CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Research

There are many ways to master languages, specific in English

language. Many theories and researcher has developed ways and strategies to

master it. There are four skills in English, are speaking, reading, writing and

listening. Speaking and writing are productive skills, because we must do that

by ourselves. While reading and listening are receptive/passive skills,

because we just can receive from others.1 In Indonesia, English has been

taught in the formal class. Surely, the curriculum of English has designed to

make students easier to master English. All the activities in the classroom

must be received by students with various methods.

In Indonesia, English has been implemented in the KTSP and K13

curriculum where all of students from elementary, junior high school or even

college student must be study English lesson. The government of Indonesia

takes this seriously, where can be seen that there are many books of English

lesson to guide students in learning English. In fact, that English proficiency

is very necessary in globalization era.

In formal school, teacher of English has been implemented many

ways to deliver the lesson, especially in Reading. In reading skill, many

students still did not catch the point of the text, where some of them are

confused about how to translate and how to view the main idea of the text. In

1
Yusirno, keajaiban belajar. Bina insan centre (BIC). Pustaka Jenius Publishing, Pontianak.
2010.p.91

1
 this situation, the teacher role is needed to improve the students’ strategy in

reading skill. Reading also one of the skill that needed extra vocabularies to

understand the whole content of the text. It is supported by Patel, and Jain,

reading is an activity in life with which one can update our knowledge. 2 But,

without vocabularies, it seems impossible for students to find out the main

idea.

Teachers found some difficulties in teaching reading for students,

where there is no easy technique for students to master reading

comprehension during the class. This case not only happened in one school,

but also in many schools. One of them, happened in SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong

Curup, where the students’ capability to find out the main idea of the text is

still low. The first factor influencing reading instruction is related to students’

reading skill. The students have difficulty comprehending an English text.

They lacked vocabulary and grammatical knowledge important to understand

the text. The next factor is the reading class activity is less varied. The

observation shown that the activities are arranged by the teacher only

consisted explaining unfamiliar words from the text. Actually, vocabulary

mastery is not the only aspect to be successful in comprehending an English

text. The students’ background knowledge about the text being discussed also

needs to be explored. After observing the targeted school, The researcher

found that the ability of students in reading skill is still low, where only 25%

students could understood the English text that given by the teacher. 3 In this

2
M.F Patel. And Praveen M Jain. English language teaching (methods, tools, and
technique). (Jaipur: sunrice.2008). p.113
3
An interview to the English teacher of SMPN 07 Rejang LebongCurup, on Thursday, 17th of
October 2019 at 02.42 pm.

2
 case, the teacher said that she already implemented Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) in those classes. After the observation, the

researcher would like to describe the implementation of Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy that useful to increase students’

vocabularies. With using Descriptive qualitative method, the researcher will

try describe the strategy above.

According to Brown, there are some criteria that are commonly used

in measuring students’ ability in reading comprehension. They are main idea

expression/idiom/phrase in context, inference, grammatical features

(references), detail excluding fact not written, supporting idea and

vocabulary.4 The research uses that phenomenon as the basic to describe the

alternative in teaching reading.

Moreover, Odwan stated that Directed Reading Thinking Activity is a

strategy that is intended to develop students’ ability to read critically and

reflectively. The directed reading thinking activity attempts to equip readers

with the ability to determine the purposes of reading, the ability to extract,

comprehend, and assimilate information, the ability to make predictions to

examine reading materials based on the purposes of reading, the ability to

pass judgments, and finally the ability to make decisions based upon

information gleaned from reading.5

From the statements above, the researcher related to the suitable

theories that taken from journals, stated that From the many strategies in
4
H. Douglas Brown. Language assessment principles and classroom practice. (San Fransisco:
Pearson Education Longman.2004).p.206
5
Al Odwan, Talal Abd AL Hameed. 2012. The effect of the Directed Reading Thinking
Activity through Cooperative Learning on English Secondary Stage Students’ Reading
Comprehension in Jordan. Jordan. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Volume 2

