USING DIRECTED R EADING TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ … · “Orang pintar selalu berguru kepada...

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USIN

ST

(Classroo

Faculty of

ENGL

NG DIRE

TUDENT

om Action R

f Education,

LISH EDUC

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Research at t

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Department,

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PRONOUNCEMENT

The undersigned

Student Name: CHALEARNSOUK DADIVONG

Student No: S890809003

Study Program: Pendidikan Bahasa Ingris

Institution: Seblas Maret University

Declare that, this thesis entailed classroom action research is my own write

action account and has not previously been submitted for a degree to any other

University or institution and the best of my knowledge it contains no previously

published work or point of those cited in writing and knowledge in the references my

Thesis entitled “Using Directed Reading to Improve the Students’ Reading

Comprehension” (A Class action research at the 3rd year’s students of English

Department, Faculty of Education, Champasack University in Academic year 2010-

2011).

It is not a plagiarism or made by others, anything related to other’s work is

written in quotation, the source of which is listed on the bibliography. If or then, this

pronouncement proves wrong, I am ready to accept any academic punishment,

including withdrawal or canceling of any academic degree.

Surakarta, February 2011

Chalearnsouk Dadivong

Nim: S890809003

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ABSTRACT

CHALEARNSOUK DADIVONG, Nim: S890809003 “Using Directed Reading to Improve the Students’ Reading Comprehension” A Class action research at the 3rd year’s students of English Department, Faculty of Education, Champasack University in Academic year 2010-2011. A thesis: English Education of Graduate School, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta 2011.

This action research is carried out to improve the students’ reading comprehension using directed reading and to know what happens when directed reading are used in classroom. The problem highlighted in this action research in the low, poor and different level reading comprehension of En3/2 class at Champasak University in Lao PDR. That caused by the uninteresting text book that caused students’ low motivation.

The action research is conducted in two cycles from June – January 2011 in

En 3/2 class of Champasak University in Lao PDR. The procedure of the action research consists of identifying the problems, planning the action, implementing the action, observing the action, and reflecting the result of the action research. In collecting the data, the researcher used observation notes, questionnaires, interviews, diaries and test. The tests were in the form of pre-test and post-test to answer this action research questions. In this research, the researcher acted as a teacher who conducts the action in the classroom and he was assisted by his collaborator. There were two kinds of data such as qualitative and quantitative data. In analyzing quantitative data, the researcher used descriptive statistics. In analyzing qualitative data, the research used constant comparative method.

The result of research showed that using directed reading could improve

students’ reading comprehension and classroom situation. The improvement of the classroom situation was supported by data which cover the students’ participation, attendance and enthusiasm during the teaching-learning process. The improvement on the students’ reading comprehension reflected from the mean progress of pre-test and post-test. Based on the results of the research, it was concluded that students’ reading comprehension can be improve by using directed reading. It is suggested that the teacher should use other texts beside the text book in teaching language skills, the teacher should be more careful in selecting the texts. The students are encouraged to read more to improve their ability in comprehending the text. Other researcher is encouraged to do the research in using directed reading texts in other areas of language skills.

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MOTTO

“Orang pemarah tidak sesuai djadi guru”

“An impatient man is not suited for teaching”

“Orang pintar selalu berguru kepada sesama manusia”

“A wise man always takes lesson from his surroundings”

“Mengembara adalah guru yang baik, tapi pengalaman adalah guru yang paling baik”

“Adventure is good teacher, but experience is the best”

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

The opportunity to reach a Master Degree has been provide an important

experience in my personal life. Because this is the process had been relatively longer,

but had exposed me to numerous challenging academic and intellectual phenomena, I

never had experience before.

Furthermore, unlimited thanks to the Government of Laos PDR and Indonesia

Government, which though the cooperation on Non-Aligned movement countries,

bee offering me to the scholarship to do master degree me in Indonesia, and

I would like to express gratitude to all those who gave me the possibility to

complete this action research study.

I would like to express of my deepest and gratitude to the director, vice director and

staff worker, staff of English department and assistants of graduate school at Sebelas

Maret University, Surakarta Indonesia and Champasak University of Laos PDR for

their kindness and facilitation, especially The Head of English Department, Dr.

Ngadiso, M.Pd my sincere thanks.

All my gratitude and deeply indebted to my academic supervisor or

consultants, Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd and Drs. Gunarso S, M. Ed. Tesol

who provided guidance, and largely contributed to the elaboration and comprehension

of this work and support to me during the action research for my study would be run

well.

Finally, I would like to express of my deepest gratitude to my parent, sisters,

and my cousin for their morale patience, encouragement financial support. I also

would like to thanks all my friends to gave me the support.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE ……………………………………………………………………………....... i

APPROVAL ………………………………………………………………………… ii LEGALIZATION …………………………………………………………………... iii

PRONOUNCEMENT ……………………………………………………………… iv

ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………… v

MOTTO …………………………………………………………………………...... vi

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ………………………………………………………..... vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………….. viii

APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………….... xi

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………. xii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study………………………………………….1

B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………...5

C. Object of Research………………………………………………...5

D. Benefit of the Research……………………………………………5

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Theoretical Descriptive……………………………………………7

1. The Nature of Reading…………...............................................7

2. Reading Comprehension………….....……………………….16

3. Directed Reading…………………………………………….21

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B. Rationale ………………………………………………………...24

C. Action Hypothesis……………………………………………….27

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Research Setting

1. Time of Research…………………………………………….28

2. Place of Research…………………………………………….28

3. Research Subjects……………………………………………30

B. Research Design………………………………………………....31

C. Data Collecting Techniques……………………………………..37

D. Data Analysis Techniques……………………………………….38

CHAPTER IV RESEARCH RESULT AND DISCUSSION

A. Introduction ……………………………………………………..41

B. The process of the research ……………………………………..43

1. Description of the Previous Research ………………………43

a. Students’ Reading Comprehension ……………………..45

b. Class Situation …………………………………………..47

2. Research Implementation .…………………………………..49

a. Cycle 1…………………………………………………...51

b. Cycle 2 …………………………………………………..63

3. Research Findings …………………………………………...73

C. Discussion ………………………………………………………79

1. The Improvement of Students’ Reading Comprehension...…79

2. The Improvement of Classroom Situation…………………...80

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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION AND SUGGESSION

A. Conclusion ………………………………………………………83

B. Implication ………………………………………………………84

C. Suggestion ……………………………………………………….84

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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APPENDIX Appendix 1 : Photographs………………………………………………………..........................89

Appendix 2 : Interview I ………………………………………………………...........................91

Appendix 3 : Students’ Answer Interview I …………………………………..............................92

Appendix 4 : Questionnaire I ……………………………………………………………………93

Appendix 5 : Students’ Answers Questionnaire I ………………………….................................95

Appendix 6 : Pre-test……………..……………………………………………………................97

: post-test 1………………………...........................................................................109

: Key Answer for pre-test and post test 1………………………………………….121

Appendix 7 : Blue print for pre-test Items ……………………………………………………..122

Appendix 8 : post-test 2………………………………………………………………...............123

Appendix 9 : Students’ Answer for Post-test 2…………………………………………………136

Appendix 10 : Interview 2 ……………………………………………………………………….149

Appendix 11 : Students’ Answer for Interview 2………………………………………………..150

Appendix 12 : Questionnaire 2…………………………………………………………………...151

Appendix 13 : Students’ Answer for Questionnaire 2…………………………………...............153

Appendix 14 : Lesson plan 1 for the first meeting…………………………….............................155

: Lesson plan 2 for the second meeting……………………………………………158

: Lesson plan 3 for the third meeting……………………………………................162

Appendix 15 : Lesson plan A for the second cycle ……………………………………………...165

: Lesson plan B for the second cycle ……………………………………………...169

Appendix 16 : T-test for Non-Independence …………………………………………………….173

Appendix 17 : T-test for Non-Independence …………………………………………………….174

Appendix 18 : Pre-test of Test Validity………………………………………….........................175

Appendix 19 : Post-test 1 of Test Validity……………………………………………………….177

Appendix 20 : Post-test 2 of Test Validity……………………………………………………….178

Appendix 21 : The Students’ Handout …………………………………………..........................179

Appendix 22 : Maps of Laos……………………..………………………………........................185

Appendix 23 : Ijin Penelitian…………………………………………………….........................187


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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Research Schedule ………………………………………………………..28

Table 3.2 Research procedures………………………………………………………31

Table 3.3 The System of Score Category……………………………………………39

Table 4.1 Process of the research……………………………………………………42

Table 4.2 prior situation……………………………………………………………..44

Table 4.3 The result of pre-test can be seen as follows……………………………...45

Table 4.4 The grade, percentage mean score and complete questions of pre-test…...45

Table 4.5 The score of pre-test………………………………………………………46

Table 4.6 the result of questionnaire…………………………………………………48

Table 4.7 Overall Implementation of the Research………………………………….50

Table 4.8 Implementation of cycle 1………………………………………………...51

Table 4.9 The teaching reading comprehension was show below…………………...56

Table 4.10 The scores of Post-test 1…………………………………………………62

Table 4.11 The result of mean scores and complete of Questions in post-test 1.........62

Table 4.12 Implementation of cycle 2……………………………………………….64

Table 4.13 The scores of Post-test 2…………………………………………………71

Table 4.14 The result of mean scores and complete Questions in post-test 2……….71

Table 4.15 Research Finding………………………………………………………...73

Table 4.16 The Score of Pre-test, Post-test 1 and Post-test 2………………………..76

Table 4.17 The mean Score of Pre-test, Post-test 1 and Post-test 2…………………76

Table 4.18 The Result of Questionnaires……………………………………………78

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Chapter I

Introduction

E. Background of the Study

Reading is a complex process because it includes transferring the message

between writers and readers who have different background knowledge. In other

words, it is such kind of activity to comprehend the writer’s ideas or the way of the

writer communicates with the readers by the way of the writer or painted the words.

So in reading, the readers have to construct the meaning while reading. One of the

ways in constructing the meaning is by using readers’ background knowledge to get

the meaning or information in the text. In these cases, the level of readers’ knowledge

is different one to the other. Sometime, the readers are poor or lack of relevant

cultural knowledge or they have enough relevant cultural knowledge but they do not

use it optimally. As the result, they cannot comprehend what they read well.

According to Curriculum 2006 of National University of Laos intends to

obtain the achievement of Competence Standard in students’ reading ability: (1) to

understand the meaning in transactional and interpersonal conversation formally and

sustainably: (2) to understand the meaning in the short functional and monologue text

in the form of the narrative, spoof, and hortatory: (3) to express the meaning in the

short functional and monologue text in the form of narrative, spoof, and hortatory

accurately, fluently and acceptably: (4) to understand the written monologue text in

the form narrative accurately, fluently and acceptably in the daily life context and to

access the science: (5) to express the meaning in the written monologue text or essay

in the form of narrative in the daily life content. The target of the achievement in

English competence is hoped 60 as criteria complete minimum.

One of the four macro skills taught in an English language classroom is reading.

Reading is defined as a thinking process which requires a response from the reader

may it be through making generalizations, drawing new inferences and planning to

succeeding steps based on what was read. The act of reading is process which


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involves steps to achieve and reinforce understanding namely; word perception,

comprehension, reaction and integration (Zintz & Maggart, 1986:56).

Reading comprehension has become the problems among students. These

conditions were identifies as the students got the difficulties to answer such questions

especially for finding main ideas and inferences. Furthermore, they also got difficulty

to paraphrase. These difficulties were indicated as follows: (1) students incorrectly

interpreted main idea with specific details: (2) they could not relate between one clue

to other and they failed determining the key point of the sentence: (3) The classroom

situation made these situations even worse: (4) The students were passive during the

lecturing. They even showed no interest toward the subject. Then they low

cooperation completed their negative respond to reading class. The students’ passivity

in the classroom was indicated as students kept silent during lecturing and they also

had no respond when they were asked questions. In addition to their passivity, the

students also showed no interest toward reading class; many of them make noisy,

play with their hand phone, discus with other topics and went out during the class.

Furthermore, their low cooperation was identified as they had no courage to share

ideas with friends, tended to work individually and talked with their topics out of the

discussion.

There were some causes of the mentioned problems above. The first cause

was from the students. It was identified that the students’ vocabulary mastery was

poor. Then students had no contributive model during work group activity and

independent activity. From the teacher’s point of view, the teaching learning process

showed that it was monotonous. Teacher less monitored the student activity. The

technique which was applied during teaching-leaning process made the students’ in

such passive situation as they often got broad oral explanation from their teacher.

Even the teacher’s broad oral explanation was even considered fast to the students.

In this view, reading was seen as a tool for cultural transmission and

socialization among people in a sense that texts were viewed as cultural artifacts

which could be interpreted in various ways. Therefore, text processing depends on a


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unique cultural context for each culture contributes to different ways of reading a text

Bernhardt, (1991:35).

Moreover, reading means different things to different people, for some it is

recognizing written words. While for others it is an opportunity to teach

pronunciation and practice speaking. However reading always has a purpose. It is part

of daily lives and generally assumed that everybody can do it. The reason for reading

depends very much on the purpose for reading. Reading can have three main

purposes, for survival, for learning or for pleasure. Reading for survival is considered

to response to our environment, to find out information and can include traffic signs,

advertising, and timetables. It depends on day-to-day needs of the reader and often

involves an immediate response to a situation. In contras reading for learning is

considered to be the type of reading done in the classroom and is goal oriented. While

reading for pressure is something that does not have to be done. For Nuttal (1996:

168-169) the central idea behind reading are: the idea of meaning, the transfer off

meaning from one to another, the transfer of message from writer to reader, how we

get meaning by reading and how the reader, the writher and the text all contribute to

the process. We can conclude that reading is a complex activity that involves both

perception and thought. Reading consists of two related processes: word recognition

and comprehension. Word recognition refers to the process of perceiving how written

symbols correspond to one’s spoken language. Comprehension is the process of

making sense of words, sentences and connected text. Readers usually make use of

background knowledge, vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and experience with

text.

The English teachers are teaching in the classroom, it like testing and asking

questions to get information. I was often frustrated by the fact that students have

difficulties in reading comprehension because some students were citizen and some

were from remote area and negative in second language, so they have different

background of English language there are four aspects of background such as word

perception, comprehension, reaction and integration, poor reading and listening.


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Moreover, there is only a little enthusiasm to learn English. For some of them,

studying is a must which they have to do, not a need. Teaching English in such

situation needs extra patience and effort; some teachers have limited experience to

teach the students in the class.

Even though, from the previous research there were the problems with

students’ reading skill by some indicators as follows: (1) students could not predict

the meaning of the words: (2) they lack of making inference: (3) The students could

not find the detail from the context: (4) The students were passive during teaching

and learning process.

And the main causes of these problems were as follows: (1) teacher still used

traditional approach and only gave few portions for reading where as reading is a

complex activity: (2) Teacher didn’t give enough attention to teach the students how

to read in English correctly: (3) teacher did not have enough experience: (4) students

had differences level of knowledge, Low and poor reading: (5) students lack of

practices and still do not master on reading comprehension: (6) students came from

remote area, so they had different limited knowledgeable.

