THE EFFECT OF COOPERATIVE SCRIPT TECHNIQUE TOWARD STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION (AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AT SMP N 05 KEPAHIANG, AT GRADE VIII)

 THE EFFECT OF COOPERATIVE SCRIPT TECHNIQUE TOWARD STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION (AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AT SMP N 05 KEPAHIANG, AT GRADE VIII)

Author, Julianto, S.Pd, M.Pd

Bengkulu, Indonesia Email : misterjoelianto@yahoo.com

Abstract

This research tries to investigate the effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension in Junior High School number 05 Kepahiang at grade eight, whether the cooperative script technique can improve students’ reading comprehension or no. This research is an experimental research that involved two groups, they are experimental and control group. The population of this research is the whole students at grade VIII of Junior High School number 05 Kepahiang and sample consisted of two classes VIII A as the control group and VIII B as the experimental group. In collecting the data, the researcher relies on the test formed into pre and post-test. Pre-test is given before implementing the treatment and post-test is provided after giving treatment. In this research, treatment in the form of cooperative script technique implementation is given to students having seat  on the class VIII B and conventional teaching technique (non-treatment) is given to students having seat on the class VIII A. The finding shows that students’ reading comprehension after conventional and cooperative script technique implemented, in which the data  proving refer to the result of pre-test from both groups. After that, students’ reading comprehension after conventional and cooperative script technique implemented varies previous occasion to be good, where both groups respectively has been increasing.  However, the result of post-test from experimental group is higher than control group. The experimental group mean score is 70,00 and the control group mean score is 60,80. It has an increasing, the movement is 9,20, the effectiveness is obtained based on examining hypothesis. The researcher examines the hypothesis by using “t” calculation with the figure of “t” acquires in the amount of 3,17 and t-table gets 2,01 and 2,68  , it is clear that the t obtained was higher than t table ( 2,68 < 3,17 >2,01 ), Ha is accepted and H0 is rejected. Finally, this research infers that cooperative script technique is effective toward students’ reading comprehension.

Key words : cooperative script technique, reading, reading comprehension

INTRODUCTION

         Reading  is very important language skill for students because some reasons. First, it develops students’ mind. It means that understanding the written word is one way the mind grows in its ability. Second, student can acquire and identify information both explicitly and implicitly from the text. It means that through reading  students can analize and comprehend explicit or implicit meaning on the text such as about place, time, main idea, character, plot, moral value, generic structure, and kind of the text. Third, reading also can help students learn to think the new language and build a better vocabulary. It means that through reading the students can explore themselves to new information, new ways to solve a problem, and new ways to achieve one thing because exploration starts from reading and understanding. Fourth, reading is also used in the national examination, that is why students must  have a good reading comprehension if they want to pass the exam successfully. 

            In spite of the fact that reading is an important activity in the classroom, students cannot deny that reading is still real problems. It is not easy for students to comprehend the text in foreign language. They are forced to face new vocabulary and grammar that are definitely different from their mother language. It is hard for them to guess and predict the correct cues behind the texts because of their imperfect knowledge of the language. Researcher had observed some Junior High Schools at Kepahiang. The result of observation, it revealed that they had not the appropiate requirements to become the population in this research. The students at the school  were so active in the classroom activtity especially in English lesson. It was not only teacher centered  but also students centered  because  students asked, read  aloud  the text and share it to their friends. In addition, the teachers at the school were not too dominant in teaching process. Their speaking and expalantion was clear for students. However on november 3rd 2015, the researcher  had  interviewed the English teacher and  some students  at grade VIII Junior High School Number 05 Kepahiang.  From the result of the interview, it revealed that students have some problems in reading. The causes of the problem come from  the teacher and the students. From the teacher’s side, the teacher’s way of teaching reading affects to the students’ reading comprehension. Her speaking too fast, unclear explanation and monotonous technique that was used by the teacher discouraged students to learn reading. She just asked the students to read certain text in the book or students’ exercises book and  then she asked them  to do the task following the text. The monotonous process of learning made students bored to learn. 