3
 teaching expository texts, Stauffer’s stated that Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) is the most appropriate strategy that meets the

requirement of comprehension (build schemata, provide opportunities in

using reading strategy, and enable the students to plan, monitor, and

evaluate their reading process and is suitable for reading informational

text6. The DRTA is a group-inquiry reading approach for guiding readers

through a text during the first time they read it in a classroom. It

comprises the three stages in reading (pre-, whilst- and post) with three

phases particularly at the whilst reading stage: pre-reading phase, guided

silent-reading phase, and post-reading (prove) phase. Tankersley states

that the DRTA extends reading to higher-order thought processes and

provides lecturers with a great deal about each student’s ideas, thought

processes, prior knowledge and thinking skills 7.

The Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) has been

implemented in SMPN 7Rejang Lebong. This learning strategy is then

chosen since the stage it has offer students more assistance in comprehending

an English text. It activates students’ background knowledge of the text,

provides them with reading purposes, makes them employ reading strategies

and monitors their comprehension. It also has the students actively involved

in teaching and learning activity. One of the advantage of using this learning

strategy is Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) may be applied to

reading selections that vary both length and readability. While one of the
6
Blachowicz, C. & Ogle, D. (2008). Reading Comprehension: Strategies for Independent
Learners (2nd ed.). London: The Guilford
7
Erliana, Santi. 2011. Improving Reading Comprehension Through Directed Reading-
Thinking Activity (Drta) Strategy. JEFL (Journal on English as a Foreign Language). IAIN
Palangkaraya

4
 disadvantage is the activity takes the teacher as the center of the lesson, or too

teacher centered. As cited above, during the research, the researcher will

observe the students while they were attending the Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) in English class.

Then, the case of this phenomenon will be “The Implementation of

using Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) on the student reading

comprehension at Second year students of SMPN 7Rejang Lebong”. The

research will be taken in SMPN 7Rejang LebongCurup at Class VIII with

using Descriptive Qualitative method.

B. Research Questions

1. How is the application of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) at

SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong?

2. How is the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) benefit the

students’ reading comprehension?

C. Research Objectives

According to the research questions, the researcher aims to analyze:

1. To find out the application of Directed Reading Thinking Activity

(DRTA) at SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong

2. To find out the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) benefit the

students’ reading comprehension

D. Significant of the Research

For Teacher

This research is very useful for English teacher. Because this research

will describe the learning strategy with using Directed Reading Thinking

5
 Activity (DRTA), where most of teacher need this strategy and can helps the

students studying English in the classroom. So that the teachers can analyze

and create a suitable syllabus for the same class.

For Students

This research also useful for students. Because the students can learn

how to increase their knowledge in reading class, by using Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) in the English class.

For Researcher

This research will be very useful for the researcher. Because after

become part of the research, the researcher who will graduated from English

Study Program, will be very carefully to choose the suitable method in

teaching English when she/he become a teacher one day. The detail of the

research will help the researcher to find out the students’ problem in reading

comprehension too, then the researcher can find the solution soon.

E. Delimitation of the Research

This research will only focus in the reading skill and students’

vocabularies, which contains of How is the application of Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) at SMPN 7Rejang Lebong, and How is the

Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) benefits the students’ reading

comprehension.

F. Operational Definition

1. Reading comprehension

According to Oxford learners’ dictionary, reading comprehension is

the ability to process text, in addition, reading a text and understand its

6
 meaning, and to integrate with what reader already knows. And the ability

to comprehend text is benefitd by the readers’ skill and their ability to

process information.8

2. Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) is a strategy that

provides students with instructional support before, during, and after

reading. The teacher takes an active role as he or she prepares students to

read the text by pre-teaching important vocabulary, eliciting prior

knowledge, teaching students how to use a specific reading skill, and

providing a purpose for reading.9

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

A. Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the application of a skill that evolved for

other purposes (listening or oral comprehension) to a new form of input

8
John.R.Kirby,Ph.D. Reading Comprehension: Its nature and development. Article published
in 2007. Queen’s University.
9
Farida Rahim. Pengajaran membaca di sekolah dasar.(Jakarta: Bumi Aksara,2008).p.46

7
 (text). Unlike listening comprehension, reading comprehension is not

something for which our brains have evolved. Whereas oral comprehension

seems to develop “naturally” minimal deliberate intervention. Reading

comprehension is more challenging and requires deliberate instruction. 10 In

this research, the writer firstly observe the students’ condition in learning

English especially in reading part. After interviewing the English teacher, the

writer saw that the ability of the students in reading comprehension in still

low. For them, reading is not nice because the teacher only uses the same

strategy. This is very serious case, because most of the examination use

reading to deliver the questions.

