RESECH OF THESIS

THE INFLUENCE OF DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE TOWARDS THE STUDENTS

READING ABILITY AT THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMPN 20 TELUK

KEMBANG JAMBU KABUPATEN TEBO

Written by:

NUR ALI

NIM: 090386

TARBIYAH FACULTY

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

THE STATE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES SULTHAN THAHA SAIFUDDIN

JAMBI

2012

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. The Background of Study

Language is a means of communication. Therefore the mastering of English is something

which is very essential for everybody who wants to increase his or her knowledge and

technology. English is an international language, almost people from all over the world use

English for their communication that is why English is very important language. People use the

language to express their emotions, feelings, and ideas. No one will be able to communicate

internationally without using English since almost of scientific books are written in English. For

that reason in Indonesia, English is the foreign language taught at the formal schools.

Furthermore, the teaching of the language starts from the kindergarten.

English as a subject matter in school covers the four basic language skill: reading,

speaking, writing and listening. In every subject, students learning activities involve reading.

Reading is one of the complex ways in learning English. It is kind of activity to comprehend the

writer’s idea or the way the writer communicates with the readers by way of the written or

printed words. Reading is important for everybody in order to cope with new knowledge in the

changing world of technological age.

The reading skill becomes very important in education field, students need to be

exercised and trained in order to have a good reading skill. Reading is also something crucial and

indispensable for the students, because the success of their study defends on the greater of their

ability to read.

If their reading is poor they are very likely to fail in their study or at least they will have

difficulty in making progress. On the other hand, if they have good ability in reading, they will

have a better chance to success in their study. Reading is the process of constructing meaning

trough dynamic interaction among readers in written language, in line with the reading situation.

It is clear that, reading is an important activity in any language class, not only as the source of

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information and pleasure but also as a means of consolidating and extending one’s knowledge of

a language.

Reading is the most emphasized in English teaching and learning process, quite simply,

without solid reading second language readers cannot perform at levels they must succeed in

reading. Thus, reading is not passive but rather an active process, involving the reader in ongoing

interaction with the text .Furthermore; reading constantly involves guessing, predicting, checking

and comprehending.

Reading is form of non verbal communication. Reading enables students to understand

and comprehend language through form like text passage. But some students thought that

reading is perhaps the most difficulty language skill to learn. However, in Indonesia the

difficulties in mastering English are influenced by many factors, one of them is reading.

Teaching reading for junior high school students must be differed from children in

elementary school because of their different characteristic of psychological background. Peer

approvals maybe considerably more important for the student than the attention of the teacher

which, for younger children is so crucial. It is important for considering their classmates as the

motivation in deep learning of improving teaching learning process of reading.

Students must be encouraged to respond the text and situation with their own thoughts

and experience, rather than just answering question and doing abstract activities. English teacher

must give them tasks which they are able to do, rather than humiliating risk

As we know the four skill of language consist of reading, listening, speaking and writing

which should be learned by students’. Those language skill are found in school curriculum. The

curriculum of junior high school states that learning English in junior high school consist of

reading, listening, speaking and writing should be taught with integrated.

In Indonesia, not all of the citizen can speak English, although English already studied by

Indonesian people from kindergartens until university, but English is uses just for formal

occasion not in informal occasion that cause only a few Indonesian people can speak English

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The Indonesians students start learning English at the elementary school as the local

content and the process continues at Senior High School and university .In fact, now, English is

also taught in some kindergartens.

The pupils are introduced to some English vocabularies. In addition to learning the

language in formal education as mentioned above, people also learn it in non-formal education

English courses and private lessons are the examples of non-formal education. .This indicates the

failure of teaching English in Junior High School in Indonesia is not successful. It can be seen

from the quality of SMP graduates mastery of English.

In Indonesia, some English teachers still use traditional or conventional method to teach

reading. Conventional method usually makes students bored because the method is monotonous

and the students are not or discussion active, so it makes the learners get bored. One of the ways

to make the teaching reading effective is making the student active. So they enjoy learning and

they can improve their reading skill.