From the students’ side, the causes come from students’ reading type, habit, and  knowledge. First, most of the students have almost the same reading type. They like to read silently. They did not like to read aloud and shared  it to their friends. They prefered to read alone and did not try to discuss the topic in the text with their friends. Second, the students’ reading habit was bad. The students have a little allotment of time to read English text. There were many students that still did not use chance to read English text either at school or in English lesson itself. Third, from the students’ reading knowledge, there were some causes: the limited vocabularies, sentence construction within paragraph, difficulties in finding the main idea and difficulties in making conclusion of the text. Actually these problems indicate that the teachers’ technique in teaching reading is still conventional. It is basically teacher-centered, she dominated the class instruction. The teacher explained, discussed, and talked a lot that made the students’ participation was not to be active in the learning process.  

Considering the phenomenon  above, there is an urgent need to apply a technique that can help solve these problems. Therefore, it needs innovations form of teaching technique that enable students to be more active in the classroom. The  technique that can involve the teachers and students so the teachers were not too dominant in the class and students can be involved in cooperative and interesting activities.  Because of the mainly problem is in reading teaching technique, so it needed the appropriate technique, like cooperative learning strategies help the teacher solved the problems in the class because it employed student-centered activities rather than teacher-centered activities. By engaging students in interesting and cooperative activities, students will be more interested and motivated in reading .  One of cooperative learning is cooperative script technique. Suprijono states that cooperative script is learning technique which the students work in pairs to interpret orally the parts of the material learnt changeablely.  This tehnique was recomended for all lesson and grade. Researcher chose  cooperative script technique because it’s fit to overcome  this problems so students can  understand  the meaning of the text well. It can guide and facilitate the learning process in order to enable the students learned and created a better atmosphere of learning. By using this technique students can be active to disscuss, ask, explain, and receive the material because they tried to exchange the information among groups. Looking at this condition is also very interesting for the researcher to conduct research on “ The Effect Of Cooperative Script Technique Toward Students’ Reading Comprehension ” (An Experimental Study on Grade VIII Students at  SMP N 05 Kepahiang)

The Research Questions

Whereas which become the principal issue in the research is formulated as follow : 

How is students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang by using conventional technique ?  

How is students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang by using cooperative script technique? 

Is there any significant differences between students who are taught by using conventional technique and  cooperative script at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang? 

Delimitation of the Research

This research focused on the effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension in narrative text at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang.  

Objective of the Research

Based on the research questions above, there are three objectives of the research they are : 

To investigate students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang by using conventional technique.

To investigate students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang by using cooperative script technique.

To investigate the significant differences between students who are taught by using conventional technique and  cooperative script at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang.

Hypothesis

Hypothesis is a presumption about the result which will be concluded through the  research.  The hypotheses of this research are:

Ho: There is no significant effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang. 

Ha: There is significant effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension at grade VIII Junior High School Number 5 Kepahiang. 

The Significance of the Research

These significances of  this research will give contribution to :

For students, it is an effort to improve their interest in English especially in reading comprehension.

For English teacher, it is useful opportunity to improve their quality of teaching English in general and teaching reading in detail.

For readers, it can broaden the knowledge about using cooperative script technique in teaching reading comprehension.

For the researcher, the researcher can increase knowledge about the implementation or application of cooperative script technique in reading comprehension. 

Operational Definition

Cooperative Script

Slavin states that cooperative script is one of  teaching technique that can  improve memory skills of students in understanding a text.   

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the students ability to understand  the text that has been  read. 

The Steps of Cooperative Script Technique

 Mifathul Huda  states that the workings of cooperative script technique is as follow :  

The teacher divides the students in pairs.

The teacher distributes the texts to each the student.

The students read and make summary of the text in pairs.

The teacher decides the first speakers and the listeners.

The speakers read completely the summary with the main idea. While the listeners are scrutinizing, or correcting or showing the main idea that is not complete.

Change the role, the first pair as speakers are changed as listeners and vice versa.

The conclusion of summary is made by the students and the teacher.

Closing

The Advantages of Cooperative Script Technique

Dansereau CS in Asmani states that the advantages of cooperative script technique are :  

Students are not too dependent on the teacher.

Provides many opportunities for students to compare answers and assess the accuracy of the answers. 

