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USING PEER TUTORING TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE

STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION

(A Classroom Action Research in the First Grade Students of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)

By

BRIGITTA SEPTARINI RAHMASARI

S890809202

Thesis

Submitted to Fulfill One of the Requirements for Getting

Graduate Degree in English Education

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GRADUATE SCHOOL

SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY

SURAKARTA

2011


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APPROVAL

USING PEER TUTORING TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’

READING COMPREHENSION

(A Classroom Action Research in the First Grade Students of English Department

of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)

By


S890809202

This thesis has been approved by the Consultants of Graduate School of English Education Department of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta, on … February 2011

Consultant I Consultant II Dr.Ngadiso, M.Pd Drs. Gunarso Susilohadi, M.Ed NIP. 19621231 198803 1 009 NIP. 195403151 198503 1 002

Approved by The Head of English Education Department

Graduate School Sebelas Maret University

Dr.Ngadiso, M.Pd

NIP. 19621231 198803 1 009


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LEGITIMATION FROM THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS

USING PEER TUTORING TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’

READING COMPREHENSION

(A Classroom Action Research in the First Grade Students of English Department

of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)

By


S890809202

This thesis has been examined by the board of thesis examiners of Graduate School of English Education Department of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta, on … February 2011

Board of Examiners

Chairman : Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd

Secretary : Dr. Abdul Asib, M.Pd

Examiner I : Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd

Examiner II : Drs. Gunarso Susilohadi, M.Ed

Signature

………………………..

…………………………

…………………………

………………………….

Surakarta, ……………..2011

The Director of Graduate Degree of

Education Program of Sebelas Maret

University

Prof. Drs. Suranto, M.Sc., Ph.D

NIP. 19570820 198503 100 4

The Head of Graduate School of

English Education Department of

Sebelas Maret University

Dr.Ngadiso, M.Pd

NIP. 19621231 198803 100 9


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MOTTO

A high achievement can be reached by the steadiness

of the hearth


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DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The Holy Mary

3. My beloved parents

4. My beloved brothers

5. All of my families

6. All of my best friends

7. All of my lecturers

8. My Alma Mater


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PRONOUNCEMENT

This is to certify that I myself write this thesis, entitled “Using Peer Tutoring Technique to Improve Students’ Reading Comprehension (A Classroom Action Research in the First Grade Students of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)”. It is not plagiarism or made by others. Anything related to others’ works are written in quotation, the source of which is listed on bibliography.

If, it is proved that this pronouncement is wrong, I am ready to accept any academic punishment, including the withdrawal or cancelling of my academic degree.

Surakarta, … February 2011 Brigitta Septarini Rahmasari


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ABSTRACT

BRIGITTA SEPTARINI RAHMASARI. Using Peer Tutoring Technique to Improve Students’ Reading Comprehension (A Classroom Action Research in the First Grade Students of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic Year of 2010/2011). Thesis. Surakarta. English Education. Graduate School, Sebelas Maret University.

This thesis is aimed at identifying whether peer tutoring can improve students’ reading comprehension or not and describing what happens with the class when peer tutoring technique is applied in reading class. The preliminary research showed that the students had problems on main idea, details, inferences, and word meaning.

The research was done in IKIP PGRI Madiun from November 2010-Januari 2011. The subject of the study was the students of 1G of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun consisting of 40 students. It was a classroom action research. The researcher did some steps for each cycle. They were planning, action, observation, and reflection. In collecting the data, the researcher applied several techniques including observation, interview, questionnaire, and test. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. It compared between the scores of pre test (before implementing peer tutoring) and post test (after implementing peer tutoring), while the qualitative data were analyzed by using constant comparative method which consist of; comparing Incidents applicable to each category, integrating categories into their properties, delimiting theory, and writing theory.

The result of the research shows that: (1) peer tutoring can improve students’ reading comprehension, which covers: main idea, detail, inferences, and word meaning. The improvement can also be seen from their results of post test. The means of the scores improve from cycle to cycle. The mean score of pre test is 56.83. Then, it increases to 63.41 in post test 1 and 68.58 in post test 2, and based on the result of t-test, there was significant improvement between pre test and post test, (2) peer tutoring can enhance students’ confidence and motivation in reading class. Besides, the class becomes active and alive. Moreover, they can collaborate with the others well. They demolish their barriers to ask and respond question. Also, Peer tutoring can reduce the dominancy of the teacher.

In conclusion, peer tutoring is able to improve students’ reading comprehension. It stimulates students to be autonomous and active readers. In short, it is recommended that the English teachers use peer tutoring in teaching reading comprehension, so that it can be students’ own reading strategy in order to improve their reading comprehension.


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researcher’s deepest gratitude is handed to Jesus Christ and The Holy

Mary, for giving the mercy, charity, and blessing so that the researcher is finally

able to accomplish the thesis entitled “Using Peer Tutoring Technique to Improve

Students’ Reading Comprehension (A Classroom Action Research in the First

Grade Students of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun in the Academic

Year of 2010/2011)” successfully and smoothly.

Next, the researcher would like to say the sincere gratitude, especially to

Prof. Drs. Suranto, M.Sc., Ph.D, as the director of Graduate Degree of Education

Program of Sebelas Maret University and Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd, as the head of

Graduate School of English Education Department of Sebelas Maret University.

Besides, the researcher would like to say thank you to Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd, as the

first consultant, who has given his suggestions, corrections, and wise advices for

the thesis. Further, the researcher is grateful to Drs. Gunarso Susilohadi as the

second consultant, who always advises and guides in finishing this thesis. Many

thanks also go to all of the lectures of English education department of graduate

school who have wonderfully taught and enriched with their best knowledge

during her study at Sebelas Maret University. The researcher’s great gratitude are

also addressed to the Head of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun, Nuri Ati

Ningsih, M.Pd, the researcher’s collaborator, Yuli Kuswandari, M.Hum, and the

students of IG of English Department of IKIP PGRI Madiun who had helped the

researcher so that the researcher could finish the thesis well.

Moreover, the researcher can never thank enough to her parents, brothers,

and all of her families (Papa, Mama, Lius, Andre, and so on) who have supported

with finance and tremendous encouragement. In addition, special thanks are

presented to all of friends (Mbak Yanti, Mbak Vita, Vivien Lee, Mbak Anis,

Gusa, Tirsa, Nurina, Afni, and etcetera). Thanks for everything that you have done

for her. It is so nice to make friends with you. Finally, it is hoped that this thesis

will be valuable and useful for the readers who want to improve their reading

comprehension by using peer tutoring technique.

Surakarta, … February 2011


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TABLE of CONTENT

PAGE OF TITLE ................................................................................................

APPROVAL ................................................................................................................

LEGITIMATION…………………………………………………………..

MOTTO…………………………………………………………………….

DEDICATION ................................................................................................

PRONOUNCEMENT ................................................................................................

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...........................................................................................

CONTENTS .................................................................................................................

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................

LIST OF APPENDICES…………………………………………………...

LIST OF PICTURES ................................................................................................

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study…………………………

B. Formulation of the problems……………………..

C. Objectives of the Study………………………….

D. Benefit of the Study………………………………

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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Reading Comprehension ....….……………........

1. Definition of Reading Comprehension………

2. The Strategies in Reading Comprehension…..

B Teaching Reading Comprehension.......................

C. Definition of Peer Tutoring....................................

D. Procedures of Peer Tutoring..................................

E. The Strength and Weaknesses of Peer Tutoring …

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F. Rationale................................................................

G. Action Hypothesis.................................................

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Research Setting………………………………………

1. Time of the Research …………………………….

2. Place of the Research……………………………..

B. Research Subject …………………………………....

C. Research Method ………………...............................

D. Research Procedures ………………………………..

E. Techniques of Collecting Data …………………......

F. Techniques of Analyzing Data……………………….

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CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

A Introduction ………………………………………….

B Description of Cycle 1 ………………………………

C Description of Cycle 2………………………………..

D Research Findings……………………………………

E Discussion……………………………………………

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, AND SUGGESTION

A Conclusion……………………………………………

B Implication……………………………………………

C Suggestion…………………………………………….

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….

APPENDIX………………………………………………………………...

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LIST of TABLES Table 3.1 Research Schedule ……………………………………………..

Table 4.1 The students’ score on Reading Comprehension viewed from

Their skills………………………………………………………

Table 4.2 Posttest Score of Cycle 1 ………………………………………

Table 4.3 Posttest Score of Cycle 1 Viewed from Students’ Reading

Skills…………………………………………………………….

Table 4.4 The Result of Questionnaire after Implementing Peer Tutoring

in Cycle 1 ………………………………………………………

Table 4.5 Reflection of Cycle 1…………………………………………

Table 4.6 The Result of Post Reading in Meeting 1 Cycle 2……………



Table 4.9 The Result of Posttest of Cycle 2……………………………….

Table 4.10 Posttest Score of Cycle 2 Viewed from Students’ Reading

Comprehension………………………………………………..

Table 4.11 The Result of Questionnaire after Implementing Peer Tutoring

In Cycle 2……………………………………………………..

Table 4.12 The Comparison between Previous Condition and Condition

after Cycle 2 ………………………………………………..

Table 4.13 The Comparison among Students’ Score in Pretest, Posttest 1,

and Posttest 2………………………………………………….

Table 4.14 The Comparison among the Scores of Main Idea in Pretest,

Posttest1, and Posttest 2…………………………………….

Table 4.15 The Comparison among the Scores of Details in Pretest,


Table 4.16 The Comparison among the Scores of Inferences in Pretest,


Table 4.17 The Comparison among the Scores of Word Meaning in

Pretest, Posttest1, and Posttest 2………………………………

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LIST of APPENDICES Appendix 1 Questionnaire in Preliminary Research ……………………

Appendix 2 Sample of Students’ Questionnaire in Preliminary Research

………………………………………………………

Appendix 3 Result of Questionnaire in Preliminary Research ………..

Appendix 4 Sample of the Interview of the students in Preliminary

Research……………………………………………………..

Appendix 5 Blue Print and Try Out Test Items………………………….

Appendix 6 Validity of Test Items ………………………………………

Appendix 7 Validity of Test Items-The Valid Items Only………………

Appendix 8 Reliability of Test Items……………………. ……………..

Appendix 9 Blue Print and Test Items…………………………………

Appendix 10 Lesson Plan of Cycle 1……………………………………

Appendix 11 Worksheet 1 of Cycle 1……………………………………

Appendix 12 Worksheet 2 of Cycle 1…………………………………….


Appendix 14 Lesson Plan of Cycle 2………………………………………

Appendix 15 Worksheet 1 of Cycle 2……………………………………



Appendix 18 Sample of the Researcher’s Field Notes…………………….

Appendix 19 Sample of the Collaborator’s Field Notes…………………...

Appendix 20 Result of Pretest……………………………………………...

Appendix 21 Result of Posttest 1………………………………………….

Appendix 22 Result of Posttest 2………………………………………...

Appendix 23 The t-Test of Non-Independent between Pretest and Posttest

Of Cycle 1 …………………………………………………..

Appendix 24 The t-Test of Non-Independent between Pretest and Posttest

Of Cycle 2 …………………………………………………..

Appendix 25 The t-Test of Non-Independent between Posttest of cycle 1

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and Posttest of Cycle 2 ……………………………………

Appendix 26 Questionnaire after Cycle 1 ………………………………..

Appendix 27 Interview after Cycle 1………………………………………

Appendix 28 Questionnaire after Cycle 2 ………………………………..

Appendix 29 Interview after Cycle 2………………………………………

Appendix 30 Sample of Students’ Product ………………………………

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LIST of PICTURES

PICTURE 1 .................................................................................................................

PICTURE 2 .................................................................................................................

PICTURE 3………………………………………………………………...

PICTURE 4………………………………………………………………...

PICTURE 5 ..................................................................................................................

PICTURE 6 .................................................................................................................

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Reading is one of four skills that must be mastered by

university students of English Education Program. Reading taught in

University becomes demanded skill which students have to master.

Through reading, they are able to comprehend the content of the

subject matters and catch the information. Thus, it is very important

for advanced level students to master reading skill. In university level,

there are Reading 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each class of reading has its own

syllabus. Based on the reading syllabus, the lecturer has developed so

far, the students at the first semester are expected to be able to

find main idea, find specific information or details, make inferences,

and predict the word meanings from context.

Based on preliminary research, students’ reading comprehension of 1G,

the first grade students of English Teaching Department, IKIP PGRI Madiun is

still low, worrying, unsatisfying, and far from the expectation. It is indicated by

the following situations: When they were asked questions, they had no response.

They also kept silent during lecturing. They were passive and had no courage to

share ideas with their friends and tended to work individually. They were not able


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to spot or to find the main idea of each paragraph. They had difficulties to

differentiate between the main idea and supporting details. They could not

identify the unstated information from text. They could not relate one clue to

another. And they were not able to recognize the word meanings from the context.

There were three causes of reading problems; from the students, the

teacher and the class conditions. First, the students had low mastery of

vocabulary. Furthermore, the students had low motivation to learn in reading

class. They did not have curiosity and interest on the passage which will be read.

The material was too long and too difficult. Besides, some of them often came late

to the class. Some others often asked permission to go outside. In addition,

students had lack of guided session in group activity. Second, the teacher less

monitored the students’ activities. The teaching learning process was monotonous.

The teacher seldom used various techniques to make the students become better

readers. The technique which was applied during teaching-learning process made

the students passive. Teacher dominated class with broad oral explanation so that

the students faced some difficulties in understanding the passage. The teachers

just read the passage and discussed with the whole class so the students did not

have time to share their ideas with their friends about the passage freely.

Moreover, the teacher’s explanation was considered fast. Third, the class

condition is not alive, uninspiring and boring. Instead of having made a crowd in

the class, students stayed silent when they were in reading class. Badly, when they

are asked, most answers would be “keeping silent”, “smiling”, and “I do not

understand.” Most of them could not participate actively in reading class.


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To solve this problem, the researcher proposes the use of Peer Tutoring

technique that can be applied in teaching reading. Peer Tutoring is a collaborative

learning strategy in which students alternate between the role of tutor and tutee in

pairs or groups.

Peer tutoring refers to students working in pairs to help one another learn

material or practice an academic task. Peer tutoring works best when students of

different ability levels work together (Kunsch, Jitendra, & Sood in

http://www.nichcy.org/Research/EvidenceForEducation/pages/MathPeerTutoring.

aspx). During a peer tutoring assignment, it is common for the teacher to have

students switch roles partway through, so the tutor becomes the tutee. Since

explaining a concept to another person helps extend one’s own learning, this

practice gives both students the opportunity to better understand the material

being studied.

In addition, Peer tutoring is a type of instructional strategy in which

students are taught by their peers, who have been trained and supervised by the

classroom teacher. Peer tutoring involves having students work in pairs, with

another student of the same age or grade. Peer tutoring is an extremely powerful

way to improve student academic, social, and behaviors. (Gresham in

http://www.lehigh.edu/projectreach/teachers/peer_tutoring/peer_tutoring_step_1.h

tm)

Peer tutoring works for six reasons: first, students have more opportunities

to respond to academic material. In other words, they have more opportunities to

practice what they are learning by talking about what they are learning.


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Second, students receive feedback and error correction immediately and

more frequently. In large group or teacher-directed settings, it is impossible to

provide feedback and error correction to every student for every response. With

peer tutoring, students receive feedback and correction immediately for every

response.

Third, students are engaged in active learning, not passive learning. For

example, when using peer tutoring, students are actively asking each other

questions, responding, correcting mistakes, and providing positive feedback, as

opposed to simply watching and listening to the teacher (passive learning). Active

learning has been shown to be more effective in promoting student achievement.

Fourth, many students tend to learn more and experience more

engagement and “on-task” behavior when instruction is at a brisk pace. Peer

tutoring allows for a faster pace as students are more frequently responding to

academic material than in a large-group setting. Peer tutoring also allows for

students to be matched based on their learning style, in other words, students who

learn better at a slower pace may be paired together, as can be students who learn

better at a pace that is more brisk, thus allowing for individual adaptation in

instruction.

