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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology used in this study in order

to find out the answer of the problems. In detail, it describes research method

and approach of the research, research design, procedure of the research,

technique of collecting and processing the data, reliability and validity, site of

the research and participant.

3.1 Research Method and Approach of the Research

3.1.1 Research Method

According to Burns (2000), Research is a systematic investigation to

find answers to a problem (p. 3). In this study, it needs to find out the answer

of the problems stated in chapter I. This study was to investigate the use of

Directed Reading Thinking Activity in improving students reading

comprehension on narrative text. To find out the information to answer the

problems, this study applied qualitative method.

He stated (2000), Qualitative methods attempts to capture and understand

individual definitions, descriptions and meaning of events (Burns, 2000, p.

388). This study, described the use of Directed Reading Thinking Activity in

teaching reading comprehension on narrative text. It described the process of

using this technique and also students activities to find out the students

achievement in reading on narrative text. After finishing the learning process,

this study used interview to find out the students response by using this

technique. Interview conducted to provide useful information from thestudents. It permitted the students to describe detailed personal information.

This information helps the researcher to understand the students opinion

whether the use of Directed Reading Thinking Activity in reading

comprehension on narrative text improved their reading skill or not.

3.1.2 Approach of the Research

In 2000, Burns explains Qualitative approach forms of investigation tend

to be based on a recognition of the importance of the subjective, experiential

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life word of human being (p. 11). This study was not presented as statistical

summations, but it described as the real condition of the investigation. The

approach relies on general interviews and observations. Interview used to find

out the students response and to provide in depth information on the use of

Directed Reading Thinking Activity in teaching reading comprehension on

narrative text. Meanwhile, observation used to describe the process of using

this technique and students activities to find out students achievement during

implementing this technique.

3. 2 Research Design

The research design in this study was Classroom Action Research. The

reason for choosing Classroom Action Research, because it was related to the

statement of the problem that this study applied Directed Reading Thinking

Activity to improve students reading comprehension on narrative text.

Classroom Action Research was a practical guide for the researcher who

wishes to undertake this study in the classroom for the purpose of improving

reading comprehension on narrative text. In 1993, Hopkins argues that

classroom research encouraged the researcher to make teaching more

competent and increased responsibility for action and create a more energetic

and dynamic environment in which teaching and learning process.

According to Burns (2000) he writes that Action-research is the

application of fact-finding to practical problem-solving in a social situation

with a view to improve the quality of action within it (p. 443). In (1981),

Kemmis and Grundy define action-research in education as:

A family of activities in curriculum development, professional development,school improvement programmers, and system planning and policy

development. These activities have in common the identification of strategies

of planned action which are implemented, and then systematically submitted

to observation, reflection and change. Participants in the action being

considered are integrally involved in all of these activities (Burns, 2000, p.

443).

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Meanwhile, he argues Action researchers explore a practical problem

with an aim toward developing a solution to a problem. This is a practical

guide for teacher who wishes to undertake research in the classrooms and

school for the purpose in improving practice (Creswell, 2012, p. 586-587).

This study investigated the problem of reading comprehension on narrative

text then applied technique in improving of teaching reading comprehension

on narrative text by using Directed Reading Thinking Activity.

From definition above, it assumed that Classroom Action Research was

applied for specific, practical issue and seeks to obtain solution to a problem

in this study. It was systematic procedure that used to gain information and to

improve the students reading comprehension on narrative text in senior high

school. It helps the researcher in providing opportunity to reflect her own

practices and solve the problem of reading comprehension on narrative text.

In 2012, Suyadi says that Action research was described as proceeding in a

spiral of steps which consists of planning, acting, observing, and evaluating

the result of the action. In 2006, Arikunto summarized the approach to action

research in the model shown in figure (Suyadi, 2012, p. 50).