In recent years, Reading in the classroom it was using directed reading to

development in first language, and second foreign language (L2/FL) setting has

increased. Directed reading gives student highly engaged and focused on directed

reading. Actively guiding students through a reading frequently requesting student

responses, offering comments when appropriate rather than asking students to read

text and rather than presenting the information to them orally, we can intersperse the

reading and oral discussion in a way that produces high participation lessons. This is

especially useful for poor reader and poor listeners.

Gregory and (2007: 103) state that graphic organizers can be used for

brainstorming at the beginning of lesson or unit to find out what students have

already known. Graphic organizers can help students to be able to organize and

capture information, for example in reading assignment or when watching video.

They are also as chronicle of a sequence of even of process. In addition, they relate


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new information to previously learn information. Finally, they also function as tool

for checking understanding, note taking and summarizing and the culmination

assessment. Further, Almasi (2003: 94) support to Gregory and Caloryn opinion

about the use of graphic organizers on reading. He state that graphic organizer help

focus students’ attention to the meaner in which text is organized while they read.

This visual aid helps students anticipate the type for information they will encounter

while reading and it helps them organize the incoming information as they read. Such

organization facilitates easy access, which enhance recall and comprehension. Base

on those mentioned experts’ arguments, the researcher defines graphic organizer as,

in lines with the need of the research, graphic displays that enhance students’

opportunity to portray any information from the given passage for mean idea,

inference, and paraphrase both in individual and group work activity. Therefore, the

researcher is sure that graphic organizes are good selection to solve the students’

problem on finding mean idea, inference and paraphrasing.

F. Problem Formulation

The problems of the Action Research are formulated as follows:

1. Can and to what extent directed reading improve students’ reading

comprehension?

2. What happens with classroom situation when directed reading is used to improve

the students’ reading comprehension?

G. Object of the Research

Base on the problem statement above the objectives of the research are:

1. To identify whether and to what extent directed reading can improve students’

reading comprehensions or not.

2. To describe what happens with classroom situation when directed reading are

applied in teaching learning comprehension.

H. Benefit of the Research

Hopefully, this research can be useful to the students, the other teacher and

even to the researcher himself.


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The finding of this class action research will give benefit to:

1. The students: the students’ reading comprehension will be better and their

motivation to read will improve.

2. The teacher: the result of this research can be useful input in teaching reading

skill by using directed reading.

3. The writer: the writer will have more knowledge in selecting and using good

directed reading in teaching reading skill.

4. The institution: the result of this study can be used as an alternative to compose

“Lesson plan” and arrange the further research.


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Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

In this chapter, the writer describes the concept of theories, such as:

theoretical descriptive, reading comprehension, directed reading, rationale and action

hypothesis.

A. Theoretical Descriptive

1. The nature of reading

a. Definition of reading

Many people assume that reading is an activity of looking at and

understanding writing form. Mean while, reading has different definitions for

different people. According to Harris (1962: 9) reading is the meaningful

interpretation of printed or written verbal symbols. It also involves sensing,

perceiving, achieving meaning, learning and reacting in a variety of ways.

Menyan and Leeuw (1965: 49) as quoted by Sabrina (2002: 5) state that

reading is digestive process and it has two principles, first they are learning by

understanding, it means selecting, discriminating and organizing. The second

principle is flexibility. He must take time to read slowly when the meaning of word

recognition and intellects and emotion interrelated with prior knowledge to

understand the message communicated (Callahan and Clark, 1988: 245).

Furthermore, Harris (1962: 10) also explains that the sense of reading starts with

focusing of two eyes so that they center on particular symbols. At this level, reading

requires legible symbols, adequate light so eyes are able to focus clear pattern on

retina. The meaning of perceiving is reading has visual sensations. The visual

sensations are aroused by the printed symbols and already existing memory traces of

visual appearances, of the thing, of the spoken word and of its meaning.

In addition, Hudgson in Kamidjsn (1996: 67) cites that reading is s process

that is done and used by the reader to get message and information that is obtained by

the writer through written form. Mean while, Depdikbud also states that reading in


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wide meaning is a process of formulating the text, the value, the function and the

impact of the text itself (Depdikbud, 1985: 11).

Base on the definition above, the reader begins reading from letter to larger

units, they read letter by letter to sound and combine them into words, then connect

the individual words into sentences. It can be concluded that reading is a silent and

individual activity, an active cognitive process to establish meaning, word recognition

to understand the message communicated and the language symbols to re present

what sound shows the writer’s idea.

What is really happening when we are reading? When we are reading our eyes

move from left to right going through long line of print and they make a series of

small jerky movements, stopping momentarily on each word or group of words. In

general, good comprehension means recognizing and understanding general idea and

specific fact and seeing how these ideas and facts are organized and developed

(Sonka, 1979: 2). However, the reading process does not deal with the eyes only, it

also concern with our brain. Lado (1964: 119) defines reading comprehension as a

process of gaining meaning from words and sentences as the presentation of the

language through the process decoding the writer symbols. That definition is intended

to emphasize two essential elements in reading, the language itself and the graphic

symbolization used in representing it. It means that reading is a process of

understanding the symbols. Goodman (1967: 104) describes the reading process as

followings:

Reading is psycholinguistic guessing game. It involves an interacting between thought and language. Efficient reading does not result from precise perception and identification of all elements, but from skill in selecting the fewest, most productive cues necessary to productive cues necessary to product guesses. From the statement above it can be concluded that reading is not passive

activity. The reader must make an active contribution if the acquires the available

information. In the case, the reader forms a preliminary expectation about the reading

text, and then selects the fewest most productive cues necessary to confirm or reject


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that expectation. This is a process in which the reader utilizes his knowledge for

vocabulary, syntax, discourse, and experimental background. Here the reader makes

plan and decision, and coordinate number of skill and strategies to facilitate

comprehension. The great emphasis is placed on the importance of background

knowledge.

b. Types of Reading

According to Harris (1998: 13) there are two types of reading such as:

Intensive reading and Extensive reading.

1) In Dictionary of reading (1983: 160) as quoted by Harras, intensive reading

means reading activity that is done accurately. Sonka (1979: 87) adds that intensive

reading refers to the kind of work done in the reading class. It is also the kind of

careful work student may do when studying for an exam.

Intensive reading here means an activity for reading in class where the student

read passage with the help of their teacher. In this reading activity, the role of teacher

as a guide to bring his students’ ability to efficient and skillful reader is very obvious.

Therefore, lesson should be planed so that intensive silent reading is alternated with a

variety of reading related activities. In addition, the student should be encouraged to

read extensively outside class that is to spend a half hour in the evening with

something he chooses to read (a magazine, newspaper, short story, and texts). The

major objective of intensive reading is developing the students’ ability to decode

massage by drawing on syntactic and lexical cues, and it also emphasizes on skill for

recognition.

2) Extensive reading

Extensive reading means reading activity that is done in large way,

(Dictionary of Reading in Han, 1998: 13). Extensive reading refer to the outside

reading that student do on their own with no help or guide dance from the teacher.

These kinds of reading train the students to come to the level of reading for

enjoyment. The students should be train to read directly and fluently in the foregoing

language without the aid of the teacher as well as dictionary.


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In extensive reading, the reader reads a text without an emphasis on analysis

of word and grammatical points. Although such reading is meant as independent

reading, there should be regular and systematic feedback from it.

c. Important Factors to Choosing Directed Reading

1) Receptive Skills

The two receptive skills are reading and listening. There are several

similarities between teaching them so the general description to be given here applies

both to listening and reading. Though reading and listening are receptive skills it does

not mean that the reader or the listener is only a passive participant of

communication, as both skills involve active participation. Reading and listening are

sources of both finely and roughly tuned input.

2) Reasons for Reading

We can divide reasons for reading and listening into two broad categories:

instrumental and pleasurable listening or reading. We can speak about instrumental

reading or listening when we want to achieve some clear aim. For example, we read

instructions on a machine because we want to know how to operate it. A brochure is

read if tourists need some pieces of information about a spot of interest etc.

Pleasurable reading or listening takes place for pleasure. People read magazines or

listen to a talk on the radio to while away their free time. In both types of

reading/listening, readers/listeners are interested in the topics either because they find

them useful or because they find them interesting.

3) Sub-Skills of Receptive Skills

According to (Harmer 2003:14) the processes we go through when reading a

short story or listening to a poem are likely to be different from those we use when

we are looking for some data in a manual or we want to know how to operate a

machine. The use of these different skills will depend on what we are reading or

listening for. While reading a text we use the following sub-skills:

a. Identifying the topic – readers and listeners are able to identify the topic of a

text very fast with the help of their techniques of how to get into the idea of what is


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being talked / written about. This identifying ability makes it possible for them to

process the text more effectively.

b. Predictive skills – having identified the topic both readers and listeners guess

what is being written or talked about. They try to predict what is coming. Their

subsequent reading or listening helps them to confirm their expectations of what they

have predicted.

c. Skimming – this term means to get a quick idea of the gist of a text while

running your eyes over it. It is very useful for the teachers to ask their students to

have a quick look at the text before plunging into it for detail to get some specific

pieces of information.

d. Scanning – this term means reading or listening for specific information. In

contrast to reading and listening for gist we often read or listen to a text because we

need specific details. For example, we want to read about the weather or we want to

extract some facts from the news.

e. Extensive reading – means reading/listening for pleasure. We use this type of

reading/listening while reading an interesting model or a short story or an article

taken from a popular paper etc.

f. Intensive reading – means reading/listening for detailed information.

Sometimes we read/listen to a text in order to understand everything we are reading

in detail. We use this technique when we want to understand instructions or directions

or when we are preparing for an exam.

g. Interpreting texts – this sub-skill is used by readers/listeners if they want to

understand the meaning of words beyond the literal meanings. Successful

interpretation of this kind depends on shared schemata between the speaker and the

listener and the writer or the reader. The question ‘Can you tell me the time?’ is not to

be answered in the following way: ‘Yes, I can.’ but the reply must refer to a time

expression such as ‘It’s nine o’clock.’

h. Inferring opinion and attitude – a good reader/listener will know from various

clues he receives, whether the writer or speaker approves of the topic he is discussing,


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or whether his opinion of the person he is describing is favorable or not. It is based on

the recognition of linguistic style.

4) Methodological Principles for Teaching Receptive Skills

Listening is the skill that children acquire first. When students start to acquire

a foreign language they can pick it up in many ways. They have a lot of

extracurricular sources (songs, films, native speakers, etc) at hand. The same refers to

reading, students can benefit from walking in the street when they read various

boards or signs written in English as well as English food labels at supermarkets. The

reading process can be subdivided into two stages: decoding and interpreting. When

we speak about teaching receptive skills we have to emphasize the importance of

choosing an age-relevant, interesting or useful content which is practicable in

everyday life. Let us focus on the content, purpose of reading/listening and the

expectations of readers and listeners.

5) The content of the texts

As it has already been mentioned, we can distinguish instrumental and

pleasurable reading/listening. In instrumental reading the usefulness of texts is very

significant so we can say that the texts must meet the requirements of communicative

language teaching according to which the texts must be experiential which means

they should contain very useful and practicable words and expressions for everyday

life especially in classroom. Directed texts must be used so that the learners should

not have any difficulty decoding brochures, manuals, instructions in the target

country. To meet the demands of pleasurable reading and listening we have to choose

stories, articles, novels, etc which are age relevant and which deal with the problems

of the target group of learners. The category of interest includes reading and listening

for enjoyment, pleasure and intellectual stimulation. People read/listen to language

because they have a purpose for doing so. The purpose may be to discover how to

operate a hot drinks machine or to have a pleasurable reading. The purpose may be to

find out what has been happening in the world.


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6) Methodological Steps of Developing Receptive Skills

In a lesson when the teacher’s aim is to develop receptive skills the first step

to do is to introduce the topic of reading/listening. So the first step to do is planning a

warm-up activity. When we want our students to read a text about London for

example, we are supposed to show a picture of London or to present a song about the

capital of Great Britain etc. Here we have to exploit the following characteristic of

language users; he will have expectations about what he is going to read/hear before

he does so. A reader who sees the headline ‘Storm in the Houses of Parliament’

expects to read about a political debate in the British Parliament. So when we choose

a text we are to activate the predictive skills of our students. The learners are

expected to extract the specific information from the text and they are expected to

find out one or two facts. That is the reason why we always have to set pre-

reading/pre-listening tasks before reading or listening. At this stage the teacher aims

to focus the students’ attention on certain facts mentioned in the reading/listening.

The next purpose of the teacher will be to sustain the students’ attention while they

are reading / listening to the extract. As a while reading/listening task a teacher can

ask the students to underline certain words or phrases or on hearing certain facts or

data the students can clap or raise their hands. After reading/listening to a text the

students are expected to do some post reading/ listening tasks. They have to get the

general picture which means that they have to infer the opinion or attitude of the

writer or the speaker. The ability to infer opinion and attitude is largely based on the

recognition of linguistic style and its use to achieve appropriate purposes. Another

post reading/listening task for the teacher can be to make students deduce meaning

from context. The point is that the deducing of meaning is important for a language

user who will often mean unknown words and we will try to train students in the

same way to guess the meaning of unknown words. Teachers can make students

recognize discourse markers, styles and registers as well. It is important for the

teachers to develop students’ discourse competence in addition to their

linguistic/grammatical competence as well. Teachers are also expected to focus on


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the intercultural aspects of language teaching. This is the way how social-linguistic

competence of students can be developed. For example, London can be compared to

Budapest as a post-reading/listening task. On requiring our students to use synonyms,

antonyms and circum locution the teachers can develop students’ strategic

competence as well. This is the way how we can develop reading/listening skills in a

communicative way. Bloom's Taxonomy has been one of the most influential books

in planning reading tasks and has been widely used by American educators in

planning their teaching programmed. The following categories can be used to develop

students’ thinking skills while they are reading a story. This is the way how teachers

can make reading a story a holistic activity.

Category Thinking process cues

Knowledge

(remembering and retaining)

Say what you know, what you remember.

What happened in the story?

Comprehension

(interpreting and understanding)

Describe in your own words, say what it means, explain, compare, relate.

Why did it happen that way!

Application

(making use of the story)

How can you use it? Where does it lead to? What would you have done in a situation like this?

Analysis

(taking apart)

What are the parts, the order, the reason, and the solutions? Which part did you like best?

Synthesis

( putting together)

Develop; create in your own way. What did you think of the story!

Evaluation

(judging and assessing)

How would you judge it? Will it work?


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7) What are the Essential Components of Reading Instruction?

Scientifically based reading research has identified five essential components

of effective reading instruction. To ensure that children learn to read well, explicit

and systematic instruction must be provided in these five areas:

a) Phonemic Awareness – The ability to hear, identify and manipulate the

individual sounds – phonemes – in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is the

understanding that the sounds of spoken language work together to make words.

b) Phonics – The understanding that there is a predictable relationship between

phonemes – the sounds of spoken language – and graphemes – the letters and

spellings that represent those sounds in written language. Readers use these

relationships to recognize familiar words accurately and automatically and to decode

unfamiliar words.

c) Vocabulary Development – Development of stored information about the

meanings and pronunciation of words necessary for communication. There are four

types of vocabulary:

Listening vocabulary – the words needed to understand what is heard

Speaking vocabulary – the words used when speaking

Reading vocabulary – the words needed to understand what is read

Writing vocabulary – the words used in writing

d) Reading Fluency, Including Oral Reading Skills – Fluency is the ability to

read text accurately and quickly. It provides a bridge between word recognition and

comprehension. Fluent readers recognize words and comprehend at the same time.

e) Reading Comprehension Strategies – Strategies for understanding,

remembering, and communicating with others about what has been read.

