1
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING USING COMIC STRIPS TO
FACILITATE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION SKILL
ON NARRATIVE TEXT
(An Experimental Research in wuth the Grade of SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo
Grobogan in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)
A Final Project
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement
for the Gaining the Degree of Bachelor in English Language Education
By
FARIDA ARROYANI
Student Number: 63411003
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF TARBIYAH FACULTY
WALISONGO STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES
SEMARANG
2010
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THESIS PROJECT STATEMENT
I am, the student with the following identity:
Name : Farida Arroyani
Student Number : 063411003
Department : English Language Education
certify this thesis is definitely my own work. I am completely responsible for the
content of this thesis. Other writer’s opinions or findings included in the thesis are
quoted or cited in accordance with ethnical standards.
Semarang, June 6th
2011
The writer,
Materai ,
6000
Farida Arroyani
Student’s Number:
063411003
v
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4
ADVISOR NOTE Semarang, June 27th
2011
To
The Dean of Education Faculty
Walisongo State Institute for Islamic Studies
Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.
I inform that I have given guidance, briefing and correction to whatever extent
necessary of the following thesis identification:
Title : The Effectiveness of Teaching Using Comic Strips to
Facilitate Students’ Reading Comprehension Skill in
Narrative Text (An Experimental Research with the Eighth
Grade of SMPN 2 Tanggungharjo Grobogan in the
Academic Year of 2010/2011)
Name of Student : Farida Arroyani
Student Number : 063411003
Department : Tadris
Field of Study : English Language Education
I state that the thesis is ready to be submitted to Education Faculty Walisongo
State Institute for Islamic Studies to be examined at Munaqasyah session.
Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.
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DEDICATION
To my parents, Masruri and Fauzanah.
I wish they understood to read this thesis, for their support and
encouragement to me throughout my education and beyond were of the utmost
importance. I only hope they would not have been disappointed that I can not
finish my graduate two years ago, as my father hoped.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillahirrohmanirrohim,
Praise is to Allah, the merciful, and the compassionate that the writer can
finish this thesis completely. Shalawat and salam for the Prophet Muhammad who
brings us from darkness to the brightness.
The writer realizes that there are many people who are already helped his
in arranging and writing this thesis directly or indirectly. In this chance, the writer
would like to express deeper appreciation to:
1. Dr. Suja’i, M, Ag. as Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah.
2. Siti Tarwiyah, M. Hum. as the Head of English department.
3. Moh. Nafi’ Annury, M.Pd. as the first advisor who already guided and advised
patiently during the arrangement of this thesis.
4. Dr. Musthofa, M.Ag. as the second advisor who gave guidance and advices over
the study conducted.
5. The entire lecturers in Faculty of Tarbiyah who always give input and advice to
the writer during conducting this study.
6. Library official who always give good service related with the references in this
thesis so that the writer could done this thesis well.
7. Suharto, S.PdI. as the Head Master of SMPN 2 Tannggungharjo Grobogan who
have given permission for the writer to conduct the study there, and the entire
teachers, especially Mrs. Sri Wahyuni, S. Pd. For all the time, the information
about the teaching learning process of English and her guidance there, and the
students of 8th
grade class C, thanks for the cooperation, and also the school
administration staff.
8. My beloved father, mother, my grandfather, my aunts, and my uncles who always
gives inspiration and motivation to complete this study.
9. My beloved brothers and sister who always support the writer to finish this thesis.
10. All of my friends in TBI 06’ especially TBI A 06
11. Last but no least, those who cannot be mentioned one by one, who have supported
the writer to finish this thesis. viii
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Finally, the writer realizes that this thesis is far from being perfect;
therefore, the writer will happily accept constructive criticism in order to make it
better. The writer hopes that this thesis would be beneficial to everyone. Amin
Semarang, Juni 6th
2011
The writer,
Farida Arroyani
Student’s number:
063411027
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TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE OF TITLE…….…………………………………………………... i
ADVISOR NOTE………….. …………………………………………… ii
RATIFICATION………………………………………………………… iii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………... iv
THESIS STATEMENT…….…………………………………………….. v
MOTTO………………………………………………………………….. vi
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT….……………………………………………viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…...…………………………………………….x
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………xiii
LIST OF TABLES………….……………………………………………xiv
LIST OF APPENDICES............................................................................xv
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study………...……………………1
B. Reason for choosing the topic….…………………… 4
C. Objective of the study…………..…………………… 4
D. Significance of the study……….…………………… 5
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A. Theoretical Review
1. General concept of Reading...................................5
a. Definition of Reading Ability...……………..12
b. Aspects of Reading Ability………………….14
1) Reading comprehension……………..14
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2) Reading Purpose……………………..16
3) Models of Reading…………………..17
4) Reading Skills……………………….19
c. Components of Reading Abilities……………20
d. Teaching Reading Ability……………………23
2. Narrative Text…...………………………………...25
3. Comic Strips in Teaching Reading.........................26
B. Previous Research …………………….……………...29
CHAPTER III: METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
A. Participants…………………………..……………… 28
B. Setting of the Study………………….……………… 28
C. Design of the Study…………………...…………….. 28
D. Technique of Data Collection………….…………… 30
E. Technique of Data Analysis…………..…………….. 33
F. Procedure of the Study………………..…………….. 37
CHAPTER IV: DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION
A. Description of Research……………….……………. 42
B. Research Findings . …………….……………. 54
C. Limitation of This Study……………………………. 63
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion …………………………………………. 64
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B. Suggestion ………………………………………….. 65
C. Closing ………………………………………….. 66
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 3.1: Form of observation scheme………………………………… 31
TABLE 3.2: Level of achievement………………………………………... 35
TABLE 4.1: Score of observation in the first cycle……………………….. 46
TABLE 4.2: Score of observation in the second cycle……………………. 51
TABLE 4.3: The test result of pre-cycle..………………………………… 54
TABLE 4.4: The test result of cycle 1 ……………………………………. 57
TABLE 4.5: The test result of cycle 2 …...……………………………….. 59
TABLE 4.6: The test result from the pre-cycle until the second cycle …… 61
TABLE 4.7: Chart of the test during classroom action research ………….. 62
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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix
1. The list of students and score of mid exam
2. The list of group members
3. Test of Pre-cycle
4. Lesson plan in the first cycle
5. Test of first cycle treatment
6. Lesson plan in the second cycle
7. Test of second cycle treatment
8. Answer key of test
9. The result of observation scheme in the first cycle
10. The result of observation scheme in the second cycle
11. Interview guideline
Curriculum Vitae
xv
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
As we enter to a new era which is called information and globalization
age, productive and educated citizens require stronger literacy abilities
especially in English, not only as global language but also as the language of
science, technology and advanced research. As a result, the man with stronger
and wider knowledge will be more valuable. This is match with Islamic
perspective. Allah suggests to engage in a committee. He will rise the degrees
of people who believe and who have been granted knowledge. He says in the
holy Qur’an:
�ا إذا ��� ��ا ���� ا������ أ���� ا�������� ���ا �! ا� ������" #$� %&
$ pκ š‰r'≈ tƒ t Ï% ©! $# (#þθãΖ tΒ# u #sŒÎ) Ÿ≅Š Ï% öΝ ä3 s9 (#θßs¡¡ x� s? †Îû ħÎ=≈ yfyϑ ø9$# (#θßs|¡ øù$$ sù Ëx|¡ø� tƒ ª!$#
öΝ ä3 s9 ( #sŒÎ)uρ Ÿ≅Š Ï% (#ρ â“ à±Σ$# (#ρâ“ à±Σ$$sù Æìsùö�tƒ ª!$# t Ï% ©! $# (#θãΖtΒ#u öΝ ä3ΖÏΒ tÏ% ©! $# uρ (#θè?ρ é& zΟ ù= Ïèø9$#
;M≈y_ u‘ yŠ 4 ª!$# uρ $yϑ Î/ tβθè= yϑ ÷ès? ×��Î7 yz ∩⊇⊇∪ '� �$# وإذا �&% ان+*وا ��ن+*وا �)
“O ye who believe! When ye are told to make room in the assemblies,
(spread out and) make room: (Ample) room will Allah provide for you.
And when ye are told to rise up, rise up: Allah will rise up, to (suitable)
ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been
granted knowledge. And Allah is well-acquianted with all ye do.” (Q.S.
al-Mujadila/58:11)1
The contains of the holy Qur’an in the verse al-Mujadila 058:11 are
about the promise of Allah that will rise up the ranks of people who believe
and have knowledge several degrees. According to this verse, when someone
wants to be a person who has high degree in the Allah side, he/she must be a
person who believes and has knowledge. Because knowledge is one of the key
1 Abdallah Yousuf Ali, The Glorious Qur’an, (Beirut: Dar El-Fikr, 1999), p. 1450
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go in the direction of success in life. Consequently, knowledge is important
and strategic thing.
In Indonesia, English is known as first foreign language with very limited
use including the place, time, and environment. However, the age of
information growth is likely demands on people’s reading ability in English
language. It plays an important role in the process of globalization as
international language. This is why; the Indonesian government chooses
English as first foreign language to be taught in school. By putting it as one of
the subject in the curriculum, hopefully students will have an ability to use it
and when they have interested on it, the way for them to get in touch with the
international community is widely opened.
In applied language over the last decades, it has been common to divide
language into the four skills and then to add grammar, vocabulary and
phonology to them.2 Hence the curriculum of KTSP is seeing language as
linguistics system or a set of skills rather than describing language in term of
how it is used in communication. As a result, the scope of teaching language
at senior high school includes four language skills; listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. Those four skills are taught in an integrated manner.
In this research, the writer would deal with reading skill based on the
consideration that success in reading will be very important for students both
for academic and vocational advancement. For more than a quarter of a
century language teachers have been dominated by the idea that speech is the
primary form of language, writing is secondary. So, it is logic that there is
such a common sense that teaching language is nothing more than a remedial
stage of preparation to the more rigorous. Moreover, reading is regarded as
somewhat dull because today’s generation gets philosophy from the movie. In
fact, studying literature can assure intellectual stimulation even at the
beginning stages of learning.
2Lynne Cameron, Teaching Language to Young Learners, (Cambridge: Cambridge
university press, t.t), p. 17.
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According to the statement above, there is a challenge on the foreign
language teachers to provide exposure to language and to provide
opportunities for learning through classroom activities. In class, teachers have
significant rule to bring out the fun class to the students. So, teachers should
try to get students read and develop their skills that are aimed to improve their
ability and will to read. They should be a good facilitator in creating and
building an effective reading class. One way to conduct the class to be more
interesting is by using a fresh and interesting material to be brought to class.
Practically, it is not easy for students to read material in foreign
language. They are forced to face new vocabulary and grammar that are
definitely different from their mother language. It is hard for them to guess
and predict the correct cues behind the texts because of their imperfect
knowledge of the language. Rather recalling cues with which they are familiar,
they are forced to recall cues that either do not know or know imperfectly.
Because of this, readers will forget those cues much faster than they would
cues in their native language.3
Here, the object is very important. So, the object of all readers is, or
should be, comprehension of what they read. Therefore, it is clear that the goal
of reading is the comprehension of meaning.
Teacher has different ways to present the material. Some teaching
methods have been used to make students interested in learning English.
Teacher also uses several kinds of media to teach English such as picture,
game, song, poster, realia, etc. in order to make them work well. Young
learners usually respond well to being asked to use their imagination, they
may well be involved in puzzle-like activities, in making things, in drawing, in
3Alice C Omaggio, Language Teaching in Context, Proficiency-Oriented Instruction,
Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1986, p. 99
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games, in physical movement or in songs.4 It means that English teacher
should not remain passive or give up all efforts to make improvements.