To comprehend the text, the student must have a special strategy to

understand well about how to comprehend the English text. Brown stated that

reading does not always hence lead to comprehension. Hence, there is a gap

between reading and comprehending. 11 Spratt, and Williams also claim that

readers should understand the words and sentences composing the text in

order to comprehend a text. Neuferd explains that this process is intentional

in nature, and therefore, to comprehend a text, readers should have a reading

purpose first.12 Then, the teacher should explain first to the students about

what is the main idea of the text that will be discuss in the English class.

Deepening the discussion on comprehension, Richards and Schmidt

add:
10
John.R.Kirby,Ph.D. Reading Comprehension: Its nature and development. Article published
in 2007. Queen’s University.
11
H. Douglas Brown. Language assessment principles and classroom practice. (San Fransisco:
Pearson Education Longman.2004).p.215

12
Spratt, Marry., Alan Pulverness and Melanie Williams. 2005. The TKT (Teaching Knowledge
Test) Course. Cambridge: Cambridge University Test.

8
 Comprehension is the identification of the intended meaning of written or
spoken communication. Contemporary theories of comprehension emphasize
that it is an active process drawing both on information contained in the
message (BOTTOM-UP PROCESSING) as well as background knowledge,
information from the context and from the listener’s and speaker’s purposes or
intentions (TOP-DOWN PROCESSING).13

Therefore, comprehension involves active processes and it does not only

result from the information contained in the text but also from the interaction

with background knowledge that readers bring to the text.

B. Types of Reading Comprehension

Westwood divides reading comprehension into three different levels,

i.e. literal, inferential and critical comprehension. The literal comprehension

is the most basic one. It is where readers are able to understand the factual

information presented in a text because that information in the text is stated

explicitly. The next level, the inferential comprehension, is where readers are

able to go beyond the words on the page in order to draw inferences related to

the text. At this stage, readers use information effectively to deduce cause and

effect, and to anticipate what may come next. The last level, the critical

comprehension, is where readers are able to evaluate what they are reading.

Another categorization of reading comprehension by Richards and

Schmidt approves that comprehension involves concluding both the explicitly

stated information and implicitly-stated information as well as criticizing the

information contained in the text. In addition, they see another type of

reading comprehension, which is appreciative comprehension. According to

them, readers who perform appreciative comprehension read a text in order to

gain an emotional or other kind of valued response from the text. In

13
Stubbs, Sue. 2000. Targeting Text Information: Recount, Information Report, &
Explanation, Junior High School. Sydney: Blake Education

9
 summary, there are four types of reading comprehension suggested by

experts, namely literal, inferential, critical and appreciative comprehension.

Readers perform literal comprehension to conclude explicitly-stated

information. Unlike literal comprehension, inferential comprehension is

performed to infer implicitly-stated information. As the names imply, readers

perform critical comprehension to criticize the text they read and they

perform appreciative comprehension to gain emotional response. However,

this research will only focus on literal and inferential comprehension.

C. Components of Reading

The components of reading are very important for teacher and student

to know. This will help the students very much in understanding the contains

of the text. There are four components of reading suggested by Curtis and

Bercovitz in Jacobson and Ianiro, namely alphabetic, vocabulary, fluency,

and comprehension. To describe the relationship among these components,

Kruidenier in Jacobson et al. illustrates that while reading, readers decodes

words (alphabetic) contained in a text, associates the words with meanings

stored in their memory (vocabulary), and processes phrases and sentences

composing the text rapidly enough (fluency) in order to build comprehension

during the reading process. This sequence to comprehension is somewhat

similar to what Spratt, Pulverness and Williams has explained previously. It

is indicated that in the attempt to make meaning from a text, one component

benefits the other components.