Classroom is a small part of school environment; the classroom is top school activities.

Whether or not an education program succeeded, it is started from the classroom. The successful

teaching learning process is influenced by many factors, namely environment, teachers, pupil

and teaching learning process in the classroom, tools and situation of the evaluation. Classes

always consist of good students and weak students. These weak students sit in isolation as they

lose confidence in their ability in learn English. Working in group, therefore, is believed to help

solve the problem. Shy students who don’t like speak in large class are more comportable

speaking out in smaller group. Group members can complement each another strength and

weakness in English each students has different background and ability in English, which they

can bring to the group.

The English teachers are often faced with problem of students having good decoding skill

but inadequate comprehension skill; they need to be able to successfully train students to use

good technique, which provide students with the opportunity to reveal their independently-

generated copying technique, thus, ensuring internalization of strategies, as well as sharing those

techniques with other reader.

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Language strategies are steps taken by students to enhance their own learning. Strategies

are especially important for language learning because they are tool for competence. Appropriate

language learning strategies result in improved proficiency active, self-directed involvement,

which essential for developing communicative and greater self confidence.

When the teacher uses the traditional setting, or model, they begin with an objective and

presents primary instructions to the class. Primary instruction is mostly presented in the form of

lecturers, text book readings, teacher-lie discussion or possible combination of any of these

procedures. The traditional setting is just with rows of desks and teacher’s desk at front.

Many researchers have been interested in doing research to investigate appropriate

reading strategies to help students have better understanding when they read. Many reading

methods have been used in classroom alternately. The result shows that some are successful with

particular group students but some are not. Actually, what should be taken into consideration

now is the way the knowledge is presented. As we know, teacher center approaches taking place

in tradition classroom do not produce active recipients and results fossilized language learning. It

is not effective enough to promote language acquisition.

During the past decade, new approach called discussion technique seemed to attract a lot

of attention and become popular. This conceptual approach is based on theoretical framework

that provides general principle on how to structure learning activities in a teacher’s specific

subject area, curriculum, student and setting. Teacher can use this approach to stimulate students

to acquire the knowledge as well as create inter personal and team skill. Working in group,

therefore, is believed to help the problem. Discussion technique exposes students to various

points of view and to the ways of supporting those viewpoints; therefore, it helps students to

learn the reading content, as well as teaches them how to know new content. Discussion

technique also can help the students, with or without teacher presence, actively bring meaning to

the written word. The technique chosen not only promotes reading comprehension but also

provides opportunities for students to learn to monitor their own learning and thinking.

Discussion technique has recently been at the focus of educational research. Discussion

technique is very simple to apply. It is observes that discussion technique effects increasing the

academic success in addition to the social and intellectual abilities of the students. Various

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research have shown that especially at the primary, secondary and university level that

discussion technique is effective in learning process of theoretical course, in the development of

critical thinking process of students, not only in their ability to express themselves, but also in

their communication skill. In discussion technique, student may enjoy from time to time getting

away from the usual pattern of reading the story or article aloud at sight.1

This is particular true of better readers; what may be undesirable as routine procedure

has real value as an occasional variation. By seeing the problem, it is important that study

English especially reading should be done. The writer hope there will be an improvement in

teaching of English.

At SMP N Teluk Kembnag Jambu Kabupaten Tebo, English subject is taught aside from

the other subject. Many reading methods have been used in teaching English in classroom

alternately. The result show that some are successful with some students but some are not.

Traditionally, the teacher uses the traditional setting, or model, the teacher doesn’t need to divide

his students into small groups, he just discussed the lesson in large group or in classroom setting.

Students have only a little chance to express their opinion because the teacher speaks all the

time. They get knowledge just from the teacher’s explanation. The students focus all attention

upon the teacher and discourage communication among students. All that they have to do is just

listen their teacher and make notes for useful information. This strategy is a strategy without

group’s work. The students only receive the knowledge from their teacher: they don’t explore the

knowledge themselves.