Many reading comprehension studies consider the extent to which
visuals, that is any graphic display that portrays all or some accompanying
text’s content, help reader to comprehend factual information.5 Comic is an art
form using a series of static image in fixed sequence. There are two kinds of
comics, comic strips and comic books. A comic strip is defined in this study as
series of pictures inside boxes that tell a story. While comic books are
collection of stories that have picture consist of one or more titles as themes.
In other words, comic is unification, work of art among fine literary
works in which there are usual forms are the verbal explanation in fixed
sequence and has cartoon story as theme. Reading comics is more than the
material in hand, that it involves a certain immersion into the culture of the
comics that one reader which involves any number of choices to be made.
Comic can help readers to get the right visualizations.
Teacher should be selective in choosing teaching media/aids. In the
writer’s opinion, teaching English on reading skill using comic strips was one
of teaching aid in which students’ were given chance to learn English more
fun. The writer thought that comic was such supplementary cues that provided
a conceptual basis for organizing the input, the second language
comprehension process would be facilitated since learners would be better to
make imagery system when encountering words and expressions in a passage
with which they were unfamiliar. It combined pictures and sentence, so it
would help the students to understand content and context that teacher had
taught easily. By using comic strips, it was hoped that it could motivate
students to read and pay attention to the material. It would create fun learning
in English.
4 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching. (Harlow: Longman, 2002),
p. 38. 5Jun Liu, “Effects of Comic Strips on L2 Learners’ Reading Comprehension”, in Tesol
Quarterly, (vol. 38, no. 2/ June, 2004), p. 226.
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B. Research Questions
This study was aimed to answer the following questions:
1. How is the implementation of using comic strips to improve students’
reading comprehension skill of narrative text in SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo
Grobogan?
2. How is the effectiveness of using comic strips to improve students’
reading comprehension skill of narrative text in SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo
Grobogan?
C. Pedagogical Significance
The writer expects that this research had some significance. They were
limited below:
1. This experimental research could be used as process to improve the
teaching performance both teacher and researcher.
2. For students, it might motivate students to improve their interest in reading
since they would find out that English reading material was not
complicated, boring, and monotonous.
3. For teachers, it might show teacher that comic and other forms of
interesting material could be used for teaching reading. This study also
could give motivation to the English teacher to create new ways or media
in teaching learning English.
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CHAPTER II
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF READING COMPREHENSION SKILL
A. Review of Related Literature
1. General Concept of Reading
a. Definition of Reading
In Islam, reading is very important. This is true since the first
commandment is al Alaq 1-5
Read the name of your Lord who created. Created man from clots of
congealed blood. Read! Your Lord is the most beautiful one, who
taught by pen, taught man what he did not know.6
According to the verses above, it is clear that Qur’an emphasizes
reading skill to build knowledge and understanding in order to mastery
the world. As we enter to twenty first century, distorting and changing of
global demographic, technology, science, and information are leading to
unprecedented level of intercultural contact in both domestic and
international areas. Meanwhile, reading is known as a tool for human
being to access worlds of ideas and feelings. Thus, reading itself can be
regarded as well as the knowledge of the ages and visions of the future.
It is commonplace, perhaps inevitably, to bring and match the global
condition into the curriculum in formal education. In school there are
four skills that the students have to master. They are speaking, listening,
6 Mahmud Y. Yazid, the Qur’an: an English Translation of the Meaning of the Qur’an,
(Lebanon: Dar al Chaura, 1980), p. 457.
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reading, and writing. According to the KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan
Pendidikan), basic competence of reading understands the meaning in a
simple short passage in some genres in order to be able to have
interaction with around the surrounding. This aim is reasonable since the
punch line of teaching foreign language is to be able to communicate in
other language. Communicate using other language is not simple as
talking in native language because it means shifting frames and norms.
There is something we should not say or taboo. Shortly, studying other
language involves not only words and structures, it is kind of thinking
differently about language and communication. The end of process in
studying other language is cross culture understanding. The big question
is, how can we begin to understand another way of thinking? The answer
is by reading.
Reading is a receptive skill. Receptive skills are the ways in which
people extract meaning from the discourse they see or hear.7 In this
aspect, the cognitive processes involved in reading are similar to those
employed while listening. Though, in both, students are engaged in
decoding a message rather than encoding, reading is not simply an act of
absorbing information only. It is communicative act that involves
creating discourse from text.
Thus, it is not astonishing to see because reading experts’ definition of
reading is an active process of thinking. It is a thinking process that sets
two people in action together—an author and a reader.8 To read is to
develop relationships among ideas. They also explain that what you bring
to the reading of a selection is as important to your understanding of it as
what the author has put into it. You bring a purpose for reading, you
bring understanding of vocabulary, your ability to figure out meanings
7 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (Harlow: Pearson
Education Ltd., 2001), 3rd ed., p. 199.
8 Dorothy Grant Hennings, Reading with Meaning, Strategies for College Reading, 4th ed,
(New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1990), p. 2.
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and your attitudes toward reading. Reading is an active process in which
people attempt to extract idea, concept, or image from the pattern words
set forth on the printed page.9
From those definition, reading can be regarded as a complex process,
means to get information from the printed page, it is receiving ideas and
impression from author via printed page. It can be said that reading is
interpreting sign, letters, or symbols by taking meaning. It other words,
reading is interpreting graphic symbols, which involves an interaction
between the writer and the reader through text. In a very short and proper
definition, reading is interaction between a reader and the text.
b. Reading Purpose
There is possible cause of the variation between readers and reading
which we need to consider that is readers’ different purposes. If a reader
wishes to get a general idea of text content, he will pay less attention to
the detail of the text and he may read in very different ways than if he is
studying a text in order to identify key information. Thus, it becomes
inevitable to say that the reason he is reading a text will influence the
way he reads it. Reading short story at bedtime is likely different from
reading a hand out for an examination to the next morning of course. A
readers’ purpose determines the way in which he treats a passage and
which comprehension skills he uses. Because according to Hennings,
what the readers get from reading also depends on what they bring to the
reading of selection and the purpose for reading it.10
While reading, presumably, many things can be happened. Not only is
the reader looking at the printed page and deciphering marks. The readers
is presumably thinking about what he is reading, how useful, useless,
9 Callahan F and L.H. Clark, Teaching in the Middle and Secondary School. Planning for
Competence. (USA: Mc Millan po.co.inc, 1982), p. 60.
10 Dorothy Grant Hennings, Reading with Meaning, p. 2.
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entertaining, boring text is. He may find some difficulties and ways of
overcoming those or continuing the pleasure. Many different things can
be going on when a reader reads with a different purpose of reading.
Basically, reading experts divide purposes of reading into two broad
categories:11
1) Instrumental: a large amount of reading takes place because it will
help us to achieve some clear aim. For example, we read a road sign
or instruction on a ticket machine because we want to know how to
operate it. In other words, we read because we have some kind of
utilitarian or instrumental purpose.
2) Pleasurable: another kind of reading takes place largely for pleasure.
Such as read a magazine or poetry. Familiar sensations: you are at the
wheel of your car, waiting at traffic light, you take a book out of the
bag, rip off the transparent wrapping, and start reading the first line. A
storm of honking breaks over you.12
For this purpose, the reader
maybe completely unconscious of how he is reading and of what is
happening around him. He may be fully absorbed in the text he reads.
On the other hands, it is clear to say that reading purpose will
influence the skills required or used. Skill is not only to learn new
knowledge, but also abilities to process information. In more specific,
there are some reading skills which are affected by the purposes in
reading, they are as follows:13
1) Identifying the topic: good readers are able to pick up the topic of a
written text very quickly. With the help of their own schemata they
quickly get an idea of what is being talked about. This ability allows
the readers to process the text more effectively as it progress.
11Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of. p. 200. Also see Alice C. Omaggio, Teaching
Language in Context Proficiency-Oriented Instruction, (USA: Heinle&Heinle Publishers, inc.,
1986), p.150.
12Sven Birkets, Readings, (Minnesotta: Graywolf Press, 1999), p. 101.
13Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of., pp. 201-202.
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2) Predicting and guessing: readers sometimes guess in order to try and
understand what is being written about, espescially if they have first
identified the topic. Sometimes they look forward, trying to predict
what is coming; sometimes they make assumption or guess the
content from their initial glance or half-reading.
3) Reading for general understanding: it means, not stopping for every
word, not analysing everything that the writer includes in the text. A
term commonly used in discussion about reading is skimming
(which means running the eyes over a text to get a quick idea of the
gist of a text). In gist reading, the reader has made a choice not to
attend to every detail, but to use the processing powers to get more
of a top-down view of what is going on. Gist reading is also known
as skimming.
4) Reading for specific information: in discussion about reading this
skill is frequently referred to as scaning. In contrast to reading for
gist, we read because we want specific details. In thia case, we
almost ignore all the other information until we come to the specific
information until we come to the specific item we are looking for.
5) Reading for detailed information: sometimes, we read in order to
understand everything we are reading in detail. We read in
concentrated way to everything that is written.
6) Interpreting text: readers are able to see beyond the literal meaning
of words in a passage, using a variety of clues to understand what the
writeris implying or suggesting. Readers gets more from reading test
than the words alone suggest because, as active participants, readers
use their schemata together with their knowlegde of the world
expand the pictures that have been given.
2. Reading Comprehension
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For general, reading comprehension is, in its most obvious sense, the
ability to understand information in a text and interpret it appropriately.14
Reading comprehension refers to reading with understanding. The
understanding the written text means extracting the information from it as
efficient as possible. Usually, in reading comprehension workbook, the
questions include reader recalling what he has read without further recourse
to the text. Reading is also defined as the process of understanding meaning
from a piece of text.
From some definitions above can be simply that reading comprehension
relates to understanding and thinking process to get the message from the
reading materials. In other words, the reader is understanding all or most of
the thoughts the author intended to communicate. Thus, reading
comprehension involves other skills such recalling word meaning, finding
answer to questions answered explicitly or in paraphrase, drawing inference
from the context, and grabbing idea in the content.
According to reading experts, there are some factors that may influence
reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is most likely to occur
when students are reading what they want to read or at least what they see
some good reason to read.15
3. Questioning Comprehension Skill
Teacher can guide students thought by asking appropriate questions. Effective
questioning is one way to instruct students’ comprehension strategies. It is common
to use questions to measure the achievements. There are many different list made
by expert to identify different sub skills. Here eight major types of question based
on comprehension skills which can be useful in guiding reading. They are:16
a. Recalling word meanings
14
William Grabe and Fredericka L. Stoller, Teaching and Researching Reading,
(Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2002), p. 17.
15 Simanjuntak, Developing Reading Skill for English Foreign Language Students,
(Jakarta: Depdikbud, 1988), p. 4.
16 J. Charles Alderson, Assessing Reading, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp.
9-10.
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b. Drawing inference about the meaning of a word in context
c. Finding answers to questions answered explicitly or in paraphrase
d. Weaving together ideas in the context
e. Drawing inference from the context
f. Recognising a writer’s purpose, attitude, tone and mood
g. Identifying a writer’s technique
h. Following the structure of a passage
Such list above offers an apparently theoritically justified means of
devising test tasks on items and isolating reading skills to be tested. Beside
the list above, the reading skill which was mentioned in the provious sub
chapter are potentially powerful frameworks for test construction and will
continue to be used.
4. Definition of Comic Strips
There are many definitions of “comics.” Will Eisner define comics
simply as “sequential art”. Scott McCloud, using Eisner’s definition as a
starting point, defines comics as “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in
deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an
aesthetic response in the viewer.” Dylan Horrocks critiques McCloud’s
definition, arguing that it de-emphasizes some elements such as comics as a
“cultural idiom”, a “publishing genre”, a “set of narrative conventions”, a
“kind of writing that uses words and pictures”, a “literary genre” and as
simply “texts.”17
But, there is simple definition of comic, it is magazine
especially for children with stories told in pictures.18
A comic strip is some
series of drawing that tell a story and are often printed in news papers.19
In
other definition, it is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels
to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in
17http://www.wikipedia.com/comic. Retrieved on January 5, 2011.
18Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), p. 80.
19Oxford Learner’s, p. 80.
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balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th century and into
the 21st, these were published in newspapers, with horizontal strips printed
in black-and-white in daily newspapers, while Sunday newspapers offered
longer sequences in special color comics sections. It is an art form using a
series of static image in fixed sequence. It can be united in a book which has
picture consist of one or more titles as themes.20
To make it simple, comic is a unification of serial comic, work of art
among fine literary works in which there are usual forms of the verbal
explanation in fixed sequence and has cartoon story as theme. Usually it is
published in news paper.
5. Comic Strips as the Reading Material
Most educators would agree that language learning should be
contextualized.21
With the idea that learning and practicing language in
meaningful contexts is more appealing to both students and teachers than
learning isolated bits of language through extensive memorization and
drilling. Moreover for learning foreign language, the students will get some
difficulties because there is no adequate background knowledge. It is
important to bear in mind that the comprehension process may be quite
different when the comprehender is processing material in the native
language than when he or she is dealing with target language material. So,
the need for activating relevant contextual or background knowledge22
is
such a primary need. As stated from Omaggio, Kollers (1973) maintain that
reading is only incidentally visual. More information is contributed by the
reader than by the printed page.23
In the other word, texts can be said as lazy
machineries that ask someone to do part of their job.
20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/comic strip. Retrieved on January 5, 2011.
21 Alice C. Omaggio, Language Teaching, p. 91
22 Alice C. Omaggio, Language Teaching, p. 98.
23Alice C. Omaggio, Language Teaching, p. 97
26
The hypothesis that second language learners get more difficulties while
learning or reading second or target language is supported by research done
by Yorio, who isolates the following factors in the reading second language
there are some factors or elements in reading process:24
a. Knowledge of the language (the code)
b. Ability to predict or guess in order to make correct choices
c. Ability to remember the previous cues
d. Ability to make the necessary associations between the different cues
selected
In reading a second language, however, new and modified elements
appear:
a. The reader’s knowledge of the foreign language differs from that of the
native speaker.
b. The guessing or predicting ability necessary to pick up the correct cues in
hindered by the reader’s imperfect knowledge of the language.
c. The wrong or uncertain choices of cues make associations more difficult.
d. Memory span in the foreign language is shortened in the early stages of
its acquisition because of lack of training and unfamiliarity of the
material, thereby making it more difficult to remember cues previously
decoded.
e. At all levels and at all times there is interface from the native language.
In short, second language learners are at the disadvantage position
because of those reasons above. To compensate for those weaknesses, the
teacher should provide background knowledge in some of the process
strategies and linguistic proficiency such as comic strips to improve
students’ reading skill. Because of the visualization of comic strips has
ability to bear concept and provide discourse structure.
Visualizing is creating pictures in our minds. When we read we create an
image in our mind. We read and create this image with what we know or
have experienced. Things come alive when we use sensory images. When
24 Alice C. Omaggio, Language Teaching, p. 97.
27
students visualize, they create their 'own movie' in their minds. Teachers can
use comic strip to help the students make their mental movies.
Basically, interest on reading is one of the internal factors that has
influence in reading comprehension. By the interesting material, interest in
reading could be increased. It can be assumed that the role of text including
their elements in reading comprehension is very important. One of
interesting material is by using comic strips that students have already
known.
Many reading comprehension studies consider the extent to which
visuals, that is any graphic display that portrays all or some accompanying
text’s content, help reader to comprehend information25 from text. Reading
comics is more than the material in hand, that it involves a certain
immersion into the visuals to facilitate students. Because, visuals have good
effect on readers. Researchers have outlined five major functions of visuals
in reading26
:
a. Representation: visuals repeat the text’s content or subtantially overlap
with text
b. Organization: visuals enhance the text’s coherence
c. Interpretation: visuals provide the reader with more concrete information
d. Transformation: visuals target critical information in the text and recode
it in a more memorable form.
e. Decoration: visuals are used for their aesthetic properties or to spark
readers’ interest in the text
6. The Use of Comic in Teaching
The writer thinks that comic is such supplementary cues that provide a
conceptual basis for organizing the input, the second language
25
Jun Liu, “Effects of Comic Strips on L2 Learners’ Reading Comprehension”, Tesol
Quarterly, 38, 2, June, 2004, p. 226.
26 Jun Liu, “Effects of Comic, p. 226.
28
comprehension process would be facilitated since learners would be better
to make prediction when encountering words and expressions in a passage
with which they are unfamiliar. As stated from Omaggio, Goodman and
Smith suggest reading are indeed hypothesis-testing process in which the
comprehender selects cues and makes predictions about the ongoing
discourse on the basis of these selections.27
So, comic strips can be regarded as a potential material in teaching and
learning process to motivate students’ interest. Among visuals genre, comic
strips is more communicative, popular, accessible and readable. In short,
comic as media in teaching and learning process will be more effective.
Teacher has always used pictures or graphics, whether drawn, taken from
books, newspaper and magazines, or photographs to facilitates learning.
Pictures can be in the form of flashcards (smallish cards which we can hold
up for our students to see), large wall pictures (big enough for everyone to
see details), cue cards (small cards which students use in pair or
groupwork), photograph, illustration (typically in a text book). Some teacher
also use projected slides, images from an overhead projector, or projected
computer images. Teacher also draw pictures on the board to help with
explanation and language work.
The choice and use of pictures is very much a matter of personal taste,
but we should bear in mind three qualities they need to possess if they are to
engage students and be linguistically useful. In the first place they need to
be appropiate not only for the purpose in hand but also for the classess they
are being used for. If they are too childish students may not like them, and if
they are culturally inapropiate they can offend people. The most important
things for pictures in the end is that they should be visible.
Considering the standard of competence in reading according to
curriculum that students are to be able to understand meaning in the short
simple recount and narrative text to interact with their surronding, comic
27 Jun Liu, “Effects of Comic”, p. 99.
29
strips can be both a method and medium of instruction. In the area of basic
competence in reading, the task for students is responding meaning and
rethorical steps in the short simple passage and functional written text
accurately, fluently and acceptable which is relating to the surronding.
Think of that, the use of comic strips in presumably, sort of inevitable state.
7. Concepts of Genre (Text Type)
a. Definition of Text
Text is main printed part of book or magazine, any form of written
material: a computer that can process, written form of speech, play,
article, etc,.28
Even something read to study is called text too. So, in
general, text is any written form or article we often read. As we believe
in post-structuralism, the existence of text can not be ignored because it
has meaning even complex. Another word, text related to the social
context and it is more everlasting to the unrecorded spoken, as stated in a
famous word, scripta manen verba volant. The written form will be
eternity while the spoken form will be vanished by the wind.
b. Type of Text
Based on generic structure and language feature dominantly used,
texts are divided into several types. They are narrative, recount,
descriptive, report, explanation, analytical exposition, hortatory
exposition, procedure, discussion, review, anecdote, spoof, and news
item. These variations are known as genres.29
1) Narrative
Purpose: To amuse/entertain the readers and to tell a story
Generic Structure:
a) Orientation
28 Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, p.446.
29 http://understandingtext.blogspot.com/2008/03/text-types-complete-overview.html.
retrieved on March 15, 2011
30
b) Complication
c) Resolution
d) Reorientation
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Past Tense
b) Using action verb
c) Chronologically arranged
2) Recount
Purpose: to retell something that happened in the past and to tell a
series of past event
Generic Structure:
a) Orientation
b) Event(s)
c) Reorientation
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Past Tense
b) Using action verb
c) Using adjectives
3) Descriptive
Purpose: to describe a particular person, place or thing in detail.
Dominant Generic Structure:
a) Identification
b) Description
Language Features:
a) Using Simple Present Tense
b) Using action verb
c) Using adverb
d) Using special technical terms
31
4) Report
Purpose: to presents information about something, as it is.
Generic Structure:
a) General classification
b) Description
Dominant Language Feature:
a) Introducing group or general aspect
b) Using conditional logical connection
c) Using Simple Present Tense
5) Explanation
Purpose: To explain the processes involved in the formation or
working of natural or socio-cultural phenomena.
Generic Structure:
a) General statement
b) Explanation
c) Closing
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Simple Present Tense
b) Using action verbs
c) Using passive voice
d) Using noun phrase
e) Using adverbial phrase
f) Using technical terms
g) Using general and abstract noun
h) Using conjunction of time and cause-effect.
6) Analytical Exposition
Purpose: To reveal the readers that something is the important case.
Generic Structure:
32
a) Thesis
b) Arguments
c) Reiteration/Conclusion
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using modals
b) Using action verbs
c) Using thinking verbs
d) Using adverbs
e) Using adjective
f) Using technical terms
g) Using general and abstract noun
h) Using connectives/transition
7) Hortatory Exposition
Purpose: to persuade the readers that something should or should not
be the case or be done.
Generic Structure:
a) Thesis
b) Arguments
c) Recommendation
Dominant Language features:
a) Using Simple Present Tense
b) Using modals
c) Using action verbs
d) Using thinking verbs
e) Using adverbs
f) Using adjective
g) Using technical terms
h) Using general and abstract noun
i) Using connectives/transition
33
8) Procedure
Purpose: to help readers how to do or make something completely
Generic Structure:
a) Goal/Aim
b) Materials/Equipments
c) Steps/Methods
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Simple Present Tense
b) Using Imperatives sentence
c) Using adverb
d) Using technical terms
9) Discussion
Purpose: to present information and opinions about issues in more
one side of an issue (‘For/Pros’ and ‘Against/Cons’)
Generic Structure:
a) Issue
b) Arguments for and against
c) Conclusion
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Simple Present Tense
b) Use of relating verb/to be
c) Using thinking verb
d) Using general and abstract noun
e) Using conjunction/transition
f) Using modality
g) Using adverb of manner
34
10) Review
Purpose: to critique or evaluate an art work or event for a public
audience.
Generic Structure:
a) Orientation
b) Evaluation
c) Interpretative Recount
d) Evaluation
e) Evaluative Summation
Dominant Language features:
a) Focus on specific participants
b) Using adjectives
c) Using long and complex clauses
d) Using metaphor
11) Anecdote
Purpose: to share with others an account of an unusual or amusing
incident.
Generic Structure:
a) Abstract
b) Orientation
c) Crisis
d) Reaction
e) Coda.
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using exclamations, rhetorical question or intensifiers
b) Using material process
c) Using temporal conjunctions
35
12) Spoof
Purpose: to tell an event with a humorous twist and entertain the
readers.
Generic Structure:
a) Orientation
b) Event(s)
c) Twist
Dominant Language Features:
a) Using Past Tense
b) Using action verb
c) Using adverb
d) Chronologically arranged
13) News Item
Purpose: to inform readers about events of the day which are
considered newsworthy or important.
Dominant Generic Structure:
a) Newsworthy event(s)
b) Background event(s)
c) Sources
Dominant Language Features:
a) Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline
b) Using action verbs
c) Using saying verbs
d) Using adverbs : time, place and manner.
8. General Concept of Narrative Text
a. Definition of Narrative Text
36
Learning text types in junior and senior high school is featuring the
languages which are dominantly used to compose the narrative text. This
language features are commonly relating to grammar and structure.
Recently, studying grammar and structure can not separated with the
contexts. That is why we find some grammar focus will be attached in
the text.
Narrative is telling a story.30
It’s social function is to entertain or
amuse the readers. The generic structure of narrative text is orientation,
complication, and resolution. Orientation introduces main characters,
setting, and time. Complication tells the problem happens among the
characters. And resolution contains th problem resolved. It also has
significant lexicogrammatical features, that are using adverbs, such as;
long time ago, once upon a time, etc. And it uses past form.31
Thus, the purpose of narration is to amuse, entertain and to deal with
actual or vicarious experience in different ways. Narrative deal with
problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind,
which in turn finds a resolution. It means that is writing a narrative
parragraph, the writer writes the action or the events that happened in
chronological order which has a definite beginning and definite ending.