Fifth, Students are more “on-task” and motivated to learn, which means

they are less likely to engage in behaviors that are disruptive or problematic.

Sixth, Peer tutoring provides students with valuable opportunities to

practice their social skills in a structured environment, whereby the teacher can

directly monitor social interaction and provide feedback as necessary.


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Therefore, this technique is beneficial because students have a chance to

be both the tutor and tutee. The roles are equitable, which can promote an

environment of acceptance. Peer Tutoring gives students the opportunity to make

choices throughout the learning process. By making choices, students enhance

their self-management skills, and enhance control over learning and cooperation

with others. Furthermore, students are accountable for monitoring and evaluating

peer performance. In addition, student can be more active during lecturing and has

high motivation in teaching learning process. Thus, it is believed that Peer

tutoring can improve students’ ability in reading.

B. Formulation of the Problems

Based on the background of the study above, the problems in this study can be

formulated as follows:

1. Can and to what extent Peer Tutoring technique improve students’ reading

comprehension?

2. What happens with the class when Peer Tutoring technique is applied in

reading class?

C. Objectives of the Study

In accordance with the problems formulation above, the objectives of the

study are purposed to point out the answer for the problems. They are as follows:

1. To identify whether and to what extent Peer Tutoring technique can improve

students’ reading comprehension.


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2. To describe what happens with the class when Peer Tutoring technique is

applied in reading class.

D. Benefits of the Study

Hopefully, this study can be useful to the students, the other lecturers, the

other researcher, the institution, and even to the researcher herself.

1. For the students

This study will improve students’ reading comprehension because they are

taught using Peer Tutoring technique which is theoretically effective for

improving students’ reading comprehension. Moreover, through this

technique, the students can study together in understanding the reading

passage and can review the material together within the members of one team

who are from all achievements level so that they can help one another to

improve their capability in comprehending reading passage.

2. For the other lecturers

This study provide the various teaching techniques that can be used as the

consideration for choosing appropriate technique in teaching reading and the

result of this study can be a useful input in English teaching learning process

especially for improving reading comprehension.

3. For the other researcher

This study can be used as a guide, additional information, and a valuable

reference to conduct further studies about teaching and learning English


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especially about the issue of teaching reading and about the issue of Peer

Tutoring technique.

4. For the researcher

This study will improve the researcher herself in knowing the techniques

which are appropriate to use in teaching reading and will improve in mastering

Peer Tutoring technique implemented in classroom.

5. For the institution

This study will underline the important role of the institution as academic

institution which supports the scientific research in education at any level.


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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter, the researcher wants to explain some theories which are

relevant to the problems. This chapter is very important to show that this study is

based on the theories. Those theories, which will be elaborated, are reading

comprehension, teaching reading comprehension, definition of Peer Tutoring,

procedures of Peer Tutoring, the strengths and weaknesses of Peer Tutoring.

A. Reading Comprehension

In this sub chapter, the researcher discusses the definition of reading

comprehension and the strategies of reading comprehension.

1. Definition of Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the core of reading activity. It shows that an

influential factor in determining the success of reading process is comprehending

a text in order to convey the meaning. Comprehension is the ability to understand

the text and to get the meaning from text (any types of written material)

(http://definitionofcomprehension.htm). It means that comprehension is not


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something that happens after reading but it can occur at pre-reading, while-

reading, and post reading. Martin in http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi.bin

argues that reading comprehension is the processes of ‘constructing meaning’

from a text. Comprehension is a ‘construction process’ because it involves all the

elements of the reading process working together as a text to create a

representation of the text in the reader’s mind.

Inferring from Martin, it can be highlighted that reading comprehension is

how the reader uses his or her skills in reading process as an integrated skills to

construct or convey meaning from the text that is being read.

Martin also purposes that comprehension is affected by the readers’

knowledge of the topic, knowledge of language structures, knowledge of text

structures and genres, knowledge of reading strategies, their reasoning abilities,

and their motivation.

According to Urquhart and Weir, a focus on comprehending is in line with

feeling that this is what reading is ‘about’, i.e. getting information from written

texts (1998: 85). Urquhart and Weir also state:

The ‘ideal’ comprehension which consists of the recovery of author’s meaning cannot be used as the ideal one because first, it can never be fully achieved. The readers can never be sure that they have totally entered the writer’s mind. Second, a careful attempt to recover author’s meaning is not characteristic of all reading. It is clear that comprehension can not be viewed simple as the product of any reading activity. Rather, in any reading situation comprehension will vary according to the readers’ background knowledge, goals, interaction with the writer, etc. comprehension is taken as the product resulting from a particular reading task, and evaluated as such (1998: 87-88)


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Based on definition above, it can be concluded that reading comprehension

is different from one reader to another since reader is a personal activity. Reading

comprehension is not only conveying the author’s meaning but also interpreting

the author’s mind. The process of comprehending uses background knowledge to

construct an approximate understanding of the author’s message.

Meanwhile, reading comprehension results when the reader knows which

skills and strategies are appropriate for the type of text, and understand how to

apply them to accomplish the reading purpose.

Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of

writing. Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and

effortlessly. Wiener (1978: 7) states that efficient reading requires the ability to

guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context (context refers to the

sentence or paragraph in which a word occurs). If word recognition is difficult,

students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words,

which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read.

Reading expert, Maria in http://www.landmark.edu/institute/

assistive_technology/reading_overview.html states that reading comprehension

involves several elements: the ability to recognize errors or contradictions in text,

the understanding of different strategies to use with different kinds of text, and the

ability to distinguish important ideas from unimportant ones.

Klein, et al. in http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/theories-

reading state that strategic readers attempt the following while reading:

· Identifying the purpose of the reading before reading


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· Identifying the form or type of the text before reading

· Thinking about the general character and features of the form or type of the

text, for instance, they try to locate a topic sentence and follow supporting

details toward a conclusion.

· Projecting the author's purpose for writing the text (while reading it),

· Choosing scanning, or reading in detail

· Making continuous predictions about what will occur next, based on

information obtained earlier, prior knowledge, and conclusions obtained

within the previous stages.

Moreover, they attempt to form a summary of what was read. Carrying out

the previous steps requires the reader to be able to classify sequence, establish

whole-part relationships, compare and contrast, determine cause-effect,

summarize, hypothesize and predict, infer, and conclude.

Strategies are parts of the readers and they enable readers, among other

aspects, to locate specific required information, recognize indicators in discourse,

select and extract relevant points from texts, identify writer’s techniques and

recognize the mood of a passage (Urquhart and Weir, 1998: 94).

Davis (1968) in Alderson (2000: 9-10) defines skills of reading. They are

recalling word meanings, drawing inferences about the meaning of a word in

context, finding answers to questions answered explicitly or in paraphrase,

weaving together ideas in the content, drawing inferences from the content,

recognizing a writer’s purpose, attitude, tone and mood, identifying a writer’s


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technique, following the structure of a passage, distinguishing facts and opinion,

analyzing structure, annotating, paraphrasing and summarizing.

Munby (1978) in Alderson (2000: 10-11) distinguishes the following

reading “micro skills”: recognizing the script of a language, deducing the meaning

and use of unfamiliar lexical items, understanding explicitly stated information,

understanding information when not explicitly stated, understanding conceptual

meaning, identifying the main point or important information in discourse, and

distinguishing the main idea from supporting detail.

Duke and Pearson in Teele (2004: 93) state that good readers construct,

clarify, summarize, revise, question, and interpret what the text means as they

read. In addition, they also utilize their prior knowledge with the text. Still, they

examine the authors of the text and their style. They monitor what they are

understanding about the text. They also evaluate the quality of the text; read many

different kinds of text, examine setting and characters in a narrative text. Finally

they design and revise summaries when reading expository texts.

Further, Spears (2000: xxvi) states that there are important reading

comprehension skills that help learners to read more systematically. The skills are

comprehending main ideas, determining what unfamiliar words and concepts in

the text mean and how they relate to the text, distinguishing between main idea

and supporting details, and making inference.

Based on the definitions above, to be good readers the students must

master:

1) Reading to find the main idea


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One of the most common reasons for reading is to get the main idea of a text

or to differentiate between main points and supporting details. Spears (2000:

17) defines main idea as the author’s main point, a sentence, or perhaps two

that state what the whole thing is about. The main idea of a passage or reading

is the central thought or message. In contrast to the term topic, which refers to

the subject under discussion, the term main idea refers to the point or thought

being expressed.

2) Reading to make Inference

Mcneil (1992: 77) defines inference as the derivation of some idea that is not

directly stated. An inference is a process by which the readers hint to gather

information. But because the information is not always stated in exact terms,

they must supply their own information based on the hints (Wiener, 1978:

107). Thus, the ability to make inferences is defined as the ability to answer a

question related to meanings not directly stated in text (Alderson, 2000:9)

3) Reading to answer questions

Reading to answer questions is a means of improving the ability to note

significant details, not only should the students gain skill in finding answer to

questions that are stated by others. To avoid overdependence on the teacher,

they also need to develop an ability to formulate significant questions for

themselves as purposes for reading. Wiener says that the ability to find the

significant details is needed to complete the scene for the reader and show

how the ideas relate to other ideas (1978: 53).

4) Reading to paraphrase and summarize


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Spears (2000: 12) defines paraphrase as putting someone else’s words into

your own words, restating the ideas without changing their meaning.

Meanwhile, both the ability to select the main idea and to choose significant

details are basic to another commonly sought goal of reading; that of

summarizing.

Therefore, it can be concluded that reading comprehension is the ability to

understand the text and to get the meaning from text. It involves the ability to find

main ideas, find specific information or details, make inferences, and predict word

explicit meanings from context.

2. The Strategies in Reading Comprehension

There are specific comprehension strategies that some teachers are now

using in the classroom. First, teach students about prior knowledge. To help

students comprehend and learn from a specific reading material, they can access

their prior knowledge on a subject to help them relate to the subject that they are

learning at the moment.

Second, making a connection is when a student can relate a passage to an

experience, another book, or other facts about the world. Making connections will

help students understand what the author's purpose is and what the story is about.

Third, questioning is another strategy that will greatly benefit a student.

There are several types of questions that a teacher should focus on: remembering;

testing understanding and application or solving.


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Fourth, visualization is when a student can create a picture or movie in

their mind while reading text. Another way of looking at visualization is to think

about bringing words to life.

Fifth, summarizing is a comprehension strategy that also needs to be

taught. Summarizing is telling what is important about the text. A summary might

include the answers to who, what, where, when, why, and how.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension).

B. Teaching Reading Comprehension

Urquhart and Weir (1998: 172) state that teaching reading involves

students being given a written text, and being required to read it. Usually, they are

also expected to respond overtly to some task requirement.

A teacher should organize his activities to make the students engaged with

what they are reading. Students should be encouraged to respond to the content of

a reading text, not just to the language. It is important that they should be allowed

to express their feelings about the topic. Meanwhile, teaching reading is not easy.

Consequently, teacher should insert interesting activities before, during and after

reading in order to make reading comprehension activities more amusing and

optimally understandable

Roles of teacher which can help students learn when and how to use

reading strategies are as follows:

1. by modeling the strategies, talking through the processes of previewing,

predicting, skimming and scanning, and paraphrasing. This shows students


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how the strategies work and how much they can know about a text before they

begin to read word by word.

2. by allowing time in class for group and individual previewing and predicting

activities as preparation for in-class or out-of-class reading. Allocating class

time to these activities indicates their importance and value.

3. by using cloze (fill in the blank) exercises to review vocabulary items. This

helps students learn to guess meaning from context.

4. by encouraging students to talk about what strategies they think will help them

approach a reading assignment, and then talking after reading about what

strategies they actually used. This helps students develop flexibility in their

choice of strategies (http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/reading/stratread.htm).

C. Definition of Peer Tutoring

Peters in http://www.unicommons.com/node/6975 says that Peer tutoring

is a type of collaborative learning strategy in which students support each other’s

learning rather than relying solely on an adult teacher. Peer tutoring is one

collaborative approach where pairs of students interact to assist each other’s

academic achievement by one student adopting the role of tutor and the other the

role of tutee. Peer tutoring has been well validated for promoting the development

of low-level skills, such as reading.

Most teachers expect an effective classroom to be quiet and orderly.

Students are seated and not talking to each other. Students are trained to become

passive observers rather than active participants in their own education. Most


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teachers are themselves taught in such a traditional classroom of teacher-centered

instruction. Hence, Peer tutoring gives teachers more time to work with students

individually and also obtain a detailed understanding of each student’s learning

style and degree of subject mastery. Peer tutoring helps create child-centered

classroom.

Peer tutoring refers to the process of having learners help each other on a

one-to-one basis (Dueck in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm). Two

types of this kind of peer tutoring are found in adult literacy and basic education:

(1) "near peer" in which one learner is more advanced than the other; and (2) "co-

peer" in which the learners are fairly well matched in skill level (Whitman in

http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm). Examples of near peer pairings

include more academically capable learners working with those experiencing

difficulty. When co-peers are paired, learners are able to work together as equals

and gain a better understanding of the materials by learning from each other.

Although peer tutoring is done with pairs of learners, sometimes having learners

work in groups of three better meets the needs of both the learners and the

learning task (Dueck in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm ).

The old adage, "those who teach learn twice," holds true for peer tutoring

and is frequently given as the basis for using the approach. Although a teacher can

anticipate problems, questions, and concerns, no teacher can learn for another

individual. Thus, when peer tutoring is adapted, learning becomes much more

effective because learners are teaching themselves (Whitman in

http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm).


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Peer tutoring can enhance learning by enabling learners to take

responsibility for reviewing, organizing, and consolidating existing knowledge

and material; understanding its basic structure; filling in the gaps; finding

additional meanings, and reformulating knowledge into new conceptual

frameworks (Dueck; Whitman in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm).

In either co-peer or near peer situations, both learners are likely to understand the

material better by applying it in the peer tutoring setting.

Both learners and teachers will find that peer tutoring changes their roles

as well as the learning environment. When peer tutoring is used, the instructional

environment usually becomes more learner (as opposed to teacher) directed, and

the learners have a more significant role in helping shape the learning (Imel,

Kerka, and Pritz in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm). The teacher

becomes a co-learner and facilitator, acting as a guide and a coach. The teacher is

no longer the person with all the answers; instead, the teacher talks with learners

and offers opinions, explores strategies, and helps set goals (Goldgrab in

http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm).

Peer tutoring is an organized learning experience in which one student

serves as the teacher or tutor, and the other student is the learner or tutee. This

approach to tutoring provides students with an opportunity to use their knowledge

in a meaningful, social fashion. Peer tutors reinforce their own learning process by

reviewing and reformulating their knowledge. Tutees receive the opportunity for

skill development in a non-threatening context. Both tutors and tutees gain self-

confidence, the tutor by seeing self-competence in his or her ability to help


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someone and the tutee by receiving positive reinforcement from peers. All

students with some level of responsibility can be given the opportunity to be

tutors. Guidelines for pairing tutors and tutees are fairly broad and will likely

depend on the material being reviewed and the format of the activity. Peer

tutoring can be implemented on an individual basis (one tutor and tutee pair),

class-wide, or school-wide.

Therefore, Gardner in http://ltrc.edc.polyu.edu.hk/student02_1.html gives

the role of peer tutors and tutees. Tutors have four roles. First, they motivate

students or tutees to learn (motivator). Second, they share personal experiences

with tutees (counselor). Third, they provide comments on tutees’ effort (advisor).

Fourth, a peer tutor is the bridge between tutees and subject lecturers (middle

man). Meanwhile, Tutees are expected to review relevant subject matters before

tutorial session, raise questions before or during or after tutorial sessions, be

cooperative and take active part in all tutorial activities, solve problems

individually or as a team, be punctual and attend all tutorial sessions.