Meanwhile, Maharaj suggests phonemic awareness and word

recognition instead of alphabetic as the other reading components apart from

10
 vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. In relation to phonemic awareness,

she explains that learners need to understand that words are made up of

speech sounds called phonemes and therefore they should know how each

word sounds. Meanwhile, word recognition refers to skills that readers need

in order to be able to read unknown words. There are two main elements

involved in word recognition, namely phonics and sight words. Phonics

instruction teaches the relationship between the letters of written language

and individual sounds of spoken language. Sight words are words which

learners recognize through features such as their shape and length. In a

nutshell, reading components is crucial in the attempt to understand a text.

Reading components such as alphabetic, phonemic awareness and word

recognition deal especially with oral reading since they demand readers to

know how words in print sound. They deal with the ability to hear and

manipulate the sound in oral language. Together with the other reading

components, i.e. vocabulary, fluency and comprehension, these reading

components help readers build meaning from the text.

D. Strategy for Reading Comprehension

There are strategies in reading comprehension. Strategies are defined

as ways of reaching a certain goal. Westwood, May and Lems, Miller and

Soro confirm that strategies can be applied to enhance reading

comprehension. In addition, Brown states that “reading comprehension is

primarily a matter of developing appropriate, efficient, comprehension

11
 strategies.”14 In brief, reading strategies helps readers comprehend a text.

There are many experts offering strategies for reading comprehension, among

of them are Brown, Richards and Schmidt, Maharaj and Neufeld.

Brown lists ten strategies for reading comprehension which relate

ether to the bottom-up approach or to the top-down approach. Those are:

identifying the purpose of reading, using graphemic rules and patterns to aid

in bottom-up decoding, using efficient silent reading techniques for relatively

rapid comprehension, skimming the text for main ideas, scanning the text for

specific information, using semantic mapping or clustering, guessing when

the readers feel uncertain, analyzing vocabulary, distinguishing between

literal and implied meanings, and capitalizing on discourse markers to

process relationship. Moreover, Richards and Schmidt, Neufeld and Maharaj

concur that reading strategies, in practice, should be used before, while, and

after reading.

Richards and Schmidt exemplify reading strategies to be used in each

stage. They suggest that readers should preview and set purposes for reading

first before reading, monitor comprehension and adjust their reading purposes

while reading then summarize and evaluate the text they read after they finish

reading. Besides using strategies before, while, and after reading, Neufeld

also states that readers should be armed with the skills to raise and to answer

the questions they have asked in the attempt to comprehend the text. These

question raising and answering are integrated with each reading strategies.

They provide reading purposes, i.e. to answer the questions raised, and drive

14
H. Douglas Brown. Language assessment principles and classroom practice. (San
Fransisco: Pearson Education Longman.2004).p.225

12
 the use of reading strategies, given that different reading purposes employ

different reading strategies. In summary, a number of reading strategies help

readers understand a text. These reading strategies are related to the bottom-

up approach and the top-down approach to reading. In practice, readers

should use these strategies before, while and after reading.

E. The Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) Strategy

a. The definition of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

One of the strategies that can be used in teaching reading is Directed

Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA). Directed Reading Thinking Activity

(DRTA) is one of the oldest and most widely used frameworks for

reading instruction.15 There are three steps teaching process in Directed

Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) that involves pre-reading, during

reading and post-reading activities.16 It means that Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) is a strategy that guide students from the

beginning of reading activity to the ending of reading activity.