Narrative text, since it told a story, is dominantly constructed in past
tenses. It is logic because every story happened in the past time,
happened before it is talking as a story. The past tenses can be simple
past, past continuous tense, and past perfect tense. These three tenses of
the past will dominate talking in a narrative text.
Narration is a telling a story. Then to be interesting, a good story must
have interesting content. It should tell about an event our audience would
find engaging. We might even think of our narrative a a movie in which
readers see people in action and hear them speak. Therefore, it should be
30 R.K. Sadler and T.A.S Hayllar, Text in Action I, an English Workbook, (Macmillan:
Macmillan, 2000), p. 12.
31 Y. Edi Widodo and Sri Murniati, Ratih, Rajin Berlatih, (Klaten:Sekawan, t.t), p.3.
37
detailed and clear,with event engaged in order in which they happened or
in some other effective way. In writing a narration, the text should
achieve the following goals:32
1) It is unified, with all the action developing a central idea.
2) It is interesting: it draws the readers into the action and makes them
feel as if they’re observing and listening to the events.
3) It introduces the four Ws of a setting—who, what, where, and when—
within the contex of the action.
4) It is coherent: transition indicate changes in time, location and
characters.
5) It begins at the begining and ends at the end. That is, the narrative
follows a chronological order—with events happening in a time
sequence.
6) It builds toward a climax. This is the moment of most tension or
surprise-a time when the ending is revealed or importance of events
become clear.
b. General Structure of Narrative Text
Derewianka states that the steps for constructing a narrative are33
:
1) Orientation
This is beginning of the story in which the writer tells the audience
about who the characters in the story are, where the story is taking
place and when the action happens.
2) Complication
The story is pushed along by a series of event, during which we
usually expect some sort of complication or problem to arise. It just
would not be so interesting if something unexpected did not happen.
This complication will involve the main characters. Narrative mirror
32 Alan Meyers, Gateways to Academic Writing: Effective Sentences, Paragraph and
Essays, (New York: Longman, Inc, 2005), p. 52.
33 Baverly Derewianka, Exploring How Text Work, (Australia: Primary English Teaching
Association, 1990), p. 32.
38
the complication we face in life and tend to reassure us that they are
resolvable.
3) Resolution
In a satisfying narrative, a resolution of complication is brought
about. The complication may be resolved for better or for worse, but it
is rarely left completely unresolved (although this of course possible
in certain types of narrative, which leave us wondering how the end
is).
In short, as stated in paragraph above, the generic structure of
narrative text are orientation, complication, and resolution.
c. Language Feature of Narrative Text
Anderson states that the language feature usually found in narrative
text are34
:
1) Specific characters. It means focusing on specific and usually
individualized participants.
2) Time words that connect to tell when they occur. Use of Temporal
Conjunctions and temporal Circumstances can be choice too.
3) Verbs to show the actions that occur in the story. It can be inferred
that the tense used is past tense.
4) Descriptive words to portray the characters and setting. It is
commonplace considering the definition of narrative is telling story,
so description of characters and setting is important.
Meanwhile, Derewianka, states several common grammatical patterns.
They are: specific, often individual participants with defined identities;
major participants are human or sometimes animal with human
characteristics; use of action verbs referring to events; use of past tense to
locate events in relation to speakers’ or writers’ time; use of conjunctions
and time connectives to sequence of events; use of adverbs and adverbial
34Baverly Derewianka, Exploring How, p. 32.
39
phrases to indicate place and time; use of adjective to describe nouns.35
Those features of narrative text affect for reader, that is they appear to
induce visualization in the reader as part of the reading process.
9. Experimental Research
The essential feature of experimental research is that investigators
deliberately control and manipulate the conditions which determine the
events in which they are interested.36
At its simplest, the experiment
involves making a change in the value of one variable –called the
independent variable– and observing the effect that change on another
variable –called the dependent variable. Independent variable is the label
given to the variable that the experimenter expects to influence the other.37
And dependent variable is the variable upon which the independent variable
is acting.38
Here, experimental research refers to the activity of collecting data from
the subject of the research. In doing so, the eight year of SMP N 2
Tanggungharjo Grobogan was chosen to be the subject of the research. The
controlled group is eight B and the experimental group is eight C.
10. Previous Research
In making this thesis proposal, the writer was considering some previous
research to support the writer’s thesis proposal those are:
1. The Effectiveness of Teaching Reading Using Fable Comic to Improve
Students’ Reading Ability by Mustaanisa NIM 3104336 (English
Language Department Faculty of Tarbiyah Walisongo State Institute for
35
Baverly Derewianka, Exploring How. P. 32.
36 Louis Cohen and Lawrence Manion, Research Methods in Education, 4th Ed., (New
York: Routledge, 1994), p. 164.
37 David Nunan, Research Methods in Language Learning, (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Pers, 1992), p. 25.
38David Nunan, Research Methods, p. 25.
40
Islamic Studies, 2009).39
From this research can be taken a conclusion
that using fable comic can improve students’ ability in reading ability. It
can be seen from the test result of the students. As the result, the mark of
students in experimental class is higher than the mark of students in
control class.
2. Using Dewabrata’s Loyalty Story to Improve the Senior High School
Students’ Skill in Reading Narrative Text, the Case of the Eleventh Year
of SMA Rifa’iyah Rowosari Kendal by Fitri Yustiani NIM
2201404561.40
She states that there was significance difference of
students’ achievements in understanding the reading text between those
taught using text book for the eleventh year of SMA Rifa’iyah Rowosari
Kendal. The measurement showed that the increasing line of the
understanding the reading text of the experimental group was higher than
the understanding the reading text of the control group.
From the two of the previous researches above there are similarities in
this research that is discussing about the effectiveness of using reading
literature as a media in teaching reading and the research method.
Meanwhile, there are similarities on each thesis above with the researcher’s
thesis. Those are the media which is used by the researcher and the subject
which the research is hold.
This research is experimental study and it wants to find out the
effectiveness of comic strips to improve students’ reading comprehension
skill of narrative text. This research will be hold with the two groups in
similar proficiency level of eight grade students of SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo
Grobogan. From the two of the previous researches above there are
39 Mustaanisa, The Effectiveness of Teaching Reading Using Fable Comic to Improve
Students’ Reading Ability, Thesis of Undergraduate of Walisongo State Institute for Islamic
Studies, (Semarang: Library of Tarbiyah Faculty of Walisongo State Institute for Islamic Studies,
2009), Unpublished.
40 Fitri Yustiani, Using Dewabrata’s Loyalty Story to Improve the Senior High School
Students’ Skill in Reading Narrative Text, the Case of the Eleventh Year of SMA Rifa’iyah
Rowosari Kendal, Thesis of Undergraduate of UNNES, (Semarang: Undergraduate Library of
UNNES, 2008), Unpublished.
41
similarities in this research that is discussing about the effectiveness of
using reading literature as a media in teaching reading and the research
method. Meanwhile, there are some distinctions on each thesis above with
the researcher’s thesis. Those are the media which is used by the researcher,
the subject which the research is hold, and the grade of the students.
B. Theoritical Framework
Research will use dual coding theory (DCT) as the theoretical framework
to describe, explain and predict the effect of visuals on cognition in general and
on reading comprehension in particular. In DCT, the linguistic coding system
can be called the verbal system, and the nonverbal coding system can be called
the imagery system. These two systems enable the analysis of external scenes
and the generation of internal mental images.
In reading, DCT accounts for hypothesized bottom-up and top-down
process. Regarding bottom-up process, DCT assumes that language units
derived from natural language are organized and mentally represented in
various sensory modalities. Based on familiarity and the effect of context, the
reader may use these representations to perceive visual and/or articulatory
configuration of text. Regarding top-down process, DCT provides a broader
and more specific account of meaning, coherence, and inference effects.
Activating both verbal and non verbal mental representations text helps readers
create alternative, interconnected contexts generating inferences and
integrating text, which enables them to alter their accessing strategies along a
continuum from feature perception to inferential text modeling.41
Reading is the ability to draw meaning from the printed page and
interpret this information appropriately.42
There are some factors that may
influence to the readers’ ability to draw meaning. They are internal factors and
41 Jun Liu, “Effects of Comic, p. 227 42 William Grabe and Fredericka L. Stoller, Teaching and Researching Reading, England:
Person Education Ltd, 2002, p.9
42
external factors. Internal factors include linguistic competence, interest in
reading, motivation to read and readability. While external factors cover
readability, text organization and condition of reading environment.43
According to the statement above, there is a challenge on the foreign
language teachers to provide exposure to the language and to provide
opportunities for learning through classroom activities. In class, teachers have
significant rule to bring out the fun class to the students. So, teachers should try
to get students read and develop skills that are aimed to improve their
motivation to read. Teacher should persuade students of having purpose for
reading, because it is part of effective motivation. A readers’ purpose
determines the way in which he treats a passage and which comprehension
skills he uses.44
Commonly, people read for general comprehension (whether for
information or for pleasure). Comprehension is not to remember most of the
specific details but to have a good grasp of the main ideas and supporting
ideas.45
Many reading comprehension studies consider the extent to which
visuals, help reader to comprehend factual information.
According to the explanation above, DCT is regarded as the right
theoretical framework because this research is investigating the effect of comic
strips on students’ reading comprehension skill.
C. Hypothesis
Hypothesis is the provisional answer to the problem of the research that
theoretically considered possibly or highest the level of his truth. It is
43 Pearson and Johnson, Teaching Reading Comprehension, (New York: Holk-Rineheart
& Winston, 1978), p. 9 44 Carnine D, J. Silbert, and E.J. Kameeni . Indirect Instruction Reading.1980. Ohio:
Meril Publishing, co., 1980, p. 45 45William Grabe and Fredericka L. Stoller, Teaching and Researching, p.p. 11-12
43
provisional truth determined by researcher that should be tested and proved.46
In other word, it needs to be explored more. Because it is created from the
research question by replacing word ‘is there’ with the word ‘there is’. If a
statement is not needed to be researched is not named as hypothesis.
Hypothesis is usually used in researches which applied quantitative using
model deductive-verificative.
The hypothesis in this research was “comic strips can improve the
students’ reading comprehension skill”. It meant that using comic strips had a
positive influence on the improvement of students’ achievement in reading
comprehension skills.
46 Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur Penelitian: Suatu Pendekatan Praktik, (Jakarta: PT
Rineka Cipta, 2006), 13th Ed., p. 116.
44
R1 X O1
R2 O2
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
D. Kind of the Research
This research was experimental research. The essential feature of
experimental research is that investigators deliberately control and manipulate
the conditions which determine the events in which they are interested.47
At its
simplest, the experiment involves making a change in the value of one
variable –called the independent variable– and observing the effect that
change on another variable –called the dependent variable. Independent
variable is the label given to the variable that the experimenter expects to
influence the other.48 And dependent variable is the variable upon which the
independent variable is acting.49
Here, experimental research referred to the activity of collecting data
from the subject of the research. In doing so, the eight year of SMP N 2
Tanggungharjo Grobogan was chosen to be the subject of the research. The
controlled group was eight B and the experimental group was eight C.
This study is sort of quantitative research using predictive
experimental research50
with posttest-only control design, because the
objective of the research is to find out the influence of treatment.51
And the
essential feature of the research design can be represented as:
Where:
R1 = Random (early state of experimental group)
47
Louis Cohen and Lawrence Manion, Research Methods in Education, 4th Ed., (New
York: Routledge, 1994), p. 164. 48
David Nunan, Research Methods in Language Learning, (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Pers, 1992), p. 25. 49
David Nunan, Research Methods, p. 25. 50Nana Sudjana dan Ibrahim, Penelitian dan Penilaian Pendidikan, (Bandung: Sinar Baru
Algensindo, 2009), vol. V, p.p. 18-19. 51Sugiyono, Metode Penelitian Pendidikan (Pendekatan Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan
R&D), (Bandung: CV. Alfabeta, 2009), p. 112.