Based on the background above, the writer tries to raise the case of her thesis en title:

THE INFLUENCE OF DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE TOWARDS THE STUDENTS’

READING ABILITY AT THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMPN 20 TELUK

KEMBANG JAMBU KABUPATEN TEBO

B. The Identification of Problem

The problem that is going to be discussed in this study is as follows:

Are the students interested in discussion technique?

1 Danim Sudarwan ( Frofesionalisasi Dan Etika Profsi Guru. ALFABETA, 2010) p. 189

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Do the students become more active in reading?

Is it easier to understand the reading passage after discussion technique activities?

How are any influence of discussion technique on students’ reading ability?

C. The Limitation of Problem.

Not all the problem identified in identification of problem could be solved in this

discussion. But to make the research more concentrated and get to the focus and due to the

limitation of his time and theoretical knowledge, the writer limits the problem mainly on

influence of discussion Technique on Students Reading Ability at The Eighth Grade Students of

SMP N 20 Teluk Kembna Jambu Kabupaten Tebo.

D. The Formulation of Problem

Referring the limitation of problem above can be formulated the problem as follows, Is

there any influence of discussion technique on students’ reading ability in the eighth grade

students of SMP N 20 Teluk Kembang Jambu Kabupaten Tebo?

E. The Benefit of the Study

The benefits of research are as follows:

1. for the students:

The research intends influence of discussion technique in teaching reading

comprehension will give good impact to the students. Students can optimize their reading ability

and more motivate in learning English.

2. for the teachers:

The result is expected to be useful for the writer herself and for the entire English teacher

who might use this technique when they teach reading. The teacher should plan their teaching

program.

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3. for SLTP N 20 Teluk Kembang Jambu Kabupaten Tebo

The school should give the media and also complete the facility in order to make better

progress achievement of English and make teaching learning more effective

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL DESCRIPTION, FRAMEWORK OF THINKING, AND HYPOTHESIS

A. Reading Comprehension

1. The Definition of Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is process in which the reader has to decide linguistic symbol

and reconstruct them up to meaningful whole intended by the writer .reading comprehension is

only a term referring to reading skill through the important thing is not on the pronouncing or

load reading, but it is the understanding taken into consideration. Comprehension includes

recognizing and understanding a main idea and related details. A good recognized that many

ideas are implied and he must read between the lines to get the full meaning.2

Reading comprehension is a complex process which comprises the successful or

unsuccessful use of many abilities .When we read, we should be able to recall information

afterwards. Meanwhile, according to Jannette Klingner “Reading comparison is the process of

constructing meaning by coordinating a number of complex processes that include word reading,

word and word knowledge, and fluency3

In reading their subject text books students frequently meet unknown words or phrases.

For example, scanning heading and sub–heading, and skimming through text, can give an

overview and set the scene. Using the index to a book and finding a word’s initial occurrence

could often lead to finding definition or explanation

2 Huebener, Teaching English as a Foreign Language,(Graham Ilmu Yogyakarta ,2006)p.67

3 Parson. P.David and Johnson, D.Dale .Teaching Reading Comprehension (Company,2008) p.8

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The amount of information gained in reading will vary greatly defending on several

factors. One of the reasons for reading .if you only want to find a particular fact, such as a date,

name, or place, at would be silly to begin at the opening of a book and study the whole thing

carefully.

On the other hand, if you want to have a very complete understanding of a topic, you will

not get it by skimming over the book quickly and superficially.

For most reading purposes your best approach will be somewhere between quick

skimming and a total, all-out effort to completely master the material. That means you have to

decide in each case how slowly and carefully to read. We usually do so without thinking about

the process of deciding on an approach .for example. Think about how you approach the

telephone book. You don’t usually spend time deciding whether to skim, scan, read, or study it.

You go ahead and scan it. Looking for the one number you want .however, if you didn’t already

know the telephone book was organized you would have to pay some attention to how to find

what you wanted. In many cases when you begin looking at a new book, you do need to spend a

moment examining it and deciding how to proceed.4

It may help to understand the comprehension process if you at it the way many experts in

reading does. They often talk about three levels of comprehension. Each level involves more of

an active role on the part of the reader.