Peer tutoring is characterized by specific role taking: at any point someone

has the job of tutor, while the other is in a role as tutee (Topping, 1996: 234). Two

large categories of peer tutoring can be distinguished. Children can be paired with

other children from within their own classroom. This variant is called same-age

tutoring. The specific form of same-age tutoring in which the students alternate on

regular basis between the tutor and tutee role is called reciprocal same-age

tutoring (Keer in http://www.onderwijskunde.ugent.be/downloads/Van%20Keer.


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pdf). The second variant is called cross-age tutoring and refers to older students

tutoring younger students.

However, good peer tutoring programs are reciprocal, meaning both

students in a learning pair (or “dyad”) have turns playing the role of the tutor (or

teacher) and tutee (or learner) during the same tutoring session. This prevents

negative feelings of always having to be the learner, as well as prevents feelings

of superiority in always being the teacher.

In conclusion, peer tutoring gives teacher specific instructional methods to

help students improve their skills and critical-thinking abilities. It can become an

important learning element that assists the students in learning how to solve

problems, collaborate with others, and think creatively.

D. Procedures of Peer Tutoring

Peer tutoring is a student mediated instructional procedure in which

student dyads or small learning groups work together on learning tasks. Peters in

http://www.unicommons.com/node/6975 elaborates that in this procedure,

students assembled in groups of two or more are trained to work together on a

specific academic task. The students work together to prompt, monitor and

evaluate each other, while working toward group goals. The students alternate

between the roles of tutor and tutee in groups of two. In larger groups of three or

four, roles of a group monitor and an evaluator are added to the procedure.

Students work together in their groups to achieve established goals or rewards that

are contingent upon group performance


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During the intervention the tutor would read a passage to the tutee and the

tutee would follow along with a photocopy of the passage. The tutee would then

read the passage back to the tutor, while the tutor followed along providing

corrective feedback. After five minutes the students would switch roles and repeat

the procedure. The higher performing student always began the session as the

tutor. This procedure enabled the weaker reader to hear and see the passage prior

to oral reading. Once the students became skillful at the tutoring procedure, the

teacher introduced comprehension questions to the tutoring sessions. After each

student orally read for five minutes, he/she would summarize what was just read

and answer questions pertaining to the reading such as “what is the first thing you

learned? or “what is the most important thing about who or what in the text?”

Prior to the peer tutoring intervention, the students in both the control group

(standard classroom instruction) and in the tutoring group were assessed on

measures of reading comprehension (Peters in http://www.unicommons.com/

node/6975).

According to Gresham in http://www.lehigh.edu/projectreach/teachers/

peer_tutoring/peer_tutoring_step_1.htm, there are seven steps of peer tutoring.

They are as follows:

1. Selection of tutoring pairs, or "dyads": This step involves putting

students together into pairs.

· Dyad selection does not have to be structured at all; kids respond well with

peer tutoring regardless with whom they are paired, even if high achievers are

paired with low achievers. The only really important guideline in dyad


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selection is to avoid putting best friends together, as well as pairing "worst

enemies" together. Students are less likely to be productive in these cases.

· Students may be paired with peers who achieve at levels the same or different

from their own. However, if you are concerned with pairing based on

achievement, a good method of pairing is as follows:

o List the students in your class from highest to lowest achievers. This

does not have to be very precise, just a general ranking.

o Divide the list in half, now giving you two groups of students

o Number each group. For example, in a class of 28 students, you will

now have two groups of 14 students, ranked lowest to highest. Number

each group, which means you will have a 1-14 group and a 15-28

group.

o Pair the highest student with the lowest student for a 1-14 group and a

15-28 group. For example, students 1 and 14 will be paired, 2 and 13,

3 and 12, 15-28 group. And so on. For the other group, students 15 and

28 will be paired, 14 and 27, 13 and 26, etc. If you have a class with an

odd number of students, never fear! It is ok to have one group of 3

students. Furthermore, you will likely have at least one absentee on a

given day, and in this instance you can “mix and match”.

· You should change the dyads every 2-3 weeks to prevent the students from

developing patterns of behavior or responding. Additionally, changing dyads

allows for a “fresh start” and can provide the opportunity for a student to

become better acquainted with someone else.


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2. Task Structure: Deciding how and when to Use Peer Tutoring: Even

though peer tutoring can work for a large number of lessons, academic

activities, and skills, there are some instances when peer tutoring may not

be the best instructional strategy.

· Peer tutoring is well suited for the review and practice of previously

learned or familiar material. For example, an excellent time to use

peer tutoring would be following a teacher-directed lesson on the civil

war. Following the lesson, the students would get into their tutoring pairs

and review the facts presented in the lesson.

· Peer tutoring is particularly well suited for tasks and activities involving a

lot of structure. For example, generating factual or comprehension

questions and constructing practice multiple-choice test questions,

complete with answers, based on the text given are excellent activities to

use for peer tutoring because they involve the simple presentation of

discrete information, with “right-or-wrong” answers.

· Good peer tutoring programs are “reciprocal”, meaning both students

in the tutoring pair have the opportunity to be the tutor and tutee in the

same tutoring session. Typically, one student is the tutor for the first half

of the tutoring session, and the other student is the tutor for the second

half.

3. Conducting Training Sessions: successful peer tutoring programs depend

on well trained students who know exactly what is expected of them

before they do it.


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· It is good to conduct 4-8 training sessions, 15 minutes each, on the peer

tutoring procedure before they begin tutoring.

· Training typically begins with the teaching of the Feedback/Error

Correction procedure.

· Demonstrate how peer tutoring will look. Go through a lesson with

another teacher or a student as the tutee. Be sure to “model” appropriate

tutor and tutee behavior.

4. Preparing the Tutoring Materials: Peer tutoring will go more smoothly

and students will learn more if they have clear, simple materials to use.

Usually, this can simply be a prepared worksheet or a deck of flashcards.

· When you would like your students to tutor each other on factual or

comprehension questions, a simple worksheet like the one shown below

might work best. Each question you would like the students to ask/respond

to are listed. There are columns to mark correct and incorrect responses.

The correct answers to the questions are listed at the bottom.

Question Correct Incorrect

1 Who was the first President of the

United States?

2 Who was president of the United

States during the Civil War?

3 How many years in a row can a person

be president?


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4 True or False: You can be president if

you were born in Canada

Answer key (don't let your partner see the answers!)

1. George Washington

2. Abraham Lincoln

3. 8

4. False. Only people born in the United States can be

president.

While tutoring, the tutor would cover the answer key with his/her

hand or a post-it note.

5. Teaching the Feedback/Error Correction Procedure.

The Feedback/Error correction procedure is perhaps THE MOST

IMPORTANT PART of the peer training program, because this is what

ensures that the tutoring “flows” along smoothly, while ensuring that learning

will be maximized through reinforcement and immediate error correction. But

don’t worry it is simple!

· Here is how it works:

1. Tutor reads the question to the tutee or the tutor presents the problem on a

flash card or says the word.

2. The tutee responds.

o If the tutee responds correctly:

o Tutor checks the "correct" column next to the question or word

o Tutor says "You're right!"


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Tutor awards the appropriate amount of points

o Tutor goes on to next question

3. If the tutee responds incorrectly:

d. Tutor checks the “incorrect” column

e. Tutor repeats the question and provides the correct answer (note that the tutor

DOES NOT say “nope” or “you’re wrong”. He/she just simply repeats the

question and provides the answer).

f. Tutor asks the question again

g. Repeat procedure until tutee responds correctly, and then move on to the next

question.

6. Develop System to Request Help

Sometimes students may get stuck on a question. It is good to, prior to starting

peer tutoring, decide on a way to request help from the teacher. This may simply

consist of having both tutor and tutee raise their hands. Or, tutoring pairs could be

provided with red “help” cards to hold up when they need the teacher’s assistance.

Whatever the signal you chose, make sure it is reliable in getting the teacher’s

attention and it is consistent so that students remember it. Remember, the sooner

the students get help for a question or confusion is clarified, the faster they can

move on to the next question.

7. Close Teacher Monitoring

· You will find that when your students are in their dyads and are using the

peer tutoring procedure, you will have more free time on your hands!

However, teachers should avoid taking this opportunity to catch up on


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paperwork or do other activities unrelated to the student activity. This time

should be spent by “floating” around the classroom and monitoring the

students while they tutor each other. Teachers can take this time to reward

pairs that are working cooperatively and following the procedure, answer

questions, and provide corrective feedback.

· Use a timer. Typically, peer tutoring sessions are best when they are 15-20

minutes in length. Set the timer for half of the total time. When the timer

goes off, have the students switch roles (tutor and tutee), and continue

until the end of the tutoring period.

E. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Peer Tutoring

As students are trained in preparation to become tutors, their motivation to

learn increases, personal feelings of helplessness are reduced, and the stigma fades

of accepting help from others. Since all students have the chance to participate

and the opportunity to help, peer tutoring empowers them to feel valuable and

worthwhile. From these roots, grows a more cooperative classroom learning spirit.

Peer tutoring can be useful in helping students see added aspects of this material

that prompts new questions. Peer tutoring increase students’ motivation by

enlisting their personal interest with success in mastering something and thereby

gaining the “rank” of tutor.

Once it stimulates the student’s motivation, peer tutoring frequently

generates a curiosity to learn the next steps to be mastered in a subject, so that the

students can then be a tutor himself or herself.


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According to Gordon (2005: 4-5), the strengths of peer tutoring are as

follows:

1. The learning of academic skills. Students will learn better when they help

teach one another than they will incompletely teacher-directed classrooms.

2. Encouraging more positive attitudes toward learning.

3. Gaining a deeper understanding of subject areas.

4. Developing a more positive self-image.

5. Improving attitudes toward school and teachers.

6. For tutee, private instruction will help supplement the teacher’s efforts so

that the student will learn more in the classroom on a day-to-day basis.

7. For tutor, gains a more in depth understanding of how to apply the skills

and lessons he or she knows or more creatively use the information he or

she tutors.

Peer tutoring can also benefit adult learners by helping them to:

1. reach the goal of self-determination as well as develop a tolerance for

uncertainty and conflict

2. move away from dependence on professional authority toward belief in their

own ability to create knowledge

3. polish their communication skills

4. persist in the learning situation because of bonds developed with other learners

5. increase both their motivation to learn and their self-esteem (Dueck 1993;

Goldgrab 1992; Randels, Carse, and Lease 1992; Schneider 1989; Whitman

1988 in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm).


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Kunsch, Jitendra, & Sood in http://www.nichcy.org/Research/EvidenceFor

Education/pages/MathPeerTutoring.aspx gives some strengths of Peer tutoring for

tutors, tutees, and teachers. They are as follows:

Tutors:

· Help students increase their own understanding of the subject matter as

they tutor students in/on, which boosts confidence and can carry over to

their desire to learn other subjects (Ehly, et al. 21)

· Practice students’ communication skills with other students

· Give tutors great confidence

· Give tutors an opportunity to develop their own leadership skills

Tutees:

· Help tutees feel more at ease, and concentrate better on the subject matter,

with a peer tutor rather than a professional teacher or consultant (Ehly et.

al. 21)

· According to Goodlad and Hirst (1989), there are four main benefits for

tutees when they seek out peer help:

o Tutees receive individualized instruction

o Tutees receive more teaching

o Tutees (may) respond better to their peers than to their teachers

o Tutees can obtain companionship from the students that tutor them

Teachers

· Peer tutoring is also beneficial to teachers who may not have the time to

spend with each of their students one-on-one.


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· Help the subject lecturer break the whole class into small groups so that

students have the chance to learn in a more intimate environment, which

allow them to take more initiative. For example, students ask more

questions at the tutorials and that hardly happen in lectures where there are

over 80 students sitting in the lecture theatre.

On the other hand, Peer tutoring has some weaknesses. Peer tutoring

decreases practice time and physical engagement, increases chance of giving and

receiving incorrect feedback, and increases opportunity for conflict or small-talk

(Peters in http://www.unicommons.com/node/6975).

Furthermore, the weaknesses of Peer Tutoring are as follows (Gordon,

2005:4): too much time and effort to train tutors, tutor impatience, academic

subject suitability for peer tutoring, and lack of expertise on the tutor’s part.

In addition, there may be cognitive consequences. Tutees cannot correctly

solve problems and affective consequences. Students feel that they are poor tutors

and become discouraged (Medway & Baron, 1997

http://www.learnlab.org/research/wiki/index.php/Adaptive_Assistance_for_Peer_

Tutoring_(Walker,_Rummer,_Koedinger).

Moreover, Greenwood, et al. in Topping; http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/

deliberations/seda-publications/topping.cfm say that the quality of tutoring from a

peer tutor may be a good deal inferior to that from a professional teacher

(although this should not be assumed), and the need for monitoring and quality

control cannot be overstated. This also significantly consumes time and resources.


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Likewise, the tutor's mastery of the content of tutoring is likely to be less than that

of a professional teacher.

F. Rationale

Reading comprehension is not only a receptive of taking information from

page in word by word but also an active process to comprehend the text. In fact,

most of students in my class have low ability in reading comprehension. This

problem was indicated by students incorrectly interpreted main idea with specific

details; they could not identify the unstated information from text. They could not

relate one clue to another. And they were not able to recognize the word meanings

from the context. Also, they kept silent during lecturing. They were passive and

had no courage to share ideas with their friends and tended to work individually.

There were three causes of reading problems; from the students, the

teacher and the class conditions.. First, the students had low mastery of

vocabulary. Furthermore, the students had low motivation to learn in reading

class. They did not have curiosity and interest on the passage which will be read.

They thought that the passage was too long and too difficult. In addition, students

had lack of guided session in group activity. Second, the teacher less monitored

the students’ activities. The teaching learning process was monotonous. The

teacher seldom used varied technique to make the students become a better reader.

The technique which was applied during teaching-learning process made the

students passive. Teacher dominated class with broad oral explanation. The

teachers just read the passage and discussed with the whole class until the students


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did not have time to share their ideas about the passage freely. Moreover, the

teacher’s explanation was considered fast. Third, the class condition is not alive,

uninspiring and boring. Instead of having made a crowd in the class, students

stayed silent when they were in reading class. Most of them could not participate

actively in reading class.

Knowing this condition, Peer Tutoring is selected to solve the problem. It

is so because first, the students work in pairs to help one another learn the material

being studied. This technique gives both students the opportunity to better

understand it. In other words, they have more opportunities to practice what they

are learning by talking about what they are learning. The students gain a deeper

understanding of how to apply the skills and lessons.

Second, students receive feedback and error correction immediately and

more frequently. In large group or teacher-directed settings, it is impossible to



response.

Third, students are engaged in active learning, not passive learning. For

example, when using peer tutoring, students are actively asking each other

questions, responding with answers, correcting mistakes, and providing positive

feedback, as opposed to simply watching and listening to the teacher (passive

learning). Active learning has been shown to be more effective in promoting

student achievement.


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Fourth, many students tend to learn more and experience more

engagement and “on-task” behavior when instruction is at a brisk pace. Peer

tutoring allows for a faster pace as students are more frequently responding to

academic material than in a large-group setting.

Fifth, students are more “on-task” and motivated to learn, which means

they are less likely to engage in behaviors that are disruptive or problematic. For

example, students ask more questions at the tutorials and that hardly happen in

lectures where there are over 40 students sitting in the class.

Sixth, Peer tutoring provides students with valuable opportunities to

practice their social skills in a structured environment, whereby the teacher can

directly monitor social interaction and provide feedback as necessary.

G. Action Hypothesis

Based on the rationale described above, action hypothesis can be

formulated that Peer tutoring technique is considered as a technique that is

appropriate to improve students’ reading comprehension.


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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Research Setting

1. Time of the Research

This research is carried out in ten months from July 2010 until February

2011. Preliminary observation as the first stage was conducted on July. The

second step was designing research proposal that was conducted on August until

September 2010. On October, seminar on research proposal was held. The next

stage was making research instruments. This was on October as well. November

2010 until January 2011 was the time for giving treatment and collecting the data.