According to Tierney and Readance in Guzzeti, Directed Reading

Thinking Activity (DRTA) is designed to assist teachers in providing

systematic group-reading instruction, in building and engaging student in

reading texts, and in providing students with direct instruction in word

recognition and comprehension.17 It means that the purpose of DRA is to

help teacher in providing systematic instruction, guide and engage

students in reading text, improve students’ word recognition and

15
Barbara J. Guzzeti, Donna E. Alvermann and Jerry L. Johns, Literacy in America: An
encyclopedia of History, Theory and Practice. (California: ABC Clio inc,2002). P.133
16
Farida Rahim. Pengajaran membaca di sekolah dasar.(Jakarta: Bumi Aksara,2008).p.46
17
Barbara J. Guzzeti, Donna E. Alvermann and Jerry L. Johns, Op Cit.p.133

13
 comprehension skill. The teacher directs the students’ silent reading with

comprehension level questions. They will read with stops, pausing to

discuss every few paragraphs.18 It means that DRA is teacher centered

who teacher takes an active role in preparing students to read the text.

Based on the explanation above, the writer conclude that Directed

Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy is a strategy that can be

implemented in Junior High School students and it can monitor the

students’ activity from pre, during and post reading activity.

b. Procedures of Teaching Reading Comprehension through Directed

Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) Strategy

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) is an instructional

strategy designed to increase students’ comprehension of reading

material. DRTA allows students to actively seek an understanding of the

selection by using prior knowledge and/or visual clues to anticipate

content, then reading the text to confirm or reject predictions. This creates

a purpose for reading, as students seek to answer their own questions or

predictions19.

According to Rudell, there are five steps of teaching reading using

Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) are as follows20:

1. Preparation for reading

18
Alan Crawford et.al, Teaching and learning strategies for the thinking classroom, (New
York: The International Debate Education Association,2005).p.42
19
Billmeyer, Rachel and Mary Lee Barton. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not
Me. Than Who? Aurora: McREL (Mid-continental Regional Educational Laboratory), 1998. p.16
20
Robert B. Rudell and Martha Rapp Rudell. Teaching children to read and
write:becoming an influential teacher. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 2001).p.160

14
 This step includes activating students’ prior knowledge related the

story, introducing vocabulary and concepts, and building interest and

motivation to read the selection.

2. Guided silent reading

Teacher provides a purposes-setting statement or question to guide

students reading.

3. Comprehension development and discussion

This should always start with the purpose-setting question or

questions used in the first step followed by discussion question that

promote more in-depth understanding of story characters, story plot,

or story concepts.

4. Purposeful reading

Teacher gives students frequent opportunities for oral reading after

they have read the text silently. It often occurs spontaneously as

children support answer to question.

5. Follow up activities and skill extension

This skill involved may include word analysis, vocabulary,

comprehension, literature concepts, or writing development.

After knowing the procedures above, the writer also finds out the process

of the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) in the learning activity.

The procedures are21:

a. Use whole group instruction, pairs, or cooperative groups. Model with the

whole group several times if the class is inexperienced with the strategy.

21
Billmeyer, Rachel and Mary Lee Barton. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not
Me. Than Who? Aurora: McREL (Mid-continental Regional Educational Laboratory), 1998. p.16

15
 b. Brainstorm with students (or have students brainstorm in groups) a list of what

they think the selection will be about. Generate a list of possibilities,

predictions, or questions that students want to have answered.

c. After reading a segment, discuss (or have students discuss in groups) what they

have discovered regarding their initial questions and predictions. Students must

substantiate their statements by citing evidence from the text.

d. Students circle or check correct predictions and cross-out or erase incorrect

predictions. Identify which predictions remain inconclusive (without adequate

evidence to support them, as yet).

e. Repeat the cycle of Predict-Read-Confirm/Reject throughout the selection.

Those are the process of implementing Directed Reading Thinking Activity

(DRTA) according to Billmeyer and Rachel. This process also implemented

in SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong.

c. Advantages of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

Every learning method has advantages and the disadvantages. Before

implement it to the students, the teacher firstly need to know what are the

advantages of using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA), in case

of mastering reading through this learning strategy. There are some

advantages of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) as bellow22:

1. Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) can activate background

knowledge and build interest in the story.

2. Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) may be applied to reading

selections that vary both length and readability.