45
R2 = Random (early state of control group)
X = Treatmen
O1 = influence of the treatment
O2 = influence without treatmen
This design can be describe as follow:
E. Research Setting
1. Place
It was conducted in SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo Grobogan, which was
located on Jalan Gubug-Kedungjati, Grobogan.
2. Time
This research was conducted on the second semester in the academic
year of 2010/2011 for about 1 month on January 2011.
Data of students’ daily score for English class VIII
Normality test, homogenity test
Using random cluster sampling approach, 2 classes are choosen for average sisimiliarity test
Evaluation of treatment for
eksperiment group
Evaluation of using conventional
technique for control group
Pre-requisite test Sebagai Kelas uji coba
Analysis to determine good
test design
Test Anayisis about narrative
text
Comparing the result of test for experimental group to
control group
Arranging result of the research
Deciding group for
pre-requisite test
46
F. Subject of the Research
1. Population
Population can be defined as totality of the presumable-whole grade,
result for counting and measuring, quantitative and qualitative about the
certain features from the whole group which is wanted to find out its
feature.52
The population of the research was the eighth grade students of
SMP Negeri 2 Tanggungharjo in the academic year of 2010/2011 which
consists of four classes. Each class consists of thirty and thirty two students.
The total population is 126 students. Population is assumed homogenous
considering the background of conducting distribution class randomly and
not based on act of ranking grades that there is no favorite class, and also
taught by the same teacher.
2. Sample
Sample is part of the total number and characteristic belong to
population.53
The sample of this research was taken is two groups using
cluster random sampling technique54
. First group as experimental group is
VIII C and second group as control group is VIII B. (The list of VIII C
students is on second appendix and VIII B is on the third appendix)
G. Research Variable
According to Fred D. Kerlinger as cited by Arikunto, that all experiments
have one fundamental idea behind them; to test the effect of one or more
independent variables on a dependent variable (it is possible to have more than
one dependent variable in experiments).55
This research, that used comic strips as medium in teaching reading
comprehension of narrative text, had two variables. Those variables were:
1. The independent variable
52
Sudjana, Metoda Statistika,(Bandung: Penerbit Tarsito, 1996), p. 6. 53Sudjana, Metoda, p. 118. 54Nana Sudjana and Ibrahim, Penelitian dan, p. 92-93. 55 Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik, (Jakarta: Rieneka
Cipta, 2006), Ed. 13, p. 119.
47
Independent variable is the variable that the experimenter changes within
a defined range; it is the variable in whose effect the experimenter is
interested. The independent variable of this research was the use of comic
strips in teaching reading comprehension skill of narrative text.
2. The dependent variable
Dependent variable is variable that measures the influence of the
independent variable.56
The dependent variable of this study was the
students’ achievement in the reading skill comprehension of narrative text.
H. Method of Data Collection
1. Interview
Interview could be regarded as method of data collection by asking some
questions orally and also answered orally.57
This method was used to gain
information about assessment process which was usually used by Mrs.
Komariyah, S.Pd as the English teacher in VIII class and also know the
problem happened in during learning process.
2. Documentation
According to Arikunto, documentation refers to the method where the
researcher investigates written object such as books, magazines, etc.58
In
this research, documentation was used to get list of students’ name which
was being sample in this research and to get result of data students’ daily
score of the previous subject material. The score was used to do normality
and homogeneity test was used to decide which group was being control and
experimental group.
3. Test
Test is used to measure language skill of the subject being researched.
Instrument in form of test can be used to find out the basic competence and
56 Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, p. 145. 57 Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, p. 223. 58
Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, p. 158.
48
achievement.59
Test is a set of questions and exercises used to measure the
achievement or capacity of the individual or group in order to discover how
students are thinking and using the target language (English). Test is used to
measure the person’s competence and to achieve the objective. This method
was used to get subjects’ score in reading comprehension. The form of test
which was used was completion.
I. Methods of Data Analysis
1. Arranging Instrument of Test
Arranging a set of test instrument was done according to the following
steps:
a. Controlling Material
In this research, the material would be assessed was reading
comprehension skill of narrative text.
b. Set the Type of Test Format
The objective of this research is to find out the effectiveness of comic
strips to improve students’ reading comprehension skill of narrative text.
Abundant examples of reading comprehension questions can be found in
every teacher’s testing file, as well as in literature and in standardized
language tests available commercially. Reading comprehension skill is
not mere understanding information in a text. However, comprehension
abilities are much more complex than that. There are other processes
required for reading comprehension such as connecting text to
background knowledge, summarizing information, making inference,
paying attention to text structure, guessing the meaning of a new word
from content, and also reflecting on what has been learned from the text.
Therefore, type of test used in this research is completion.
2. Implementation of Try Out Test
59
Ibid, p. 223.
49
After the format was set, then tested in try out class in order to examine
the test item whether it is qualified as good instrument in the research or not.
3. Item Analysis of Try Out Test
To find out whether test item is qualified as good instrument in the
research or not before used to measure students’ reading comprehension
skill, previously try out test must be held. Try out test is implemented to
find out the validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and discriminating power
of test item.
After validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and discriminating power of
test item were found out, then choose test item which is qualified to be used
as instrument for measuring the students’ reading comprehension skill. And
the steps are as follow:
a. Validity
Heaton states that validity is the extent to which it measures what is
supposed to measure and nothing else.60
The result was consulted to
critical score for r-product moment. If the obtained coefficient of
correlation was higher than the critical score for r-product moment, it
meant that a test was valid at 5% alpha level significance.
( )
( )[ ] ( )[ ]∑ ∑∑ ∑
∑ ∑ ∑−−
−=
2222YYNXXN
YXXYNrxy
Where:
rxy = coefficient of correlation between X and Y
N = the number of students
ΣX = total score of test item
ΣY = total score
ΣXY = the sum of multiplication X times Y
b. Reliability
60 J. B. Heaton, Writing English Language Test, (London: Longman, 1975)., p. 153.
50
Reliability refers to the stability or the consistency of the test scores.
Heaton states that reliability is a necessary characteristic of any good test;
for it to be valid at all, a test must first be reliable as a measuring
instrument.61 In this study, the reliability of the test was measured by
comparing the obtained score with r-score product moment. Thus, if the
obtained score was higher than the table r-score, it could be said that the
test was reliable.
To calculate the reliability of the test, the writer used the formula as
follows:
11r =
−
−
∑2
2
11
t
i
n
n
σ
σ
With:
( )
N
N
xx
2
2
2
−
=∑
σ
Where:
11r = index reliability
n = number of items
∑ 2
iσ = items variance
2
tσ = total variance
S2 = variance
x = deviation of X from X , which found from X- X
N = number of sample62
Next step is consulting the result score of 11r with score of r
rtabel. If rcount > rtabel
test item is reliable.63
c. Index of Difficulty
61J. B. Heaton, Writing English, p.155. 62J. B. Heaton, Writing English, pp. 97-106. 63Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, p. 109.
51
Heaton states that “the index of difficulty of an item simply shows how
easy or difficult the particular item proved in the test”.64
If a teacher
knows deeply about item difficulty in making a test, he can make his test
easy, medium, or difficult.
To know the item difficulty, the writer used the formula:
JS
BP =
Where:
P = index of difficulty
B = the number of students who answer an item correctly
JS = the total number of students
The index of difficulty level can be classified as follows:
0.00 ≤ P < 0.30 is difficult
0.30 ≤ P< 0.70 is medium
0.70 ≤ P < 1.00 is easy
Cited from Sukestiyarno and Wardono. 65
d. Discriminating Power
Item of discrimination power tells how well the item performs in
separating the better students from the poorer students. If the good
students tend to do well on an item and the poor students do badly on the
same item, then the item is a good one because it distinguishes the good
student from the bad student. Heaton states, “The discrimination index of
an item indicated the extent to which the item discriminated between the
testee, separating the more able testee from the less able. The index of
discriminating power told us if students who perform well on the whole
test tended to do well or badly on each item in the test.” 66
64J. B. Heaton, Writing English, p.172. 65Sukestiyarno and Wardono, Statistika, (Semarang: UNNES Press, 2009), p. 63. 66J. B. Heaton, Writing English, p.173.
52
To calculate the index of discriminating power, the writer used
the formula:
BA
B
B
A
A PPJ
B
J
BD −=−=
Where:
AJ = Number of all students in the upper group
BJ = Number of all students in the lower group
AB = Number of students in the upper group who answered the item
correctly
BB = Number of students in the lower group who answered the item
correctly
AP = The proportion of the upper group who answered the item
correctly
BP = The proportion of the upper group who answered the item
correctly
The criteria of determining the index of discriminating are below:
D = 0.00 – 0.20 : Poor
D = 0.21 – 0.40 : Satisfactory
D = 0.41 – 0.70 : Good
D = 0.71 – 1.00 : Excellent
J. Technique of Data Analysis
1. Initial Data Analysis
a. Normality Test
Normality test is implemented to find out whether the class have
normal distribution index or not. The formula being used is Chi- Kuadrat
with statistical hypothesis as follow:
H0 : Data with normal distribution index
53
H1 : Data with no normal distribution index
And the formula is:
( )∑=
−=
k
i
E
EO
i
iix1
22
Where:
2x : Index of Chi-Quadrate
Oi : observation frequency
Ei : expected frequency
k : the number of interval class
if xcount < x2
(1-α)(k-1) table, so H0 is accepted means the population have
normal distribution index, if x2
count ≥ x2
(1-α)(k-1), so H0 is denied means
population have no normal distribution index with signification index 5%
and dk=k-3.67
b. Homogeneity Test
Homogeneity test is implemented to investigate whether two groups
have same variance or not. This research was using Bartlet test by
examining homogeneity k ( 2≥k ) which have independent distribution
and normal.
The hypothesis used in homogeneity test is:
H0 : σ12 = σ2
2
H1 : σ12 ≠ σ2
2
With the formula68
:
( ) ( ){ }∑ −−=22 log110ln ii snBx
With:
B ( ) ( )1log 2 −∑= ins and ( )
( )1
12
2
−∑
−∑=
i
ii
n
Sns
Where:
67Sudjana, Metoda, p. 231. 68Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, p. 250.
54
2x = chi quadrate
2
is = sample variance the-i sequence
in = the number of sample i-sequence
k = number of sample group
Criteria hypothesis test is accepting Ho if 2
x count < ( )( )11 −− kα with level
of significance 5% and dk = k – 3.
c. Average Test
Average test is implemented to investigate if two groups have same
level or point before being treated. To do this hypothesis, t test was used.
The hypothesis implemented in this test is:
H0 : µ 1= 2µ
H1 : µ 1≠ 2µ
Where:
µ 1 = average English score of experiment group.
2µ = average English score of control group.
And the formula used as follow:
21
21
11
nns
XXt
+
−=
With
2
)1()1(
21
2
22
2
112
−+
−+−=
nn
snsns
Where:
1X : Average score of experimental group
2X : Average score of control group
1n : The number of subject of experimental group
2n : The number of subject of control group
55
2
1s : Variance of experimental group
2
2s : Variance of control group
2s
: merged variances
With criteria acceptable test H0 if – t_table < t_count < t_table,
α2
11−= tt tabel
with degree of allowance (df) 221 −+= nn , level of
significance 5% and deny H0 for other t score.