Writing research report was conducted in January 2011- February 2011. Finally,

collecting research report was on February 2011. The research schedule is as

follows:

Table 3.1 Research Schedule

MONTH ACTIVITIES

July-September 2010

October 2010

November 2010 – January

2011

January- February 2011

Preliminary Observation and Designing Research

Proposal

Seminar on Research Proposal and Making Research

Instruments

Giving Treatment And Collecting The Data

Writing Research Report and Collecting Research

Report

34


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2. Place of the Research

The place of the Research is IKIP PGRI Madiun, located on Jl. Setiabudi

85, Madiun. This university is one of the favorite universities in Madiun. There

are about 8, 000 students who come from different regions, such as Ngawi,

Magetan, Ponorogo, Madiun itself and so on. IKIP PGRI Madiun has eleven

departments including English Teaching Department. Department of English

Teaching has big number of students compared with those of other departments.

There are four grades in academic year 2010/2011. Each grade consists of eight

classes. So, the total number of the class is thirty two classes.

The facilities which are provided by this university are complete and good

enough. Two English Laboratories and two microteaching laboratories are

available for the English Teaching Department students. However, these facilities

are only occupied by the students who are on the certain subjects such as listening

and seminar class. Besides, there are internet, air conditioner, and a central library

which provides a lot of books which are needed by the students.

B. Research Subjects

The subject of this classroom action research is 1G, the first grade students

of English Teaching Department, in the academic year of 2010-2011 that consists

of 40 students. There are fourteen male students and twenty six female students in

Class 1G. The reasons for choosing this class as research subjects are the students

of Class 1G had low reading competence and their attitude toward reading

lecturing process was in such passive atmosphere. This situation is indicated as


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their silence during the class. Furthermore, they are in negative response when

they are asked the questions. Another reason is that the students have no interest

and curiosity in reading class. They are often late to come. Even, they talk about

unrelated topic during the class process. In addition, the students’ cooperation is

low. As they get the group-task, they have no courage to share ideas with friends.

They tend to work individually. Another important consideration is about their

ability in comprehending the content of the text, finding main idea, and organizing

the clues of each paragraph. Based on my personal reflection and observation, it

can be concluded that the technique should be changed since the last teaching

learning process made students passive by dominating the class with broad oral

explanation. The students had lack of time for practice both as groups or

individuals. So, in this classroom action research, Peer tutoring technique is used

to solve students’ problems in reading comprehension. By using Peer tutoring

technique, it is hoped that they can increase students’ reading comprehension.

C. Research Method

The research method used in this study was Classroom Action Research

(CAR). The definition of CAR based on Kemmis in Hopkin (1993: 44) is

“Action research is a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants (teacher, students or participants, for example) in social (including educational) situation in order to improve the rationality and justice of (a) their own social or educational practices; (b) their understanding of these practices; and (c) the situations (and institutions) in which these practices are carried out.”


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From the definition above it can be concluded that research in this study

means the systematic study of attempts to improve the teaching learning process

in order that the students’ achievement becomes satisfying. In fact, the students’

capability in comprehending reading passage in Class 1G is still unsatisfying.

In order to achieve the purpose of study, there are several steps that would

be applied in action research. Each step has five stages: planning, actions,

observations, reflection; and revised of planning (Kemmis and Taggart in

Hopkins, 1998:48). These five stages take place in an ongoing cycle in which the

critical reflection is done at every end of cycle in order to make a further revision

and planning.

The description of the cycle will be shown on the following figure 1:


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The procedure that is described shows that the plan is made by considering

the fact findings from the preliminary observation. Then, the teacher as the

researcher conducts Peer Tutoring technique in teaching reading.

The selection of CAR is based on some characteristics. They are as

follows: first, Action research is contextual, small scale, and localized. It identifies

and investigates problems within a specific situation. Second, it is evaluative and

reflective as it is aimed at bringing out change and improvements in practice.

Third, it is participatory as it provides for collaborative investigation by team of

colleagues, practitioners, and researcher. Fourth, change in practice is based on

the collection of information or data which provide the stimulus for change.

The researcher used CAR for some reasons. First, the characteristics of

CAR are focusing on solving problems in the class or specific situation. Second, it

is a form of self-reflective undertaken by the teacher to improve the teaching

learning process and to improve his or her professionalism in teaching. Third, the

cycle will be done until the improvement occurs. Fourth, it is one way to improve

the students’ capability in comprehending reading passage.

D. Research Procedures

The research applied some procedures as follows:

1. General Plan

In this first stage, the researcher identified the problems referring to teaching

and learning process in my classroom. In this case, the problems were related

to the reading comprehension. After identifying the problems, the researcher


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made a plan about what kind of action that will be carried out such as

preparing the material, making lesson plan, preparing observation sheets to

record students’ activities, and preparing teaching aids and instruments for

testing. At the end of first cycle, the researcher analyzed and evaluated the

students’ improvement and made a decision of the importance of applying the

second cycle.

2. Action

The researcher carried out the lesson plan in the classroom. The researcher

conducted the teaching activities step by step based on the lesson plan. The

researcher applied Peer tutoring in teaching reading to the first grade of

English Teaching Department.

3. Observation

The researcher observed the important occurrences during the teaching and

learning process. The researcher was helped by the collaborator to observe

teacher and students’ activities during the teaching learning process. The

collaborator then gave inputs and suggestions. She noted the strength and

weaknesses of lesson plan implementation using Peer tutoring technique in

teaching reading.

4. Reflection

After using Peer tutoring technique in teaching reading, the researcher recited

the occurrences in the classroom as the effect of the action. The researcher and

her collaborator evaluated the process and the result of the implementation of


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Peer tutoring technique. The evaluation gave some benefits in deciding what

the researcher had to do in next cycle.

5. Revising the plan

Having conducted the reflection, the researcher made a revision of her plan.

The revision was aimed to improve the condition that had not been successful

in the previous cycle. By revising the plan, it was hoped that the rest of the

problems could be handled in the following cycle.

E. Techniques of Collecting Data

1. Test

Written tests, Pretest and Post-test, are used to find out the students’

achievement in reading comprehension and to know the students’ reading

comprehension before and after teaching reading using Peer tutoring technique.

The purpose of these tests is to figure out whether the students’ reading

comprehension improves or not.

To get the instrument validation in Reading Comprehension test, the

researcher applied internal validity and reliability as stated in Ngadiso (2006: 1-3).

The formula is as follows:

a. Internal Validity

n

xS t

tå=

2

St = Standard deviation of the square root of the each squared


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deviation score divided by the number of respondents

å 2tx = the total of the square of each deviation score

n = the number of respondents

i

i

t

tii q

p

S

XXr

-=

ri = the validity of each item

Xi = sum of correct answers within the row divided by sum of

correct answers within column

Xt = the average of the total correct answers

St = standard deviation of the square root of the each squared

deviation score divided by the number of respondents.

pi = the total of the correct answers divided by the number of

respondents

qi = the total of the incorrect answers divided by the number of

respondents

Internal Reliability

÷÷ø

öççè

æ-

-= å

21

1t

kkS

pq

kk

r

rkk = Internal Reliability

k = The total of valid items

å pq = The sum of the multiplication of the average of the correct answers

and the incorrect answers .


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St = Standard deviation of the square root of the each squared

deviation score divided by the number of respondents.

2. Interview

The interview is carried out to get information which covers the ideas about

the usage of Peer tutoring technique and the strengths and weaknesses of the

implementation of Peer tutoring technique in teaching reading. The interview

consists of personal perceptions, experiences, opinion, and ideas related to this

classroom action research.

3. Observation

In this research, the observation is done to cover the process of

implementation of Peer tutoring technique in teaching reading. Classroom events

and interaction between teacher and students and among students in the classroom

are observed by the researcher. In this research, the researcher is as the teacher

who teaches reading using Peer tutoring technique and also as the observer who

observes the classroom activities while the implementation of Peer tutoring

technique is happening. The researcher also asks her collaborator to observe and

make notes about teaching learning process. The collaborator helps the researcher

to observe, evaluate, and offer suggestions about the implementation of Peer

tutoring technique in teaching reading.

4. Questionnaire

The questionnaire is carried out to get information from the students about

their idea of the implementation of Peer tutoring technique in teaching reading

and the strengths and weaknesses of this technique.


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F. Techniques of Analyzing Data

The techniques that are used to analyze the data are:

1. Qualitative Data

The technique of analyzing qualitative data is constant comparative method.

The steps of analyzing qualitative data using constant comparative method are as

follows:

a. Comparing Incidents applicable to each category

In this stage, the researcher codes any raw data about teaching reading

comprehension using Peer tutoring technique and applies them into some

categories.

b. Integrating categories into their properties

Here, the researcher integrates any findings from that category and makes

them in sense of related theory after comparing the properties of each

category from the result of the previous step.

c. Delimiting theory

It refers to theory and category reduction from the result of two previous

steps.

d. Writing theory

With all steps mentioned, the writer makes final judgment to be the theory.

2. Quantitative Data

The quantitative data which are all in number-form are gained from checking

the students’ answer on the written test: (1) pretest; and (2) posttest.


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a. Computing the students’ correct answers.

b. Calculating the students’ score on written test. It is done as follows:

1. Calculating the percentage of the correct answers of each student. The

percentage is used to measure the students’ reading comprehension. The

students’ reading comprehension is found from the percentage of the correct

answer. The percentage formula that is used is:

SMNR

S ´=

Where:

S = the students’ mastery in %

R = the students’ right answer

N = the maximum number of the whole answer

SM = standard mark (100)

2. After analyzing the scores of the written test, the researcher uses a statistical

technique to find the students’ mean score as follows:

n

XM å=

Where:

M = mean score

å X = the total score

n = the number of students

If the mean score increases, the students’ reading comprehension is considered

improving and the research is successful.


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3. In order to know whether there is a significant improvement or not between

pretest and posttest, the researcher will use non independent t-test. It is done

by comparing the pretest and post test scores. The formula is as follows

(Ngadiso, 2006: 17):

( )

( )1

2

2

-

-

=

å å

nnn

DD

Dt

t = the test in order to know whether there is a significant

improvement or not between pretest and posttest

D = the differences between pretest and posttest divided by

the number of students

D = the differences between pretest and posttest

n = number of students

c. Making conclusion and suggestion based on the data analysis.


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CHAPTER IV

RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION

A. Introduction

The purposes of this research are to identify whether and to what extent

Peer Tutoring technique can improve students’ reading comprehension and to

describe what happens with classroom situation when Peer Tutoring technique is

applied in reading class. The research was done at IKIP PGRI Madiun, especially

IG class. Based on previous observation and interview, the researcher realized that

the students had some problems in reading. They faced some difficulties in

finding main idea, finding specific information, drawing inference, and predicting

word meanings from text. They had difficulties to differentiate between the main

idea and supporting details. They could not identify the unstated information from

text. They could not relate one clue to another. And they were not able to

recognize the word meanings from the context. Overall, this condition was

identified as their pre-test score which was gained in preliminary research was

mostly unsatisfying. The proof is that from the total of 40 students; four students

got under 40, six students got under 50, ten students got under 60, twelve students

got under 70, and eight students got under 80. The highest score was 76.67 and

the lowest score was 33.33. Those resulted 56.83 for the average score in this test.

Another important consideration was about students’ score viewed from their

skills. In more complete data, the students’ skill score could be seen in the table

4.1.

46


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Table 4.1. The Students’ Score on Reading Comprehension Viewed from

Their Skill

NO SKILL HIGHEST LOWEST MEAN

1 Main Idea 71.42 28.57 63.75

2 Details 83.33 50 59.23

3 Inferences 80 20 62.25

4 Word Meaning 71.42 42.85 63.57

In addition, when they were asked questions, they had no response. They

also kept silent during lecturing. They were passive and had no courage to share

ideas with their friends and tended to work individually

Knowing that reading comprehension was still difficult for students, the

researcher tried to know what the causes of the problems were. The researcher

found that there were three causes of reading problems; from the teacher, the

students, and the class conditions.

From the teacher’s point of view, as it was identified, the causes from the

teacher were the monotonous teaching learning process, less monitoring, and

dominating class with broad oral fast explanation. These causes were in line with

students’ result from questionnaire. It showed that 62.50% students agreed that

the teacher always dominate the class. 75% from 40 students agreed that the

teacher’s presentation was very fast. 65% students disagreed that the teacher

always monitored the discussion when the students worked in pair or group. In

accordance to interview result, students FK said that he felt boring with the

teaching technique. Another students RH supported this idea that the teacher


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always used monotonous technique. He or she asked the students to open the text

book and translate it. After that, he or she explained the content of the text broadly

and orally without giving a chance for the students to share their ideas. Then, he

or she asked them to do exercises in the text book. The worst thing is that the

teacher did it over and over again.

Meanwhile, from students’ point of view, it was identified that the

students had low mastery of vocabulary. Then, the students had low motivation to

learn in reading class. They did not have curiosity and interest on the passage

which will be read. The material was too long and too difficult. Besides, some of

them often came late to the class. Some others often asked permission to go

outside. In addition, students had lack of guided session in group activity. These

causes were supported by the result of questionnaire and interview. 75% students

agreed that Reading comprehension is difficult because of low mastery of

vocabulary. In addition, based on the interview, it was found that student HR got

difficulties in reading because the material was too difficult for him. Another

students said that his teacher always do the task individually. So, he never worked

together with his friend. The detail about the result of questionnaire can be seen in

the appendix.

The last cause of the problem was the class situation. It was boring and

monotonous. Instead of having made a crowd in the class, students stayed silent

when they were in reading class. Badly, when they are asked, most answers would

be “keeping silent”, “smiling”, and “I do not understand.” Most of them could not

participate actively in reading class.


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To solve the problems above, the researcher applied Peer Tutoring

technique in teaching reading comprehension. Peer tutoring is useful since

students have a chance to be both the tutor and tutee. Students are taught by their

peers, who have been trained and supervised by the classroom teacher.

It can make the students be more active during lecturing. The students

work in pairs to help one another learn the material being studied. This technique

gives both students the opportunity to better understand it.

Furthermore, students receive feedback and error correction immediately

and more frequently. In large group or teacher-directed settings, it is impossible to



response. Thus, it is believed that Peer tutoring can improve students’ ability in

reading comprehension.

In the end of the research, the researcher has a target that 75% students can

pass the passing grade (60) because the researcher considered the attempt to

improve the students’ reading comprehension is difficult enough. However, the

researcher wants to enhance it by implementing Peer tutoring technique in

teaching reading comprehension.

B. Description of Cycle I

This cycle consisted of four steps. They were planning, acting, observing,

and reflecting. The steps will be elaborated further as follows:


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1. Planning

After knowing the problems from the preliminary observation, the

researcher planned some activities to solve the problems. They are sharing ideas

with collaborator, designing lesson plan, and preparing materials. The researcher

shared ideas with her collaborator related to the activities that could be applied in

cycle 1. After the discussion, the researcher and the collaborator agreed to use

Peer tutoring technique to improve students’ reading comprehension since this

technique allowed the students to be more active in the classroom and they would

work in pairs to help one another learn the material being studied. This technique

gives both students the opportunity to better understand it. Meanwhile, before

applying peer tutoring technique, the researcher would give a model how to find

main idea, find detail, draw inferences, and predict word meaning.

Next, the researcher, helped by the collaborator, designed lesson plan.

Lesson plan described how to apply peer tutoring in the classroom. There were

some steps in peer tutoring. They were as follows: (1) Putting students together

into different pairs or dyads, (2) Asking the students to tutor their tutee on main

idea, details, word meanings, and inference questions, (3) Asking the students to

give feedback or error correction, (4) Monitoring or going around the classroom to

help the students if the tutors get stuck on a question or on preparing tutoring

materials, (5) Having the students switch roles (tutor and tutee), and (6) Asking

the students to present the result of peer tutoring. In addition, the researcher also

asked her collaborator to observe the whole activities of teaching and learning

process and to give suggestion and advices for better results.


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Meanwhile, having made consideration that the previous texts taught to

the students were too long and too difficult, the researcher in agreement with the

collaborator replaced the materials into more interesting and easier texts that was

report texts. Also, the content of the materials which the researcher chose was new

information for the students so that they were interested to read and comprehend

the texts given. The materials were listed as follows: (1) Tiger, (2) Postponing

Death, (3) The Treasure Hunt, and (4) Suntan and Society.