Comprehension strategies are sets of steps that purposeful, active readers use to make

sense of text.


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2. Reading Comprehension

a) Definition of Reading Comprehension.

Reading comprehension is the degree to understand the text that one reads.

Retrieved from “http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/reading comprehension” when

reader pick up the newspaper and read about the latest election results, call up a web

site and read directions on installing a new light switch or grab a novel off the shelf

of the local bookstore, readers are using their reading comprehension skill to gather

information from text.

Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of writing

(Adams, Marilyn Jager, 1990: 27). Proficient reading depends on the ability to

recognize words quickly and effortlessly. If word recognition is difficult, students use

too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which infers with

their ability to comprehend what it read.

Reading comprehension is tied to listening comprehension in a basic and

intuitive way (Pressley, 2006: 71). Most people perceive reading as a process of

talking coded, written language and transforming it in to recoded, spoken language.

Although the details of this remain unresolved, and many experts question that the

process involves so simple a translation, it is fair to say that for young children up to

second grade students, reading really is direct recoding of written text into spoken

words, which are then processed as spoken language via the same mechanisms that

make listening comprehension possible.

From definition above, it can be concluded that reading in English is like

reading in native language. This means that it is not always necessary to read and

understand each and every word in English. Owing to the fact that reading skills in

native language and English are basically the same, that owns a final purpose

“reading understanding”

b) Skill in reading comprehension.

Duke and Pearson in Teele (2004: 93) state that good readers must have the

following comprehension skills. They have clear goals for their reading. They also


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examine the structure of the text prior to reading. Again, they make predictions about

the outcome of the text.

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

comprehension skill that help learner to read more systematically. They are

comprehension the main idea, determining the authors’ purpose, distinguishing

between the main idea and supporting details, making inference, distinguishing facts

and opinion, analyzing structure, annotating, paraphrasing and summarizing.

The main concern of the research is about how to find the main idea,

vocabulary, detail, and inference. There for the writer would like to discuss further on

those aspects:

1) Main idea.

Spears (2000: 17) define the main idea as the author’s main point, a sentence,

or perhaps two that state what the whole thing is about. The main idea may take play

in the beginning paragraph, the end of the paragraph, combination between the

beginning and the end of the paragraph, or even omitted from the entire paragraph.

2) Vocabulary.

According to Schwartz and Raphael (1985: 39) vocabulary is the knowledge

of words and word meaning. Knowledge of words is critical to reading

comprehension, because it supports to comprehension. Students are expected to learn

the meaning of new words. They acquire these words by reading books, magazine,

newspaper or hearing them read aloud from books by other.

3) Detail.

Spears (2000: 12) defines detail is a single piece of information or fact about

something. Students must get information when they read the reading. The indicator,

they can find the factual information stated in a passage or retell the reading well.

This condition shows that they understand the reading.

4) Inference.

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

directly stated. To infer, Caroll in McNeil suggests that there are three important


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ways to infer. They are from subtleties of the verbal expression, reasoning, making

involvement of the reader experience to determine how the character in the text might

fell.

c) Elements of Reading Comprehension.

According to Snow (2002: 13) comprehension need three important

elements. They are reader, text and activity.

The first important element of reading comprehension is the reader. In the

purpose of comprehending the reader must have a wide range of capacity and

abilities. They include cognitive capacity include attention and various types of

knowledge. The cognitive capacity include attention, memory, critical analytic,

inference, visualization ability, etc. meanwhile, motivation refer to the purpose of the

reader. Finally, various type of the knowledge, linguistic and discourse knowledge

and knowledge for certain comprehension strategies.

The second element of reading, the reading comprehension is the text. During

reading, the reader constructs different representations of the text that are important

for comprehension. These representations include, for example, the surface code (the

ex-act wording of the text), the text base (idea units representation the meaning), and

the representation of the mental models embedded in the text.

The last important element in reading comprehension is the activity. A

reading activity involves one or more purpose, some operations to process the text at

the hand and the consequences of performing the activity. The purpose is influenced

by the cluster of motivational variables, including interest and prior knowledge.

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand the text and to get the

meaning from text. It involves the ability to find main ideas, find details, make

inferences, and predict word meaning from context.

According to (Kelner and Flynn 2006: 200) make what is implicit to

experienced educational drama specialists explicit for classroom teachers. A

Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension is designed for teachers with little to

no experience in drama. It contains information, advice, directions, steps, tips, charts,


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lists, photos, and ideas for use with students in grades one through eight. Readers will

find in-depth explanations of the layers of effective educational drama experiences

based on classroom texts. Kelner and Flynn devote individual chapters to each of four

drama strategies story dramatization, character interviews, tableau, and human slide

shows-with a step-by-step process for integration of the drama strategy and reading

comprehension.

In addition, A Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension includes a

comprehensive treatment of assessment in both drama and reading comprehension.

Readers will find a variety of assessment guidelines, tasks, tools, and definitions of

terms.

Reading is an active process to get information through written language. In

other word it can be said that reading is an interactive process that goes on between

the reader and the text, resulting in comprehension. The text presents latter, words,

sentences and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader use knowledge, skills, and

strategies to determine what the meaning is. Urghart state that reading involves

processing language messages 1998: 15). Widdoson in Urguhart all so states that

reading is the getting linguistic information via print. Further he states that getting

information is fairly one way process from writer or text to reader. Further Urhart

states that reading is a process of receiving and interpreting information encode in

language via the medium of print (1998: 22). Ruddinle suggests four states of word

analysis development:

1. The logographic state, in which children use visual context or graphic features to read words (reading “Mc Donalds” by looking at the logo, for example);

2. The traditional state from logo graphic to beginning alphabetic, in which children begin to read words by shifting from visual context and specific latter associations to use of the alphabetic principle (the initial sound /d/ in dog associated with the latter d);

3. The alphabetic stage, in which children rely on latter-sound or grapheme-phoneme relationship to read words (dog is sounded out and blended using phonological recoding process that accesses the children mental lexicon); and

4. The orthographic stage, in which children use a phonetic principle, predictable latter pasterns, group with shared latter sequences and consistent


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pronunciation that, fat, mat, hate, hate, for example, and analogy ( in rain to read the new word train) to read. (1994: 92) From the able statements, it can be concluded that reading is an activity which

need a process. It is impossible to read fluently without practice to read something

every day. When people want to get information from written message, they should

make it as a habit for our daily activity is an individual activity. Reader can interpret

what they read. And it needs process to interpret the right message from written

language. Actually studying all the subject matter is a process. Reader cannot

understand the meaning from language written instantly.

Pearson and stephens in Ruddle states that reading is a complex, orchestrated,

constructive process through which individuals make meaning (1994: x). It is stated

by Urguhart in reading a second language: process, product and practice that reading

means dealing with language messages in written or painted from (1998: 13).

Furthermore Urguhart considers reading as a language activity involving at same time

or another all the cognitive processing related to language performance. They

consider that any valid account of reading process must consider such cognitive

aspect as reading, and obvious language aspects as syntax and lexical meaning. Nuttal

state that are some word that relate with the definition of reading, those are

understanding, interpreting and meaning sense, decoding, deciphering, identifying,

articulating, speaking and pronouncing (1989: 2). The definition of reading reflects

the ideas that reading is the process of identifying written words. Besides that in a

great many classrooms, the reading lesson is used as an opportunity to teach

pronunciations, encourage fluent and expressive speaking. Reading as interpreting

means to a written text as a piece of communication. Reading is a part of daily life for

those of us who live in literate communities that much of the time we hardly consider

either the purpose or the process involved.

Reading is fluent process of reader combining information from a text and

their own background knowledge to build meaning. The goal of reading is

comprehension (Nunan, 2003: 68). Reading is the process of understanding written


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language. It begins with a flutter of patterns on the retina and ends (when successful)

with a definite idea about the author’s intended message. Thus reading is at once a

“perceptual” and a “cognitive” process. It is a process that bridges and blurs these two

traditional distinctions (Rumelhart, 1994: 864). From the statement above it can be

concluded that reading is a process of getting information and message from written

language. In understanding the message from written language, the reader much has

background knowledge. Hence in the process of reading the reader much combine

their background knowledge and the content of the text. Besides, they should

combine their interference, memory and the strategy of reading. Urguhart states any

valid account of reading process much consider such cognitive aspect as reading

strategies, inference, memory, relating text to background knowledge, or well as

decoding and obvious language aspects as syntax and lexical knowledge (1998: 18)

3. Directed Reading in the Classroom

One of the mean ideas of using dramatic reading in the classroom is to make

reading more memorable. The modeling dramatic reading and then asking students to

read important passages aloud with as much dramatic flair as they can manage, (Rose

and Nicholl 1997: 200) remind us that we tend to remember more than twice as much

as of what we say aloud then what we read silently. This suggests the advisability of

frequently asking students to talk about what they are reading, as by using directed

reading to give student highly engaged and focused on directed reading. Actively

guiding students through a reading frequently requesting student responses, offering

comments when appropriate rather than asking students to read text and rather than

presenting the information to them orally, we can intersperse the reading and oral

discussion in a way that produces high-participation lessons. This is especially useful

for poor readers and poor listeners.

Consider this segment from the science lesson. The teacher begins by asking

the students to find a particular page in their science text. “What is the heading of that

section?” she asks “susan, please read it for us,” after susan reads the heading, the

teacher continues. “Thank you. Today we will be to learning about warm-blooded


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animals. I would like you to now scan the first paragraph and find the definition of

warm-blooded.”

After a pause, she asks a different student to read the definition. Then she

invited the class to read the definition in unison with her. “Again, please about this

time and read it like you mean it!” The teacher asks the students to look at the next

paragraph and find three examples of worm-blooded animals. “Who can tell us the

first, second and the last?” she writes each example on the board as volunteers

respond. “Based on these examples, who can think of some other animals that would

be classified as worm-blooded?” she adds to the list on the board as students offer

examples. “Now I would read you to silently read page 214 to find out…”

Note how the teacher intersperses scanning, reading, questions, and

comments. From time to time she writes key points on the board. In addition, she

occasionally asks students to write a response and share with a partner. And

sometimes she presents a mini-lecture about the animals.

This style of directed reading can we use with fiction as well as nonfiction.

For example, imagine a teacher dramatically reading aloud the first page of a story

and then saying something like this:

Think about you know so far. On scrap paper, writer a prediction telling two things you think might happen in this story. The read the text paragraph of find out what time of year is it…Let’s: How many think it is winter, spring and summer? Fall? The correct answer is spring. What words gave you a clue it was spring? Now please continue reading until you find out the name of…

Finally, we learn directed reading texts can be improved in vocalizing more

memorable when the words are spoken dramatically, with emotion. We can take

advantage of this by, first, modeling for the students to read dramatically; we might

demonstrate by reading an important definition or the key text passage. Then we ask a

few students to read a sentence or two aloud dramatically; with as much felling as

they can generate. Finally we might commend that all students take any portion of a

reading that they want to remember and say it dramatically, aloud or silently to

themselves. And when we want to emphasize a key definition or idea in class, we can


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always invite a few students to read it aloud to the class, being as outrageously

dramatic as they dare. Invite students to fun with the strategy. And expect them to

remember more of what they read. Teacher report it almost always works out that

way.

a. Indicator of reading Comprehension Competence.

To comprehend information in the reading, it can be viewed from some

indicators that students are able to:

1. Finding main idea. The indicator, they can show or find the author’s main

point, one or two sentences from that state what the whole thing is about.

2. Find vocabulary. The indicator, they can find the words meaning, synonym,

and antonym.

3. Find detail. The indicator, they can find the factual information state in a

passage or retell the reading well.

4. Find inference. The indicator, they can infer how the character in the text.

b. Stages in teaching Reading

Another possible is to give text related tasks. They are three basic types:

1) Pre-Reading: used not just to test or compensate for linguistic/socio-cultural

inadequacies but also used to activate exiting schemata;

2) While-Reading: used to encourage the learner to be a flexible, active reader

also to promote a dialogue between reader and writer;

3) Post-Reading: often are read questions that follow a text, used to test

understanding but sometimes a good schema will be enough. Rather than just

simplifying the text by changing its language, it can be made more approachable by

eliciting students’ existing knowledge in pre-reading discussion, reviewing new

vocabulary before situations where it would take place outside reading and asking to

get the mean idea or scanning for specific information, before they begin intensive

reading. The reading approach must be directed too. Students should read the text in a

way that matches the read purpose, the type of text, and the way people normally

read. This means that reading aloud and silent will take place only in the classroom.


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Reading is an activity with a purpose for reading guides the reader’s selection of

texts. The purpose for reading also determines the approach to reading

comprehension.

B. Rationale

Reading comprehension is a process of simultaneously extracting and

constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. In

doing so, the reader involve so many reading skills. Among them are finding mean

idea, inference and paraphrasing.

In fact, some students encounter problems to activate those skills in reading

comprehension. These difficulties were indicated as student’s incorrectly interpreted

mean idea with specific details; they could not relate between one clue to another;

and they failed in determining the key point of sentence. The classroom situation

made these situations even worse. The students were passive during the lecturing.

They even showed on interest toward the subject. Then, their low cooperation

completed their negative response to reading class. The students’ passivity in the

classroom was indicated as students kept silent during lecturing and they also had no

response when they were asked questions. In addition to the passivity, the students

also showed no interest toward reading classroom; many of them make the class

noisy, play with their mobile phone, talk to another topic and often go out of the

class. Furthermore, they low cooperation was identified as they had no courage to

share ideas with friends; tended to work individually, and talk with their topic out of

the discussion.

Teacher had also contribution for such students’ difficulties. The teaching

learning process showed that, it was monotonous. Teacher less monitored the

students’ activity. The technique which was applied during teaching learning process

made the students in such passive situation as they often got broad oral explanation

from their teacher. Besides, the teacher broad oral explanation is even considered fast

to the students.


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Knowing this condition, students have to have sufficient strategy to be

successful in mean idea, inference, and paraphrasing. Directed reading is selected as

they can function at portraying the valuable information from the given text. In this

way, they can provide the bridge from the abstract concepts of the text to more visible

idea that eases readers getting the intended meaning. As the answer of students’

passivity, directed reading also enhance the students’ participation in class interaction

since that the students should be more active in the text-interaction with the given

directed reading. This model are very helpful both in individual and group work

tasks. From the characteristics of directed reading above, it is believed that directed

reading can improve students’ reading comprehension in term of finding mean idea,

inference and paraphrasing. Furthermore, directed reading also enhances the students’

participation in class interaction both in individual and group work tasks.