2. Final Data Analysis
Before doing final analysis, firstly, analyzing and scoring the test was
done in both groups, experimental and control group. Then the result was
analyzed in final step. The actions are as follow:
a. Normality Test
Actions in normality test are similar with normality test in the initial
data analysis.
b. Homogeneity Test
Actions in homogeneity test are similar with homogeneity test in the
initial data analysis.
c. Average Test
Average test being used is right side (t-test) to examine significance of
difference between two means which come from two distribution data.
Hypothesis being tested as follow:
H0 : µ 1 ≤ 2µ (there is no different average from both groups’
gain)
H1 : µ 1> 2µ (gain average of experimental group is better than
gain average of control group)
Where:
µ 1 = gain average of experimental group.
2µ = gain average of control group.
56
To examine the hypothesis above, we use t-test formula as follow:69
If x2
count <2
tabelx so 2
2
2
1 σσ = or both of the variances are homogenous.
Statistical equation being used is:
t =
S
nn
XX
21
21
11+
−
With:
s = 2
)1()1(
21
2
22
2
11
−+
−+−
nn
snsn
Where:
1X = mean of experimental group
2X = mean of control group
2
1s = variance from experimental group
2
2s = variance from control group
s = Standard of deviation
1n = the number of subject from experimental group
2n = the number of subject from control group
Criteria of examination is accepting H 0 if tcount < t)1( α− and refusing
H 0 if t has other scores. Degree of freedom for distribution data t is (n 1
+ n 2 - 2) with opportunity (1 - α ).
69Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur, pp. 239-243.
57
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the data that was collected during the experimental
research.
A. Data Description of Findings
After the research had already done, researcher got the data of posttest
score as the result of treatment. The treatment given to the experimental group
was comic strips. On the other hand, control group did not get any treatment.
Those data would be the instrument of measurement to find out the answer of
hypothesis in this research. Before having the treatment, the state for both of
the groups must be in normal distribution and in similar proficiency level by
carrying normality and homogeneity test.
As the researcher explained in the previous chapter, the technique
data collection in this research was interview, documentation, and test.
Interview was used to find out the barrier and problem faced by the teacher.
Documentation was used to gain the score of daily test for English subject, the
score defined which class as control and experimental group in this research.
Then, for each group was given different treatment. And test was used to gain
information of reading comprehension skill for experimental and control
group after the different treatment had already given.
The detail result of this research could be broken down as follow.
1. Instrument of Test and Item Analysis of Instrument
Before instrument of test was used to gain data of students’ reading
comprehension skill, there were several steps must be done in order to get
good instrument. The steps were broken down as follow.
a. Controlling Material would be tested
In this research, the material would be assessed was reading
comprehension skill of narrative text.
b. Item Analysis of Try out Test
58
Before the instrument being tested to the experimental group,
the instrument must be given to the try out class. Try out was done to
find out whether each item of test is qualified or not. To examine the
analysis of try out test, the instruments were validity test, reliability
test, difficulty level, and discriminating power.
1) Validity Test
Validity is the extent to which it measures what is supposed
to measure and nothing else. The result of this research was
consulted to critical score for r-product moment or table. If the
obtained coefficient of correlation was higher than the critical score
for r-product moment, it meant that a test was valid at 5% alpha
level significance. On the contrary, if the item test
was invalid and must be deleted from the test.
According to the analysis validity of item test in appendix
8, the researcher got data as follow:
Table 4.1 Analysis of Item Test Validity
No Item Validity
Explanation
1 0.749 0.349 Valid
2 0.490 Valid
3 0.609 Valid
4 0.413 Valid
5 0.683 Valid
6 0.764 Valid
7 0.884 Valid
8 0.772 Valid
9 0.621 Valid
10 0.749 Valid
Table 4.2 Percentage of Item Test Validity
No Criteria No. of Item Total Percentage
tablel count r r <
count r tabler
59
1 Valid 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 10 100 %
2) Reliability Test
After having validity test, the next step was testing the
reliability of the instrument. Reliability was used to find out the
level of stability or the consistency of the test scores whenever the
instrument was tested.
The value of alpha Cronbach which was gained before,
being consulted to the value of product moment with level
of significance 5 %. The item was reliable if alpha Cronbach >
.
According to the computation in appendix 9, we got
coefficient of reliability test item alpha Cronbach = 0,874 , and
product moment. With significant level 5 % and n = 32 we
got = 0.349, because alpha Cronbach > it meant that
reliability coefficient of item test had high reliability.
3) Index of Difficulty
Index of difficulty of an item simply shows how easy or
difficult the particular item proved in the test
The index of difficulty level could be classified as follows:
- 0.00 ≤ P < 0.30 is difficult
- 0.30 ≤ P< 0.70 is medium
- 0.70 ≤ P < 1.00 is easy
According to the calculation in appendix 10, the result was
as follow
Table 4.3 calculation the index of difficulty level
tabler
table r
tabler
table r
tabler
60
No Index of Difficulty Explanation
1 0.43 Medium
2 0.73 Easy
3 0.65 Medium
4 0.53 Medium
5 0.75 Easy
6 0.55 Medium
7 0.47 Medium
8 0.58 Medium
9 0.48 Medium
10 0.40 Medium
Table 4.4 percentage the index of difficulty level
No Criteria No. Total Percentage
1 Medium 1,3,4,6,7,8,9,10 8 80 %
2 Easy 2,5 2 20 %
4) Discriminating Power
Item of discrimination power tells how well the item
performs in separating the better students from the poorer students.
If the good students tend to do well on an item and the poor
students do badly on the same item, then the item is a good one
because it distinguishes the good student from the bad student.
Heaton states, the number which shows the level of discriminating
power is called discrimination index or D.
The criteria of determining the index of discriminating were
below:
− D = 0.00 – 0.20 : Poor
− D = 0.21 – 0.40 : Satisfactory
61
− D = 0.41 – 0.70 : Good
− D = 0.71 – 1.00 : Excellent
According to the calculation in appendix 11, result gained
was
Table 4.5 calculation of index discrimination
No Discriminating Power Explanation
1 0.20 Poor
2 0.28 Satisfactory
3 0.27 Satisfactory
4 0.09 Poor
5 0.50 Good
6 0.23 Satisfactory
7 0.28 Satisfactory
8 0.26 Satisfactory
9 0.19 Poor
10 0.19 Poor
Table 4.6 Percentage of Discriminating Power
No. Criteria No. Total Percentage
1 Poor 1,4,9,10 4 40 %
2 Satisfactory 2,3,6,7,8, 5 50 %
3 Good 5 1 10 %
2. Initial Data Analysis
a. Normality Test
Initial data was gained from the score of final semester test
before giving treatment. The complete data was available in appendix
14.
1) Initial Normality test for Experimental Group
Hypothesis:
H0 :Data with normal index distribution
62
H1 :Data with no normal index distribution
And the formula is:
Ei
EiOik
i
2
1
2 )( −=∑
=
χ
Where:
2x : index of Chi-Quadrate
Oi : observation frequency
Ei : expected frequency
k : the number of interval class
If xcount < x2
(1-α)(k-1) table, so H0 is accepted means the
population have normal distribution index. If x2
count ≥ x2
(1-α)(k-1) so
H0 is denied means population have no normal distribution index
with signification index 5% and df=k-1.70
X2= Chi Quadrate
The initial data would be put on a normality test to show that
experimental group had normal index distribution. And the steps of
normality test were as follow:
N = 32
Highest score = 78
Lowest score = 35
Range (R) = 78-35 = 43
Class interval (K) = 1+ 3,3 log 32 = 5,96 = 6
Length of the class = 43/6 =7,167 = 7
Table 4.7
Table Assistance Counting Deviation Standard in
Experimental Group
No. X XX − 2)( XX −
1 40 -20.03 401.25
2 55 -5.03 25.31
3 63 2.97 8.81
70
Sudjana, Op.Cit, p. 231.
63
4 65 0.97 0.94
5 56 -4.03 16.25
6 35 -25.03 626.56
7 57 -3.03 9.19
8 54 -6.03 36.38
9 65 4.97 24.69
10 63 -4.03 16.25
11 76 15.97 255.00
12 50 -10.03 100.63
13 70 9.97 99.38
14 51 -9.03 81.56
15 50 0.97 0.94
16 49 -0.03 0.00
17 45 -15.03 225.94
18 54 -6.03 36.38
19 78 17.97 322.88
20 65 4.97 24.69
21 45 -15.03 225.94
22 65 4.97 24.69
23 44 -16.03 257.00
24 55 -5.03 25.31
25 66 5.97 35.63
26 65 4.97 24.69
27 67 6.97 48.56
28 75 14.97 224.06
29 73 12.97 168.19
30 40 -20.03 401.25
31 55 -5.03 25.31
32 63 2.97 8.81
Total 1921 3734,97
Mean ( X ) n
x∑=
32
1921= = 60,03
Standard deviation (S):
S2
( )
1
2
−
−=∑
n
xxi
132
97,3734
−=
64
= 120,48
S = 10,98
Calculating Z
S
XBkZ
−=
Example for limitation interval class (X) = 42-48
36,198,10
03,605,41−=
−=Z
Then, searching chance for Z from curve Z (table) according to the
appropriate Z.
Calculating size of Z class by counting the difference between
opportunities for Z, except for opportunity for Z is positive and
negative must be added.
Expected frequency ( iE ) is the result from size of Z class times
total respondents (n = 32)
Example for interval 42 – 48 → 0,1257 × 32 = 4,0229
Table 4.8
The List of Observation of Score Frequency
in Experimental Group
Class
interva
l
Bk Zi P(Zi)
Size
classes
for Z iO iE
34,50 -2,13 -0,484 35-41 0,0501 3 1,6044
41,50 -1,50 -0,433 1,2139
42-48 0,1257 3 4,0229
48,50 -0,87 -0,308 0,2601
49-55 0,2140 9 6,8483
55,50 -0,24 -0,094 0,6760
56-62 0,0599 2 1,9183
62,50 0,40 0,154 0,0035
63-69 0,1943 10 6,2170
S
XZ
−=
( )
i
ii
E
EO2
−
65
69,50 1,03 0,348 2,3020
70-76 0,1036 5 3,3152
76,50 1,66 0,452 0,8563
5,3117
Where:
Bk = Limit class – 0,5
iZ = number of assistance or number of standard
P( iZ ) = score of iZ on the table
iE = expected frequency
iO = frequency of observation
According to the normality test, we get 2
countX = 5,3117 and
2
tableX = 11,07 with df = 6-3 = 3 %5=α . So 22
tablecount XX < so the
data has normal distribution index.
2) Initial Normality Test of Control Group
Hypothesis:
H0 : Data with normal distribution index
H1 : Data with no normal distribution index
Hypothesis Formula:
Ei
EiOiX
k
i
2
1
2 )( −=∑
=
Where:
2x : Index of Chi-Quadrate
Oi : observation frequency
Ei : expected frequency
k : the number of interval class
If xcount < x2
(1-α)(k-1) table, so H0 is accepted means the
population have normal distribution index, if x2
count ≥ x2
(1-α)(k-1), so
H0 is denied means population have no normal distribution index
with signification index 5% and df=k-3.
66
Initial data would be put on a normality test to show that
experimental group has normal index distribution. And the steps of
normality test were following:
Highest score = 80
Lowest score = 40
Range (R) = 80-40 = 40
Class interval (K) = 1+ 3,3 log 32 = 5,96 = 6
Length of the class = 40/6 = 6,6667 = 7
Table 4.9
Table of assistance counting Deviation Standard Control Group
No. X XX − 2)( XX −
1 48 -12 144
2 60 0 0
3 55 -5 25
4 57 -3 9
5 65 5 25
6 45 -15 225
7 40 -20 400
8 78 18 324
9 64 4 16
10 78 18 324
11 63 3 9
12 48 -12 144
13 73 13 169
14 70 10 100
15 68 8 64
16 80 20 400
17 65 6 36
18 50 -10 100
19 54 -6 36
20 50 -10 100
21 63 3 9
22 57 -3 9
67
23 63 3 9
24 55 -5 25
25 55 -5 25
26 57 -3 9
27 57 -3 9
28 55 -5 25
29 55 -5 25
30 64 4 16
31 68 8 64
32 60 0 0
Total 1920 2875
Mean ( X ) n
x∑=
32
1920=
=60
Standard deviation (S):
S2
( )
1
2
−
−=∑
n
xxi
132
2875
−=
= 92,7419
S = 9,63
Calculating Z
S
XBkZ
−=
Example for limitation interval class (X) = 40-46
27,263,9
605,39−=
−=Z
Then, searching opportunity for Z from curve Z (table) according
to the opportunity Z.