2. Acting

a) Meeting I

1) Opening

It was held on Monday, 15th November 2010. The researcher and collaborator

entered to the classroom at 11.30 a.m., and then the researcher greeted the

students by saying “Good morning all. How are you?” They answered “Morning

mom. I am fine, thank you, and you?” The researcher said “I am fine. Thanks.”

After that, the researcher checked the attendance list. There were six students who

were absent. The whole students of 1G are forty students; fourteen male students

and twenty six female students. This activity lasted for five minutes.

2) Main Activities

(a) Pre reading activity

Before the researcher introduced Peer tutoring, she told the students the

objectives of the meeting; that was implementing Peer tutoring to develop their

skills in reading. Following this activity, the researcher distributed the text entitled


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“Tiger”. She then explained to the students how to find main ideas, find details,

draw inferences, and predict the word meaning from context. When she explained

skimming and scanning technique, most of the students had known about it.

Therefore, she just reviewed it. She also explained some types of questions which

were categorized into main ideas questions, details questions, inferences

questions, and word meaning questions.

(b) While reading activity

In while reading activity, she explained what Peer tutoring is and how the

procedures are. The researcher told them that in peer tutoring, they would play the

roles as a tutor and a tutee. Some of students laughed when they heard the term

“tutee”. It was so because the term “tutee” sounded strange for them. It was like

the name of Indonesian female person. After that, she went to next step. It was

putting students together into pairs or dyads. Next, she gave students a model how

to conduct training sessions with the tutoring materials prepared by her. This was

the moment for guided session for the students. She led the students to pay

attention when the researcher gave a model or trained them how to be a good tutor

and a good tutee. Once the researcher asked the students whether they had

understood or not. The answers were smiling and the silence. The researcher

addressed the same question again to the student, namely IS. He said “Yes mom, I

understand.” As she finished giving a model, she assigned students to make some

types of questions taught before, along with their answers, with different text

entitled “Postponing Death.” While they were making questions, the researcher

walked around the classroom to help the students if they got stuck on making


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questions. There was a student, AK, who raised his hand because he was rather

confused to make word meaning question. He said “Mom, the answer should be

taken from the text, right?” The researcher replied “Yes, of course. You must try

to predict the meaning from text without using dictionary.” Then, he showed his

word meaning question to the researcher and it was correct. Next, the researcher

instructed them to practice tutoring sessions after they finished making the

questions. Besides, the researcher also asked them to give feedback each other.

Unfortunately, only few students gave feedback to their tutee in this first meeting.

Also, some of them made mistake in following the procedures of Peer tutoring.

They said “You are wrong” when their tutees or their partners gave incorrect

answer. Therefore, the researcher always reminded them if their friends answered

wrongly; they had to repeat the question and if their tutees could not answer it,

they had to provide feedback.

Besides, the researcher had them switch roles between tutor and tutee so that

all of them had the same experience. Here is the example of the result of their peer

tutoring:

FY: “What does paragraph 2 concern about?

DK: “Yinlan”

FY:” Kurang lengkap jawabanmu.

DK: “Coba dibaca lagi,

FY: “Oke.I ‘ll try again

DK: “let’s we see again how to find main idea. Coba jawab ya Who the

paragraph is about?

FY: “ Yinlan”

DK: “that’s right”


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“next strategy, what is happening with to the person in this paragraph?

FY:” Yinlan mati ya”

DK: “So, what is main idea of paragraph 2?”

“Dalam bahasa Inggris dong, masak bahasa Indonesia”

FY: “ yo yo main ideanya Yinlan had died two days after the holiday”

Gimana?Betul ga”

DK: “Oke. You are righ.”

“Next question: when do they celebrate Harvest Moon Festival?”

“Gampang jawabannya, you just locate the date or the time to look for

details.”

FY: “in August or September kan”

DK : “Excellent.” “Next is inference question”

‘Why did the death rate drop until 35% before Harvest Moon Festival?

FY: “Hmmmmmmm apa ya? Jawabannya ga ada di teks”

DK: “ya iyalah namanya juga inference question. please relate one clue to

another clue ya.”

FY: “ Ok.because the elder chinese people wanted to celebrate the harvest moon

Festival so that they can postpone their death. Betul ga”

DK: “Good Job. You can relate one clue to another.”

FY: “Ya donk.”

DK: “The last is word meaning question. What is the meaning of “weak line 23?”

FY: “Not strong”

DK: liat konteksnya dalam kalimat “She had not been well the past few months,

and her family noticed that she seemed weak. “

FY: “ Oke. Artinya sakit. Sick kan?”

DK: “ You’re right.”

All the students did the peer tutoring very well although there were still many

mistakes in constructing the sentences mainly in grammar and tenses. This

activity needed 30 minutes to finish.


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(c) Post reading activity

In post reading, the researcher invited them to present their result of peer

tutoring. At the first time, they were reluctant to come in front of the class. But

when the researcher told them that they were all learning, they had bravery to

present it. Only three pairs who presented theirs because the time was almost up.

It left 10 minutes to end the class. The researcher reviewed the process and the

result of peer tutoring. She said that the process ran well although some students

had no bravery to present their results. Most of them could follow the procedure

easily.

3) Closing

The researcher asked what they felt and what their difficulties are during the

activities. For a moment, they kept silent but luckily, one student namely WT

answered that she enjoyed during the activities. In contrast, the difficulty was that

she could not distinguish between WH question and Yes-No question. Then, the

researcher promised to explain it in the next meeting.

When the researcher watched the clock, the time showed 12.50 p.m. It meant

that the time for reading class was over. To end the class, the researcher reminded

the students to review what they had got at home. After saying goodbye, the

researcher and the collaborator left the class.


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b) Meeting II

1) Opening

The second meeting was conducted on Monday, 22nd November 2010 at 11.30

a.m. The researcher greeted the students and checked the attendance list. The

meeting was attended by 39 students. One came late and one was absent.

2) Main Activity


The researcher asked the students what they had learned in the previous

meeting. No one answered it. The researcher delivered another question “Do you

still remember what we had learned last meeting?” they replied “Yes, mom”.

However, the researcher believed that the students needed such kind of a

review due to the fact that it was new for them and there were some students who

were absent in the previous meeting. For about 13 minutes, she spent for

reviewing the previous material. She then switched to the material of this meeting;

“Treasure Hunt.” In warming the students up, the researcher gave the clues about

the topic by asking “Have you ever dug a hole?” They answered “Yes”. One of

them said “In the graveyard, Mom.” All of them laughed. Another said “Usually

people dig to make a well, mom.” Student YE also answered “Yes Mom, I ever

dug a hole to plant my flowers.”


The researcher instructed students to make their own pairs to avoid boredom.

But, in this meeting, the total numbers of students were odd. Consequently, there

was one dyad consisted of three persons. During the instruction, the students were


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busy to find their partners. When the pairs were formed, the researcher distributed

the text and assigned the students to produce main idea questions, detail questions,

inference questions, and word meaning questions along with their answers as the

preparation of the tutoring sessions.

While the students were generating questions, one of them raised her hand.

She is WT, the same person who, in previous meeting, had difficulties to

distinguish between WH questions and Yes/No question. So, the researcher

explained them for while. After that, she monitored the activities of the students in

pairs. At that moment, she looked at one student who seemed confused but he did

not want to raise his hand. The researcher came to his table and helped him. He

could not make inference question. The researcher led him to gather the facts in

the text and drew conclusion from it. The students said “Mom, is this question

right?” He showed it to the researcher “When did Daniel return to dig the hole in

the island? The answer is in 1786.” The researcher replied “Good Job. You could

find the information which is unstated in the text.” Next, the researcher asked

them to tutor each other when they finished making the questions.

During this process, the students were so enthusiastic. They gave feedback

each other. The researcher noticed that when a student, namely FK answered

incorrectly, his tutor, PC gave error correction or feedback to FK by saying “The

correct answer is no, they did not because the fact showed that the investors

would never stop digging until they found the treasure. It can be inferred that they

did not give up. So, the answer is no, they did not” after explaining it, FK nodded

his head showing he had understood.


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Student RH as a tutor also gave feedback when his tutee, DS could not

answer detail question correctly. Then, RH explained the correct answer. This

feedback made DS understand well. Here is the illustration:

(RH) : “Why did Daniel and his friends return to continue digging the hole?” (DS) :”The hole filled with water. ” (RH) :”Why did Daniel return to continue digging the hole? ” (DS) :”It was difficult to dig the hole. ” (RH) :”The correct answer is that because they wanted to find the treasure.

Jawabanya ada di paragraf 3. Fokus aja di kalimat pertama. Kan udah jelas di situ; 8 tahun kemudian mereka kembali untuk menemukan treasure. ”

(DS) :”Ya, aku tahu sekarang. ”

Following the activity, there was also a student who corrected the spelling of

the word in the text. He said “Mom, I think it is ten feet not teen feet.” The

researcher replied “Yes, you’re right. It is ten feet. Thank you for your correction”

“You’re welcome, Mom” he said. It showed that he was interested in the text. In

addition, these tutoring sessions took longer time since they had tried to give

feedback each other.


In post reading, the researcher only invited two pairs to present their results

due to the fact that the time was almost up. The researcher then gave comment for

the result of peer tutoring. She said “Most of you show the progress. You can

produce main idea question, detail question, inference question, and word

meaning question well. Besides, you can give feedback each other.”

3) Closing

The researcher asked their feeling that day about the use of peer tutoring. One

student felt happy since his friend could answer his question. Another said that the


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class was so noisy, so she could not concentrate well during the activity. In

addition, some students agreed that peer tutoring can motivate them to follow the

reading class. After some comments, the researcher closed the meeting at 12.57

p.m. by saying goodbye. Then, the researcher and the collaborator left the class.

c) Meeting III

1) Opening

On 27th November 2010, at 11.30 a.m. the class began. The researcher greeted

the students and checked the attendance list. There were only 38 students attended

the class in this meeting. Two students were absent because of sickness.

2) Main Activity


In order to warm the students up, the researcher gave the clues about the topic

that will be given by asking “Which one do you like white or black skin?” Most of

the students said “White mom because it make us more beautiful” but there was

one student said I like black skin because I am black since I was born. Trima apa

adanya, Mom.” Another said “Black is sweet, mom”. Following this activity, the

researcher asked the students to predict what the text is about, then they answered

it is about the skin colour.


In the 3rd meeting, the researcher put the students together into different pairs.

Then, she distributed the text entitled “Suntan and Society” to each pair. Next, she

instructed them to do tutoring sessions, similar to the first two meetings. The


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responses were very good. The students not only gave questions each other but

also gave feedback or error correction if their tutee answered incorrectly. For

example, one of the students namely PS as the tutee got the feedback immediately

from her tutor, EK when her answer was wrong. EK said “You should answer

white not sick. Pale in this context means white skin” The researcher went to next

pair. She also found that one of the pairs provided the feedback. They are LW and

DA. LW could not give appropriate main idea. He just read the first sentence of

the paragraph as the main idea, and then DA corrected it by saying “The main

idea is not only in the first sentence. In this paragraph, the main idea is in the last

sentence, the factors that influence our skin colour.” In addition, student SR gave

question “How the people make their skin dark?” the researcher corrected the

question by saying “How do the people make their skin dark?” then her tutee

answered “They lie under the sunlamp.” “Excellent,” SR said. This activity

needed 45 minutes.


After the tutoring session ended, the researcher invited the students to present

their result in front of the class. This time, many pairs had a chance to deliver

theirs. The researcher felt that their confidence improved because they were brave

enough to perform in front of their friends. Then, the researcher reviewed what

went wrong and what went right during the activities.

3) Closing

The researcher did not forget to invite students to give suggestion about the

implementation of peer tutoring. No one spoke up. Then, the researcher addressed


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the same question to two students; FY and YH. FY delivered his opinion by

saying “I think peer tutoring is good, mom.” Meanwhile YH only said “idem,

mom”. All laughed.

To end the class, the researcher reminded all students to attend the class on

Monday, 29th November 2010 for the post test. Finally, the researcher said

goodbye and left the class together with the collaborator.

d) Meeting IV

It was held on 29th November 2010 at 11.30 a.m. Post test was used to

assess students’ reading comprehension after treatment in cycle 1. All of students

could participate in the post test since the researcher had informed it in the

previous meeting. The test was the same thing applied in the pre test. There were

thirty items in the form of multiple choice. Seven items were about main idea, six

items were about detail, ten items were about inferences, and seven items were

about word meaning. The post test ran smoothly although there were some

students who tried to cheat or look at their friends’ answer. Then, the researcher

warned them.

3. Observing

The researcher and the collaborator observed the teaching and learning

process when peer tutoring was applied in the class. In the first meeting, the

students looked so serious when the researcher introduced peer tutoring to them.

They kept silent and paid attention to the explanation of the researcher. It was new


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for them, so they laughed when they heard the term “tutee”. Based on the

observation, the students were enthusiastic to do peer tutoring. It was proved

when they got difficulty in making their questions, they raised their hands to ask

for help from the researcher. Nevertheless, there were many students who were

inactive in the classroom such as operating the mobile phone and talking out of

the topic. It could be caused by the lack of understanding about what they had to

do or the lack of interest and being bored in joining the class. The worst thing was

that they would be active and do the instruction if only the researcher got closer to

their table and when the researcher kept them away. Also, there were some

students who did not like their partners, so it made them uncomfortable and

reluctant to follow the class.

In line with peer tutoring technique, at the beginning, the students still

made a little mistake in following the procedures of peer tutoring. They forgot not

to say “You are wrong” if their friends answered incorrectly. Therefore, the

researcher reminded them about it in the next meeting.

Related to their reading comprehension, some students could generate

main idea, detail, inferences, and word meaning questions although their questions

still needed to be revised. They had difficulties to construct the question in good

grammar and right tenses. Meanwhile, the students still could not predict the word

meaning from context. It could be seen when they produced word meaning

question, they consulted dictionary to find the answer. They were also confused to

find appropriate main idea and draw inferences. Thus, the researcher emphasized

these three types of questions (main idea, inferences, and word meaning


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questions) in the next meeting since the students did not have difficulties in

making and answering the detail question.

In the second meeting, the researcher and the collaborator decided to

arrange the students’ chair due to the fact that in previous meeting, the researcher

got difficulty to walk around the class since the students sat in a mess. There is

narrow space among the chairs. One pair and the other pairs sat so close. Hence,

the collaborator suggested to the researcher to arrange the students’ chair become

U position (position is like letter U). They sat face to face. This position made the

researcher easy to control and to monitor them because they sat in order and there

was wide space among the chairs.

In addition, in the second meeting, the students did not make mistake in

following peer tutoring procedures and this time, giving feedback to each other

was more frequent than in the previous meeting. In addition, students could

construct question in good grammar and they could answer detail and inference

question well. Unfortunately, there were some students who still opened

dictionary to answer word meaning question. Also, few students still made

mistake in answering main idea question. They considered that the main idea is

always in the first sentence of the paragraph.

In the third meeting, the researcher and the collaborator felt that students

more active and more enthusiastic. It could be seen when their partner as a tutor

gave compliment by saying “You’re right, Excellent, Good job”, they would be

stimulated to do the best in tutoring sessions. Moreover, the researcher and the

collaborator noted that students’ confidences improved. It could be proven when


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the researcher asked them to present their result of peer tutoring, they wanted to

come in front of class voluntarily. They were not shy or afraid anymore. Based on

the observation, in this meeting, the students showed some improvements. The

students responded or gave feedback each other and they could answer the

questions well mainly detail question. Nevertheless, few students still could not

find main idea, draw inferences, and predict word meaning from context. It could

be caused by lack of practices. Therefore, the researcher would try to cover these

problems to make the complete comprehension of the text.

Furthermore, when the researcher changed the pairs or dyads every

meeting, it allowed students to become better acquainted with their friends and it

could make them fresh to start the lesson. Also, it avoided boredom of the same

pairs.

