will strengthen its
language skills Rivers (1981:147).
There are three previous
studies which relevant related to this
research. The first is a thesis written
by Novia Saptiafi Simangunsong a
student of University Negeri
Yogyakarta (2013). Her research
entitled Improving the Reading
Comprehension Ability of Grade VIII
Students of SMPN 13 Yogyakarta
through the Directed Reading
Thinking Activity (DRTA) in the
Academic Year of 2012/ 2013. The
research conducted in classroom
action research. The subjects of the
research were 32 students of VIII A
class of SMPN 13 Yogyakarta in the
academic years of 2012/2013. The
research was conducted in two
cycles. Every cycle consisted of some
steps, they are planning, and acting
the research was conducted in two
cycles. The data of this study were
qualitative and quantitative. The
qualitative data were obtained by
observing the teaching and learning
process during the implementation
and interviewing the students and the
English teacher. The data were in the
form of field notes, interview
transcripts, and photographs.
Meanwhile, the quantitative data
were obtained through assessing the
students’ reading comprehension
from the pretest and post-test. The
data were in the forms of students’
reading scores as performed in the
pretest and post test. Based on
reading comprehension score,
students’ score kept improving in
every test. In cycle I the mean of
reading comprehension score was
4.3981 in cycle II the mean of
reading comprehension score was
6.4630. From the results above, it can
be concluded that the use of the
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
can improve students’ reading
comprehension.
The purpose of research in
class VIII in learning English is
expected the students can read the
text correctly and smoothly.
Researchers also help the students to
more easily understand the contents
of the text, the purpose of the text. As
in reading comprehension there are
some aspect that is main idea, detail
information, vocabulary, reference
and inference.
In fact, when the researcher
interviews the English teacher, the
students of grade VIII of SMP
Muhammadiyah 1 Gisting had
difficulties in reading comprehension.
While the standards scores of English
subject in SMP Muhammadiyah 1
Gisting is 73 (seventy-three). Not all
the students could do reading process
well, and difficult to understand a text
especially in recount text. The result
of interview above can look at the
appendix.
In addition, based on the
researcher observation, the teacher
only taught the students from the
book and presents the material
slowly, found the meaning of difficult
words and answering exercises in the
teaching learning process. The
teacher always made the students
work individually and most students
felt difficulties when they were
working individually, because they
did not have any friends to do discuss
and share any difficulties. When
working in individual, they found
some difficult words, they were felt
reluctant to share with their friends or
to ask some questions with the
teacher.
B. METHODOLOGY
The research design of this study
is Collaborative Action Research.
According Creswell (2012: 68)
investigates action research has an
applied focus. Similar to mixed
methods research, action research
uses data collection based on either
quantitative or qualitative methods or
both. However, it differs in that
action research addresses a specific,
practical issue and seeks to obtain
solution to a problem.
Proposes action research as
systematic inquiry done by teacher or
other individual in teaching or
learning environment to gather
information about and subsequently
improve their ways their particular
school operates, how they teach, and
how well the students’ teach (Mills,
2000: 5).
According to Kemmis and
McTaggart in Burn (1999: 32-33),
stated that action research occurs
through a dynamic and com
plementary process consisting of four
essential moments of planning,
action, observation, and reflection.
These moments are the fundamental
steps in a spiraling process.
a. Planning
It is a process to develop a
plan of critically informed
action to improve what is
already happening.
b. Action
It is an act to implement the
plan.
c. Observation
It is a process of observing
the effects of the critically
informed action in the
context in which it occurs.
d. Reflection
It is reflecting process on
these effects as the basis for
further planning, subsequent
critically informed and so
on, through a succession of a
stages.
C. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
There are three previous studies
which relevant related to this
research. The first is a thesis written
by Novia Saptiafi Simangunsong a
student of University Negeri
Yogyakarta (2013). Her research
entitled Improving the Reading
Comprehension Ability of Grade VIII
Students of SMPN 13 Yogyakarta
through the Directed Reading
Thinking Activity (DRTA) in the
Academic Year of 2012/ 2013. The
research conducted in classroom
action research. The subjects of the
research were 32 students of VIII A
class of SMPN 13 Yogyakarta in the
academic years of 2012/2013. The
research was conducted in two
cycles. Every cycle consisted of some
steps, they are planning, and acting
the research was conducted in two
cycles. The data of this study were
qualitative and quantitative. The
qualitative data were obtained by
observing the teaching and learning
process during the implementation
and interviewing the students and the
English teacher. The data were in the
form of field notes, interview
transcripts, and photographs.