Student can understand the meaning of the text easily.

Interactions motivate students and encourage thinking. 

Can improve or develop discussion skills. 

Appreciate other people's ideas. 

Improve the ability to think creatively 

Previous Related Study 

     There are two previous related studies, the first is Using Cooperative Script technique to Improve the Eight Graders’Vocabulary mastery was conducted by Novrica Nartiningrum 2013 at State University of Malang. This research was a classroom action research that was designed to improve the students’ vocabulary mastery by implementing cooperative script technique. The second is The Effect of Using Cooperative Script Technique toward Students’ Speaking Ability at the Second Grade of Junior High School of Darul Hikmah Islamic Boarding School Pekanbaru that was conducted by Ahmad Sakti Alhamidi Hasibuan  2014 at State University of Riau.

Methodology Of The Research

    The kind of this research is quantitative design by using experimental research. In this research, the population consisted  of all students at grade VIII   Junior High School number 5 Kepahiang. The numbers of  all students at grade VIII Junior High School number 5 Kepahiang are 50 students. Students are separated  in 2 classes. In this research, the reseacher  took all students at eight grade were 50 students from  population as the sample.  

     Based on explanation above, before researcher decided which is the control and expreiment class between VIII A and VIII B, researcher gave homogeneity test to both local  VIII  class are VIII A and VIII B on the Thursday, April 14th with same sums that the  same number  are 20 sums by multiple choice form. Then researcher calculated the result of homogenity especially class mean score. The mean score of  VIII A was 50,2 and VIII B was 49,8. It meant researcher selected VIII A as a control group and class VIII B as a experimental group because the mean score of VIII A is higher than VIII B. The  mean  score   only had a difference  0,4 point. 

Procedure of  The Research

Procedure of the research is described in the following the figure :

Figure : Procedure Of The Research

Technique of Collecting Data

           The technique of collecting data that was used by the researcher in doing this research was only relied on the test. Test was the formulating of items exam to the sample of research. In this research used pre-test and post-test to collecting data. The researcher gave the pre test and post test to both of groups (experimental and control group). This pre-test was given to members of samples before the treatment (cooperative script technique) was implemented in experimental group and conventional technique that was used in control group. The form of pre-test consisted of 20 items of multiple choices such as those which enclosed. Researcher used multiple choice format because it made student to produce accurate answer both correct and incorrect one.  The test covered on the material about narrative text. The test took  45 minutes.   

Research Instrument, Validity and Reliability

Suharsimi states that research instrument is a tool that is used by researcher in conducting activities to collect data sistematically.   Instrument of this research is the test. To know the test validity, the researcher used Pearson formula as the following below :

r_xy=(∑xy)/√((∑X^2 )(∑Y^2 ) )

Where :

r : Insrument validity

x : X-X mean¬

y : Y-Y mean

N : Number of students/test takers. 

         Based on data calculation , the result of try out validity is 0,98. Based on the table coefficient correlation of product moment, it was included in highest criteria. So the test was valid and can be used as instrument test of the research.  In addition, the researcher used the formula of reliability that is Spearman Brown as follow:   

r_xy=(N∑XY-(∑X)(∑Y))/√({(N∑X^2 )-(∑X^2 )}{N(〖∑Y〗^2 )-(∑Y^2 )} )

Where :

r : Insrument reliability

X: score in experimental group

Y : Score in control group

N : Number of students in a group. 

The researcher used the table below  to judge the test can be used as the instrument in this research :  

Table : The Range Score and Interpretation Of Reliability 

Index Range Interpretation

Reliability <0,40 Low

0,40-0,69 Moderate

0,70-1,00 High

Based on the calculation, the result of try out reliability is 0,87. It could be concluded that this research  instrument had really been appropriate to be used in giving pre-test and post-test section of this research. 

Technique for Data Analysis

      The data of pre – test and post – test of this research was analyzed by using the test formula proposed by Anas Sudijono. This formula was used  to know whether there is significant effect between cooperative script technique and students’ reading comprehension or not.

t=(M1-M2)/√(((S_1 )^2)/N_1 +((S_2 )^2)/N_2 )

Where :

t     : The value of the statistical significance of the mean difference 

M1  : The mean score of the experiment group

M2  : The mean score of control group

S1  : Standars deviation of experimental group

S2  :  Standard deviation of control group

N1   :  The subject number of experimental group

N2   :  The subject number of control group.