22
Robert J. Tierney, Jhon E. Readence, and Eanest K. Dishner. Reading Strategies and
Practices: A Compendium Second Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1985) p.4

16
 3. This strategy may be applied to students at all grade levels.

d. Disadvantages of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

Beside the advantages, the Directed Reading Thinking Activity

(DRTA) also has the disadvantages. According to Rahim, the teaching

method using Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) is very good

learning strategy, but the activity takes the teacher as the center of the lesson,

or too teacher centered.23

F. Review of Related Studies

They were some previous study done by the researcher related to

applying the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy in

teaching reading. The first study was conducted by Oktaviandi under the tittle

“Increasing students’ performance in Reading Comprehension by Using

Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy (An Experimental

Study at SMA 1 Baitussalam)”. 24 In this study, the researcher used time-series

design. The sample of this study was 71 students at the eleventh grade of

SMA 1 Baitussalam, Banda Aceh. The result of the study revealed that t–

value (6.329) was higher than t-table (2.093). it proved that the null

hypothesis (Ho) was rejected and alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted or

in other words Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) could

significantly increase students’ ability in reading comprehension.

The second study was conducted by Aminy under the tittle “The

Effectiveness of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) Toward

23
Farida Rahim, Op Cit.p.49
24
Ikhsir Oktaviandi, Increasing students’ performance in Reading Comprehension by Using
Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy (An Experimental Study at SMA 1 Baitussalam.
Syah Kuala University.2015

17
 Students’ Reading Skill of Descriptive Text (An Experimental Study at the

Seventh Grade Student of MTs Al-Ihsan Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan)”. 25

This method used a quantitative method and the design in this study was

experimental design. The sample of this research was 80 students taken from

the first grade of MTs Al-Ihsan Pamulang. The result of this research showed

that the mean of gain score in experimental class was higher than control

class. The result showed that t-value (3.185) was higher that t-table (1.99). It

means the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted and the null hypothesis

(Ho) was rejected.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Research Design

The researcher using Descriptive Qualitative method to answer the

research questions. Moeloeng said in thesis Lia26 that “qualitative research is

used to describe and to analyze the phenomena that usuallny happen in daily

activities and is not deal with number as a data”.27 Based on Nana Sudjana in

25
Immawan Muhammad Amiri Al-Aminy. The Effectiveness of Directed Reading Thinking
Activity (DRTA) Toward Students’ Reading Skill of Descriptive Text (An Experimental Study at the
Seventh Grade Student of MTs Al-Ihsan Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan).Syah Kuala University 2015
26
Afifah, Lia. The Implementation of English Conversation Routines to Improve Students’
Ability in Speaking. Skripsi IAIN Curup. 2015. 47
27
Moeloeng J, Lexy. Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif.Bandung. PT.Rosda. 2005.p.15

18
 Thesis Winda, “The descriptive research is to see event is going happen.” 28

And then Ari Donald said that the descriptive study used to get the

information about phenomena which is going happen. 29 Based on these

theories, it means that the data which collected in this research is about the

situation and condition of the research field as the important aspect of the

research. The descriptive event uses one variable and it does not compare

with one or more variable, and it focused on the factual data. Best says in

thesis Dedy:

“Descriptive research describes what is. It involves the descriptive,

recording, analysis, an interpretation of condition that exists. It
involves some types of comparison or contrast and attempts to
discover relationships between existing non manipulated variables.”30

The purpose of the research is to investigate and find out the

implementation of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) at SMPN 7

Rejang Lebong. The researcher will only present all the fact objectively based

on the data that is collected from observation and interview.

B. Subject of the Research

The data of this research are collected from the observation, and the

students. According to Spradley that copied by Sanafiah Faisal in Thesis

Winda, “There are some criterias in choosing good sample or good

informant”, are:

28
Sudjana, Metode Statistic. Tarsiti, Bandung. 1982.p.20
29
Ari Donald. Introduction to research in education. New York: Renihalt and Winston. 1979.
p.46
30
Agung Dedi, Problems faced by the scond semester students of English department of
UNISMA in learning tenses. Thesis UNISMA.p.19

19
 1. They who dominated and understand something through enculturation

process. In this criteria, they do something not only to know but they also

understand well.

2. They who classified and still involved in researching activity.

3. They who have enough time to ask the information.

4. They who do not tend to reveal some information as the result of their

own package.