The chief danger of this approach is that the reader may try to read in to the

text what he thinks ought to be there than what the writer intended. To counteract

this, students should be trained to:

1) will help students develop reading skill

2) shows them how ideas can be discovered in the process of reading

comprehension

3) gives them immediate deep and critical feedback – from a peer

4) can lead students to have new experience of reading comprehension

A reader can often produce a reasonable hypothesis about a text after only a

superficial reading. To do this, he must use resources such as common sense, general

knowledge and experience, which has already, has. Encouraging him to make use of

them mean that you can start work on positive note (‘what do we know about this

text? So what do you think this message is likely to be?). This is more encouraging

than starting with the negative factors such as unfamiliar vocabulary. It is also good

strategy, for students much learn to utilize all their resources in order to make sense

of the text.


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You can start by making hypothesis based on the title alone, if that is one, or

the title of the book from which the text come. Or you can ask your students to skim

through the text and tell you very approximately what it is about. If there are several

different views, subsequent closer reading can be focused on establishing which is the

most accurate. If none of the views are appropriate, ask the class to try again when

the detailed work has progressed far enough.

Active experience of forming prediction about a text (i.e. hypothesis), and

confirming, rejecting or reformulating them, is as important for a reader as it is for a

scientist. You need to be particularly on your guard when the text involves matters of

opinion or emotion, because inexperienced readers often assume that the text will

echo their own views; or where that is clearly not the case, that the writer is hostile-

which may be equally false.

Base on the theoretical principles and the related research, the researcher

proposes the following hypothesis which is teaching English using directed reading

can improve student reading comprehension.

Directed reading in the classroom I do hopefully that students’ comprehension

is will improve and their attitudes toward reading because they are taught using

directed reading that is theoretically effective for improving students’ reading

comprehension. Students have positive idea in reading skill. In addition, through

directed reading, the student can make and learn which help them to interesting and

have a best understanding in learning process. For other lectures, they will get large

knowledge about teaching leaning directed reading and the result of the research can

be the useful input in English teaching learning process especially for improving

reading comprehension. For the researcher, this research will improve the researcher

himself in mastering English and knowing the plan which is appropriate to use. As

we know that reading is one of important skill for students and their future. I expect a

lot in every cycle there are interesting activities which are including students’

improvement in reading comprehension. Finally, for the institution, this research will

be useful as valuable resource in conducting the similar research.


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C. Action hypothesis

As stated in the previous explanation that directed reading can improve the

bridge from the abstract concepts of the text to more visible idea that make readers

easy to obtain the intended meaning, the researcher formulates the action hypothesis

that directed reading are able to improve students reading comprehension.


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Chapter III

Research methodology

In this chapter gives the research methodology involving setting of the

research, research method, procedure of the research, and data collecting and data

analyzing technique.

E. Research setting

4. Time of Research

This classroom action research is carried in Eight months started in June 2010

up to February 2011, designing research proposal is done in July-August, conducting

proposal seminar in September, making research instrument and collecting the data in

October and November, analyzing the collected data and discussing the data analysis

in December, and the writing the research report in January 2011. The research’s

schedule is follows:

Table 3.1 Research Schedule No activity Aug/Sep Oct/Nov Dec/Jan Feb/Mar Apr/May June 1 Participant Enlisting 2 Writing proposal 3 Revising proposal 4 Seminar on proposal 5 Conducting the research 6 Collecting data 7 Analyzing data 8 Report writing

5. Place of Research

The National University of Laos-Champasak Branch was established by

decree of the Prime Minister, 214⁄PM, dated 28⁄11⁄2002. After establishment, the

leaders and staff of the branch university worked diligently according to the political

principles, and guided by the policies of the government, they successful developed


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the branch. In recognition of this progress, the government then approved the change

from branch status to that of Champasak University. This was according to the decree

of the Prime Minister, 95⁄PM, dated 05⁄07⁄2004. And since then the university has

gradually grown.

Champasak University consists of the Rector, two Vice-Rectors, five offices:

Organization and Personnel, Administration, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs,

Research and Technology Transfer, then divided into five faculties: Faculty of

Agriculture, Economic and Management, Law and Political Sciences, Engineering

Faculty, The School of Foundation Studies and Faculty of Education.

Faculty of Education commences teaching and learning activities for normal

and special course at bachelor degree that consists of three departments as follows:

(1) Mathematics Department: (2) Literature Department: (3) English Department.

Most of the students who study at 3rd year of English Department are the students

who studied from learning bachelor curriculum at the School of Foundation Studies

Faculty (SFS) for 64-68 credits because the bachelor degree program is five years of

study: two years of general studies in the SFS and three years of specialized study in

one of the faculties. The students come from different provinces in all parts of Laos.

The subjects of the study are the third year students of English Department in

2010⁄2011 academic year and randomly chosen by researcher himself. There are 40

students in class (EN 3B). They consist of 18 boys and 22 girls. Some of them were

selected and given Quota by Provincial Education Services. This first category of

student is selected based on their High School achievement and a quota fixed by the

Ministry of Education. Some of students are selected by examination. The entrance

examination is organized simultaneously in all provinces and also some students were

selected by special privilege. These applicants will be selected according to decree of

government 108⁄PM, dated 31⁄07⁄2000 and 52⁄PM, dated 05⁄09⁄2003.

Some students are citizen and some are from remote area, so they have

different background of English language. Moreover, there is only a little enthusiasm


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to learn English. For some of them, studying is a must which they have to do, not a

need. Teaching English in such situation needs extra patience and effort.

6. Research Subjects

The subject of this classroom action research is 3En 3/2 third grade students

of English department, faculty of teacher training and education academic year 2010-

2011 that consists of 30 students includes recourse students. The subject of this

research is the regular students which is 30 students. In general 3B class has a good

reading. The other reason of selecting this class, it has lowest average reading score

among its parallel class. In the previous semester exam too much of them got F and

the average score was lower than 60 is just a point above the class because in reading

teaching learning process the students are very passive. The never ask questions about

related topic, they rarely ask about new vocabulary. Furthermore, they rarely bring

their text books and they are reluctant to join in reading class. Even worse they

cannot answer WH-questions, reference questions and they cannot indentify

paragraph topic, important massage, and the mean idea. The researcher did interview

and questionnaire the course it the text book. They said that the text book it too

difficult; there are many difficult words in the text and the text is too long and the text

has no connection with their lives so they had no motivation to read. The researcher is

the reading teacher in this class has tries to overcome the problem by changing the

text book by different author by the class atmosphere remains the same. So in this

class action research uses directed reading material in solving students’ problem in

comprehending text and their motivation to read. By using directed reading materials,

it is hoped can increase their motivation as the result their reading comprehension

improves as well.

This research is also carried out with the collaborator. He is an English

lecturer from the same faculty with researcher. The collaborator and the researcher

discussed together before, during and after the treatment to contribute ideas, opinions,

and share experiences in steps in this classroom action research.


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F. Research Design

The action research spiral (based on kemmis and Mc Taggart in wiriaatmadja,

(2007:66-67) is:

The researcher uses some steps as kemmis and Mc Taggart which involve

planning, acting, observing, and reflecting.

This action research is carried out in two cycles. Each cycle consists of four

steps. They are planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The summary of research

procedure is provided in Table 3.1.

Table 3.2 Research procedures

I. Pre-research: Gaining base line data

1. Observing teaching learning process 2. Interview students 7. Giving questionnaire to students 8. Conducting Pre-test

II. Research Implementation

Cycle 1: Using (Directed reading text) Asking Ss Questions

1. Planning 2. Acting 3. Observing 4. Reflecting

Post-test 1

Revised Plan

Act Reflect Reflect Act

Observe Observe


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Cycle 2: Using Directed reading text for pre-reading activities

1. Revised Planning 2. Acting 3. Observing 4. Reflecting

Post-test 2

This more detail about research procedures are explained as follows:

a. Planning

There are some activities that are carried out in the first cycle, they are as

follows:

1. Pre-test

Pretest is carried out to know the students real ability in reading before they

are taught using directed reading. Before pre-test is done the pre-test

instrument is tried out in other class to ensure that the instrument is valid and

reliable.

2. Interview

The purpose of this interview is to get more information about the students’

needs, interest, and problems in reading. So the teacher can select appropriate

approach, techniques and directed reading for students.

3. Questionnaire

The aim of the questionnaire is to know the students’ opinion about the

reading teaching learning process. Furthermore to know the students are need,

interest, and problems in reading. The teacher can select appropriate approach,

techniques and material for students.

4. Designing Treatment

Based on the result of the pre-test and the interview, the appropriate treatment

is designed to be applied in the teaching learning process which is teaching

reading using directed reading. The treatment in this cycle has four meetings.


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5. Collaborative English Teacher

In order to make the research can run optimally, the English teachers are

needed as collaborators. The roles of the collaborator to this research are as

follows:

a) Participating in designing the plans, both in the first cycle.

b) Observing what happens in the classroom while the treatment is applied in the

classroom.

c) Giving suggestions for the improvement of the next classroom practice.

6. Post-test

Post-test is carried out to know the students’ ability in reading comprehension

after being given treatment in first cycle. The results of this test are used as a

core consideration in designing the activities in the second cycle.

b. Acting

Based on the previous plans, some of the activities are done as follows:

1. Pre-test

a) The students are asked to do the test.

b) The teacher checks and gives score to the students work.

c) The teacher analyses the students’ score.

2. Interviews

a) The teacher interviews some student to get information about the students’ interest

and learning problems.

b) The teacher writes the result of the interview as an additional data.

3. Observation

a) The teacher observes the teaching learning process to get information about

the reading learning process, the interaction between the teacher and the

students, and the students and their peers.

b) The teacher makes the field note what is happening in reading class


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4. Questionnaires

a) The questionnaire is given to the students to get the information about the

students’ comment toward reading teaching learning process and what they

need and interest to make them have better learning for the reading

comprehension.

b) The teacher makes conclusion based on the result of the questionnaire.

5. Treatment

The treatments are carried out in the four meetings. The activities are follows:

a) First meeting

(1) Introduction

a. Teacher greets students.

b. Teacher checks the students’ attendance

(2) Main activities

1. Pre-reading

a. Teacher asks questions about related topic in building up schemata and

show related to topic pictures.

b. Teacher tells the topics they are going to learn in reading class and tell

them that material is taken from newspaper.

2. Whilst Reading

a) Teacher asks students to underline the difficult words and asks them to

guess the meaning.

b) Teacher gives the words taken from the text that have not been mentioned

yet by the students.

c) Teacher asks the students to read silently.

d) Teacher asks students to answer questions in pairs.

3. Post-Reading

Teacher asks students to work in groups related with the topic and share it

with the class.


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4. Closing

Teacher encourages the students to ask further questions about the topic and

say leave taking.

b) Second meeting

(1) Introduction

a. Teacher greets the students.

b. Teacher checks students’ attendance

(2) Main Activities

1. Pre-reading

a. Teacher asks questions about related topic in building up schemata and

show some related topic pictures.

b. Teacher tells the topic that, they are going to learn in reading and tells

them that the text of reading it taken from text

2. Whilst reading

a. Teacher asks students to underline the difficult words and asks them to

guess the meaning.

b. Teacher gives the words taken from the text that have not been mentioned


c. Teacher asks the students to read silently.

d. Teacher asks students to answer questions in pairs.

3. Post-reading


with the class.

4. Closing

Teacher encourages the students to ask further questions about the topic

and say leave taking.


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c) Third meeting

(1) Introduction

a. Teacher greets the students.

b. Teacher checks students’ attendance

(2) Main Activities

1. Pre-reading

a) Teacher asks questions about related topic in building up schemata and

show some related topic pictures.

b) Teacher tells the topic that, they are going to learn in reading and tells

them that the Directed reading it taken from newspaper, Internet and other

books.

2. Whilst reading

a. Teacher asks students to underline the difficult words and asks them to

guess the meaning.

b. Teacher gives the words taken from the text that have not been mentioned


c. Teacher asks the students to read silently.

d. Teacher asks students to answer questions in pairs.

3. Post-reading


with the class.

4. Closing

Teacher encourages the students to ask further questions about the topic

and say leave taking

5. Post-test

Post-test is given to the students to find out the students’ reading

comprehension after giving implementation in the first cycle the result of the

post-test in the first cycle is used as main consideration in designing the

activities in the second cycle.


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c. Observing

In this stage the researcher and the collaborator observe what happens in all

activities undertaken and monitor the effect of the actions. There are some

considerations that some actions which have effects can be seen much later.

Therefore, the observation is carried out while and after the actions.

d. Reflecting

In this step the researcher and the collaborators analyze what happens in the

classroom and also discuss any success, failure, and effect of the action. The

information is used to design planning for the next cycle.

In general, the steps that are carried out in the second cycle are similar to

those of the first cycle. They are planning, acting, observing, reflecting but this

time the researcher asks student to choose their own reading text from the books

as accommodate the students’ interest and to encourage students in reading.

G. Data Collecting Technique

The data in the classroom action research includes:

a. The students’ scores

The scores are taken from:

1. The students’ score before the treatment.

2. The students’ score after the treatment in cycle 1

3. The students’ score after the treatment in cycle 2

b. Result of the interview

1. The result of the students interview before the treatment

2. The result of the students interview after the treatment


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c. Questionnaire

a) The result of the students questionnaire before the treatment

b) The result of the students questionnaire after the treatment

e. Photographs

The photographs during the action

H. Data Analysis Techniques

The techniques that are used to analyze the data are:

1. Qualitative data was analyzed in constant comparative method

a. Data reduction: it refers to the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying,

abstracting, and transforming the raw data that appear in written up field

notes. Then making summaries. Coding, and writing memos.

b. Data display: it is an organized assembly of information that permits

conclusion drawing and action taking.

c. Conclusion drawing/verification

2. Quantitative data

The quantitative data in numbers form are gotten from:

a. Checking the students’ answer on the written test that is carried out the

implementation of cycle whether they are right or wrong.

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

1) Calculating the percentage of the correct answers of each student by using

percentage correction. The percentage is use to measure the students’ read

comprehension.

The percentage formula that is used is:

S = the students’ mastery in %


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R = the students’ right answer

N = the maximum number of the whole answer

SM = standard mark (100) (Arikunto, 1998: 38)

In deterring the level of the students’ reading comprehension, the five

categories described by Arikunto (1998: 38) are as follows:

Table 3.3 The System of Score Category

Percentage Interpretation

81-100 Very good

61-80 Good

41-60 Fair

21-40 Poor

0-20 Very poor

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

correct answer.

2) After analyzing the scores of the written test, the written used a statistical

technique to find the students’ mean score. The formula that will be used is as

stated by Evelyn and Anne Larazaraton (1991: 289) that is non independent t-test.

It is done by comparing the pre-test and Post-test mean score.

The formula is as follows:

∑ ∑

1


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

considered improving and research is successful.

3) Making conclusion and suggestion based on the data analysis.


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Chapter IV

Research result and discussion

A. Introduction

The purposes of this research are to finding out whether the use of directed

reading to improves students’ reading comprehension. The students had low

knowledgeable, different level and difficulties in answering WH-question, inference

question and identifying the paragraph topic and mean idea. As a result their master

score was low. The class situation was boring because the teacher was not enough

experience, young teachers; the teacher used follow from the text book only and used

monotonous technique. The teacher asked the student to open the text book then

discuss the texts. When students did not ask questions, the teacher asked students to

do exercise in the text book. The teacher did the same thing again and again. The

students were bored because in the text book, the text was usually very long, not

relevant with students’ life. So students were low motivation to participate in reading

activity, some students were absent, lazy and play other during the reading lesson,

some students play with their mobile phone and talk about unrelated topic to their

peers. As the result the class situation was uninspiring.