Literal comprehension. This level of comprehension represents the minimum of

involvement on the part of the reader. It is the simple understanding of the words and ideas of

author. The author’s massage is received but not examined, evaluated, or utilized in any way.

Interpretive comprehension. At this level the reader not only knows what the author said but

goes beyond that simple knowledge. it involves an effort to grasp relationship, compare facts

with personal experiences, understand sequences .see cause and effect relationship, and generally

interpret the massage. It requires a more active participation on the part of the reader.Applied

comprehension at this level reader does more than merely receiving and interpreting the

massage. The reader evaluates the author’s ideas, either accepting or rejecting them or applying

then to some new situation.

4 Arifin Anwar ‘’ ILMU KOMUNIKASI’’ (Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada 2006) p.9

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Generally the emphasis at this level of comprehension is on actively bringing the reader’s

general understanding to bear on the ideas and Concepts contained in the reading passage. The

synthesis is necessary for higher comprehension, especially on difficult material.

Reading comprehension is viewed as a process subject to the same constraints as human

memory and problem solving. It seems to involve language, motivation, concept development,

the whole of experience itself. It seems to be subject to the same constrain as thinking, reasoning

and problem solving. Reading comprehension involves taking meaning to a text in order to

obtain meaning from text. The ability to comprehend printed or written material, however

involves much more than recognizing words, knowing, their appropriate meaning, and reading

phrases and sentences. Reading comprehension is a complex process involving many different

types of higher level thinking skills.” Compressions frequently mentioned in cognitive and

educational psychology, as well as, of course, the pedagogical literature. There is often an

assumption in the literature that is the goal of the reading process.5

A focus on comprehension is in line with our feeling that this is what reading to getting

information from written texts. And there is no doubt that our monitoring of our own reading

comprehension is of major importance. Judgments that we have not understood a text may well

leave us unsatisfied, or lead us to re-read it, or perhaps reject it in disgust.

Perhaps the most appropriate generalization for this section is; comprehension is easier if

we can read the words accurately and automatically, but reading the words is easier when we can

understand the message.

2. The Purpose of Reading

The reader’s purpose plays an important part in determining the kind of reading they do.

Different persons may read the same book in different ways, because their purposes vary. The

readers establish their purposes by thinking and by asking question about what they plan to read.

Comprehension and speed vary according to the reader’s purpose.6

It is important to read with purpose. It helps to understand more what is read by people.

As we know that the purpose of reading is to get the meaning from the written symbol. One of

5 Silberstein, Dobson, Clarke ‘’ Reader’s Choice’’(The University Of Michigan 2008) p. 146 Ibid. p. 16

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the most important tasks on the reader is to find out what the writer said. There are two basic

purpose of reading ability.

a. Reading for information. It is reading to study for goal such as to obtain factual information

and solve problem

b. Reading for pleasure. It is reading for enjoyment which may vary in to follow our

favorite’ sport, comics, article, fairy tale and movie program

3. The Type of Reading

A good reader uses many different pattern of reading. Each involves the use of variety of

skills and attitudes, the pattern used depends upon the type and complexity of the reading

material, the purpose for reading, and the reader’s familiarity with the kind of idea expressed.

Reading lesson maybe given in single class or it may be added as supplementary work.

Whether it is given as a single lesson or a supplementary work, the material of reading must be

graded defending on the level of the language learners; there are different types of reading:

choral, silent, intensive, extensive, and supplement reading”

Choral reading

Even though choral reading is relatively uncommon in modern language classes, this type

of reading is still important in improving learner’s pronunciation. Working in-groups will make

language learners feel confident to pronounce words in this method. This technique is really

helpful for language learners who are reluctant and shy to imitate the teacher’ expressions

individually

Silent reading

After language learners learn the words and expression and know how to pronounce

them, the actual reading can begin. This can be done through silent reading. Silent reading can be

with reading aloud by the teacher.