5. They whom at the beginning identified “stage enough” to researcher. So

they can be kind of teacher or resourcer.

Since the population of grade eight SMPN 7Rejang Lebong is too

large, the researcher takes the sample of the research by selecting sample and

applies cluster sampling technique. Best said :

“Cluster sample is a variation of a simple random sample, particularly

appropriate when the population of interest in infinite, where a list of
the members of the population does not exist, or when geographic
distribution of the individuals is widely scattered”.

Because of the population is too large, according to Suharsismi, if the

population is less than 100, it is better to be taken all of them so the research

is called a population research. If the population is too large, it can be taken

between 10-15% or 20-25% or more based on the researcher ability being

seen from the time, financial, etc. to apply technique, the writer takes 10%

student from all the population randomly. So the total sample of population

are 24, it takes from 240 students of grade eight of SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong.

C. Technique for collecting data

The data of the research will be collected by:

1. Observation

20
 The researcher directly observe the field of research to see the

implementation of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) in SMPN 7

Rejang Lebong. As we know that observation is to observe event, movement,

or process.31 The researcher follows the activities of teaching and learning

process to observe the situation of field research directly. Based on setyadi,

there are some advantages in using observation, are: 1) in research will be

able to find the real condition of an activity; 2) in order to get more accurate

of the data; 3) the researcher can choose an appropriate data.32

The aim of this direct observation is to know the situation that will be

studied or as a field of the research. Arikunto states “direct observation

method is one of the methods where an observer in collecting the data does

direct observation, for certainly activity to the subject observed”. 33 In this

research, the researcher also do as the informant or participant do in the

activity of teaching learning with using DRTA. With this method, the

researcher will get the complete data.

In this research, the researcher has done pre-observation to know the

general description about this technique. The researcher use the fieldnote and

interview guide as the instrument of the research.

2. Interview

According to Sudjana, “Interview is a dialogue done from interviewer

to get some information by interview”.34 The researcher will do the interview

31
Suharsimi Arikunto. Procedure penelitian suatu pendekatan praktek, (Jakarta: Rineka
Cipta),p.233
32
Bambang Setyadi Ag. Metode Penelitian Untuk Pengajaran Bahasa Asing (Pendekatan
kualitatif dan kuantitatif), (Graha Ilmu: Yogyakarta. 2006), p.240
33
Heriyanto, Developing students’ writing ability by using WH-questions based on the
pictures (A case study at MAN 2 Curup), Thesis of STAIN Curup.2006.p.15
34
Sudjana. Op.Cit.p.149

21
 to two or more students in SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong, and the interview is

about the implementation of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) in

English class. The purpose of the interview is to find out the benefit of using

this strategy in their reading comprehension.

The interview will need a draft to guide, so that the researcher can

interview them structurally and clearly based on the interview guide.

D. Instrument of the research

a. Field notes

According to Lexy J. Moeloeng in Heriyanto, field notes is the

written notes what can be heard, seen, and thought in data collecting and

reflection towards the data in qualitative research. 35 It is contain

descriptive and reflective aspects. Field notes used by the researcher to

observe what researcher has seen, heard, and experienced and thought

about during an observation session.

In this observation, the researcher always writes the field notes

during the observation until the finish of collecting the data. So that, the

researcher has a complete record of the Directed Reading Thinking

Activity (DRTA) in SMPN 7 Rejang Lebong. The format of the field

notes will be:

Table 1.3

Steps of DRTA
No Description Implementation of DRTA
(Rudell,2001)
1 Preparation for Teacher activates students’
prior knowledge related to
the story, introduces
35
Heriyanto, Developing students’ writing ability by using WH-questions based on the
pictures (A case study at MAN 2 Curup), Thesis of STAIN Curup.2006.p.17

22
 reading vocabulary and concepts,
and builds interest and
motivation to read the
selection
2 Guided silent The teacher provides a
purposes-setting statement
reading or question to guide
students' reading.