It can be included that the problems came from the teacher and the students.

The teacher used the routine pattern of teaching reading and uses the text book which

was “unfriendly” to students. The students were very passive in reading class; It need

the technique and new text that make students’ reading comprehension and class

situation are better. So this action research used pre-reading, whilst-reading and post

reading to deliver the lesson and the text used was directed reading. According to

Richards (2001: 252) refer to the use of texts, photographs, video selection and other

teaching resources that are not specially prepared for pedagogical purposes, while

created texts refer to text book and other specially developed for instructional

resources. Furthermore there is unlimited directed reading text from internet. Directed

reading were bridge the students and the teacher. By implementing this text the


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students were given the exposure the language used in real life. The students familiar

with the topic that make them motivate to read more. The students would be active

because the directed reading texts were relevant to students’ life. The implementation

of directed reading was providing on interesting teaching learning process. The

purpose of this research were improving students’ reading comprehension related to

answering WH-questions and inference question, indentifying paragraph topic, main

idea and class situation. Furthermore, the research describes the teaching learning

situation when directed reading implemented in reading class. The research was

carried out at Champasak University of Laos PDR.

The chapter has two sections. Section A related to the process of the research

which describes the condition before the research, the implementation of the research.

Section B describes the findings and the discussion of the findings. The summary of

the research is explained in Table 4.1

Table 4.1 Process of the research

I. Pre-research: Gaining base line data

Observing teaching learning process Giving questionnaire Interviewing Conducting pre-test

II. Research implementation

Cycle 1: Using directed reading text from newspaper, internet and other books

1. Planning 2. Implementing 3. Observing 4. Reflecting 5. Revising

Meeting 1: 15/11/2010 Health Meeting 2: 19/11/2010 Boat Racing

Festival Meeting 3: 22/11/2010 Dry season

planting Meeting 4: 26/11/2010 Conducting Post-test 1


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Cycle 2: Using directed reading text from newspaper, internet and other books

1. Planning 2. Implementing 3. Observing 4. Reflecting 5. Revising

Meeting 1: 29/11/2010 Future technology

Meeting 2: 03/12/2010 BounBangFai Meeting 3: 06/12/2010 Conducting Post-test 2

B. The Process of the Research

This section has three parts which are the condition before the research; the

implementation of the research consisting of two cycles and each cycle has four

meetings; three meeting for teaching reading using directed reading and the fourth

meeting for conducting post-test, final reflection and research findings.

1. Description of Previous Research

The situation before research was identified in pre-research state. The pre-

research was carried out to find out the problems during the teaching learning process

in reading and to find out the current students’ reading comprehension. Furthermore,

the pre-research activity was carried out to identifying the students’ problems in

reading comprehension the researcher will decide how to overcome the problem.

The pre-research activities had four activities such as: observing the teaching

learning process, interviewing students, giving questionnaire and conducting pre-test.

After the researcher got all the data that taken from observing, interviewing,

questionnaire and pre-test the researcher will analyze the data and the problems can

be identified.

The main problems occurred they are: students’ problem in comprehending

the text and reading classroom situation. Furthermore the researcher found out the

cause of the problem. They are also written in the table below. The result of pre-

research activities was described in table 4.2


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Table 4.2 prior situation

Indicator Situation

1. Students’ reading comprehension Students do not know new

vocabularies Student cannot answer WH-

questions well Students cannot answer inference

questions Student cannot identify paragraph

topic Student cannot identify main idea

Wrong answer often occur Confused to answer questions Do not know the topic Do not identify the paragraph topic Do not the mean idea Cannot comprehend the text

2. Reading classroom situation Students are passive Students are often come late and

absent Students talk about unrelated

topic Student often forget to bring the

text book Students read the text reluctantly Students play with their mobile

phones and discussion other topic

The class is uninspiring The teaching learning process is

often disturbed by the students The class is noisy The class is crowded The class is quiet

3. The causes of the problems The text book are difficult and boring The passage in the text book are not relevant with student’s life The passage in the text book are too long and not interesting The teaching learning process is monotonous Teacher still use traditional approach and only give fewer portions for

reading where as reading is a complex activity Teacher doesn’t give enough attention to teach the students how to read in

English correctly teacher teach no interesting and not enough experience students have differences level of knowledge, Low and poor reading students lack of practices still do not master on reading comprehension students came from remote area


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a. Students’ Reading Comprehension

In general the students of En 3/2 class of Champasak University, the subject

of the research have good performance. Their English achievement could be declared

well enough but reading becomes a very boring subject for the students as the result,

they often absent, different and low acknowledgement this situation is difficult to

teaching learning program. The teaching learning process had to help the problems.

Furthermore, the students often forget to bring the reading text book because they

seldom prepared the lesson before. Even worse students are very passive; they

participate reluctantly in all activities in reading class. Some students often talk to

other about unrelated topic or played with their mobile phones. When the students has

to do the exercises they cannot answers WH-questions, they cannot answer inference

questions and they cannot identify paragraph topic and mean idea, as a result of pre-

test.

Table 4.3The result of pre-test can be seen as follows:

No Explanation Students’ score

1 Highest 98

2 Lowest 25

3 Average 57

Table 4.4 The grade, percentage mean score and complete questions of pre-test Grade/Score Students percentage Not complete Complete

A (80-100) 3 10.0 %

B (70-79) 5 16.0 %

C (60-69) 5 16.0 %

D (50-59) 4 13.3 %

F (0-49) 13 43.3 %

Mean score 57 19 = 63.3 % 11 = 36.7 %

Number of Students 30 Students 30 Students 30 Students


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Graphic 4.5 The score of pre-test

Base on the figure above, it can conclude that most of students’ reading

comprehension was poor.

The proof is that: The students’ passing score before the treatment of higher

from grade A (80-100) scores have got 3 participants, equal 10 percentages. Grade B

and C are the same; they have got 5 participants and equal 16.7 percentages, Grade D

total 4 participants and 13.3 percentages. Too much of the students’ low score, the

students have got low grade of score F (0-49) total 13 participants, equal 43

percentages.

The complete of students have got just 11 and equals of 36.7 percentages and

the not complete of students have got 19 and equals of 63.3 percentages.

As the researcher observed, there are many problems had to be solved

immediately. The students lack of motivation in reading. The students’ reading

comprehension still very low and many of them were not aware the importance of

rearing. Moreover the teacher used to read text book which is quite boring for the

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30


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students, the text book has difficult vocabulary and the text are very long and usually

not relevant with their lives.

There was a way to overcome this problem that makes students unable to

understand the text and have low motivation. According to the researcher, the first

thing to do was to change the reading material in to reading materials which have

more connection with the students’ lives, and different grade. The materials that make

students want to read and interesting. In this case the researcher used directed

reading.

b. Classroom situation

To know the class situation, the research observed the situation of the reading

classroom. Before conducting the research, the teaching learning process was not

inspiring. In teaching reading I usually taught my students using the text books.

The reading class usually started with reading text aloud then looks up at

dictionaries for difficult words. Often I encouraged them to ask me questions when

they have difficulties and I encouraged them to have discussion but no one did except

five students who are confident and have good performance in reading.

Base on the result of the observation the situation of the reading class was

uninspiring and boring, the reading class usually silent or crowded because the

students were talking about unrelated topic, didn’t pay attention to the text. This

situation was worsening by the teacher who never has pre-reading activities or

warming up activities. Another indicator that the student showed low participation

when I ask them to answer no one came forward. So I had to force them to come

forward by calling their name and I pretended giving score for what they did. The

situation above showed that the teacher lacked of ideas to inspire the reading class.

The teacher gave monotonous activities which did not encourage the students in

reading and made them uninterested in the text.

c. Causes of Reading Comprehension problems and Difficulties.

I conducted pre-test, interview and questionnaire to find out the cause of

reading difficulties. In interview most of students said negative opinion about the text


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book, the reading passage in text book is difficult and boring this statement is

supported by the result of the questionnaire which can be seen in table 4.6

Table 4.6 the result of questionnaire

No Questions Students’

response percentage

1 Reading comprehension is difficult Always often

70 % 30 %

2 The use text book Always often

90 % 10 %

3 Difficulties to understand the text from the text book

Always often

30 % 70 %

4 The materials from the text book is boring Always often

40 % 60 %

5 The text book makes students lazy to read Always often

50 % 50 %

6 The lengthen of the text in the text book Always often

90 % 10 %

7 The topic of reading passage from the text book is not related your life

Always often

90 % 10 %

8 The relevancy of text in the book with students’ interesting

Always often

75 % 25 %

9 the need of other text which relates to the students’ life

Always often

95 % 5 %

10 Using the except the course-book can motivation and understand reading comprehension

Always often

85 % 15 %

The result of the questionnaire shows that reading comprehension is difficult

and boring because of the text book. For the first question every students agrees that

reading is difficult even more than twice stated very difficult. Student keovilai states “ທັກສາການອ່ານ ແມ່ນຍາກຫລາຍ ແລະ ເປັນຕາໜ້າເບື່ອ” “Reading is very difficult


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and bored” and student phuma states “ບົດຫັດອ່ານຍາວຫລາຍ ແລະ ບໍ່ສອດຄ່ອງ

ກັບການນຳໃຊ້ໃນຊີວິດປະຈຳວັນ ດັ່ງນັ້ນຈຶ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ສັບສົນ” “The text of

reading is too long and not related with our life so it is not interest”

The second question about using text book all the time they all agree and they

also states that they have difficulties in comprehending the text from the text book.

Furthermore the texts book make them lazy and bored to read, surprisingly that is an

a half stated that they are lazy because of the text as stated in questions three, four and seven.

The students also stated that the texts from the text book. Has no relevant with

their lives that make them unmotivated that is why they suggest to have the texts

from other books, internet, newspaper, magazine and other sources that have more

connection with the students’ lives and interesting.

2. Research Implementation

After knowing the cause of the problems in reading, I chose directed reading

as the solution of the problem. The implementation of directed reading in teaching

reading consists of two cycles. The first cycle used directed reading from other text

book, news papers, magazines, internet and those topic were selected by teacher.

Meanwhile the second cycle used directed reading from internet and those topics

were selected by students. The result of the first cycle became the consideration of the

planning of the second cycle. Each cycle consists of three meeting. Every meeting

had time duration for 100 minutes. Each cycle consisted of four steps. The steps

were: 1. planning the action, 2. Implementing the action, 3. observing the action, 4.

reflecting of the observation results. The whole of research implementation provided

in Table 4.7

Table 4.7 Overall Implementation of the Research


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The implementation of the research in each cycle is described in the following

section. Problem Student had low, different level of reading comprehension and motivation Solution Teaching reading using directed reading Students Third year student of Champasak University

Number of cycle

2 cycles

Cycle 1 Directed reading were selected by the teacher from Text book and News papers planning Giving the new materials from Text book and News papers in each of three

meetings. The meeting have introduction, pre-reading, whilst-reading, post-reading and closing.

Action Meeting 1: Health. Genre of the text is information Meeting 2: Boat Racing Festival. Genre of the text is report Meeting 3: Dry season planting. Genre of the text is report Meeting 4: Post-test 1

Observation Students more interested in the text but still lack of confidence in sharing ideas with others, the understanding toward the text is better especially in answering questions, the main idea and paragraph topic. Students more interesting because they know their own cultures and the texts are from their real life.

Reflection Strength: students’ reading comprehension is improved; Directed reading make them paying attention to the text, students came on time with their material. Weaknesses: lack of building vocabulary, the teachers’ material selection is not interesting enough and lack of monitoring, lack of pre-reading activity.

Cycle 2 The texts were selected by students and teacher from internet, newspaper Planning In each meeting uses student chosen material, use more related pictures and mind

mapping in pre-reading activity. Action Meeting 1: teacher selected from other books

Genre of the text is report Meeting 2: students selected from newspaper Genre of the text is report Meeting 3: Post-test 2

Observation Students more active and more confidence in all activities in reading such as discussion about vocabulary, sharing the ideas about the topic, group works is more affective. The class is more fun.

Reflection Students’ reading comprehension has improved significantly such as in answering WH questions, Inference question. The students can identify the main idea and paragraph topic much better, students know how to learn English language by using internet, Newspapers, magazine and all so their culture. The class room situation: very active, the students came to class on time ready with their materials, the discussion about the topic always occurs. The students’ motivation and interesting was very fun or enjoy.

a. Cycle 1


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Class action research using directed reading to improve students’ reading

comprehension was carried out in to cycles. The first cycle use material from Text

book selected by teacher, the second table used material from internet selected by

students and the teacher applied more pre-reading activities.

The overall implementation in cycle 1 can be seen in this table.

The table 4.8 Implementation of cycle 1

Cycle 1 Directed reading were selected by the teacher from Text book/News papers

planning Designing lesson plan Designing handout

Action First meeting Greeting, check on the attendance list Introducing the directed reading take from text book

Topic: Health Pre-reading activity used picture and questions Whilst-reading: the students read silently then underline the

new vocabularies and translated them then answer the question.

Post-reading: encourage students to ask to ask more questions and make their own health and share the work with the class.

Teacher said leave taking.

Second meeting Greeting, check on the attendance list Introducing the directed reading take from Newspaper

Topic: Boat Racing Festival Pre-reading activity used questions, showing related pictures Whilst-reading: the students read silently then underline the

new vocabularies and try to guess the meanings then do exercises.

Post-reading: encourage students to ask more questions and in groups of five they have to give suggestion to Boat Racing Festival and share their work with the class.

Teacher said leave taking.

Third meeting Greeting, check on the attendance list Introducing the directed reading take from Newspaper


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Topic: Dry Season Planting Pre-reading activity used questions, showing related

pictures, mind mapping on the rice field Whilst-reading: the students read silently then underline the

new vocabularies and try to guess the meanings in groups then do exercise in groups.

Post reading: encourage students to ask more questions and in groups of three they have to give suggestion to Dry Season Planting and share their work with the class.

Teacher said leave taking. Fourth meeting post-test

Observation Students came on time with their material. Student didn’t absent. Sts did not talk about unrelated topic. Sts are active in guessing and discussing new vocabularies. Sts did the exercises after finishing their discussion or guessing

the meaning of new vocabularies. Sts reading comprehension are improved by checking their

answers in exercises.

Reflection Directed reading attracts students’ attention Students eased to understand the text The text was still felt difficult for them Directed reading stimulate students’ schemata Directed reading helps students reading comprehension Some students still did not participated fully in discussion Sts who had more vocabulary dominated in discussion The average score increate from 57 in pre-reading into 68 in post-

reading test.

Revised plan • To encourage Sts participated more the discussion is done in group

• To encourage Sts participated more and fun by applying building up schemata discussion and mind mapping

• To make Sts interested more, Sts chose their own topic from internet

There were many activities that were carried out in the first cycle. They were

pre-test, interview the students, sharing ideas with collaborator, designing treatment

and doing post-test.