Figure 2.1

PLAN

CYCLE 1

OBSERVE

PLAN

CYCLE 2

OBSERVE

ACTION

ACTION

REFLECT

REFLECT

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The study conducted cooperatively with an English teacher in that school

to improve the quality of teaching learning process in the class by

implementing useful practical knowledge. The teacher participated in the

observation process as observer in the class. The teacher helped the researcher

to acquire the data by commenting on the activities and procedure involved

the use of Directed Reading Thinking Activity in the class and giving

reflection as the betterment in the next cycle. The researcher herself acted out

as the observer and the teacher in the class. According to Creswell (2012),

Action researchers collaborate with other, often involving co participants in

the research. These co participants may be individuals within a school or

outside personnel such as university researchers or professional association

groups (p. 586-578). The teacher helped the researcher to collect the data and

to concept of interacting was central to understanding Directed Reading

Thinking Activity which implemented in the classroom in teaching reading

comprehension on narrative text.

This study was conducted in three cycles which consisted of three meeting

with ninety minutes duration for each meeting. The study stopped whenstudents behavior and students achievement especially in their reading

comprehension skill on narrative text was improved.

3. 3 Procedure of the Research

The researcher was conducted in three cycles in this study. There are four

different phases in each cycle, namely: plan, action, observation, and

reflection. This is the description of those phases.

CYCLE 3

PLAN

OBSERVE

ACTIONREFLECT

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1. General planPlanning is important to starting an action that researcher need to solve a

problem. The general ideas are listed here:

Teachers select narrative text. The teacher selects several sections or stopping point for prediction

and discussion.

The teacher formulates open-ended questions to provide thestudents make their predictions what will happen in the next text.

Students make their predictions based on the instruction from theteacher.

Teacher and students discuss the students prediction. Teacher asks students to provide the reason for their predictions. Teacher and students read the text to provide or revise the students

predictions.

Teacher monitors students activities. Teacher asks students to explain the meaning and information on

narrative text.

Teacher asks students to respond narrative text by answering thequestions related to the text.

2. ActionIn this phase, the researcher implements the plan of the research in the

lesson plan. There are three basic sets in using Directed Reading Thinking

Activity namely: predicting, reading and proving. This is the students

activities during implementing this technique. The teacher gives students a

text selection and asks them to read the title, sampled lines of text, and

examine the pictures to develop prediction about the text. Students make their

own predictions based on the instruction from the teacher. These activities

encourage students to use their background knowledge and critical thinking.

During these activities, teacher leads a discussion to provide the students give

reasons for their predictions. Students then read to revise or prove their

prediction. The teacher monitors students activities in the classroom. To find

out students achievement in reading comprehension, teacher asks students to

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explain the meaning and information on narrative text and to respond narrative

text by answering the questions related to the text.

3. ObservationDuring observation, participant observer give comments and suggestions

in observation sheet which cover teacher observation to find out the researcher

instruction during implementing this technique, students observation to find

out the students activities in the classroom, and filed notes to find out the

difficulties in using Directed Reading Thinking Activity in reading process.

In addition, researcher asks students to explain their respond on reading

process. Observation used to find out whether the actions improved students

reading skill or not.

4. ReflectionAfter the classroom observation, observer and researcher discuss the

lesson to evaluate one action research project. It becomes the basic of action

for improvement in the next cycle. From observation form, it found how well

the teacher organized the class. In the beginning of teaching learning progress,

it found the students responses seem to be active to answer teachers

questions. They used their prediction when teacher gave questions such as,

what do you think this story (passage, chapter, and picture selection) is going

to be about?, and what do you think a story (passage, chapter, and picture

selection) whit the title like this may be about?. Students active in learning

process during implementing this technique. Students seem carry out teacher

instructions. However, several students still found difficulties to understand

the instructions because they did not know some vocabularies. Students also

did not predict directly the propose of the text because the still unfamiliar withthe text used.