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The teacher’s reading is a model in accuracy an expressiveness it is secured by a happy

combination of reading aloud reading by learners. To check whether the learners rest them by

giving questions based on the text, by translation or by summarizing the text

Intensive reading

As the term indicated, each vocabulary and structural item is explained and made as part’

of the student’s active language, pronunciation and intonation one stressed and each concept of

allusion is clarified.

Intensive reading where the students are expected to read short passage and understand

everything. Reading passage can be used for consolidating structure and vocabulary as a

springboard for other classroom activities, to increase pupil’s passive vocabulary and for

pleasure.

Extensive reading

Comprehension students are trained to comprehend or to understand the meaning or

concept from a passage silently without teacher’s help beside it, extensive reading where the

students read to understanding every word.

Supplementary reading

Supplementary reading is also done out of class. Language earners are free to choose

reading material .reading materials may consist of newspapers, bulletins or magazines in the

target language. Supplementary reading should be a part of the term work. Every language

learners should be required to read at least one book in the target language. Again the teacher

should give score to the work of supplementary reading.

B. Discussion Technique

1. The Definition of Discussion Technique

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` ‘’Discussion technique or group learning is an instructional strategy which organizes

students into small groups so that they can work to gather to maximize their own and each

other’s learning.7.

According to Barker, ‘’Discussion technique is three or more people interacting face to

face, with or without an assigned leader in such a way that each person influences, and is

influenced by another person in the group”8

From several references the writer pointed out discussion technique is design that

provides opportunity for Discussion between teacher and students, and students to students. It is

strategies that centre a shared conversation discussions and exchange of ideas in class. It gives

opportunity for all to sit and listen, as well as talk and think, thus, emphasizing the process of ‘’

coming to know ‘’ as valuable as ‘’ knowing the right answers.

Begin small group discussion by focusing students’ attention on specific language tasks that are

represented in the curriculum. Give students structured interview guides that describe learning

scenarios and ask students question about what they are due to complete the task. Students can

share responses in their groups and discuss why they believe certain techniques are more helpful.

Within a group, students may disagree on the usefulness of strategies. This activity can also be

done as warm-up at the beginning of class, present students with a single learning scenario that

they will have in class and ask them to share and discuss their strategies for copying with the

situation.

Discussion technique is structured and focused to make sure that learning is taking place.

The teacher chooses the groups to reflect a diversity of viewpoint, abilities, gender and other

characteristic. Discussion technique create the classroom community which involves students in

a kind of interdependence whereby responsible for different aspect of content and teaching in

other members of group. The group work is not complete until its entire member has masters the

content. Furthermore, individual learning is reinforced as a result of explaining the content to

others.

7 Dale. Wolf ‘’ Speech Communication Made simple’’ (Miami-Dade College 2006)p. 618 Retrieved on http ./www/dynamic flight method, page last update on April 11– 2012

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Another definition come from Kenneth Gangel, she defines” Discussion technique is a

motivational technique which encourages a student to think through concept which has been

hazy”

Another definition come from Mayflor Markusic ‘’Discussion technique or group

learning is an instructional strategy which organizes students into small groups so that they can

work to gather to maximize their own and each other’s learning.

2. The Principle of Discussion Technique

Discussion technique more than just putting students into group and asking them to do

the task, there are some principles to differentiate between Discussion technique and traditional

classroom activity. The basic elements should be applied by the teacher in implementing

Discussion technique. The following are the five basic elements of discussion technique.

Johnson and Holubec proposed five essential elements of principles of discussion

technique. The five essential elements are as follow; positive interdependence, promotion

interaction, individual accountability, social skill, group processing

1. Positive Interdependence

In cooperative learning teacher creates a situation in which student work together in a

small group to maximize the learning of all members, sharing their resources, providing mutual

support, and celebrating their join success, and to makes students feel need help each other.

One learner are linked with others, it’s mean the success of one learner is dependent on

the success of other learners. Within every cooperative lesson, positive goal interdependence

must be established. Learn the assigned material and make sure that all members of your group

learn the assigned material. In order to strengthen positive interdependence by achieve the goal;

join reward, divided resources, and complementary roles.