After the work in post test was scored, the researcher then could report that

there was improvement on students’ reading comprehension. The highest score

improved from 76.77 in pre test into 83.33 in post test 1 and the lowest score

improved from 33.33 into 43.33. The mean score also improved from 56.83 into

63.41. In brief, the post test score of cycle 1 could be seen in table 4.2.below:

4.2. Post test Score of Cycle 1

Description Pre Test Post Test

Highest Score 76.67 83.33

Lowest Score 33.33 43.33

Mean Score 56.83 63.42


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Supporting the post test scores of cycle 1 in the table above, the following

table provided data about the students’ score viewed from reading skills.

4.3 Post test Score of Cycle 1 Viewed from Students’ reading Skills


1 Main Idea 85.71 42.85 69.28

2 Details 100 33.33 70.99


4 Word Meaning 85.71 42.85 69.28

It was clear that students’ reading comprehension improved in cycle 1.

However, the researcher still felt that the result of post test 1 was not satisfying

due to the fact that it did not achieve the target of improvement, namely 75%

students can pass the passing grade (60).

Based on the result of interview, there were some important points found.

When the researcher asked the students whether peer tutoring was effective or not

to improve their reading comprehension, 92.5% students said that it was effective.

It was so because it could help them to understand the text easily. Moreover, if

they gave wrong answer, their partners would try to correct their mistakes. The

students enjoyed following the procedures of peer tutoring and they felt happy if

their friends could answer their questions.

Furthermore, when they were asked to mention the strengths and the

weaknesses of peer tutoring, most of them shared the same ideas or opinions

about them. They said that the strengths of peer tutoring were (1) they could work

together to solve the problems; (2) they could find main idea, details, inferences,


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and word meaning more easily although there were some of them who still could

not find the appropriate main idea, inferences, and word meaning. If they met

difficulties in finding them, they could discuss together with their partners.

Meanwhile, the students complained if they got partners who were slow to

learn or they got partners who were not serious in learning. In addition, they felt

shy with their partners because they were not close friends and they did not know

well each other. Hence, they could not communicate well. They also said that the

class was so noisy when all of pairs did peer tutoring. So, they could not

concentrate well. Those were some weaknesses of peer tutoring based on the

students’ opinions.

Furthermore, peer tutoring gave the students a chance to be both a tutor

and a tutee. The researcher asked their opinions about it. They said that they were

proud of being a tutor since they felt like a teacher. They gave questions,

corrected the answers, and explained them to their tutee. As a tutee, they also

liked it because they could answer the questions successfully and get many

information or feedback immediately from their tutor. Being a tutor and a tutee

were very helpful to understand the text given. Thus, it could motivate them in

following reading class.

Meanwhile, the result of questionnaire of cycle 1 supported that the

implementations of peer tutoring in reading class was effective for them. 90%

students stated that they enjoyed and motivated to follow reading class. The result

of questionnaire could be seen in the table 4.4. below:


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4.4 The Result of Questionnaire after Implementing Peer Tutoring in Cycle 1

No Statements Students’ response (%)

1 Peer tutoring can solve your difficulties in reading

SA=37.5; A=52.5; D=10

2 Peer tutoring motivate you to follow reading class

SA=47.5; A=42.5; D=10

3 Peer tutoring gives you the opportunity to better understand the material being studied

SA=37.5; A=52.5; D=10

4 With peer tutoring, you receive feedback and correction immediately for every response.

SA=30; A=65; D=5

5 You are engaged in active learning, not passive learning

SA=50; A=47.5; D=2.5

6 You are actively asking each other questions, responding, correcting mistakes, and providing positive feedback

SA=45; A=55

7 You can monitor and evaluate your mastery of reading in peer tutoring

SA=37.5; A=55; D=7.5

8 Peer tutoring helps you in generating questions

SA=30; A=65; D=5

9 Peer tutoring helps you in finding main idea A=45; D=55

10 Peer tutoring helps you in finding specific information or details

SA=50; A=50

11 Peer tutoring helps you in drawing inferences

A=43.5; D=57.5

12 Peer tutoring helps you in predicting word meanings from text

A=47.5; D=53.5

13 The informative or report text given by teacher is easy for you

A=60; D=40

14 You can follow the procedure of peer tutoring easily

SA=92.5; D=7.5

15 Peer tutoring is appropriate technique in teaching reading comprehension

SA=92.5; D=7.5

Note:

SA = Strongly agree

A = Agree

D = Disagree


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4. Reflecting

Based on the observation and interview, the researcher and collaborator

reflected some positive and negative results of implementation of peer tutoring

technique in cycle 1. The positive results were (1) the students’ reading

comprehension improved. By using peer tutoring technique, the students could

generate and answer question, particularly in making and answering detail

questions. By generating question, the students would have deeper understanding

and increased their ability in comprehending the text. (2) The students were more

active in class. They could participate well and they were actively involved in

their pairs. They gave feedback each other. Although not all of students involved

actively in the class, it could reduce the dominancy of the researcher in teaching

and learning process. (3) The students were more enthusiastic in joining the

reading class. It was so because it was new technique for them. It improved their

willingness to ask questions. Besides, they would be motivated to learn more

because they would provide the feedback if their tutee gave wrong answer. There

was a collaborative learning among the students in pairs. They learned in

cooperative way.

On the other hand, there were also negative results in implementing peer

tutoring technique. They were (1) students were not brave enough to raise their

hands if they got stuck on making questions. As a result, they did not get help for

a question, so they were slow to move on to the next questions. (2) The researcher

could not assist the students equally because some pairs needed longer assistance.

When the researcher walked around the class, she was restrained into the pair that


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asked her help about making questions. Consequently, the other pairs did not have

the proportion for the guidance. Also, the researcher could not monitor them one

by one since there were 20 pairs in the class. Only a half of them could be

controlled by the researcher.

Based on the result of cycle 1, there were some aspects or components of

reading comprehension which still need to be improved even though the result of

post test showed improvement. This improvement was far from expectation and

unsatisfying because: (1) some students (55%) still could not find the main idea

well; (2) Some students (57.5%) still could not draw inferences; and (3) Some

students (53.5%) still could not predict or guess the word meaning from context.

It could be caused by some factors. First, they are lack of practices. The numbers

of the exercises were few, so they have little chance to understand well and to

develop their skills. Second, the students were not accustomed to finding implied

information in the text because they were only taught to find the stated

information in the text. They rarely learned how to draw inferences. Third, they

were seldom taught to predict the word meaning from context. They were used to

consulting dictionary when they met difficult words. Besides, the explanation of

the researcher was considered too fast for some students. Hence, they could not

catch what the researcher talked about.

Therefore, in cycle 2, the researcher and the collaborator recommended

some following things to solve the problems of reading comprehension : (1)

giving exercises in finding main idea; (2) giving exercises in drawing inferences;


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(3) giving exercises in predicting word meaning from context; (4) Asking the

students whether the speed of explanation was acceptable or not.

In addition, as stated before, the students did not get the same proportion

for the guidance of the researcher. The researcher could not assist the students

equally because there were some pairs who needed longer assistance. Also, the

researcher could not monitor them one by one since there were 20 pairs in the

class. Only a half of them could be controlled by the researcher. Hence, the

researcher revised the planning before. The previous planning was the

collaborator only observed the teaching and learning process and gave advices.

Thus, in the cycle 2, the researcher planned to ask for collaborator’s help to assist

the students, so they got the same proportion of monitoring and guidance during

peer tutoring activities.

Besides that, in cycle 1, the improvements only judged and measured by

the teaching and learning process. Hence, in cycle 2, the researcher and the

collaborator recommended to give the tasks or quizzes in the end of each meeting

which were consisted of four different skills that would be improved: main idea,

detail, inference, and word meaning.

In brief, the unsolved problems, the possible causes, and the solutions

could be drawn in table 4.5. as follows:


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Table 4.5. Reflection of Cycle 1 The Unsolved Problems The Possible Causes The Solutions 1. The students could

not find the appropriate main idea.

1. The numbers of the exercises were fewer

1. Giving model or

reviewing how to find

main idea, inference,

and word meaning

and giving sufficient

exercises in finding

main idea, inferences,

and word meaning

from context

2. The students could not draw inferences.

2. The students rarely learned how to draw inferences

3. The students could

not predict the word

meaning from

context.

3. The students were seldom taught to predict the word meaning from context.

4. The explanation of

the researcher considered too

2. Asking the students whether the speed of explanation was acceptable or not.

4. The students did not get the same proportion for the guidance of the researcher

5. There were twenty pairs in the class.

3. Asking for collaborator’s help to assist and guide the students.

C. Description of Cycle II

1. Planning

To overcome the problems arising in Cycle 1, the researcher revised the planning

in cycle 1 so that the problems would not occur anymore. The researcher and

collaborator shared ideas about what they should do in second cycle in order to

reach the better achievement of the teaching learning process and the

improvement of students’ reading comprehension. There were many things that

should be revised in the first cycle. First, the researcher viewed that the students

were not able to find main idea, draw inferences, and predict word meaning from


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the context because the numbers of the exercises were fewer, the students rarely

learned how to draw inferences, the students were seldom taught to predict the

word meaning from context. Thus, the researcher and collaborator decided to give

model or review how to find main idea, inference, and word meaning and give

sufficient exercises in finding main idea, drawing inferences, and predicting word

meaning from the context.

Second, in cycle 1, the students did not get the same proportion in

guidance since there were twenty pairs in class. Therefore, the researcher asked

for collaborator’s help to assist the students who needed guidance and assistance.

Hence, in cycle 2, the collaborator not only observed the teaching learning process

but also guided the students who got difficulties in doing the activities.

Third, the explanation of the researcher was considered too fast.

Therefore, the collaborator suggested the researcher to reduce the speed of her

explanation, so that the students could catch what the researcher talked about.

Fourth, both the researcher and collaborator agreed that there should be

tasks or quizzes in the end of each meeting to evaluate students’ progress during

treatment. The tasks or quizzes consisted of four skills in reading, namely main

idea, detail, inference, and word meaning.

Meanwhile, the researcher also designed lesson plan which described the

activities which would be done in the classroom. Furthermore, as the researcher

got the materials, she proposed the materials to the collaborator to get her

agreement about them. The materials were “Sucker Day”, “The Plain People”,

and “The Life of Housewives and Househusbands in the United States”.


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2. Acting

a) Meeting 1

1) Opening

It was on Monday, December 20th 2010, at 11.30 a.m. when lesson started.

The researcher greeted the students and checked the attendance list. There was

one student who was absent because of sickness.

2) Main Activities


In pre reading activity of first meeting, the researcher gave the students some

exercises in finding main idea, finding detail, drawing inferences, and predicting

word meaning from context due to the fact that they still had difficulties in these

four skills. Before the students did the exercises, the researcher reviewed some

strategies which she taught before in previous meeting about how to find main

idea, find detail, draw inferences, and predict word meaning from context. The

researcher believed that the students needed that kind of review very much. Doing

this way, she often confirmed to students whether her explanation was acceptable

or not. After that, the students finished the exercises. They could answer almost

all of the exercises correctly. Next, the researcher did brainstorming with the

students by asking “are you ever cheated by someone? Could you tell your

experience to your friends?” No one answered. Then, the researcher pointed one

of them. He was ST. He said that he was ever cheated by his friends. His friend

brought his money and ran away. When he told his story, the students ED said

“how pity you are”


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In while reading activity, students were put together into pairs or dyads. Then,

the researcher gave them a text to read entitled Sucker Day. Like in previous

meeting, they did peer tutoring sessions. They seemed relax and enjoy during this

activity. It proved that they had known the concept of peer tutoring deeply. They

made questions based on the category and responded them well. Moreover, they

were interested in being a tutor and a tutee. They generated questions, answered

them and gave feedback each other. It could be illustrated as follows:

ME: “What is the main idea of paragraph three?” SR: “Morrison sold advertising space to businesspeople in Wetumka.” ME: “Yes, you’re right. Next, who caught Morrison?” SR: “Sheriff in Missouri” ME: “Your answer is right. Was the advertising space sold out?” SR: “No.” ME: “Was the advertising space sold out?”(She repeated the question because the answer was wrong) SR: “No.” ME: “Salah tau! The answer is yes. The clue was in paragraph 3 last sentence. when Morrison left town, his suitcase was filled with much money that he got from the businesspeople Kopornya udah terisi penuh uang. So, it means the advertising space was sold out. SR: “O begitu ya.ok I know now” ME: “What is the meaning of “frowned”? SR: “Without smiling” ME: “Yes, you’re right.”

Almost all of the pairs participated well in this activities. They were actively

asking each other. They were so enthusiastic to follow the procedures of pair

tutoring. This activity needed 40 minutes to finish.


In post reading, there were three pairs who represented their result of peer

tutoring. It ran smoothly. Then, the researcher wanted to evaluate their


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comprehension by giving the tasks or quizzes based on the text given. The quizzes

consisted of main idea question, detail question, inference question, and word

meaning question. Most students could answer them well. Moreover, they could

answer inference question. “Who was Morrison? Morrison was person who

cheated people of Wetumka.” The students who gave right answer could be

described in the table 4.6 below:

Table 4.6. The Result of Post Reading in Meeting 1 Cycle 2

Question Category R (%) Meeting 1

Main Idea 17 students (42.5%)

Detail 40 students (100%)

Inference 28 students (70%)

Word Meaning 26 students (65%)

n 40 students

Notes: n= number of students

R= number of students who gave right answers

2. Closing

It was 5 minutes to end the class. Before saying goodbye, the researcher asked

the students’ difficulties and what they felt during this activity. Fortunately,

student AG wanted to deliver her opinion. She said “Mom, I don’t have

difficulties to do it. Prosedurnya gampang diikuti dan kita senang dengan teknik

ini, Mom” The researcher replied “Ok. Thanks for your comment. We continued

next week. Good bye.”


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b) Meeting 2

1) Opening

The second meeting was held on Monday, December 27th, 2010 at 11.30 a.m.

The researcher and collaborator entered the class. Then, the researcher greeted the

students and checked the attendance list. Four students were absent.

2) Main Activities


Before the researcher distributed the text, she gave some clues related to the

topic given. “Which one do you like living in village or in town?” the researcher

asked the students. They answered simultaneously Village, Mom.” The researcher

replied “Why? Do all of you live in village?” “Betul mom, enak tinggal di desa.

The air is so fresh; the situation is free from noise, pokoke enak mom.” “Ok, what

about the others? Who lives in town?” Researcher continued. “Saya Mom.” I like

living in town because the facilities are complete.” Then, the researcher wrote the

title on whiteboard and asked the students to predict the text. They answered that

it was about simple people.


The researcher instructed students to make their own pairs freely. Then, she

distributed the text entitled “Plain People”. Next, she asked the students to do peer

tutoring sessions as what they had done in previous meeting. They produced main

idea question, detail question, inference question, and word meaning question and

provided their answers. There was one student who raised her hand to get

assistance from the researcher. She was doubtful whether her inference question


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was correct or not. “Mom, betul ga inference question dari kalimat- If an Amish

farmer gets sick, relatives (families) and neighbors will milk his cows, plant his

fields, and harvest his crops - Do Amish people like to help each other?”