The researcher and the observer, made reflections which are related to the

teaching learning process in cycle 1. Those presented to make the

improvement of teaching program. The reflection were:

The students were not confident to be active during readingprocess. It happed because it was the first meeting so they did not

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enjoy during the teaching reading process. The teacher should

make them enjoy reading process and improve their reading skill.

The students have difficulties to make their prediction because theyseem unfamiliar with the text. The teacher should select stopping

point and guide the students to make their own prediction.

Students seem found difficulties to understand English words. Toanticipate it, the teacher suggested them to bring dictionary in the

next meeting.

3. 4 Technique of Collecting and Processing the Data

3. 4. 1 Technique of Collecting the Data

According to Creswell (2012), Qualitative data collection consist of

collecting data using forms with general, emerging questions to permit the

participant to generate responses; gathering word (text) or image (picture)

data; and collecting information from a small number of individuals or sites

(p. 205). Meanwhile, Burns (2000) stated The central data gathering

techniques of a qualitative approach are participant observation and

unstructured interview (p. 388). To collect the data in this study, the

researcher used two data collecting techniques those are observation and

interview. In order to determine the validity of the techniques used, the

researcher asked the supervisor to check whether the techniques used in this

study were really designed in accordance to the research questions of this

study or not. The researcher asked the supervisor about observation sheet and

question items of the interview used in this study. In addition, this study used

test as an instrument or deductive data in comparing the students achievementin reading comprehension on narrative text in each cycle.

The collection of data in this study will be discussed below.

1. ObservationThis study used observation forms involved in teaching and learning

process in the class. Observation used to give the researcher information about

occurred in a setting, actual behavior, and individual participant. Before the

first cycle the researcher observed the real condition in the class and looked

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for the problems faced by the students in learning reading comprehension on

narrative text. Then observation during each cycle in the class. It was used to

establish objective data concerning of events, situation, and students behavior

in the classroom. Observation consist of described researcher technique used

in the classroom, students activities, and students difficulties during the use

of Directed Reading Thinking Activity in teaching reading comprehension on

narrative text.

2. InterviewA qualitative interview was conducted in this study. It used to get further

information to complete the data from participant observation; open-ended

questions were conducted to find out how the implementation of the Directed

Reading Thinking Activity in teaching reading comprehension on narrative

text was. Then, it was conducted to confirm the findings from data gathered

through the observation. This kind of interview allowed the researcher to

focus on the crucial issues of the study. The questions allowed the participant

to create the options for responding the use of Directed Reading Thinking

Activity in reading process. In 2012, Creswell described that open-ended

interview provided useful information when the researcher will not directly

observe participants and the participants should be described detailed personal

information. The researcher also has better control over the types of

information received, because the researcher asked specific questions to elicit

the information.

3. 4. 2 Processing the Data

1. Analysis of Data from ObservationTo analyze data from observation, researcher used observation sheet

which consist of teacher observation form, students observation form, and

field notes. Teacher observation form used to describe the use of Directed

Reading Thinking Activity to improve students reading comprehension on

narrative text during the teaching and learning process in the class. Student

observation form used to find out the students activities in the classroom

during implementing this technique. Field notes focus on students difficulties

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in teaching reading process which include the observers reflection. Then the

data were interpreted to answer research questions.

2. Analysis Data from InterviewIn analyzing data from interview, the researcher transcribed the data from

interview into the written text. The researchers asked open-ended questions

and record the answers. The researcher then transcribed and types the data

into a computer file. The questions involved to find out the students respond

after teaching and learning process. The researcher used open-ended interview

which conducted in Bahasa Indonesia to make sure that it is getting valid data.

This study used several one-on-one interviews in data collection process in

which the researcher asked questions and records the answers. A one-on-one

interview was ideal for interviewing participants who was not hesitant to

speak, they shared their idea comfortably.

