Using graphic organizers to improve students’ reading comprehension (a classroom action research in the Second Grade Students of English Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Nusantara PGRI Kediri University in the Academic Year 2008/2

Oleh :
Moh. Kusen - S890707009 - Sekolah Pascasarjana

ABSTRAK This study is a classroom action research implementing graphic organizers to improve students’ reading comprehension. The aims of this research are (1) to identify whether and to what extent graphic organizers can improve students’ reading comprehension and (2) to describe the classroom situation when graphic organizers are used in teaching and learning process of reading comprehension. The research was carried out in 2008/2009 academic year in the second grade class of English department of Nusantara PGRI Kediri University. This was conducted in two cycles: the first cycle consists of three meetings and so was the second cycle. The procedures of the research consist of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. To collect the data some instruments namely: questionnaire, interview, classroom observation, tests, and field notes are used. The observation was done during the teaching-learning process in progress. The questionnaire and interview were given to the students before and after the implementation of graphic organizers. The tests were in the form of pre-test and post-test. The result of the research shows that (1) graphic organizers could improve students’ reading comprehension in term of raising students’ achievement in the case of (a) paraphrasing, (b) main idea, (c) and inference, (2) graphic organizers can improve class situation, in term of (a) students’ interaction when having and responding teacher’s questions, (b) being active both in individual and work group activities, (c) being more attentive to the reading class, (d) and the absence of students who were late and went out during reading comprehension class, and (e) the unobservable dominancy of the teacher. Based on the result of the study, it can be concluded that students’ reading comprehension could be improved by the implementation of graphic organizers. Therefore, it is recommended that (1) teacher should give the explicit model during implementing graphic organizers in teaching reading; and (2) teachers need to improve their acquisition of knowledge about graphic organizers through collaboration with other teachers.