Meanwhile, the quantitative data
were obtained through assessing the
students’ reading comprehension
from the pretest and post-test. The
data were in the forms of students’
reading scores as performed in the
pretest and post test. Based on
reading comprehension score,
students’ score kept improving in
every test. In cycle I the mean of
reading comprehension score was
4.3981 in cycle II the mean of
reading comprehension score was
6.4630. From the results above, it can
be concluded that the use of the
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
can improve students’ reading
comprehension.
Reading is very important for the
people who live in the globalization
era, especially in the field of
academic which requires teacher and
students to read a lot of information
in the process of transferring
knowledge.
Nuttal (2000:11) states that
reading is an interactive process
because the reader and the writer
depend on each other. It means that
what the message from the text that
the readers get must be in line with
the writer’s intention.
Definition of Directed Reading
Thinking activity (DRTA)
Directed reading thinking
activity is designed to assist students
in setting a purpose for reading;
making, justifying, and verifying
predictions; and coming to
conclusion.
Fisher and Frey (in Richardson
et al; 2009:108-109), assume that
DRTA is an activity that helps
students understand that each
segment of text can help them figure
out the next segment. It is because the
text is divided into smaller portions,
so that students can focus on the
process of responding to higher-order
questions. The segments of a
particular text are divided according
to the structure of the text, as
presented in the following schema.
Based on theories, the researcher
assumes that by using Directed
Reading Thinking Activity. The
teaching reading often make the
students’ boring because do not
master in reading comprehension,
they have difficulties to
comprehension the text. In this case,
the teacher should use the better
technique to increase students’
comprehension.
The method and technique of
teaching have some effects on their
motivation. If they find it deadly
boring, they probably become
motivated, whereas if they enjoy the
situation and have confidence in the
method they will find it motivating.
The students’ confidence in the
method, the most important factor
affecting intrinsic motivation, is
largely in the hands of the teacher.
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
promotes learning motivation since
students are given chance to explore
their own learning and motivated
students perform better learning.
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
as one model of cooperative learning,
is suitable for students with high
motivation as it increases students’
motivation and its turn increases
students’ learning achievement.
Finally, the researcher used
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
strategy in teaching reading as the
solution of the problem reading
comprehension. Because with this
strategy, the students’ more easy in
understanding the text, and make the
students’ enjoy. So, the students will
be easier to answer the question.
 In this section, the researcher
provides the results of the research in
the first and second cycle. The
teacher and the researcher concluded
that using Directed Reading Thinking
Activity Technique was an effective
way to students’ reading
comprehension. The teacher and the
researcher decided to stop the cycle
since the result of the last cycle has
shown a good improvement of
students’ in reading comprehension
of recount text.
This section presents the
discussion of the research findings
concerning with the student’s
response toward the use Directed
Reading Thinking Activity
Technique during the teaching and
learning process. DRTA is an activity
that helps students to understand each
piece of text can support them to find
the next part, because the text divided
into smaller sections. With this, so
that students can focus on the process
of responding to difficult questions
Fisher and Frey (in Richardson et al;
2009:108-109).
enjoyed in reading lesson. This
technique can be relevant to give
solution for the problem of student’
in reading comprehension.
E. REFERENCE
Fisher and Frey (in Richardson et al;
2009. Improving The Reading
Comprehension Ability Of Grade
Viii Students Of Smpn 13
Yogyakarta Through The
Directed Reading Thinking
Activity (Drta). Thesis. English
Education Department Faculty of
Languages And Arts Yogyakarta
State University.
Nuttal (2000). Teaching Reading
Skills in A Foreign Languange.
Oxford: Macmillan Publishers.
Rivers (1981). Teaching Foreign-
Languange Skills. 2 nd. Ed.
Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press.

D. Conclusion
The researcher draws conclusions
that Directed Reading Thinking
Activity Technique which are used in
this research could made the students
more creative, because they could
made their students understood about
the text. The students could explain
what they have drawn by using
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Technique. As a result, they can
remember the contents of the text
they have been read, so, they do not
lose what they read. It also helps
them to enrich their reading
comprehension. Moreover, using
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
technique in teaching and learning
process made the students to be more