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In pre-test stage the researcher designed test to find out the students’ reading

comprehension. Before the test was applied, it has been tries out in other class. Then

the researcher analyzed the result to know whether the pre-test item was valid and

reliable by using internal validity and reliability. There are 40 test items focusing on

WH-question, inference question, paragraph topic and main idea.

The researcher interview four students before the treatment were

implemented. The students who were interviewed have different ability in reading

comprehension. One student belonged to the student who has D score in reading

comprehension, one who has C score in reading comprehension, one who has B score

and one who has A in reading comprehension. The focus of interview was about

students’ difficulties in reading comprehension and their effort to improve it. The

researcher also interviews the student after teaching process was done.

The focus of interview was about students’ response toward teaching and

learning activities that they just participated. The result of the interview was

considered in making lesson plan for the next meeting.

In other to make the research runs optimally, the researcher asked two other

English lecturers as my collaborators. The first was Nongkhan Phanthanalai, she is a

head of English Department at Champasak Unisity, Laos’ PDR. She is a young

experienced English lecture since she has been teaching for more than 8 years. The

second was Lakung Daungkhaisone. He is a young experienced English lecture and

lots of time in helping the researcher. They enjoy to discussing about the class action

research because they are never know the research in difference area. Therefore the

researcher was designed by me to the success of the research.

The researcher always discussed many things with collaborators. We talked

about designing the plans that were implemented in the class room. How to observe

what happened in the class room while the researcher was giving treatment to the

students how to correct and score the students’ work. Furthermore the researcher

asked suggestions for better treatment of the classroom practice.


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Based on the pre-test, interviews and reflection of the previous condition, the

researcher designed appropriate treatment that was implemented in the classroom.

The source of the problems was found which the new texts were and the researcher

used directed reading in treatment. In this cycle took four meeting including post-test

and each meeting had opening and pre-reading activity, whilst reading activity, post

reading activity and closing.

1.) Planning

The action plan for the first cycle was based on the problems that were

identified on the pre-research. The problems occurred in pre-research was the

students’ reading comprehension was lows and difference levels. The base indicators

and the problems at (table 4.2) it very challenging to the researcher improve the

students because it is new for students and teachers. To solve this problem, the writer

decided to conduct a research by focusing on improving students’ comprehension

using directed reading.

Before implementing the directed reading in reading class, the researcher

prepared the texts, students’ hand out, lesson plans for guiding in teaching reading

and dividing the teaching into three phases of everything related to the action. The

collaborator observed the whole process of teaching learning process in teaching

reading comprehension.

a.) sharing ideas with collaborators

The researcher discussed and tells to his collaborator in order to make the

research run well. After the discussion there were three points that the researcher

shared with collaborators, first, the text had taken from other book, second and third

had taken from internet, fourth in pre-reading activity I used questionnaires.

There were many reasons why the texts take from internet. Internets there are

unlimited reading texts so the students could select their own topic tor reading class.

By selecting their topic by themselves would increased students motivation. About

arranging the group work, spreading the dominated students would put in the same

group of weak students so they can help each other. The mind mapping used in pre-


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reading activity, mind mapping could stimulate the students’ schemata so they could

participate better in teaching reading comprehension.

Furthermore, the collaborator also gives the researcher suggestion for a better

practice in the next meeting. The collaborator was interested in using directed reading

and suggested to implement directed reading in the classroom. The researcher

presented the directed reading clearly to avoid misunderstanding among them.

Meeting 1 was taken from magazine, meeting 2 was taken from newspaper,

meeting 3 was taken from newspaper and meeting 4 would be post-test.

b.) making lesson plan

The texts had taken from newspapers and selected by the teacher.

Vientianetimes newspaper was chosen to get the text form. There are many reasons in

choosing Vientianetimes; first it contains many texts which tell the students about

what is going on around us and the text contains of real language. Second the text in

the Vientianetimes provide good texts for my students which are interest, relevant to

the students’ needs, represent the type of text that the student will use outside of the

classroom. The third the text can be exploited for teaching purposes, the text is not

too easy or difficult for the students. The directed reading can use to overcome the

problems which were students’ reading comprehension and class situation.

c.) preparing the handing out

The preparation of making a hand out was done by researcher himself, this to

provide students with appropriate text by considering the readability, exploitability,

suitability of the passage. After the text chosen by the students selected, the

researcher write the task which can improve students’ reading comprehension. The

task consists of WH-question, inference question, identify the paragraph topic and

identify the main idea.

d.) dividing the main teaching activities into three stages

Pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading are proved to be very useful to

teach reading. By implementing this strategy the students could comprehend the text

attractively. In pre-reading activity the teacher facilitated the students to build up their


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schemata or their background knowledge, in while reading the teacher facilitated the

students to be active reader to promote dialogue between the reader and the writer in

the post-reading the teacher gave them task to check their understanding the text.

The table 4.9 The teaching reading comprehension was show below

session time activities

Pre-reading 15’ show the picture to the students

let’s students think about the topic

introduce vocabularies taken from the text

have students discussion in the topic

Whilst reading 45’ students read the text silently

asking question in orally

have students think and discuss about

vocabularies, means idea, paragraph, etc

students answer the questions after read the text

students write their own topic

Post-reading 30 students works in groups of 4,5 or 6

choose their own topic

groups of presented

asking questions

students practice at home by using the free topic

e.) designing post-test 1 Post-test was a mean to assess students’ achievement after they had sufficient

opportunities for learning in cycle 1 which was consist of three meetings. The result

of the post-test 1 was for assessing the success of the students and making adjustment

in the lesson plan for the next cycle. The researcher came to agreement that the post-

test 1 conducted in the form of the written test. The test consist of forty questions

include WH-question, inference question, identify topic paragraph and identify mean

idea.


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2.) Implementation the action

In cycle 1, the researcher carried out three meetings. The first meeting of this

cycle was attended 30 students of the whole students of En 3/2; 12 male students and

18 female students.

a.) First meeting

On 15 November 2010, Monday at 8:00 AM then lesson started in pre-reading

activity the teacher greeted students by saying “Good morning everybody. How are

you all?” the students answered “Good morning sir. I am fine, thank you and you?”

the teacher answered “I am very well. Thanks.” After that the researcher checks the

attendance list. In pre-reading activities the teacher shows a picture and asked

students “What kind of this picture?” “Strong women” answer student LM and

followed by others. Teacher asked Ss “have you ever had malaria?” answered

student “No, I haven’t. And I don’t want to. Malaria is a terrible disease!” Teacher

said “I know. Did you know malaria is carried by mosquitoes, not the males?” then

Ss asked “Is it?” Teacher said “yes, it’s only female mosquitoes that bite people.

Male mosquitoes don’t bite people”. Ss asked “if they don’t bite, how do they live?”

(This conversation will continue to include other students. The mean subjects to come

back to are what health they had) teacher took a note: During all the interaction the

teacher listens with interest to student’s comments. The teacher gives feedback after

each comment, making sure to let the students realize that they do already know a lot.

Teacher toll them the topic they are going to learn and the title of the article, taken

from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) An integrated, graded course for

agricultural student and staff. Then asked Ss in groups to think of and list vocabulary

items that relates to article. The teacher told them that the text today was Health.

In whilst reading activities in this stage began with read silently and

underlying the difficult words in the text about health. Then the students read silently

underlined the new vocabularies. The teacher asked the students to read the text


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individually and underlined the difficult words. When students finished underlying

the difficult words, they were asked to guess the meaning. Student Na said to her

peers “too much people were died from malaria” and other students said “If my

health strong is better than too have much money” means many people would like to

have a good health.

After couple minutes underlying the difficult words the teacher said “please

try to find the meaning of your difficult words” Some students used a dictionary,

some used electric dictionary and even some of the students copied their friends’

work. The teacher give reminds the students to work by themselves by saying “Do it

with your partner, please!” after sometime the teacher said “when you finish reading

and no more questions on difficult words, do the task in pairs, please”. The students

work on the task and answer questions. Teacher said who is a volunteer to answer

question number one. Student S answer, “Number two”…then teacher correct.

In post reading the teacher said “after finished discussion on the task, now

work in group of five create your own health report orally”. So they make in group

and talked about what they wanted to say. Fifteen minutes later the teacher asked the

students “have you finished your health report?” Only one group was ready which

were students Plu, M, S, F, A and T. they came forward in front of the black board

and presented their work in orally. The teacher said that “that’s all for today. Thank

you for attentions. See you on next day.

The teacher said good bye and the class and at 9:40 AM.

b.) Second meeting

On 19 November 2010, Friday, at 8:00 AM then lesson started.

In pre-reading activity the teacher greeted students by saying “Good morning

everybody. How are you all?” the students answered “Good morning sir. I am fine,

thank you and you?” the teacher answered “I am very well. Thanks.” After that the

researcher checks the attendance list. Teacher made conversation with students.

Teacher asked students “So Gay… what do you thinks reading text of cultures in

Laos?” Ss answered “The cultures reading text in Laos? I like to read it! I love all


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kinds of reading texts from culture in Laos. I like to joy the cultures activity of every

month. I love Laos New Year on April. I love to play on Bounpee Mai Laos and I love

BounOkPhansa, cte. Teacher continues the conversation and said that “ThatLaung

festival, too” then Ss say “Yes….the old culture for 450 years old”. Teacher said

“Really? And are you familiar with all those devices? Ss answered “I am familiar

with a lot of them”. (This conversation will continue to include other students. The

mean subjects to come back to are what the culture they had). Teacher took a note

“During all the interaction the teacher listens with interest to student’s comments. The

teacher gives feedback after each comment, making sure to let the students realize

that they do already know a lot. Teacher gives a text to students. In pre-reading

activities the teacher showed a picture and asked students “What kind of this

picture?” “Boat racing festival” Do you like “Boat racing festival” asked the teacher.

Some students response by saying “yes, I do” The teacher asked “when is Boat

racing festival?” Some students said “In November” then the teacher asked again

“who is the winner” Some students said “I don’t know sir” then the teacher gave

them pictures, some questions and texts. This time they could answer because they

known their culture in every year on full moon of November after Boun Okphansa

they had Boat racing festival. In whilst reading activities in this stage began with read

silently and underlying the difficult words in the text. Then the students read silently

underlined the new vocabularies. The teacher asked the students to read the text

individually and underlined the difficult words. When students finished underlying

the difficult words, they were asked to guess the meaning. After sometime the teacher

said “when you finish reading and no more questions on difficult words, do the task

in pairs, please”. The students worked on the task seriously and answer questions.

About twenty minute’s teacher said “let’s discuss together the answers of the task”.

During the discussion and answering questions on domination of students occurs

because the teacher spread up the dominated students in to different groups. In post-

reading the teacher said “when you finished reading, discussing and no more

questions, now in group of five write about Boat racing festival” So they make in


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group and talked about what they wanted to say. Fifteen minutes later the teacher

asked the students “have you finished to describe your Boat racing festival in your

village?” almost all group completed their task. Then each group said in oral of Boat

racing festival. The teacher said that “that’s all for today. Thank you for attentions.

See you on next week. Students V and M said “who! Clear and quickly”


c.) Third meeting





attendance list. Teacher makes conversation with students “What is your father job?”

Some Ss answers “Teacher, Farmer, Doctor, etc” Teacher continues the

conversation “How many seasons does your father do in a year?”

Ss answer “two season sir and then teacher ask students “did you ever help your

father?” Ss answer “yes, I did.” (This conversation will continue to include other

students. Then teacher take note: During all the interaction the teacher listens with

interest to student’s comments. The teacher gives feedback after each comment,

making sure to let the students realize that they do already know a lot.

In pre-reading activities the teacher asked students “How many season in

Laos” “Two, sir. It’s rainy season and dry season” then teacher shows a picture and

asked students “what this picture is?” Students said “farmers” and teacher asked

again “What is your father do/job” Some students answered “Farmer, doctor,

teacher, solder, etc” “What kind of job do you like?” Teacher asked. “Some answers

and some don’t know”. The teacher told them that the topic is Dry season planting

near completion. Then the teacher gave the pictures, some questions and texts to

students. Then the students read silently underlined the new vocabularies. The teacher

asked the students to read the text individually and underlined the difficult words.


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When students finished underlying the difficult words, they were asked to guess the

meaning.

When students finished underlying the difficult words, they were asked to

guess the meaning. After sometime the teacher said “when you finish reading and

have you got any questions so far? If no more questions on difficult words do the task

in pairs, please”. The students worked on the task seriously and answered questions.

About twenty minutes teacher said “let’ discuss together the answers of the task.

During the discussion and answering questions on domination of students occurs

because the teacher spread up the dominated students in to different groups. In post-

reading the teacher said “when you finished reading, discussing and no more

questions, now in group of five write about planting season” So they make in group

and talked about what they wanted to say. Fifteen minutes later the teacher asked the

students “have you finished your Dry season planting?” almost all group completed

their task. Then each group said in oral of Dry season planting. The teacher said that

“that’s all for today. Thank you for attentions. See you on next week.


d.) Fourth meeting

In this meeting students did post-test 1 consisted of forty items. It was held at

8:00 A.M, on November, 26th 2010. It was the same test applied in pre-test. The test

was done international to measure students’ achievement before and after the

treatment.

3.) Observation

When the research implemented the teaching reading using directed reading,

the activities observed with the collaborator, the collaborator wrote observation result

on field notes and took pictures. In generally using directed reading in reading class

ran well. The class room situation was alive and exciting. The directed reading text

can attract students’ attention to focus on text. Furthermore showing the related

pictures and asking questions on building up students’ schemata make the students’

curiosity increased. The eagerness of the students could be seen from the way how


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they ask questions and how many questions they asked about the topic and the fact

that no one absent in the third meeting. Furthermore the students brought the reading

text with them. Most of students could enjoy read the text and participated in all

activities.

Nevertheless, the result of cycle 1 was not satisfactory yet because there were

some of weaknesses during the implementation the directed reading.

Table 4.10 The scores of Post-test 1


1 Highest 100

2 Lowest 45

3 Average 68

Table 4.11 The result of the grade, mean scores and complete of Questions in post-test 1

Grade/Score Students percentage Not complete Complete

A(80-100) 6 20.0 %

B(70-79) 6 20.0 %

C(60-69) 10 33.3 %

D(50-59) 6 20.0 %

F(0-49) 2 06.7 %

Mean score 68 10 = 33.3 % 66. 7 %


4.) Reflecting the observation results

Base on the observation results which were written in field notes, pictures and

the collaborator and the researcher reflected some positive result and weaknesses in

cycle 1, they are:


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a.) Positive results

Using directed reading text from newspaper, internet, magazines and other

book to attract students’ attention to the text.

Students’ reading comprehension was improved particularly in answering WH

questions, inference question; identify the paragraph topic and the mean idea.

The students’ participated well, it can be seen that no one absent and low in

reading skill.

More students asked questions in class.

Most of students or groups could bring their reading texts to the class.

b.) Weaknesses

A few students still reluctant to read the text.

Good students dominated the class.

On the base of the weaknesses, the teacher should to urge on reading to give

more activities, work in groups and the text will should table for the students. Using

the good students to support the weak students and try to ask them the questions.