2. Face- to-Face Interaction

Once teachers establish positive interdependence, they need to maximize the opportunity

for students to promote each other’s success by helping, assisting, supporting, encouraging, and

praising each other’s efforts to learn. Face to face interaction demand the learner in group can

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face to face each other so they can do the dialogue, not only with teacher but also with other

learners.

This interaction make possible to the learner can be learning of resource so learning of

resource can be more variation. There are cognitive activities and interpersonal dynamics that

only occur when student get involved in promoting each other’s learning.

These include orally explaining how to solve problems, discussing the nature of the

concepts being learned, teaching one’s knowledge to classmates, and connecting present with

past learning. Social modeling, social support, and interpersonal rewards all increase as the face

to face interaction among group members increase.

3 .Individual and Group Accountability

Individual accountability exists when the performance of each individual student is

assessed and the results are given back to the group and the individual. It is important that the

group members know who needs more assistance, support, and encouragement in completing the

assignment. it is also important that the members know that they cannot” hitchhike” on the work

of others. The purpose of cooperative learning group is to make each member a stronger

individual in his or her own right. Students learn together so that they can subsequently perform

more highly as individuals. To ensure that each member is strengthened, students are held

individually accountable to do their share of the work.9

4. Interpersonal and Small-Group Skill

Teacher must provide opportunities for group members to know each other, accept and

support each other, communicate accurately and resolve differences constructively. Contributing

to the success of a cooperative effort requires interpersonal and small group skills.

Placing socially unskilled individuals in a group and telling them to cooperate does not

guarantee that they will be able to do so effectively.

9 David Beglar. Neil Murray. Michel Rost (Contemporary Topic Pearson Education 2009 )p. 22

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Person must be taught the social skills for high-quality cooperative and be motivated to

use them. Leadership, decision making, trust-building, communication and conflict-management

skill have to be taught just as purposefully and precisely as academic skills.

5. Group Processing

Teachers must also provide opportunities for the class to assess group progress. Group

processing exist when group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and

maintaining effective working relationship.

Groups need to describe what member action is helpful and unhelpful and make decisions

about what behaviors to continue or change. Students must also be given the time and procedures

for analyzing how well their learning groups are functioning and the extent to which students are

employing their social skills to help all group members to achieve and to maintain effective

working relationships within the group

3. The Teacher Role in Discussion Technique

The role of teachers in discussion technique is very important because the success of this method

depend on the role of the teacher.

There are five roles, first is the teacher as inquirer, second is the teacher as creator, third is the

teacher as observer, the fourth is the teacher as facilitator and the teacher as change agent.”

Key elements of discussion technique teacher’s role:

1. The teacher as inquirer

Cooperative learning teachers are continually examining and questioning their belief,

values, and assumption. Examining attitudes and values held about the culturally diverse learner,

race, class, and minority language particularly important the context of teaching in a

multilingual, multiracial classroom.

2. The teacher as creator

Since the cooperative classroom is process oriented, teachers increased in effective

group work must realized that the learning environment is highly structured and well organized,

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.According Johnson “The teacher’s roles are a creator are creating the social climate, setting

goals, planning and structuring the task, establishing the physical arrangement of the classroom,

assigning materials and time”

3. The Teacher as Observer

The teacher of cooperative classroom must constantly observe how group work.

Observation replaces the traditional role of presenting information. Observation will indicate to

the teacher when group’s activities are more or less educative, when group are learning or have

become bogged down in unproductive labor. The latter condition emerges in most groups at one

time or another, as anyone knows who has participated in the work of committees. At such time,

the teacher should intervene and assist group to redirect their energies and procedures and to

redefine their goals. Facilitative intervention requires astute assessment of a group’s state, of the

interaction among group members, and of the emotional climate of the group, whether it is

supportive or not of each member’s work and thinking. Watching and listening to the student are

natural activities in every teacher’s day .Such activities can be formal and informal, planed or

unplanned. As mentioned above, observation can be formal and informal. one type of informal

methods is global observation while a more formal type is typically referred to as systematic

observation .in global observation, the teacher stand back, listening to the groups and the

teacher then records observation. The teacher of cooperative classroom must constantly observe

how group work.10

4. The teacher as facilitator

The role facilitator means that the teacher is prepared to step aside to give the learner a

more meaningful role. Effective facilities are preferred to intervene and to assist in the problem-

solving process. They support and encourage the learner’s desire to learn.