Researcher said “Yes, that’s right.” All of pair did their best work. They could be

good tutors since they could give feedback if their tutee answered incorrectly. It

could be proved below:

FY: “What does paragraph 2 concern about? DK: “Amish Life” FY:” Kurang spesifik jawabanmu. Coba dibaca lagi, amish live very simple, Their homes have no carpets on the floors, no pictures on the wall, no electricity. Jadi, main ideanya Amish’s way of life is very simple Oke, sekarang detail question. Where did Amish people settled?” DK: “They settled in the state of Pennsylvania.” Another illustration could be seen below:

AL: “Why are Amish field successful although they do not use modern machine?” DW: “Because Amish believe Jesus.” AL: “Why are Amish field successful although they do not use modern machine?” DW: “Because they work together.” AL: “Hampir betul. Dikit lagi.diliat lagi clue nya DW: “Because they are hard worker and diligent.” AL: “Ya. Well done”Next, what is the meaning of persecuted in line 15?” DW: “Cruel” AL: “Yes, you are right.” (c) Post reading activity

After some pairs presented their result of peer tutoring, the researcher gave

quizzes to them. They answered the questions in pair. Next, the researcher chose

the students in random to answer the questions while the others listened to and

gave comments of their friends’ answers. The researcher noticed that more

students participated to answer the questions. Moreover, all questions could be


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answered well only in 10 minutes. Most of the answers were correct. It could be

seen in table 4.7 below:



Main Idea 21 students (52.5%)


Inference 29 students (72.5%)

Word Meaning 30 students (75%)

n 40 students



3) Closing

To close the meeting, the researcher pointed one student to state her feeling

after doing this activity. She said “It was fun, mom. Teknik baru ini ga buat

boring.” Researcher said “Thanks for your comments. Oke class! I think the time

is over. See you next week.” The researcher and collaborator left the class at

12.57 p.m.


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c) Meeting III

1) Opening

The third meeting was conducted on Monday, January 3rd, 2011. The

researcher greeted the students and she also did not forget to say happy new year

for all students. Then, the researcher checked the attendance list. 39 students

attended the class and 1 students was absent because of sickness.

2) Main activities


To warm the students up, the researcher wrote the title on whiteboard and the

students were asked to predict the text. The researcher also gave some clues to

make them easy to guess what the text talked about. “Do you like being a

housewife?” The researcher said to one of the students. “Yes, Mom. Tapi juga

pengen kerja biar bisa dapat uang sendiri.” Researcher continued “So, you want

to be both carrier woman and housewife. That’s good. Now, I want to ask the

male students. What do you think if the husbands stay at home and the wives go to

work?” Student RK replied “I disagree, Mom. Karena suami yang harus cari

uang.” Reseacher said “It is lucky for the woman who will be your wife because

you will be a good husband.” All of the students laughed.


After putting students together in pair, the researcher distributed the text

entitled The Life of Housewives and Househusbands in the United States” The

students began to do peer tutoring sessions. They had understood well about the

procedure of peer tutoring. Therefore, there were no students who were confused


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to do this activity. They could make questions based on the categories. When the

researcher walked around to monitor the students, she noticed that student HC

could not only produced inference question but also provide its answer. His

question is “Why do most children enjoy the day-care center? because there are a

lot of toys and games.” Furthermore, most of students could find the right main

idea, make inferences, and predict word meanings. It could be seen when they do

peer tutoring in pair. The tutors gave the main idea question, inference question,

and word meaning question while the tutees answered them correctly. They

played the role of tutors and tutees very well. They responded each other and

provided feedback. It could be illustrated as follows:

CB: “What is the main idea of paragraph 2? KM: “Many women work outside the home” CB: “Yes, you are right. What is the meaning of earn in line 16?” KM: “search” CB: “What is the meaning of earn? liat konteksnya.” KM: “Aku coba lagi ya. jawabnya get. Betul ga?” CB: “Good answer. Now, inference question. Why do the women work outside the home?” KM: “Because they want to get money.” CB: “That’s right.”


In post reading activity, the researcher gave the quizzes based on the text

given. After finishing the quizzes, the researcher invited some of them to read

their answers so that the other students could check whether the answer was right

or not. In this post reading of meeting IV, the students showed that they gave the

right answers. The researcher was happy to see the progress. In conclusion, based


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on the quizzes in post reading activity, it could be seen that the students’ reading

comprehension had improved (see the table 4.8. below)



Main Idea 28 students (70%)


Inference 28 students (70%)

Word Meaning 31 students (77.5%)

n 40 students



Students’ correctness in post reading of each meeting increased. Before peer

tutoring were implemented in reading class, the students needed extra time to

complete the quizzes and the correctness of their answers were low. After

implementing it, the number of students who gave right answers improved. In

meeting 1, the students who had right answer in main idea question was 42.5%,

52.5% in meeting 2, and 70% in meeting 3. Besides, the students who gave right

answers in detail question in meeting 1, 2, 3 in sequence were 100%, 95%, and

100%. In addition, in meeting 1, the students who had right answer in inference

question was 70%, 72.5% in meeting 2, and 70% in meeting 3. Also, 65%

students could answer word meaning questions in meeting 1, 75% in meeting 2,

and 77.5 % in meeting 3.


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3) Closing

The time showed 12.45 p.m. It means that the time for reading class was over.

To end the class, the researcher invited the students to give suggestion about peer

tutoring technique. Student ES said “No suggestion. Peer tutoring is effective,

Mom. Bisa memotivasi kita buat belajar reading.” Researcher replied “Thanks for

your comment. Any else?” No answered. They kept silent. Then, the researcher

continued “if there is no comment, I will end the class and don’t forget to attend

the post test next Monday, January 10th. See you next week.” The researcher and

collaborator left the class at 12.56 p.m.

d) Meeting IV

In this meeting, the students got post test 2. It was held on January, 10th 2011.

The test was the same thing applied in pre test. It ran smoothly. All students

attended the test. This test was done to know the students’ mean score after

treatment of cycle 2.

3. Observing

While acting all of the activities which had been designed in lesson plan of

cycle 2, the researcher and collaborator did observation. In this research, the

researcher observed both teaching learning process in the classroom and the

progress that the students had achieved related to the improvement of students’


In the first meeting, the researcher focused on unsolved problems in cycle

1. Therefore, the researcher gave some exercises of finding main idea, drawing


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inferences, and predicting word meaning from context. The students did not have

any obstacles in doing the exercises because the researcher’s explanation was

clear for students. The researcher learned best from her experience in cycle 1 to

have always been checked to students whether his speed was acceptable or not.

Students opened their minds for questions and responded better. Furthermore, in

the first meeting, the researcher found that the students produced four types of

questions (main idea, detail, inference, and word meaning questions) and provided

the answers better than before since the students had learned from their inability in

cycle 1. They could generate questions and delivered them to their friends through

peer tutoring technique. Moreover, they could answer their friends’ questions well

and students’ interaction was more alive. In addition, in the post reading activity,

the researcher evaluated their comprehension by giving quizzes based on the

question category. The result of the quizzes was good. The students could answer

the entire question correctly.

The second meeting of cycle 2 showed that in the pre reading phase, the

students’ answers were satisfying. They used their background knowledge to

answer some questions related to the text which would be discussed. Furthermore,

in peer tutoring, they gave feedback each other if their friends could not answer or

gave wrong answer. They could respond or correct their friends’ answers because

of skills which they had developed so far. As in post reading of meeting 1 of cycle

2, the meeting 2 also gave quizzes based on the text given. The students showed

improvement in the result of the quizzes. No one got difficulty to answer them. It


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was proved when the researcher invited them to answer the quizzes. Most of them

raised their hands and gave correct answers.

In the third meeting, the researcher and collaborator noticed that the

students worked cooperatively. The students participated actively in doing peer

tutoring. They also played the role of the tutor and the tutee very well. The

researcher just instructed them to do peer tutoring to comprehend the text as they

had done before and they showed the progress. They generated questions and

provided their answers faster than before. They also did not make mistakes in

following the procedures of peer tutoring. The researcher expressed her happiness

to reward to students’ progress.

Meanwhile, to know the students’ improvement, the researcher compared

the scores of pre test, post test cycle 1, and post test cycle 2 The highest score

improved from 76.77 in pre test, 83.33 in post test 1 and 90 in post test 2. The

lowest score improved from 33.33 in pre test, 43.33 in post test 1, and 46.67 in

post test 2. The mean score also improved from 56.83 in pre test, 63.41 in post

test1, and 68.58 in post test 2. In brief, the post test scores of cycle 2 could be seen

in table4.9. below:

Table 4.9. The Result of Post Test of Cycle 2

Description Pre Test Post Test of cycle 1 Post Test of cycle 2

Highest Score 76.67 83.33 90

Lowest Score 33.33 43.33 46.67

Mean Score 56.83 63.41 68.58


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Supporting the post test scores of cycle 2 in the table above, the following

table provided data about the students’ score viewed from reading skills.

4.10. Post test Score of Cycle 2 Viewed from Students’ reading Skills


1 Main Idea 85.71 57.14 73.92

2 Details 100 66.66 73.33


4 Word Meaning 100 57.14 79.28

It was clear that students’ reading comprehension improved in cycle 2.

The post test of cycle 2 had achieved the target of improvement, namely 75%

students can pass the passing grade (60).

Besides, when the researcher interviewed the students whether peer

tutoring was effective or not to improve their reading comprehension, 97.5%

students said that it was effective. It was so because it could help them to

understand the text easily. Moreover, if they gave wrong answer, their partners

would try to correct their mistakes. The students enjoyed following the procedures

of peer tutoring and they felt happy if their friends could answer their questions.

However, only one student or about 2.5% stated that this technique was not

effective.

Meanwhile, the result of questionnaire of cycle 2 supported that the

implementations of peer tutoring in reading class was fun and interesting. The

students stated that they enjoyed and motivated to read more. The result of

questionnaire could be seen in the table 4.11 below:


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Table 4.11 The Result of Questionnaire after Implementing Peer Tutoring in

Cycle 2

No Statements Students’ response (%)

1 Peer tutoring can solve your difficulties in reading

SA=52.5; A=45; D=2.5

2 Peer tutoring motivate you to follow reading class

SA=47.5; A=42.5; D=10

3 Peer tutoring gives you the opportunity to better understand the material being studied

SA=37.5; A=52.5; D=10

4 With peer tutoring, you receive feedback and correction immediately for every response.

SA=45; A=55

5 You are engaged in active learning, not passive learning

SA=50; A=47.5; D=2.5

6 You are actively asking each other questions, responding, correcting mistakes, and providing positive feedback

SA=50; A=50

7 You can monitor and evaluate your mastery of reading in peer tutoring

SA=37.5; A=55; D=7.5

8 Peer tutoring helps you in generating questions

SA=30; A=65; D=5

9 Peer tutoring helps you in finding main idea SA=37.5; A=60; D=2.5

10 Peer tutoring helps you in finding specific information or details

SA=50; A=50

11 Peer tutoring helps you in drawing inferences

SA=40; A=57.5; D=2.5

12 Peer tutoring helps you in predicting word meanings from text

SA=52.5; A=45; D=2.5

13 The informative or report text given by teacher is easy for you

A=72.5; D=27.5

14 You can follow the procedure of peer tutoring easily

SA=97.5; D=2.5

15 Peer tutoring is appropriate technique in teaching reading comprehension

SA=97.5; D=2.5

Note:

SA = Strongly agree

A = Agree

D = Disagree


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4. Reflecting

After giving the treatment, the researcher would like to reflect the

conditions of cycle 2. Based on the observation of the researcher and collaborator,

interview, and questionnaire, the researcher could identify some strengths and

weaknesses of implementation of peer tutoring in teaching reading

comprehension.

1. The Strengths

The selection of peer tutoring gave stronger and more visible concept so

that they could understand the text well. In comprehending the text, the researcher

gave explanation how to comprehend the text by some strategies like skimming,

skinning, drawing inferences, predicting word meaning. By this explanation, the

students applied the researcher’s explanation in producing questions, providing

the answers, and giving feedback. Therefore, in peer tutoring, they could develop

their reading skills through producing questions, providing the answers, and

giving feedback to their friends. Besides, the students made questions and

responded their friends’ questions better than before. The students could bring

their best knowledge and reading skills when they were given chance to do peer

tutoring with their partner.

Besides, the students’ reading comprehension improved. They could find

the correct main idea. They also had been capable of inferring the texts and

predicting the word meaning better than before. It was proved by the quizzes in

post reading of each meeting. They could answer all of the questions in post

reading.


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Moreover, there were no more students who complained that they did not

get equal guidance from the researcher since the researcher and the collaborator

had given them the same proportion of guidance or assistance. However, in cycle

2, few students who needed longer assistance. It proved that their reading skills

had developed so far.

The students’ motivation in following reading class also improved. No one

talked out of the topic. No one played their mobile phones and no one came late.

Besides, they had high confidence. They were brave, not shy to raise their hands if

they needed help and answered questions.

Furthermore, pair work activities which occurred in peer tutoring provided

students more chance to have interactions with their friends. As a result, they

could build good atmosphere in the class by exchanging ideas actively. Besides,

their relationship among students was more intimate than before. They could be

close to each other since the researcher asked them to mix and match with

different partner. In other words, they had different partner every week.

The table 4.12 below described the comparison between previous

condition and condition after implementing the treatment of cycle 2:


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Table 4.12. The Comparison between Previous Condition and Condition

after Cycle 2

Previous Condition Conditions after cycle

2 Indicators

1. Previous students’ competency in reading comprehension:

1. Students’ competency in reading comprehension after the research:

a. Unable to find main idea

a. able to find main idea

Students had considered that the main idea is not always in the first sentence of the paragraph.

b. Unable to find detail b. able to find detail Students could locate the specific information easily

c. Unable to draw inference

c. able to draw inference

Students could relate one clue to other clues

d. Unable to predict word meaning from context

d. able to predict word meaning from context

Students could determine the context of the text

2. Previous classroom situation:

2. Classroom situation after cycle 2

a. Students were passive

a. Students were active Students actively asked questions and gave responses to each other

b. Students had no motivation to the reading class

b. Students had motivation to reading class

Students were not late and did not go out from the class anymore

c. Classroom cooperation was low

c. Classroom cooperation was good

The pair work activities gave a chance to all students to share their ideas

d. Students had no interest to the subject

d. Students had interest to the subject

Students talked about related topic and produced many questions about text.

2. The Weaknesses

During teaching learning process of cycle 2, the researcher and the

collaborator actually did not find the significant weaknesses or obstacles. All

students’ reading comprehension problems were effectively solved by peer

tutoring. If it could be said a weakness, the researcher had one weakness in


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implementing peer tutoring. When the students did peer tutoring, the situation of

the class was noisy because some pairs talked loudly. They gave questions,

answered them, and responded to their friend’s answers using loud voice so that

sometimes it could disturb the other students. However, this problem was easy to

overcome. The researcher could handle it by asking them to reduce their volume

of voice.

D. Research Findings

In this research, peer tutoring was used by the researcher to overcome

students’ problems on main idea, detail, inferences, and word meanings.

Furthermore, the researcher would like to solve the problems of classroom

situations, namely the passivity of the students in the class, the students’

motivation in reading class, and students’ role in collaborative or pair work.

The implementation of peer tutoring in teaching reading comprehension

consisted of two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four meetings. In each meeting,

gradually the students showed some progresses; students’ reading comprehension

increased and their motivation were high.

During the implementation of peer tutoring in reading class, the researcher

found some findings. There are two major aspects in research’s findings. They are

the improvement of students’ reading comprehension and the improvement of

class situation when peer tutoring was applied in teaching reading comprehension.

The improvements of students’ reading comprehension could be indicated

by some factors as follows: (1) Students were able to find main idea. Students had


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considered that the main idea is not always in the first sentence of the paragraph:

(2) Students were able to find detail. Students could locate the specific

information easily; (3) Students were able to draw inference. Students could

relate one clue to other clues in the text; and (4) Students were able to predict

word meaning from context. Students could determine the context of the text.

The improvement of reading comprehension could also be seen in the

result of post tests. The researcher gave the post test after each cycle. After that,

the researcher compared the scores of pre test with the scores of post test 1 and

post test 2.

Table 4.13. The Comparison among Students’ Scores in Pre test, Post test 1, and Post test 2

Description Pre Test Post Test of cycle 1 Post Test of cycle 2

Highest Score 76.67 83.33 90

Lowest Score 33.33 43.33 46.67

Mean Score 56.83 63.41 68.58

Based on the table above, it could be concluded that there was

improvement among students’ mean scores. The mean score of pre test was 56.83.

Then, it increased to 63.41 in post test 1 and 68.58 in post test 2.