To find the mean score, the researcher used formula:

M_(1 )=  (∑x)/N               M_2=  (∑y)/N

 Where:

M1/M2 : Mean score data X / Mean score data Y

∑x/∑y : Total score

 N : Total of student

In addition, to find the standard deviation, the researcher used formula :

S_(1 )=√((∑x^2)/N-((∑x)/N) )  2¦

S_(2 )=√((∑y^2)/N-((∑y)/N) )  2¦

Where :

S1/S2         :  Standard deviation

∑x ²/∑y ² :  Sigma x² / y²                   N :  Total of students  

Finding and Discussion

This research is an experimental study which is to investigate the effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension ability with theeight  grade students in Junior High School Number 05 Kepahiang as the population of this research.  Based on the result of calculating score of both groups, the experimental group and control group above,  it was found that there was a significant effect of the cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension. The result of calculation for the experimental group showed that they had higher score than the result of calculation for the control group. 

In the experiment group researcher used cooperative script technique as a treatment in learning process. Slavin states that cooperative script is one of  teaching technique that can  improve memory skills of students in understanding a text.   This theory had been proven that cooperative script  technique can  help students to comprehend the text easily because after calculating the data, mean score of pre test in experiment group was 49,20 and post test was 70,00. It increased 20,8 points. From the data, it could be seen that there was a significant effect of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension because there was an increasing score that was higher than the score got in the control goup after they had learnt with different technique. 

      Researcher also gave the pre and post test to control group by using conventional technique. Altough the result is also increasing from 52,00 to 60,80, but the interval score is still lower than experimental group because control group only increased 8,8.  Based on the data, the students’ reading comprehension was quietly good because  there was an increasing score after they had learnt with the conventional teaching technique.

     From the explanation above, the result of the mean  score in experimental group was higher than control group. It indicated that cooperative script technique was effective toward students’ reading comprehension.  There were some reasons why the result of post test in the experimental group increased. First, by using cooperative script technique, it can stimulate students’ motivation and  interest to read the text. Second, students are not too dependent on the teacher, so it provides many opportunities for students to compare answers and assess the accuracy of the answers, so student can  understand the meaning of the text easily. Third it improved the ability to think creatively. Fourth, it helped students acquire the reasonable purposes for reading. Furthermore, it encourage students thinking, so students can explore their analysing the content of the text well. Those advantages could make students comprehend reading texts with all aspects in reading activities. It means that the cooperative script technique was effective toward students’ reading comprehension. 

       Based  on calculating in finding above can  be obtained  that t test value (3,17) is greater than t table value 5% and 1% (2,01 and 2,68). It showed that t obtained was higher than t table (2.01 <  3,17 > 2,68 ). It meant  that null hypothesis was rejected and alternative hypothesis was accepted. 

     Based on the fact above, it had proved  that the treatment was success and it can be said that there was significant effect of using cooperative script technique toward students’  reading comprehension. It  also included an effective technique that could be applied by teacher.

CONCLUSION

There are some points that can  be conluded by researcher based on the result in  the previous explanation . There is change between in the control and experiment group after did treatment. It can be seen from result of post test. The data shows that mean score in the experiment group is higher than in the control group.  The using of cooperative script technique toward students reading comprehension is better than conventional technique. It can be seen from the mean score result is increasing from 49,2 to 70. It increased 20,8 points. It can be concluded that the using cooperative script technique in teaching reading has a contribution and effective for students’ reading comprehension. From the result of post test calculation, the ttest is 3,17, while in  table value 5% and 1% ( 2,01 and 2,68 ). It meant that  ttest obtained was higher than ttable ( 2,01 < 3,17 > 2,68 ). The researcher concluded that there is significant difference between mean score of experiment and control group. In other word, that there is a significant effect of  cooperative script technique toward students’reading comprehension between experiment and control group. So, it had proved that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted and null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. The using of cooperative script technique toward students’ reading comprehension is effective. It can increase the students’ reading comprehension. 

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