5. The teacher as change agent

“The degree of change at the teacher level is strongly related to the extent teachers

interact with one other. Demonstrations of the teachers working collaboratively are the best

encouragement for cooperation among students “

10 Littlejohn Foss (Teori Komunikasi Salemba Humanika 2009)p. 163

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4. The Procedure of Discussion Technique

The classroom organization does not deal directly with the reading process or with

materials, methods, or approaches to teaching reading comprehension, yet without good

classroom organization and classroom management, reading instruction may be totally in

effective. The writer also believe the discussion group applied to Junior high school students

still has to get more direction from the teacher. Hence, the students might have opportunity to

arrange the chairs and Tables in order to have communicative class using a discussion technique

in the class room after they get instruction from the teacher.

David Nunan points out that “setting in the classroom is important. Setting here refers to

the classroom arrangements specifying or implying the task, and it also requires consideration

whether the task is to be carried out wholly or partly in the classroom”

Robert A. Slavin, explained that to arrange an effective discussion, the group discussion

session will be divided into three parts:

Pre-discussion activities

Pre-reading activities were employed to give information about the techniques,

procedures, and steps of discussions and the reading text to discuss in groups. In this activity, the

teacher gives an example of reading text to discussion in groups and some questions The

duration of this activity is 5 minutes.

Whilst discussion activities

In whilst reading activities, the students read and do the small group discussion about tee

reading text, answering the questions that was given by the teacher, report their own discussion

on the piece of paper that was provided by the teacher, and present the result of their discussion

in their own group first and to other groups in panel discussion, while other member of groups

may debate, clarify, give opinion, and criticize.

During whilst discussion activities, the teacher should observe the groups discussion to

make sure that all members of group participate in their own discussions. The time of group

discussion is 15 minutes and panel discussion is 30 minutes.

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Post discussion activities

The post discussion activities the teacher collects the works of group discussion, the

teacher comments the group discussions and giving the reward (score) to each group and

members of group who participate in discussions, the teacher may give some corrections if any,

and the teacher may give several oral questions to members of group randomly.

Those activities above can be conducted in several meetings with some different reading text

to be discussed in groups. To check the students’ comprehension about the text that have

discussed, the teacher may home work to analyze a text and gives a written test/quiz

individually.

5. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Discussion Technique There are some advantages

of using Discussion technique

1. Each student has practice it in self-teaching, which is the most valuable of the entire skill

teacher can help them learn.

2. Students have can practice in peer teaching, which requires that they understand the

material at deeper level than student typically do when simply asked to produce an exam

3. Increased frequency and variety of second language practice through different types of

instructional.

4. Opportunities of students to act as resources for each, thus, assuming a more active role in

their learning.

5. Freedom for teachers to master new professional’s skill, particularly those emphasizing

communication. Implementation of Discussion technique in class not only has the

advantages but also disadvantages, such as follow:

a. It takes much time to organize the group

b. If one or two obstinate students don’t participate a whole group or two will lose out on a

piece of the text.

c. The lass situation become noisy, so the teacher needs to control the students

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d. Teacher cannot monitor all groups at once.

C. Framework of Thinking

This research has two variables. They are using Discussion technique as a free variable,

then reading comprehension as a suspended variables and an object in this research. For facilitate

this research, the writer will describe again two variables as explained before. Reading

comprehension can be defined as an active and interactive activity to produce the word mentally

and vocally and tries to understand the content of reading text. Discussion technique is a

technique in which students work in group, Discussion technique can be used in a variety of

ways for variety goals, but it is primarily used for the acquisition and presentation of a new

material, review, or informed debate.11

Based on this theory, the writer assumes that reading lesson is more effective with discussion

technique, because the students who using discussion technique get more significant in

improving in reading comprehension.