Moreover, based on the result of t-test for non-independent between pre

test and post test 1, to (13.71) is higher than tt (39, 0.05) (2.03), or t0 ñ tt. Thus, it can

be concluded that there is a significant difference between the result of pretest and

posttest of cycle 1. Also, the researcher analyzed the scores of pre test and post

test 2. The calculation results that to is 32.83. It means that there is significant


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improvement because to (32.83) is higher than tt (39, 0.05) (2.03), or t0 ñ tt.. Besides,

based on the result of t-test for non-independent between post test 1 and post test

2, to (12.03) is higher than tt (39, 0.05) (2.03), or t0 ñ tt. Thus, it can be concluded that

there is a significant difference between the result of posttest of cycle 1 and

posttest of cycle 2.

Furthermore, the improvement among the score of specific skills in

reading comprehension measured in this research can be seen in tables below:

Table 4.14. The Comparison among the scores of main idea in pre test, post test 1 and post test 2

Explanation Pre test Post test 1 Post test 2

Highest 71.42 85.71 85.71

Lowest 28,57 42.85 57.14

Mean 63.75 69.28 73.92

Table 4.15. The Comparison among the scores of details in pre test, post test 1, and post test 2


Highest 83.33 100 100

Lowest 50 33.33 66.66

Mean 59.23 70.99 73.33


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Table 4.16. The Comparison among the scores of inferences in pre test, post test 1, and post test 2


Highest 80 90 90

Lowest 20 40 50

Mean 65.25 69.75 71.75

Table 4.17. The Comparison among the scores of word meaning in pre test, post test 1, and post test 2


Highest 71.42 85.71 100

Lowest 42.85 42.85 57.14

Mean 63.57 69.28 79.28

Besides, the result of observation, questionnaire, and interview after

implementing peer tutoring showed that there was improvement of class situation.

Based on the observation, it showed that students were more active and more

enthusiastic. It could be seen when their partner as a tutor gave compliment by

saying “You’re right, Excellent, Good job”, they would be stimulated to do the

best in tutoring sessions. Moreover, the researcher and the collaborator noted that

students’ confidences improved. It could be proven when the researcher asked

them to present their result of peer tutoring, they wanted to come in front of class

voluntarily. They were not shy or afraid anymore. In addition, the researcher and

collaborator observed that the dominancy of the researcher could be reduced. The


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teacher was no longer the person with all the answers; instead, the teacher talks

with students and offers opinions, explores strategies, and helps. Also, their

motivations were high in following reading class. No one talked out of the topic.

No one operated their mobile phones and no one came late.

The result of questionnaire also supported that the class situation

improved. It showed that 90% students enjoyed and motivated to follow reading

class, and 97.5% students were engaged in active learning.

Meanwhile, from students’ interview, it was identified that the students

could work together to solve the problems. It showed that the class cooperation

was good. When the researcher asked the students what the advantages of being a

tutor and a tutee, they said that it could motivate them to attend the reading class.

In conclusion, peer tutoring demolished students’ passivity, increased

motivation, and the dominancy of the researcher in the class. In addition, they

could collaborate with others. In peer tutoring, they played the roles as a tutor and

a tutee. As tutors, they should deliver questions and provide the answers to the

tutee. As tutees, they should answer the questions and receive feedback if their

answers are wrong. It showed that there was improvement in collaborative of pair

work. Meanwhile, their confidences increased as well. When they were asked to

present their result of peer tutoring, the researcher did not point at one of them.

Also, they would like to raise their hands to answer the quiz until the researcher

was confused to choose one of them because almost all of them wanted to answer

it. The summary of class situation improvement could be seen in table 4.18


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Table 4.18 The Summary of Class Situation Improvement

Previous Condition Conditions after

Treatment Indicators

a. Students were passive

a. Students were active Students actively asked questions and gave responses to each other

b. Students had no motivation to the reading class

b. Students had motivation to reading class

Students were not late and did not go out from the class anymore

c. Class cooperation was low

c. Class cooperation was good

The pair work activities gave a chance to all students to share their ideas

d. Students had no interest to the subject

d. Students had interest to the subject

Students talked about related topic and produced many questions about text.

e. Students had no confidences

e. Students had high confidences

Students wanted to come in front of the class voluntarily to present and raise their hands to answer the quizzes

f. Teacher dominated the class

f. The dominancy of the teacher could be reduced

The teacher becomes a facilitator, acting as a guide and a coach.

E. Discussion

The researcher applied peer tutoring to improve students’ reading

comprehension. The results of this research were satisfying as follows: (1) peer

tutoring can improve students’ reading comprehension; (2) peer tutoring can

improve class situation. They will be described in detail below:

1. Peer tutoring can improve students’ reading comprehension

a. Peer tutoring can help the students to gain better understanding of the

text

It is clear that the use of peer tutoring will help students to focus on what

is important. By generating questions and answering them, the students review

and reformulate their knowledge about the text so that it provides students more


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chance to enhance their understanding toward the text. The students gain a better

understanding of the materials by learning from each other.

Another support is purposed by Dueck in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994

tutoring.htm. He states:

Peer tutoring can enhance learning by enabling learners to take responsibility for reviewing, organizing, and consolidating existing knowledge and material; understanding its basic structure; filling in the gaps; finding additional meanings, and reformulating knowledge into new conceptual frameworks.

It is supported by Whitman in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring

.htm. He states that learners are able to work together as equals and gain a better

understanding of the materials by learning from each other.

Meanwhile, peer tutoring refers to students working in pairs to help one

another learn material or practice an academic task. Since explaining a concept to

another person helps extend one’s own learning, this practice gives both students

the opportunity to better understand the material being studied.

b. Peer tutoring can develop the students reading skills

Through peer tutoring, students are able to develop their reading skills,

namely finding main idea, finding details, drawing inferences, and predicting

word meanings since during this process, the students generate and answer

questions about main idea, details, inferences, and word meaning. More frequent

they make and answer the questions, more frequent they learn them. Also, by

making questions, the students can remember the components which are needed in



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It is supported by Walker’s theory (1988: 178):

Reading is interactive process that requires the readers to monitor their behavior by asking their questions about the important information in the text and answering these questions. Besides, the students are also able to develop their reading skills because

in peer tutoring, they only focus on their learning difficulties. They only

concentrate on these four skills in reading so that they can practice their reading

skills on main idea, details, inferences, and word meanings well.

It is supported by this theory:

Once a teacher has identified students with learning difficulties, peer tutoring should begin immediately. Because sessions are usually 10-30 minutes, teachers should concentrate on specific skills at a time. This helps keep the student focused and not feel overwhelmed. For example, if comprehension is the problem, the students can practice specific reading skills like predicting difficult words, finding unstated information or summarizing with a short passage from a story. (http://www.ehow.com/way_5285036_ reading-tutoring strategies.html) Meanwhile, through peer tutoring, they play the role as tutors and tutee.

The tutors have important role to promote their reading skills because tutors can

encourage their tutees to learn better. They can help to teach the material being

studied. For example, the tutor can remind their tutees to make note as he reads

and they can ask the tutee about comprehension questions so that it can develop

their reading skills on main idea, details, inferences, and word meaning.

A tutor who encourages a student to take in-text or marginal notes does a student a great service. By encouraging a student to make notes as he reads, he is less likely to miss the main idea and supporting details, thus greatly increasing comprehension. (http://www.ehow.com/way_5285036_ lreading-tutoring strategies.htm) A tutor can promote reading comprehension by pausing periodically to ask the tutee comprehension questions about the story (e.g., who, what, when, where, how) and to encourage them to react to what a tutor both has read


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(e.g., “Who is your favorite character so far? Why?”). (http://www.jimwrightonline.com/ pdfdocs/prtutor/prtutor_lesson3.pdf)

2. Peer tutoring can improve class situation

a. Peer tutoring can increase students’ motivation and self-confidence

In peer tutoring, the students are motivated in reading class because they

have opportunity to be tutor and help their friends in mastering the subject being

studied. Their confidences also improve when they are asked to teach one another.

The students as tutors feel confident since they have ability or competence to help

their tutee. Meanwhile, the tutees are also confident because they get positive

feedback from their friends.

Both tutors and tutees gain self-confidence, the tutor by seeing self-competence in his or her ability to help someone and the tutee by receiving positive reinforcement from peers (Topping, 1996: 234) Effects on both tutors and tutees were positive in the areas of learning,

attitude toward subject matter, and self-confidence (Cohen and Kulik 1981in

http://crossroadsoflearning.com/ntatutorpalooza/pdf/NTA_Peer_Tutoring_Factshe

et_020107.pdf)

Peer tutoring improve self-confidence and communication skills – As you teach and share with your peers, you will unknowingly develop self-confidence and communications skills. These are very useful traits to have as you go on to work. (http://physictuition.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html) In addition, students’ motivations increase because the students have the

chance to participate during the teaching learning process. It is also because peer

tutoring makes them feel valuable. They can help one another to learn the subject.

Gresham in http://www.lehigh.edu/projectreach/teachers/peer_tutoring/

peer_tutoring_step_1.htm states:


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As students are trained in preparation to become tutors, their motivation to learn increases, personal feelings of helplessness are reduced, and the stigma fades of accepting help from others. Since all students have the chance to participate and the opportunity to help, peer tutoring empowers them to feel valuable and worthwhile. From these roots, grows a more cooperative classroom learning spirit.

Whitman in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm elaborates

Peer tutoring can be useful in helping students see added aspects of this material that prompts new questions. Peer tutoring increases students’ motivation by enlisting their personal interest with success in mastering something and thereby gaining the “rank” of tutor

b. Peer tutoring can reduce teacher dominancy

Peer tutoring helps create child-centered classroom because during this

process the students respond questions, correct mistakes, and provide the feedback

by themselves. The teacher becomes a co-learner and facilitator, acting as a guide

and a coach since the teacher is no longer the person with all the answers; instead,

the teacher talks with students, offers helps and, explores strategies,

Both learners and teachers will find that peer tutoring changes their roles as well as the learning environment. When peer tutoring is used, the instructional environment usually becomes more learner (as opposed to teacher) directed, and the learners have a more significant role in helping shape the learning (Imel, Kerka, and Pritz in http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm).

c. Peer tutoring can make the students active

In peer tutoring, students are engaged in active learning, not passive

learning because the students are working cooperatively and following the

procedure, actively asking each other questions, responding, correcting mistakes,

and providing feedback.

Active learning has been shown to be more effective in promoting student achievement as opposed to simply watching and listening to the teacher (passive learning). (Peters in http://www.unicommons.com/node/6975)


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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion

After the researcher conducted the action research by using peer tutoring

to improve students’ reading comprehension, she comes to the conclusion as

follows:

First, peer tutoring can improve students’ reading comprehension. The

improvements of students’ reading comprehension can be indicated by some

factors as follows: (1) Students are able to find main idea. Students have

considered that the main idea is not always in the first sentence of the paragraph:

(2) Students are able to find detail. Students can locate the specific information

easily; (3) Students are able to draw inference. Students can relate one clue to

other clues in the text; and (4) Students are able to predict word meaning from

context. Students can determine the context of the text. The improvement can also

be seen from their results of post test. The means of the scores improve from cycle

to cycle. The mean score of pre test is 56.83. Then, it increases to 63.41 in post

test 1 and 68.58 in post test 2.

Second, peer tutoring can improve class situation. The students’

participations are more active. They demolish their barriers to ask and respond

question. Their motivation and confidence also improve. They enjoy following

reading class. They are brave and not shy to share their ideas with their friends.

They can collaborate with the others. Moreover, peer tutoring can reduce the

100


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dominancy of the teacher. Peer tutoring stimulates the students to be autonomous

and active reader. The researcher only monitors and guides them in teaching

learning process. Besides, they can work together with their friends well. In other

words, their classroom cooperation is good.

B. Implication

This research implies that peer tutoring can improve students’ reading

comprehension significantly. Furthermore, the class situation also improves well.

Therefore, using peer tutoring in reading comprehension is strongly suggested for

some reasons. First, peer tutoring is a very good way to get students involved in

learning so that they are not just passive learners receiving information. Second,

students receive feedback and error correction immediately and more frequently.

In large group or teacher-directed settings, it is impossible to provide feedback

and error correction to every student for every response. With peer tutoring,

students receive feedback and correction immediately for every response. Third,

students are able to work together as equals and gain a better understanding of the

materials by learning from each other.

C. Suggestion

Based on the researcher’s experiences during doing the research, the

researcher would like to give some suggestions for improving students’ reading

comprehension. They are as follows:


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1. For English teachers

For the sake of the improvement of students’ reading comprehension, English

teachers are suggested to:

a. Apply peer tutoring in teaching reading comprehension. Peer tutoring

definitely can improve students’ reading comprehension. Peer tutoring can

explore students’ reading skills in comprehending the text well.

b. Select and present materials based on students’ level comprehension.

c. Encourage the students to use peer tutoring as their own reading strategy.

d. Be a facilitator or motivator not as an instructor, so she or he does not

dominate the class.

2. For the students

For the sake of the successful learning of reading comprehension, students are

suggested to:

a. Train a lot in reading using peer tutoring.

b. Monitor their comprehension by generating questions and providing feedback.

c. Get feedback and error correction immediately for every response from tutors.

d. Develop their reading skills through forming reading habit in their life.

e. Don’t be shy to consult to a teacher when they get difficulties in

comprehending the text.


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3. For the Institution

For the effectiveness of teaching learning process, the institution is suggested to:

a. Familiarize peer tutoring among the English lecturers in the institution.

b. Facilitate the institution with several books or references which help the

effectiveness of peer tutoring implementation.

4. For other researchers

The other researchers are suggested to:

a. Conduct other researches on the use of peer tutoring in teaching reading or

other English skills.

b. Do classroom action research related to the attempt of improving students’

reading comprehension using different technique or media.


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Bibliography

Alderson, J.Charles. 2000. Assessing Reading. Cambridge: University Press. Cohen and Kulik 1981in http://crossroadsoflearning.com/ntatutorpalooza/ pdf )NTA_Peer_Tutoring_Factsheet_020107.pdf Dueck, G. PICTURE PEER PARTNER LEARNING: STUDENTS LEARNING FROM AND WITH EACH OTHER. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

SERIES NO. 10. Saskatoon: Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit, 1993. (ED 360 308) Available at http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm

Gardner, Agnes. 2010. Learning and Teaching Resource Centre: Peer Tutoring.

http://ltrc.edc.polyu.edu.hk/student02_1.html Goldgrab, S. "Peer Tutoring in the Classroom." In VOICES FROM THE LITERACY FIELD, edited by J. A. Draper and M. C. Taylor. Toronto, Ontario: Culture Concepts, 1992. (ED 355 343)

Available at http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm

Gordon, Edward E. 2005. Peer Tutoring: A Teacher’s Resource Guide. Gresham, Frank. 2010. Project reach: Peer tutoring.

http://www.lehigh.edu/projectreach/teachers/peer_tutoring/peer_tutoring_step_1.htm

USA: The Bowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. Hopkins, David. 1993. A teacher’s Guide to Classroom Research. Philadelphia: Open University Press Imel, S.; Kerka, S; and Pritz, S. MORE THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS: USING SMALL GROUP LEARNING IN ADULT BASIC AND LITERACY EDUCATION. Columbus: Center on Education and Training for Employment, College of Education, The Ohio State University, 1994.

Available at http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/tutoring.htm Keer, Hilde Van. 2010. Fostering reading comprehension in fifth grade by explicit instruction in reading strategies and peer tutoring.

http://www.onderwijskunde.ugent.be/downloads/Van%20Keer.pdf Klein et al. 2010. Teaching Reading in the Elementary Grades.

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/theories-reading.


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Kunsch, Jitendra, & Sood. 2010. Peer Tutoring. http://www.nichcy.org/Research/ EvidenceForEducation/pages/MathPeerTutoring.aspx

Maria, Katherine. 2010. What is reading comprehension and how does it relate to

college learning. http://www.landmark.edu/institute/assistive_ technology/reading_overview.html

McNeil, John D. 1992. Reading Comprehension, Third Edition. University of California, Los Angeles: Harper Collin Publisher.

Ngadiso. 2006. Statictics. Surakarta

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