5.) Revising the plan

To overcome the problems arising in cycle one, the researcher revised the plan

for the next cycle, so that the problems would not occur any more. The plan for the

next cycle would be more focused on improving students’ motivation to read,

reducing the domination for good student and more pre-reading activity.

b. Cycle 2

In the cycle 2, the produce is the same with the research in cycle 1. Base on

the result of young experience teachers from the cycle 1, the researcher designed

appropriate treatment that was implemented in the classroom. The source of problem

in cycle 1 was found which were; some students did not participated fully in

discussion, and students who had more vocabulary dominated in discussion, lack of

pre-reading activities. In other to overcome those problems directed reading were

taken from internet in order to increase the students’ interest in the reading. As we

know that unlimited texts can we get from internet. Furthermore I asked the students


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to select their own topic and their own text for the next lesson. I believe that when the

students chose their own topic they would interest in the topic so much and they

would participate fully. As we know student centered is more accepted. To overcome

the shy students when I asked them to work in groups with other peers who have

better performance in reading. In pre-reading activity I used mind-mapping. The

implementation of cycle 2 can be seen in the table below.

The table 4.12 Implementation of cycle 2

Cycle 2 Using Directed reading taken from other text book, internet and students chose their own topic from internet or news paper. planning Designing lesson plan and handout from the chosen materials by

students Action Meeting 1

Greeting, check on the attendance list Pre-reading activity used questions, showing related pictures,

mind mapping Topic: Future technology

Whilst-reading: the students read silently then underline the new vocabularies, try to guess the meaning or discussed in group and do exercises in groups.

Post-reading: encourages the group to ask more questions and ask them to write their own favorite future technology, why? And share the work with the class.

Teacher said leave taking. Meeting 2

Greeting, check on the attendance list Pre-reading activity used questions, showing related pictures,

mind mapping Topic: Boun Bang Fai

Whilst-reading: the students read silently then underline the new vocabularies and try to guess the meanings or discussed in groups and do exercises in groups.

Post-reading: encourage the group of students to ask more questions and ask them to write their own favorite Boun Bang Fai, why and share their work with the class.

Teacher said leave taking. Meeting 3: Post-test 2

Observation Students enjoy with their text or materials. Sts are active in guessing and discussing new vocabularies.


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Sts’ interesting is creasing a lot in the chosen topic. Sts reading comprehension are improved by checking their answers in

exercises. Reflection Directed reading was chosen by students from internet can attract Sts’

interest highly, fun and make them participate fully in all activities in reading class.

Sts are able to answer WH-questions, inference question, identify paragraph topic and identify mean idea well.

Mind mapping pictures absolutely help Sts’ schemata. Directed reading absolutely helps students reading comprehension. Working in groups helps the shy and show students in participating. Some Sts learnt to access internet, newspaper, magazine, other book. Not every Sts is reading comprehension is improved. Some Sts have difficulties on accessing on the internet. The average score increate from 68 in post-reading test 1 into 72 in

post-reading test 2.

1. Planning the action

The action plan for cycle 2 was done, after reflecting the observation result in

cycle 1, the researcher found the weakness of cycle 1. To overcome the weaknesses

of cycle 1 the researcher revised the plan was follow: (1) using directed reading from

the internet which was selected by students. By having the texts that chose by

students, it would increase the students’ motivation. (2) Group work and the spread

the good students. By spreading dominated students, it is hoped that the dominated

help the weak students. (3) Using mind mapping in pre-reading activity. By using

mind mapping, it is hoped that mind mapping could stimulate students’ schemata.

The researcher prepared the texts, students’ hand out with exercise and lesson

plan as guidance in teaching and everything related to the implementation.

a) sharing ideas with collaborators

The researcher discussed and tells to his collaborator in order to make the

research continuous. After that the researcher design to use the texts, there were three

points that the researcher shared with collaborators, first the text had taken from other

book, second and third had taken from internet, fourth in pre-reading activity I used

questionnaires.


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There were many reasons why the texts take from internet. Internets there are

unlimited reading texts so the students could select their own topic tor reading class.

By selecting their topic by themselves would increased students motivation. About

arranging the group work, spreading the dominated students would put in the same

group of weak students so they can help each other. The mind mapping used in pre-

reading activity, mind mapping could stimulate the students’ schemata so they could

participate better in teaching learning process.

b) making lesson plan

The texts had taken from newspapers and selected by the teacher.

Vientianetimes newspaper was chosen to get the text form. There are many reasons in

choosing Vientianetimes; first it contains many texts which tell the students about

what is going on around us and the text contains of real language. Second the text

were selected by students from the Vientianetimes provide good texts for students

which are interest, relevant to the students’ needs, represent the type of text that the

student will use outside of the classroom. The third the text can be exploited for

teaching purposes, the text is not too easy or difficult for the students. The directed

reading can use to overcome the problems which were students’ reading

comprehension and class situation.

c) preparing handing out

The preparation of making a hand out was done by researcher himself, this to

provide students with appropriate text by considering the readability, exploitability,

suitability of the passage. After the text chosen by the students selected, the

researcher write the task which can improve students’ reading comprehension. The

task consists of WH-question, inference question, identify the paragraph topic and

identify the main idea.

d) dividing the main teaching activities into three stages

Pre-reading while-reading and post-reading are proved to be very useful to

teach reading. By implementing this strategy the students could comprehend the text

attractively. In pre-reading activity the teacher facilitated the students to build up their


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schemata or their background knowledge, in while reading the teacher facilitated the

students to be active reader to promote dialogue between the reader and the writer in

the post-reading the teacher gave them task to check their understanding the text.

e) designing post-test

Post-test was a mean to assess students’ achievement after they had sufficient

opportunities for learning in cycle 1. The result of the post-test was for assessing the

success of the students and making adjustment in the lesson plan for the next cycle.

The researcher came to agreement that the post-test conducted in the form of the

written test. The test consist of forty questions include WH-question, inference

question, identify topic paragraph and identify mean idea.

2. Implementing the action

In second cycle, the researcher carried out the activities base on the designing

planning. The researcher asked the students what kind of topics they got from

internet, newspaper, and other books. There were many reading texts with vary

topics. Before starting the lesson, the text was selected and the researcher made the

hand out accordingly. The second cycle was conducted in to meeting. Each meeting

was divided in to three stages: pre-reading, whilst-reading and post-reading then

closing.

a) First meeting A

In cycle 2, the researcher carried two meetings. The first meeting of this cycle

was attended the whole students of En 3/2 with total 30 students; 12 male students

and 18 female students.

Like in previous meeting, teaching reading activities began with:





attendance list. Teacher made conversation with students to allow students in oral by

said that “So Gay… what do you think of digital technology?” Ss said “Digital


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technology? I love it! I love all kind of digital technology. I love personal computers.

I love mobile phones. I love digital cameras. I love to see movies on digital TVs. I

love the Internet and I love DVDs.” Then teacher said “DVDs, too?” Ss said

“Yes….digital video disks. I love just every kind of digital device you could think of!”

Teacher said “Really? And are you familiar with all those devices?” Ss said “I am

familiar with a lot of them.” (This conversation will continue to include other

students. The mean subjects to come back to are what business they had) and teacher

took a note: During all the interaction the teacher listens with interest to student’s

comments. The teacher gives feedback after each comment, making sure to let the

students realize that they do already know a lot.

In pre-reading activities the teacher mind mapping, the topic was future

technology. The teacher asked students to make conversation “what kind of

technology do you like?” they answered eagerly “mobile phone, TV, computer,

bicycle, plane, car, etc” the teacher show mobile phone and said “attention please,

everybody who has mobile phone came forward and wrote a word that related to

technology of mobile phone on the white board” many students participated in this

activities by writing words related to mobile phone including new technology that we

use in everyday. Then teacher asked their favorite mobile phone, computer and show

them pictures. Finally the teacher told them the topic that was going to be learnt.

In whilst reading activities in this stage began with read silently and

underlying the difficult words in the text. Then the students read silently underlined

the new vocabularies. The teacher asked the students to read the text individually and

underlined the difficult words. When students finished underlying the difficult words,

they were asked to guess the meaning. Then teacher said “when you finished reading

try to guess the meaning of your difficult words, please”. The students worked on the

task seriously to guess them meaning with their friends in group where the good

students were placed in different group. About twenty minute’s teacher said “let’s

discuss together the answers of the task. During the discussion and answering

questions on domination of students occurs because the teacher spread up the


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dominated students in to different groups. In post-reading the teacher said “when you

finished, discussing okay we discuss together in correct answers” almost all group

completed their answers.

In post reading the students were encouraged to ask more questions on

difficult words by saying “anymore questions about the text” the students answers

“no”. At the end students were asked to make the list of their favorite new

technology and share with the class. One group shared in the class about china new

technology in mobile phone.

The teacher encouraged the students to enjoy reading and told them how

important reading is and said good bye. The class end at 9:40 AM.

b) Second meeting

On 03 December 2010, Friday at 8:00 AM then lesson started in pre-reading




attendance list.

In pre-reading activities the teacher mind mapping of lesson plan and show

the picture about the topic. The topic was mapping of culture. The students selected

the topic. When the teacher did the mind mapping on the culture many students wrote

words related to culture. Then the teacher asked about the culture in Laos while

showing the picture. Many students remind of their memories on Boun Bang Fai

Festival. Student K said “oh, I enjoy in my village” Finally the teacher told the

students’ about the topic that was going to be learnt.

Whilst reading activities in this stage began with read silently and underlying

the difficult words in the text. Then the students read silently underlined the new

vocabularies. The teacher asked the students to read the text individually and

underlined the difficult words. After couple minutes students underlying the difficult

words, they were asked to guess the meaning. Then teacher said “when you finish

reading try to guess the meaning of your difficult words, please”. The students work


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on the task seriously to guess them meaning with their friends in group where the

good students were placed in different group. About twenty minutes teacher said “let’

discuss together the answers of the task. When there was no discussion anymore the

teacher asked students to do exercises in the hand out in groups. Then the teacher and

students discussed the answers together in class.

In post-reading the students were encouraged to ask more questions on

difficult words. At the end the students in groups made the list of the cause of Boun

Bang Fai Festival and enjoy with sharing in their class. The students who were low of

learner said “I enjoy and easy to learn English language in groups”. Then the teacher

said “well done Mr. F.”

The teacher encouraged the students to enjoy reading and told them how

important reading is and said good bye. The class end at 9:40 AM.

c) Third meeting (post-test)

The whole students of En3/2 students participated in the post test. The total

number of students was 30 students. The post test was in the form of written test

consist of 40 question including WH question, inference question, identify paragraph

and identify main idea.

3. Observation the action

When the research implemented the teaching reading using directed reading,

the activities were discuss to observe with the collaborator, the collaborator wrote

observation result on field notes and pictures. In generally using directed reading in

reading class ran well. The class room situation was alive and exciting. The directed

reading text can attract students’ attention to focus on text. Furthermore showing the

related pictures and asking questions on building up students’ schemata make the

students’ curiosity increased. The eagerness of the students could be seen from the

way how they ask questions and how many questions they asked about the topic and

the fact that no one absent in the third meeting. Furthermore the students brought the

reading text with them. Most of students could enjoy read the text and participated in

all activities.


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Nevertheless, the result of cycle 2 still had a little weakness during the

implementation test score didn’t increased. A few students still conversation to each

other. Their written test score didn’t increased. Anyway, most of them suggested that

directed reading should be applies in teaching reading skill.

Table 4.13 The scores of Post-test 2


1 Highest 100

2 Lowest 50

3 Average 72

The table 4.14 The result of grade, mean scores and complete Questions in post-test 2

Grade/Score Students percentage Not complete Complete

A (80-100) 7 23.3 %

B (70-79) 8 26.7 %

C (60-69) 10 33.3 %

D (50-59) 5 16.7 %

F (0-49) 0 0 %

Mean score 72 06 = 20 % 24 = 80 %


4. Reflecting the observation results

Base on the observation results which were written in field notes, pictures and

the collaborator and the researcher reflected some positive result and weaknesses in

cycle 1, they are:


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a) Positive results

Using directed reading text from newspaper, internet, magazines and other

book to attract students’ attention to the text.

Letting the students chose their own topic increased their motivation

marvelously.

Students’ reading comprehension was improved particularly in answering WH

questions, inference question; identify the paragraph topic and the mean idea.

The students’ participated well, it can be seen that no one absent and low in

reading skill.

More students asked questions in class and participated more in mind

mapping.

Each groups participated equally in guessing and discussing the text.

Most of students or groups could bring their reading texts to the class.

b) Weaknesses

A few students still reluctant to read the text.

A few students still discussed in other topics.

c. Final Reflection

In the generals of two cycles which were implemented can overcome the

reading comprehension problems in my reading class and lack of motivation towards

reading activity. The improvement can be seen from students’ answering WH

question and inference question, indentify paragraph topic and main idea. Also

students are motivations toward reading activity. Through the observation of teaching

learning process I can still see that not every student participate fully in reading class

activity. The students who intend to copy their friends’ work and absent did not make

significant progress.

In future I am going to use directed reading, especially in my classroom. I will

give task on choosing their own topic from internet in order to keep their interest

towards in reading. When their motivation is high towards reading as a result their


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understanding towards the text is also increased. Group working is also effective in

encouraging slowing students to participate more.

3. Research Findings

This class action research is the teachers’ way to overcome the students’

problem in reading comprehension. I found some findings to answer the problems

which are: a) Can and to what extent directed reading text can improve students’

reading comprehension? b) How is the process of teaching and learning situation

when using directed reading texts are used in the classroom? The data were collected

through several sources such as: interview, questionnaire, and photograph, lesson

plan and hand outs. This section focusing on answering research questions in chapter

1 as well as describes other findings during the implementation of directed reading in

classroom.