D. Hypothesis.

Hypothesis is guessing or supposition tentative statment about things we observe in order to

understand. In this paper, the hypothesis consists:

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference on students’ reading ability with and without discussion

technique. (Ho)

Alternative Hypothesis

There is significant difference on students’ reading ability with and without discussion technique

in reading comprehension. (Ha)

In accordance with the basic assumption, the writer will formulated hypothesis as follows the

students who are taught using Discussion technique can be predicted that they have ability on

reading comprehension”

11 Beglar Murray (Contemporary Topic Academik And Listening Note-Taking Skill 2009. pearson Educarion, Inc.)

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. The Objective of the Research

The purpose of this research is to find the influence of discussion technique on reading

ability at the eighth grade students of SLTP N 20 Teluk Kembang Jambu Kabupaten Tebo. The

writer hopes that using Discussion technique could be better way for the teacher in teaching

reading comprehension..

C. The Research Methodology

This research is experimental study in which the experimental class and controlled class

were conducted by the writer. In this research, the writer taught the students in experimental

class by using discussion technique and controlled class by using traditional Method.

The test to both of the class. Test was same in qualities and quantities to keep the

reliability of the research. It was given to know how effective of discussion technique toward

students’ in reading ability.

D. The Population and Sample

Population

The research population is the students at eighth grade of SLTP N 20 TELUK

KEMBANG JAMBU KABUPATEN TEBO. Thus, to get the information of the last score .The

writer got the data by giving the test in the last meeting. The total population was two classes and

consists of 80 students.

Sample

The sample in this research was taken randomly about 28 students from the population of

eighth grade students in academic year 2011-2012.The students then were classified into two

group .The first one, the students of control class who taught by traditional method .And the

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other one were the students of experimental class who were taught by discussion technique.

Each group consists of 30 students.

E. The Instrument of the Research

The instrument of this research was test of reading test which consisting of 20 questions.

They are multiple choices tests. They are divided into three categories: easy (30%), middle

(60%), and difficult (10%). Multiple choices consist of 20 items from number 1 to 20. Its scores

per item is 5, it means if the students can answer all of question correctly, they will get 100.

From the description of each test form above, we can see that the high score of this test is 100

scores.

F. The Technique of Data Collecting

In this research, the writer uses the quantitative research approach, so the technique used

to get the data which related to the teaching reading by the writer is doing test.

The writer doing the test, after six meetings in teaching reading of two classes by using

discussion technique and another by using traditional strategy . The tests which consist of 20

items are used to measure the students’ capability in reading comprehension skill.

G. The Technique of Analyzing Data

After getting the data, researcher did was computing the data in applying a t-test. The

writer used t-test for two connected sample is big sample because the sample is 28 students for

each class. The formula is used t-test or t0 in condition with big sample (N>28) is as follows.

Notes:

Mx : Mean of variable X

My : mean of variable Y

SEM _ My : Standard error of difference mean of Variable X and Y

The writer processes and analyzes the data through the following steps:

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Investigante the work sheet of students, giving score and describe score in table

Determining mean of variable X with the formula: Mx = ∑ X N

Determining mean of variable Y with the formula:My = ∑ YN

Determining deviation score variable X with the formula Determining deviation score

variable Y with the formula Determining standard error variable X with the formula

Determining standard error variable Y with the formula Determining the differences of mean

variable X and mean variable Y with formula: After all of data are calculated ,the last procedure

is determining df (degree of freedom) with formula Df or db = (Nx + Ny)-2 Where M : The

average of student score SD : standard deviation SE : Standard errors X : Experiment class Y :

Controlled class N : Total of the students df : Degree of freedom12

12 Sugiono (Metode Penelitian Pendidikan Pendekatan kuantitatip & Kualitatip dan R&D). ALFABETA, CV. 2011)p. 117

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