3 Comprehension This should always start

with the purpose-setting
development and question or questions used
in the first step followed by
discussion a discussion question that
promotes a more in-depth
understanding of story
characters, story plot, or
story concepts
4 Purposeful reading The teacher gives students
frequent opportunities for
oral reading after they have
read the text silently. It
often occurs spontaneously
as children support the
answer to the question
5 Follow up This skill involved may
include word analysis,
activities and skill vocabulary, comprehension,
literature concepts, or
extension writing development.

b. Interview guide

To interview the participants, the researcher need an interview

guide to make the interview run well and easier to collect the data from

23
 interview guide which is consist of some questions. The interview guide

will be:

No Indicator Questions Answers

1 4.4 Capture the meaning of What do you know about

personal invitations and invitation and
congratulations (greeting congratulation?
cards), very short and
simple.

2 4.5 Composing written text How is your ability in

of personal invitations and composing the written text
congratulations (greeting of personal invitations and
cards), very short and congratulations (greeting
simple, taking into account cards) after learning by
social functions, text applying DRTA?
structure, and linguistic
elements that are correct
What do you know about
and in context.
account social functions,
text structure, and linguistic
elements of personal
invitations and
congratulations (greeting
cards)?

How do you write

invitations and
congratulations (greeting
cards)?

3 4.6 Compiling oral and How is your ability in

written texts to state and compiling oral and written

24
 inquire about the existence texts to state and inquire
of an indefinite number of about the existence of an
people, objects, animals, indefinite number of people,
taking into account social objects, and animals after
functions, text structures, learning by applying
and linguistic elements that DRTA?
are correct and in context

What do you know about

definite and indefinite
numbers?

4 4.11 Capturing meaning in What is descriptive text?

oral and written descriptive
How is your ability to
texts, short and simple.
capture meaning in oral and
written descriptive text after
learning by applying
DRTA?

5 4.12 Compiling oral and How is your ability in

written descriptive texts, compiling oral and written
short and simple, about descriptive texts after
people, animals and objects, learning by applying
taking into account social DRTA?
functions, text structures,
and linguistic elements that
What do you know about
are correct and in context.
social functions, text
structures, and linguistic
elements of descriptive
texts?

25
 How do you write
descriptive texts?

6 4.13 Compiling oral and How is your ability in

written texts to state and compiling oral and written
inquire about actions / texts to state and inquire
events that were carried about past actions/events
out / happened in the past, after learning by applying
taking into account social DRTA?
functions, text structures,
and linguistic elements that
What do you know about
are correct and in context
account social functions,
text structure, and linguistic
elements of texts about past
events?

How do you write actions /

events that were carried
out / happened in the past?

7 4.14 Capturing the meaning How is your ability in

of oral and written recount capturing the meaning of
text, short and simple, about oral and written recount text
activities, incidents, events. after learning by applying
DRTA?

What do you know about

recount text?

8 4.15 Compiling oral and Please tell me about your

26
 written recount texts, short experience!
and simple, about activities,
incidents, events, taking into
How do you write recount
account social functions,
texts?
text structure, and linguistic
elements that are correct
and in context.
9 4.16 Capture the meaning of How is your ability in
short messages and capturing the meaning of
announcements / short messages and
notifications, very short and announcements/notifications
simple. after learning by applying
DRTA?

10 4.17 Compiling written text How do you write short

of short messages and messages and
announcements / announcements /
notifications, very short and notification?
simple, taking into account
social functions, text
structure, and language
elements that are correct
and in context.
11 3.14 Understanding the What do you know about
social function, text narrative text?
structure, and linguistic
elements of a narrative text
in the form of a fable,
according to the context of
its use
12 4.18 Capturing the meaning How is your ability in

27
 of oral and written narrative capturing the meaning of
text, in the form of a short oral and written narrative
and simple fable text (in short and simple
fable) after learning by
applying DRTA?

13 3.15 Understand the social What do you know about

functions and linguistic the social functions and
elements in the message linguistic elements in the
song in the song. message covered in the
song?

14 4.19 Capturing the meaning How is your ability in

of the song. capturing the meaning of the
song after learning by
applying DRTA?

28