3. 5. Reliability and Validity

3.5.1 Reliability

According to Burns (2000) he stated that Reliability was concerned with

giving the same result consistently under the same conditions (p. 390).The

reliability of this study was established by observing and describing the

learning and the activities as detailed as possible. This study describes the use

of Directed Reading Thinking Activity in teaching reading comprehension on

narrative text. It describes the process of teaching and learning and also

describes the students achievement in reading comprehension on narrative

text by using Directed Reading Thinking Activity.

3.5.2 Validity

In order to test the validity of this study, the researcher conducting

triangulation. According to Hopkins (1993), he writes:

Triangulation involves gathering accounts of a teaching situation from three

quite different points of view; namely, those of the teacher, his pupils, and a

participant observer. Who in the triangle gathers the accounts, how they are

elicited, and how compare them, depends largely on the context. The process

of gathering accounts from there distinct standpoints has an epistemological

justification. Each point of the triangle stands in a unique epistemological

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position with respect to access to relevant data about a teaching situation. The

teacher is in the best position to gain access via introspection to his own

intentions and aims in the situation. The students are in the best position to

explain how the teachers actions influence the way they respond in the

situation. The participant observer is in the best position to collect data about

the observable features of the interaction between teachers and pupils. By

comparing his own account with account from the other two standpoints a

person at one point of the triangle has an opportunity to test and perhaps

revise it on the basis of more sufficient data (p. 111-112).

In 2012, Creswell describes that triangulation is the different data sources

to enhance the accuracy of a study. This includes collaborating evidence from

individual, type of data used in a study or method data collection.

Triangulation in this study involved gathering a teaching situation from

three quite different point of view; namely, those of the researcher, a

participant observer, and the students. The researcher used the document such

as lesson plan during implementing of Directed Reading Thing Activity in

teaching reading comprehension on narrative text. An English teacher as a

participant observer observed on the researcher when teaching in the

classroom. He collected the data about the observable features of the

interaction between researcher and students. The students explained how the

researcher actions influence the way they respond to the situation. This is the

process of collaborating evidence between the researcher, an English teacher,

and the students. This ensures that the study will be accurate because the

information draws on multiple sources. By applying triangulation, the data

was expected to have the accuracy of the data.

3.6 Site of the Research and Participants

3.6.1 Site of the Research

This study conducted in the first grade at SMAN 1 Cicalengka. The

reasons for choosing the students in the first grade at SMAN 1 Cicalengka

because it was accessible for the research when the researcher is a teacher in

PPLKs program (Program Pengalaman Lapangan Kependidikan) she wanted

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to make contribution to the institution. This school also has facilitates that

support Classroom Action Research. This is the data of students in the first

grade at SMAN 1 Cicalengka. The data conducted when the researcher looked

for detail information from the teacher.

Table 3.1

Students data in the first grade at SMAN 1 Cicalengka

Class Meal Female Number of students

X-1 21 21 42

X-2 16 27 43

X-3 18 25 43

X-4 16 27 43

X-5 22 22 44

X-6 18 24 42

X-7 17 26 43

X-8 20 24 44

X-9 19 24 43

X-10 20 24 44

Sum of the students

Meal 187 Female 244

TOTAL

431

3.6.2 Participants

One class in this senior high school was chosen as the participants in the

study because they seem to have less motivation and engagement in learning

reading especially reading comprehension on narrative text. This class was

representing the whole class in the first grade of senior high school in

academic year 2012-2013. The students in this class have difficulties in

understanding narrative text. The difficulties were apparent from observation

before conducting the study. X-6 was chosen by discussing with the English

teacher in this school. This study only investigated 20 students and used 6

students as the participants in interview. Because it related to Creswell in 2012

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that in qualitative method the data or information used in a small number of

individuals.

Table 3.2

Students code of participant

Class Student

X-6

STD. 01

STD. 02

STD. 03

STD. 04

STD. 05

STD. 06

STD. 07

STD. 08

STD. 09

STD. 10

STD. 11

STD. 12

STD. 13

STD. 14

STD. 15

STD. 16

STD. 17

STD. 18

STD. 19

STD. 20

Sum of the students

20