The problems can be solved by using directed reading in teaching reading

skill. The implementation of directed reading in reading class consists of two cycles

and each cycle consists of four meetings. In each meeting gradually the students’

reading comprehension increased and their motivation to read is higher. Two major’s

aspects in students’ improvement are: (1) the reading comprehension which is

included their capability in answering WH question and inference question and

identify paragraph topic and main idea. (2) The classroom situation when the directed

reading text used in reading class. The result of the research can be seen more detail

in table 4.15

Table 4.15 Research Finding

A. Students’ reading comprehension

Before the implementation of directed After the implementation of directed

reading reading

1. Students cannot answer WH-question well • Ss can answer WH-question well • Ss can complete the exercise quicker


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2. Students cannot answer inference Q well • Ss can answer inference Q well • Ss can complete the exercise quicker

3. Students cannot identify the paragraph topic • Ss can identify the paragraph topic • Ss can complete the exercise quicker

4. Students cannot identify the mean idea • Ss can identify the mean idea • Ss can complete the exercise quicker

5. Student’s mean score was 57 • Ss’ mean score in pre-test 68 • Ss’ mean score in post-test 72

6. Ss needed extra time to complete the task • Ss complete the task on time

7. Ss hesitated to guess the meaning of new words

• Ss were confident to guess the new words

8. Ss hesitated to share their ideas • Ss were confident to share their ideas

B. Classroom situation when teaching using directed reading implemented

Before the implementation of directed reading After the implementation of directed reading

9. Students has low motivation • Ss had high motivation

10. Students don’t like reading • Students love reading

11. Students culture awareness is low • Students culture awareness is high

12. Students interested is low • Students interested is high

13. Students come without their reading material • Students bring their reading material

14. Students talk about unrelated topic • Students talk about related topic

15. Students do not ask question • Ss ask many questions to the teacher and their peers

16. Students do not participate in discuss • Students participate in discuss eagerly

17. Student do the exercises reluctantly • Student do the exercises without being asked

18. Teacher dominated in choosing the topic • Ss chose their reading topic

19. Teacher did monotonous pre-reading activity • Teacher did vary pre-reading activity

20. Teacher always uses the text book • Teacher uses vary the text book, materials

21. Teacher has no sense in selecting materials • Teacher improve on selecting texts


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The improvement of students’ reading comprehension and class situation in

table 4.7 because the students paid attention and interested in reading texts which

have connection with their likes so they are familiar with the topics. When the topic

talks about Boun Bang Fai that is a Laos’ culture, the students felt familiar with the topic. This is the comment of student Lattana says “ຖ້າວ່າ ໃຊ້ບົດຫັດອ່ານຈາກ

ວັດທະນະທຳລາວ ຂ້ອຍຮູ້ ແລະ ມັກຮຽນຫລາຍ” “if the reading text was taken from

the cultures know well and like it” furthermore during the implementation of directed

reading text the students have learn al lots of vocabulary and translate in to second

language. By having an adequate vocabulary the students are easier to comprehend the text. “ຖ້າວ່າ ໃຊ້ບົດຫັດອ່ານຈາກ ໜັງສືພີມ ຂ້ອຍຮູ້ ແລະ ຄຳສັບກໍງາຍ,

ຂ້ອຍສາມາດເດົາໄດ້” “if the reading text was taken from newspaper I know, I can

read it easier and can guess the meaning”

When directed reading was implemented the students read a lot of kind of

texts and as a result the students’ vocabulary increased rapidly. The students used

many strategies in learning vocabulary during the teaching learning process.

Furthermore the students’ motivation was increased amazingly as a result the class

situation got much better when the directed reading were implemented, motivation to

reading the text, to know that what is the text about, to know what does the writer

want to say in the text. The motivation here is the key to encourage themselves to

participate in reading skill.

The improvement of the students after directed reading implemented also can

be seen in the result of Post-tests. There were two post-tests; Post-test 1 was the post-

test after cycle 1 completed and Post-test 2 was completed. The result of Post-test

described in the Table 4.16.


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t

s

t

h

t

c

d

c

T

Grade/Sco

A(80-100

B(70-79)

C(60-69)

D(50-59)

F(0-49)

Mean scor

Number oStudents

The

test 1 is 68

students and

the result of

higher than

the t-table (2

concluded th

directed read

comprehens

Grap

Table 4.16 T

re Pre-tes

0) 3

) 5

) 5

) 4

13

re

of 3

table above

and the me

d the mean s

f the t-test for

the t-table (

2.02) at the d

hat there is s

ding compre

ion is show

phic 4.17 Th

0

50

100

The Score o

st percenta

10.0 %

16.0 %

16.0 %

13.3 %

43.3 %

57

30 Students

shows the m

ean score o

score was fr

r non indepe

(2.02), and i

degree of sig

significant d

ehension. Th

in the graph

he mean Sco

Pre Test,

of Pre-test, P

age Post-test

% 6

% 6

% 10

% 6

% 2

3

mean score p

of post-test 2

rom the total

endent score

in cycle 2 th

gnificant a 0

difference be

he students’

hic below.

ore of Pre-te

Post Test I,

Post-test 1 a

t 1 percenta

20.0 %

20.0 %

33.3 %

20.0 %

6.7 %

68

0 Students

pre-test is 57

2 is 72. The

l of score an

, the t-comp

he t-computa

.05, so >

etween them

mean score

est, Post-tes

Post Test II

and Post-tes

age Post-test

% 7

% 8

% 10

% 15

% 0

30

7, the mean

e total of st

nd divided b

putation in cy

ation (2.81)

, is rej

m. It can be c

e improvem

st 1 and Pos

st 2

t 2 percentag

23.3 %

26.7 %

33.3 %

16.7 %

0.0 %

72

0 Students

score of po

tudent was

by 30. Base

ycle 1 (5.75)

is higher th

jected and it

concluded th

ment of readi

t-test 2

Stud

entsof

30

ge

%

%

%

%

%

st-

30

on

) is

han

t is

hat

ing

Stud

ents of 3

0


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It showed that the students’ reading comprehension is increasing significantly.

The students’ confidences in doing the exercises are increased, also the correctness

and time efficiency. Before the directed reading was implemented the students always

needed extra time to complete the exercise and the correctness of their answers was

low.

The finding of teaching learning process described there were some changes

before and after the directed reading implemented in reading class. During the

implementation of directed reading the teaching learning process was inspiring and

exciting; many students asked questions about the topic that make the class alive,

there were enthusiastic among the students about new vocabulary and try to guess the

meaning including the shy students. Just before they share their work with their peers, one of the shy student say “ຂ້ອຍຜູ້ໜື່ງ ທີ່ມີຄວາມກ້າວໜ້າ

ໃນການສະແດງເປັນກູ່ມ” “I were the one toward in presenting in the group” this

situation made me over the moon. At that time the topic was Boat Racing festival.

When the text relevant to students’ life implemented, the students were more

confidence and motivated to read and comprehends the text and directed reading

provide that better when students choose their own topic in reading. There were many

marvelous students’ comments about the teaching learning process using directed

reading. Student P says “now the reading class is interesting and inspiring especially

the text taken from internet and newspaper that related with my live, culture and we

can choose the topic”. The student S says “I enjoy the reading class very much”, he is

one of the students who were low in English language. Almost everybody stated in

their interview that they enjoy reading class. Even better all of them spoke in English.

The result of the questionnaire supported the using of directed reading in

reading was fun and interesting. The student stated that they enjoyed and motivated to

read more. The result of the questionnaire can be seen in Table 4.18


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Table 4.18 The Result of Questionnaires

No Questionnaires Students’

response Percentage

1 Text in reading take from internet, newspaper are interesting

always 100 %

2 Using directed reading make the students comprehend the text easier and need more

always usually sometime

50 % 35 % 15 %

3 The length using directed reading make the students interested, enjoy in reading the text

always usually

70 % 30 %

4 The topic connects with students’ lives and they can follow

usually sometime

70 % 20 %

5 The text from the internet, newspaper and magazine are related to their live

rarely sometime

85 % 15 %

6 The students can choose their own topic always 100 %

7 Using directed reading increase their vocabulary

always

sometime

80 % 20 %

8 The text from the internet, newspaper, magazine and other book is convenience

always sometime

70 % 30 %

9 They want the teacher to use the text from the internet, newspaper, magazine and other books

always sometime

95 % 5 %

10 Usage directed reading in teaching reading motivate students to study more reading comprehension

always usually

90 % 10 %

The table above showed that the students had positive attitude about using

directed reading in reading skill. The students loved having reading class; they could

not wait to have reading class so when a student who was low in English language

says “Mr. Souk I never learn English well like this before”. Besides they could

improve their reading comprehension, they also got the update information about


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what is going on around them so they have an intrinsic educational value. The most

important thing is the students love reading.

C. Discussion

This research is an action research which is implementing directed reading to

improve students’ reading comprehension. The results this research was satisfying in

term of: (1) the improvement of students’ reading comprehension; (2) the

improvement of classroom situation. Each point is described more detail as flows:

1. the improvement of students’ reading comprehension

Base on the finding is can be theorized that the use of directed reading can

improve the students’ reading comprehension. The improvement can be concluded

from their score. Before the implementation of directed reading was low but after

implementing directed reading the score was much higher.

As we know that reading always have a purpose and when the directed

reading implemented the students’ purpose to comprehend the text is higher and also

directed reading provides familiar the topic those are the reasons why the students are

easier to comprehend the text. Comprehension is the process of making sense of

words, sentences and connected text. Reader usually use of background knowledge,

vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and new experience with text. Urguhart states

any valid account of reading process much consider such cognitive aspect as reading

strategies, inference, memory, relating text to background knowledge, or well as

decoding and obvious language aspects as syntax and lexical knowledge (1998: 18)

and The goal of reading is comprehension (Nunan, 2003: 68) also . Nuttal state that

are some word that relate with the definition of reading, those are understanding,

interpreting and meaning sense, decoding, deciphering, identifying, articulating,

speaking and pronouncing (1989: 2).

This study analyzed the reading lessons of Champasak University, Laos’

teachers to investigate whether their instructional practices were related to their

students’ motivation and reading comprehension scores. The reading lessons of the

teachers were analyzed according to the dimensions of the Motivating Instructional


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Context Inventory. Students' subjective reports on their motivation and their teachers’

teaching performance, and their reading comprehension scores were collected. The

cultural text showed that students tended to have better reading comprehension scores

when their teachers provided more cognitive support and used more motivating

instructional practices to motivate them to read.

2. The improvement of the Classroom Situation

a. The directed reading can increase students’ motivation

The research findings showed that the use of directed reading can improve

students’ participation and motivation in teaching learning reading skill. The

students’ participate more actively in reading because they are interested in the text

and of course their motivation to comprehend the text is higher. That is why the class

becomes inspiring and interesting. The finding is in line Reading is fluent process of

reader combining information from a text and their own background knowledge to

build meaning. The goal of reading is comprehension (Nunan, 2003: 68). Reading is

the process of understanding written language. It begins with a flutter of patterns on

the retina and ends (when successful) with a definite idea about the author’s intended

message. Thus reading is at once a “perceptual” and a “cognitive” process. It is a

process that bridges and blurs these two traditional distinctions (Rumelhart, 1994:

864).

From the statement above it can be concluded that reading is a process of

getting information and message from written language. In understanding the

message from written language, the reader much has background knowledge. Hence

in the process of reading the reader much combine their background knowledge and

the content of the text. Besides, they should combine their interference, memory and

the strategy of reading. Urguhart states any valid account of reading process much

consider such cognitive aspect as reading strategies, inference, memory, relating text

to background knowledge, or well as decoding and obvious language aspects as

syntax and lexical knowledge (1998: 18)

b. The directed reading can increase students’ cultural awareness


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The directed reading was taken from newspaper, literature book, magazine

and internet and so on where the language they use for native speaker, so the text also

has cultural value because language and culture is inseparable. When students read

the directed reading text, they were having cultural understanding. This statement is

supported by Brown (2001: 64) he stated that anytime you successfully learn a

language, you will also learn something of culture of the speakers of that language.

So the students not only learn the language but also the culture.

c. The directed reading can increase students’ interest in reading

The students have a very positive behavior towards the use of directed reading

text in teaching reading. The students enjoyed and interested in reading. They wanted

to read more and more text. The source of directed reading is unlimited that is why

students have always vary text and the students can exposure the real language used

in real life. We can divide reasons for reading into two broad categories: instrumental

and pleasurable reading. We can speak about instrumental reading when we want to

achieve some clear aim. For example, we read instructions on a machine because we

want to know how to operate it. A brochure is read if tourists need some pieces of

information about a spot of interest etc. Pleasurable reading takes place for pleasure.

People read magazines while away their free time. In both types of reading, readers

are interested in the topics either because they find them useful or because they find

them interesting.

If students good understand, they learn well, learn more and learn best.

3. Other finding: teacher’s Improvement on selecting a good text for reading

Other finding in this research is dealing with the teacher. When I implemented

the directed reading for reading class, I improved in many ways. First, I am better in

selecting directed reading since not every directed reading text is suitable for the

students. Second, I become more familiar with them since I discussed a lot during the

implementations. I noticed my students’ interest, fun, and problems in reading so that

I can find a suitable way to help them in improving their reading comprehension.


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4. Other finding: Students’ positive response toward using directed reading in

reading class.

At the end of my conducted, I gave the questionnaire to the students to find

out the students’ responses toward using directed reading in reading class. This

finding is described in table 4.19 in previous section. All of the students agree about

using directed reading in reading class and almost every student agree on that using

directed reading make them interested in reading. Furthermore, when the students

choose their own topic it make them more motivated and fell more comfortable in

joining reading.


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Chapter V

Conclusion, implication and suggestion

A. Conclusion

After the researcher did his action research by using directed reading to

improve students’ reading comprehension, the writer found that the directed reading

has many advantages to help students improve their reading comprehension. Based

on the data of the research, it could be seen as following points:

1. The directed reading can improve students’ reading comprehension. The

improvement can be identified from students’ reading comprehension achievement in

term of paraphrasing, main idea and inference.

a. Students are able to answer WH-questions, inference questions better and quicker.

Their ability in answering questions is improved through teaching learning process

used directed reading which provide many exercises on answering those questions.

b. Students are able to identify the main idea and the paragraph topic well. The

students’ skill in identifying them is improved through teaching learning activities

using directed reading which provides many exercises on identifying the paragraph

topic and main idea.

Moreover, after the students have been given a treatment using directed reading

it shows the significant improvement on the students’ achievement. It can be seen

from the result of their test. The mean scores of pre-test and post-test of the first cycle

to the next cycle show the improvement.

2. The directed reading can improve the class situation.

a. The class situation is alive and inspiring; directed reading is relevant with

students’ life that is why the students are interested in reading the text. When students

are interested in the text they participates activity in reading activities.

b. The students improved their motivation to participate in all reading activities

undertaken; directed reading has familiar topic so the students fell confidence and

enjoy reading the text.


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c. The students improved their interest toward reading; directed readings have many

genres so that students never get bored because there are variety texts to read.

Furthermore, the researcher used many kinds of texts in pre-reading activity it can

raise students’ participation in reading competition and enhance students’

comprehension achievement. However, the implementation of directed reading needs

careful preparation and clear guidance.

B. Implication

The research finding of this action research implies that directed reading can improve

students’ reading comprehension. Furthermore, the class situation also improved

fabulously. It is also found that the students’ attitude toward reading is improved

fantastically.

1. Doing action research I can overcome that problems arise in my reading class.

Furthermore, my students get a great value in their live which is reading is very

important in live. I become a teacher who never gives up in improving my-self and

my profession.

2. Using directed reading in reading class is strongly suggested. Many kinds of

advantages for teachers and students when directed reading implemented. Students

not only learn the contents of the text but also aware what is going around us.

C. Suggestions

Base on the findings found, it is strongly suggested to use directed reading in

teaching reading or other language skills. It is suggested to:

1. The teacher

To use directed reading in teaching reading. The directed reading definitely can

improve students’ reading comprehension. There are unlimited directed reading text

take from Internet, magazine, news paper, etc so teacher who know how access the

Internet, take an It course.

2. Institution


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To provide internet Access or hot spot where teacher can download the teaching

text from Internet, even better if the institution subscribes English magazine or news

papers.

3. Other researcher

To encourage doing other research on the use of directed reading in teaching other

language skill.

4. Students

To read more to improve their ability in comprehend the text in English and to make

reading is an important habit to be successful people.

USING DIRECTED R EADING TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ … · “Orang pintar selalu berguru kepada...

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