S
XZ
−=
68
Calculating size of Z class by counting the difference between
opportunities for Z, except for opportunity for Z is positive and
negative must be added.
Frequency expected ( iE ) is the result from size of Z class times
total respondents (n = 32)
Example for interval 40 – 46 → 0,0533 × 32 = 1,7065
Table 4.10
The List of Observation of Score Frequency
in Control Group
Class Bk Zi P(Zi)
Size of
classes
for Z iO iE
39,50 -2,27 -0,488
40-46 0,0533 2 1,7065 0,0505
46,50 -1,52 -0,435
47-53 0,1595 4 5,1034 0,2386
53,50 -0,76 -0,276
54-60 0,2757 12 8,8217 1,1451
60,50 0,00 0,000
61-67 0,2757 7 8,8217 0,3762
67,50 0,76 0,276
68-74 0,1595 4 5,1034 0,2386
74,50 1,52 0,435
75-81 0,0533 3 1,7065 0,9804
81,50 2,27 0,488
X²
= 3,0292
Where:
Bk = Limit class – 0,5
iZ = number of assistance or number of standard
P( iZ ) = score of iZ on the table
iE = expected frequency
iO = frequency of observation
According to the calculation of normality test, we get
2
countX = 3,0292 and 2
tabelX =7,81 with df = 6-3 = 3, %5=α . With
( )
i
ii
E
EO2
−
69
22
tablecount XX < it means, the data has normal distribution. The
initial score for control group has normal distribution.
b. Initial Homogeneity Test for Control and Experimental Group
The hypothesis used in homogeneity test is:
H0 : σ12 = σ22
H1 : σ12 ≠ σ22
With the formula
( ) ( ){ }∑ −−=22 log110ln ii snBx
With:
B( ) ( )1log 2 −∑= ins
and
( )( )1
12
2
−∑
−∑=
i
ii
n
Sns
Criteria hypothesis test is accepting Ho if 2
x count < 2
x ( )( )11 −− kα with
level of significance 5% and df = k – 1.
Where:
2X = chi quadrate
2
is = variance sample the-i
in = total students sample the-i
k = total group of sample
70
Table 4.11 Data of Homogeneity
Source of variance Experimental Class Control Class
Total 1914 1920
N 32 32
X 59,81 60
Variance (s2) 115,254 92,387
Standard of deviation (s) 10,74 9,61
Table 4.12
Table of Bartlett Test
Sample df = ni - 1
1/df si2 Log si
2 df.Log si
2 df * 2
is
1 31 0,0323
115,254 2,062 63,911 3572,875
2 31 0,0323
92,387
1,966 60,934 2864,000
Ʃ 62 124,845 6436,875
5103,820564
62
6436,875
)1(
)1( 2
2
=
=
−
−=∑∑
i
ii
n
sns
B = (Log s2 ) . Ʃ(ni – 1)
B = (Log 103,8205645)
. 62
B = 125,0095699
X2
count =
(Ln 10) { B - Ʃ(ni-1) log si
2}
X2
count =
2,3025851 {125,0095699 – 124,845}
X2
count =
0,378266456
71
According to the homogeneity test, we got 2
countX = 0,378266456 and 2
tableX =0, 384145914 with df = k-3 = 2-1 = 1 and %5=α . So that 2
countX
< 2
tableX initial score for experimental and control group have
homogenous variance.
c. Average Test Of Pre Test Between Experimental Group (VIII C) And
Control Group (VIII B)
Table 4.13 Result of Average Test
Class N Minimum Maximum Mean
Experimental 32 35 78 59,8
Control 32 40 80 60
With computation, we got t-tes t count = -0,079 and t table =
t )64)(9750,0( = 1.99 with significance level α = 5%, df = 21 nn + -2 = 32 + 32
- 2 = 62, opportunity= 1-α = 1 - 0,05 = 0, 95. Thus we found out that -
t table = -1,99 < t count = -0,079< t table = 1,997. Then according to the average
test (t-test) the students’ proficiency level of from VIII-C and VIII-B was
similar. The complete computation could be seen in appendix 15.
Thus experimental and control group came from the same
proficiency level, and if happened difference significantly it is because of
the treatment.
3. Final Analysis Data
After carrying the experiment, the researcher calculated the score
for each group. This score was used to examine the hypothesis of this
research. For posttest score completely could be seen in appendix 23.
a. Normality Test for Posttest
1) Normality Test for Experimental Group
Hypothesis:
H0 : Data with normal distribution index
H1 : Data with no normal distribution index
72
Hypothesis Formula:
Ei
EiOiX
k
i
2
1
2 )( −=∑
=
Where:
2x : Index of Chi-Quadrate
Oi : observation frequency
Ei : expected frequency
k : the number of interval class
Criteria used are accepting Ho = 2
countχ < 2
tabelχ
The late data would be put on a normality test to show that
experimental group has normal index distribution. And the step of
normality test is as follow:
Maximum score = 85
Minimum score = 55
Range (R) = 85-55 = 30
Class interval (K) = 1+ 3,3 log 32 = 5,96 = 6
Length of the class = 30/6 = 5
Table 4.14
Table of Assistance in Counting Deviation Standard for
Experimental Class
No. X
1 55 -16 256
2 70 -1 1
3 68 -3 9
4 73 2 4
5 75 -1 1
6 55 -16 256
7 65 -6 36
8 67 -4 16
9 73 2 4
10 68 -3 9
11 85 14 196
12 65 -6 36
XX −2)( XX −
73
13 77 10 100
14 68 -3 9
15 75 -1 1
16 76 1 1
17 63 -8 64
18 65 -6 36
19 85 14 196
20 73 2 4
21 56 -15 225
22 73 2 4
23 65 -6 36
24 68 -3 9
25 71 0 0
26 73 2 4
27 75 4 16
28 79 14 196
29 75 4 16
30 78 9 81
31 78 9 81
32 80 9 81
Total 2272 1984
X =N
X∑= =
32
2272 71
s 2 = 1
)( 2
−
−∑
n
XX =
)132(
1984
−= 64
s = 8
counting Z
S
XBkZ
−=
Class 60-64
39,18
715,59−=
−=Z
Next is investigating opportunity for Z from curve Z (table) for the
appropriate Z score.
S
XZ
−=
74
Calculating size of Z class by counting the difference between
opportunities for Z, except for opportunity for Z is positive and
negative must be added.
Expected frequency ( iE ) is the result from size of Z class times
total respondents (n = 32)
Example for interval 60 – 64 → 0,1547 × 32 = 4,9499
Table 4.15
List of post test score for Experimental Group
Class Bk Zi P(Zi)
Size
Classes
for Z
Ei iO
54,50 -2,07 -0,481
55-59 0,0624 1,9980 3 0,5025
59,50 -1,39 -0,418
60-64 0,1547 4,9499 5 0,0005
64,50 -0,72 -0,264
65-69 0,2468 7,8973 8 0,0013
69,50 -0,04 -0,017
70-74 0,2200 7,0392 6 0,1534
74,50 0,63 0,237
75-79 0,1680 5,3753 7 0,4911
79,50 1,31 0,405
80-85 0,0716 2,2925 3 0,2183
84,50 1,99 0,476
Total 2χ = 1,3672
Where :
Bk = Limit class – 0,5
iZ = number of assistance or number of standard
P( iZ ) = score of iZ on the table
iE = expected frequency
iO = frequency of observation
According to the calculation of normality test, we get 2
countX =1,
3672 2
tableX = 7,81 with df = 6-3 = 3, %5=α . With 22
tablecount XX < it
( )
i
ii
E
EO2
−
75
means, the data has normal distribution. The final score for experimental
group has normal distribution.
2) Normality Test for Control Group
Hypothesis:
H0 : Data with normal distribution index
H1 : Data with no normal distribution index
Hypothesis Formula:
Ei
EiOiX
k
i
2
1
2 )( −=∑
=
Where:
2x : index of Chi-Quadrate
Oi : observation frequency
Ei : expected frequency
k : the number of interval class
Criteria used are accepting Ho = 2
countχ < 2
tabelχ
From the post test data will be put on a normality test to show
that experimental group has normal index distribution. And the step of
normality test is as follow:
Highest score = 75
Lowest score = 34
Range (R) = 75-34 = 41
Class interval (K) = 1+ 3,3 log 32 = 5,96 = 6
Length of the class = 41/6 = 6,83 = 7
Table 4.16
Table of Assistance in Counting Deviation Standard for
Control Group
No. X
1 60 8,6875 75,47266
2 34 -17,3125 299,7227
3 44 -7,3125 53,47266
XX −2)( XX −
76
4 62 10,6875 114,2227
5 45 -6,3125 39,84766
6 44 -7,3125 53,47266
7 60 8,6875 75,47266
8 46 -5,3125 28,22266
9 57 5,6875 32,34766
10 45 -6,3125 39,84766
11 35 -16,3125 266,0977
12 50 -1,3125 1,722656
13 55 3,6875 13,59766
14 74 22,6875 514,7227
15 75 23,6875 561,0977
16 55 3,6875 13,59766
17 45 -6,3125 39,84766
18 60 8,6875 75,47266
19 45 -6,3125 39,84766
20 42 -9,3125 86,72266
21 45 -6,3125 39,84766
22 55 3,6875 13,59766
23 50 -1,3125 1,722656
24 62 10,6875 114,2227
25 45 -6,3125 39,84766
26 55 3,6875 13,59766
27 45 -6,3125 39,84766
28 50 -1,3125 1,722656
29 40 -11,3125 127,9727
30 45 -6,3125 39,84766
31 72 20,6875 427,9727
32 45 -6,3125 39,84766
Total 1650 3324,875
X =N
X∑= =
32
1650 51,3125
s 2 = 1
)( 2
−
−∑
n
XX =
)132(
875,3324
−= 107,254
s = 10,356
Counting Z
S
XBkZ
−=
Example for limit of interval class (X) = 40,5
S
XZ
−=
77
22,136,10
31,515,40−=
−=Z
Next is investigating opportunity for Z from curve Z (table) for the
appropriate Z score.
Calculating size of Z class by counting the difference between
opportunities for Z, except for opportunity for Z is positive and
negative must be added.
Expected frequency ( iE ) is the result from size of Z class times
total respondents (n = 32)
Example for interval 41 – 47 → 0,1849 × 32 = 5,9177
Table 4.17
List of Post Test Score for Control Group
Kelas Bk Zi P(Zi) Size of Z
Class iE iO
33,50 -1,90 -0,471
34-40 0,0831 2,6607 3 0,0433
40,50 -1,22 -0,388
41-47 0,1849 5,9177 10 2,8162
47,50 -0,53 -0,203
48-54 0,1438 4,6013 3 0,5573
54,50 0,15 0,059
55-61 0,2380 7,6162 9 0,2514
61,50 0,83 0,297
62-68 0,1378 4,4083 5 0,0794
68,50 1,52 0,435
69-75 0,0509 1,6284 2 0,0848
75,50 2,20 0,486
2χ = 3,8324
Where :
Bk = Limit class – 0,5
iZ = number of assistance or number of standard
P( iZ ) = score of iZ on the table
iE = frequency expected
( )
i
ii
E
EO2
−
78
iO = frequency of observation
According to the calculation of normality test, we get 2
countX = 3,
8324 and 2
tabelX = 7,81 with df = 6-3 = 3, %5=α . With 22
tablecount XX < it
means, the data has normal distribution. The final score for experimental
group has normal distribution.
b. Homogeneity Test of Posttest
The hypothesis used in homogeneity test is:
H0 : σ12 = σ22
H1 : σ12 ≠ σ22
With the formula
( ) ( ){ }∑ −−=22 log110ln ii snBx
With:
B( ) ( )1log 2 −∑= ins
and
( )( )1
12
2
−∑
−∑=
i
ii
n
Sns
Criteria hypothesis test is accepting Ho if 2
x count < 2
x ( )( )11 −− kα with level
of significance 5% and df = f – 1.
Where:
2X = chi quadrate
2
is = variance sample the-i
in = total students sample the-i
k = total group of sample
Table 4.18
Data of Homogeneity
Source of variance Experimental Class Control Class
Total 2272 1642
79
N 32 32
X 71 51,31
Variance (s2) 64 107,254
Standard of
deviation (s) 8 10,356
Table 4.19 Bartlett Test
Sample df = ni – 1 1/df si
2 Log si
2
df.Log
si
2
df * 2
is
1 31 0.0323 64 1,806 55,992 1984
2 31 0. 0323 107,254 2,030 62,943 3324,875
Total 62 118,934 5308, 875
85,627
62
5308,875
)1(
)1( 2
2
=
=
−
−=∑∑
i
ii
n
sns
B = (Log s2 ) . Ʃ(ni – 1)
B = 119,8219
χ 2 count
=
(Ln 10) { B - Ʃ(ni-1) log si
2}
χ 2 count
=
2,3025851 {119,8219 – 118,934}
χ 2 count
=
2, 3025851x0,8879
χ 2 count
= 2,044465
According to homogeneity test we get 2
countχ = 0,05664 and
2
tableχ =3,841 with df = k-1 = 2-1 = 1 and %5=α . So 2
countχ < 2
tableχ it
80
means posttest for experimental and control group have homogenous
variance.
c. Average Test (T-Test)
After prerequisite test have been done, the next examination is
examine the hypothesis. Data or score which is used is posttest score. It is
implemented to investigate the emergence of difference of comprehension
level after students given treatment. The emergence of difference is
expected as the effect of treatment. To find out the different treatment we
used t-test as below.
H0 = 21 µµ ≤ : average of reading comprehension skill level which is
taught by comic strip is smaller or even with average of reading
comprehension skill level which is not taught by comic strip.
H1 = 21 µµ > : average of reading comprehension skill level which is
taught by comic strip is bigger or even with average of reading
comprehension skill level which is not taught by comic strip.
Because 2
countχ < 2
tableχ so 2
2
2
1 σσ = or both of the variance is same
(homogenous). So the average test using formula:
Dimana:
From the data, we get:
Table 4.20
Table source for t-Test
Source of variance Experimental Class Control Class
Total 2272 1642
N 32 32
X 71 51,31
( ) ( )2nn
1n1n s
21
2
22
2
11
−+
−+−=
ss
21 n
1
n
1 s
xx t 21
+
−=
81
Variance (s2) 64 107,254
Standard of deviation (s) 8 10,356
2534,9
85,627
62
874,33241984
23232
254,107).132(64).132(
=
=
+=
−+
−+−=s
With s = 9,2534 so:
3,679282
5,351588
19,69
)31335,2)(31335,2(
19,69
32
1
32
19,2534
31,5171
=
=
=
+
−=
t
t
B. Examination of Hypothesis
After prerequisite test have been done, the next examination was
examining the hypothesis. Data or score which used was posttest score. It was
implemented to investigate the emergence of difference of comprehension
level after students given treatment. The emergence of difference was
expected as the effect of treatment. To find out the different treatment we
used t-test as below.
H0 = 21 µµ ≤ : average of reading comprehension skill level which is
taught by comic strip is smaller or even with average of
reading comprehension skill level which is not taught by
comic strip.
H1 = 21 µµ > : average of reading comprehension skill level which is
taught by comic strip is bigger or even with average of
82
reading comprehension skill level which is not taught by
comic strip.
According to the calculation using t-test, we get result as below.
Table 4.21
Result of t-test
n X 2
s S Df countt tablet
Experimental group 32 71 64 9,2534
32+32-
2=62 3,679282 1,67
Control group 32 51,31 107,254
The result of calculation showed that the result of research for the
mean score for the experimental group with comic strips was 71 and
deviation standard (SD) is 8. On the other hand, mean for control group
which did not taught by comic strips is 51,31 and deviation standard (SD) is
10,356. With df = 32 + 32 – 2 = 62 and level 5% we get ttable = 1,67. From the
result of calculation t-test tcount = 3,679282 . Then we compared between tcount
and ttable so tcount > ttable so H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted.
C. Discussion
The data were obtained from the students’ achievement scores of the
test of reading comprehension skill of narrative text. They were pre-test and
post-test scores from the experimental and control group. The average score
for experimental group was 59.8 (pre-test) and 71 (post-test). The average
score for control group was 60 (pre-test) and 51,3 (post-test). The following
was the simple tables of pre and post-test students’ average score and
students’ average score of each speaking components.
Table IV. 7 The Pre-test and Post-test Students’ Average Scores of the
Experimental and Control Group
No Group The Average
Percentage of Pre-test
The Average
Percentage of Post-test
83
1 Experimental 60,03 71
2 Control 60,00 51,3
a. Students’ Condition in Control Group
In this study, source of data that become as control group was
class VIII B. In the control group, there was not a new treatment in a
teaching learning process. They were given a usual treatment. They were
taught reading comprehension skill in narrative text without using comic
strips. By reading text only, students looked uninterested and less
challenged as the result it could not increase students’ reading
comprehension skill in narrative text. Students could not enjoy in reading
because it seems like facing unrecognized word and strange passage. It
was proven with the control group’s average in the post-test (51) which
was lower than the experimental group (71) and even lower then thair
daily score (60).
b. Students’ Condition in Experimental Group
Pre-test score was taken from their daily score. They have some
barriers they face in English language subject. According to their teacher,
those are less interested, less focus, and underestimate to this subject.
Especially in reading comprehension skill.
Based on the analysis of students’ ability, it was found that
students’ ability after getting treatment was improved. In the treatment,
students were given comic strips and also text relates to the comic strips.
With this media, those barriers and hindrances mentioned above can be
solved.
The finding that shows students’ ability is namely the increasing
of students’ average score. There were still some mistakes that students
had made like grammar and pronunciation. But it was something
understood. So, it could be concluded that the implementation of using
comic strips as method in the teaching reading comprehension skill of
narrative text was effective. It was proven with students’ average score in
84
experimental group was higher than control group. By considering the
students’ final score after getting treatment, the teaching reading
comprehension skill of narrative text using comic strips as method was
better than without comic strips.
According to the calculation t-test, we get tcount = 1,904 and ttable
= 3,679282 . It shows that tcount > ttable the average post test score for
experimental group is bigger than control group.
It can be concluded that comic strips as medium to teach narrative
text is more effective than plain written narrative passage on students
grade VIII SMP N 2 Tanggungharjo Grobogan. From the computation
above, we can see that students’ reading comprehension skill for
experimental group is better than students’ reading skill comprehension
for control group with mean of class 71 and mean for control group is
51,31.
c. The Advantages and Disadvantages of comic strips in the Teaching
Reading Comprehension Skill of Narrative Text
1) The Advantages of Using Comic Strips in the Teaching Reading
Comprehension Skill of Narrative Text.
After conducting the research, there were some advantages of
using comic strips technique in the teaching Reading Comprehension
Skill of Narrative Text:
a) Comic strips gave students the clue of chronological events. It
helped students to memorize easily based on the visualization
contain in the comic strips. The use of comic strips was actually
meant to help them in imagining and memorizing the sequential
events.
b) Students’ boredom in reading could be avoided. The treatment
gave students different nuances of teaching and learning process
so they were interested in following the story.
2) The Disadvantages of Using Comic Strips in the Teaching Reading
Comprehension Skill of Narrative Text.
85
The disadvantage of using comic strips, it was not easy to find
appropriate comic strips and also arrange the coherence paragraph.
Because of the newspaper in English language such as The Jakarta
Post is so rare in the little town. But this condition can be solved
actually by ordering to the agent.
B. Limitation of Research
The writer realized that there were some hindrances and barriers in
doing this research. The hindrances and barriers occurred was not caused by
inability of the researcher but caused by the limitation of the research like
time, fund, and equipment of research.
86
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
A. CONCLUSIONS
After finishing research, the writer will draw some conclusions as the
result of the study at the eighth grade students of SMP N 2 Tnaggungharjo
Grobogan in academic year 2010/2011 on the use of comic strips in improving
students’ reading skill comprehension of narrative text.
Based on this research, the writer conclude that using comic strips as
teaching media/aids in teaching narrative text can improve the students’
reading skill and also motivate the students in learning English, especially
narrative text. Because it can create fun, competitive, and consequently
memorable learning in English subject. It can be seen from the significant
improvement of students’ score from the comparation between contol group
and experimental group.
This study concluded as follow:
1. The implementation of comic strips as teaching media/aids in teaching
narrative text are:
a. Teacher shows comic strips and asks the students to guess what the
title of story based on the pictures.
b. Teacher asks some students to distribute the comic strips to each
students.
c. Teacher determines the first group, second group, third group, etc to
discuss about the story and generic structure of narrative text.
d. The students ask the difficult word or phrase to the teacher .
e. Teacher asks some students to distribute the passage related to the
comis strips.
f. Teacher asks some students to distribute the questions and answer
sheet to each students.
87
2. The improvement of students’ reading comprehension skill in learning
narrative test using comic strips:
This research showed that the use of comic strips can improve the
students’ reading comprehension skill of narrative test. There were
significant improvement of students’ achievement in experimental group.
Based on the finding and discussion in the previous chapter, it could be
concluded that the use of comic strips as media in teaching reading
comprehension skill of narrative text was effective. It was proved by the
obtained score of t-test. The t-test showed that t-score 5.191 was higher
than t-table 1.66. It means that Ha was accepted and Ho was rejected.
Since the t-score was higher than the t-table, there was a significance
difference in the achievement between students in class VIII C who were
taught reading comprehnesion skill in narrative text using comic strips and
students in class VIII B who were taught without using comic strips. The
average score of experimental group was 71 and the average score of
control group was 51,31. It means that the experimental group (class VIII
C) was better than the control group (class VIII B).
B. SUGGESTIONS
Based on the result of this research positievely indicates that there is
positive effect using comic strips in teaching narrative text. Some suggestions
for the teaching and learning English are proposed as follows:
1. To English Teacher
a. The English teacher should be selective in choosing teaching
media/aids to help his/her job in explaining the material.
b. Teacher also should not remain passive and give up all efforts to make
improvements both in his/her performance in class and the
understanding of the students to the material.
c. The English teacher should give motivation to the students in teaching
learning English.
88
d. The English teacher may find some creative learning in English in
order to avoid students’ feeling of boredom.
e. This study could give contribution to the English teacher and the
reader to improve their ability in teaching English.
2. To the students
a. The students can enrich their experience and knowledge in learning
English through comic strips.
b. The students may enrich their learning experience by going English
club, students English forum, etc. Those activities will improve their
English competence.
C. CLOSING
Praise be to Allah SWT, hat has been giving protection and guidance
so that this thesis can be finished.
Thus, this thesis is served to the readers. The writer realizes that it is
still less perfect. The writer hopes any suggestions and criticisms to make it
perfect. Hopefully, this paper is useful for all of us. Amin.
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