CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Basic Consideration

Wilson (2007: 1) states, “Reading is the foundation for all learning”.

Students always feel bored when they asked to read book from the school and

they felt that reading as a negative experience at the school. It means that their

ability to succeed in school is compromised. It become teacher’s obligation to

make teaching learning process more effective by find what can make students to

be motivated in reading. They need to find some media to make students feel

interest to read especially in the process of teaching learning. The goal is to enjoy

reading and motivate them to read more and more. It can be by using all forms of

literature including the genre of comic literature: comic books.

Comic is widely known by the society as the “story with picture”. Based

on Scott McCould (in Grant: 2003), comic are pictures and signs or symbols that

is close-set in order to give the information or to attain aesthetic reaction from the

reader. In Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia (1990), comic is defined as a story with

picture as the combination of art and literature. Comic form is pictures in boxes

and all becoming a sequence of the story. There is aphorism said that “A Picture

means A Thousand Words”, means that comic has the induction meaning as the

media to extend the information that collaborate between words and picture.

For most people, reading comic is fun. Children and adults read it in

leeway. Like a food, comic come as a snack to flirt people. As language picture,

comic always make Semitists and linguists feel interest to examine it. There are

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some people have expressed what they are thinking about comic in books such as

Scott McCloud in ‘Understanding Comic: the Invisible Art’; Maurice Horn in

‘World Encyclopedia of Comics’; Frederik L. Schodt in ‘Manga!Manga!The

World of Japanese Comic’; Thomas M. Inge in ‘Comic as Culture’ and there are

lots.

There are periodical changing the influence of comic in Indonesia by

another country. In 1930, the first publisher of Comic in Indonesia was by mass

media. In that period, there are two kinds of comics, west and east comic. West

comic is a comic with the main character were the super hero was from Europe

and US, such as “Flippie Flink” created by Clinge Doorenbos. While for East

Comic, the main character were from Asia, such as “Put on” created by Kho

Wang Gie.

Further, in 1950 west comic was still successful in Indonesia. Comic in

Indonesia were dominated by super hero from America. Such as Tarzan, Rip

Kirby, Phantom, and Johnny Hazard because of west comic rapidly developed in

Indonesia. Moreover, because of that, RA Kosasih was created “Sri Asih” which

is the super hero were adapted from Western Super hero.

However, in 1990, Japanese comic or people used to call it “Manga” came

to Indonesia and replaced the position of Local Comic and even west Comic.

People were most interested in Manga because Manga were lighthearted pictures

or in literar meaning is cute pictures. For example “Candy Candy” created by

Kyoko Mizuki and Yumiko Igarashi. After that, Manga gets the first position in

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Indonesia as the most famous Comic and even local cartoonist following to draw

cute pictures such as Manga to make a Local comic.

Not so many years ago, comic book in the school has been considered as

the enemy. People believe that comic cause juveniles delinquency and obstruct the

desire to read, imagination, and cause eyes irritation. In addition, comic accused

as the enemy of seriously reading (Dorrell, Curtis, & Rampal, 1995). Because of

this negative assumption, comic has never been found in the classroom.

In America, Richard W. Campbell brings comic in the classroom and he

integrated comic in reading program (Koenke, 1981) the result was show that

comic is useful for language lesson, focus on dialect and characterization. William

(1995) change his ESL Books which still traditional with Calvin and Hobbes

comic to teach in American Language Institute of New York University. After

that, comic gets place in Education world.

Furthermore, Bitz (2001) in his project that is called The Comic Book

Project. The project was first identified the arts is a pathway to learning at the

center for Arts Education Research (CAER). The Project is about using comic as

the education tool. In his project, students are allowed to make their own comic to

improve their writing ability. In addition, at the classroom the students are also

being allowed to read comic to motivate their interest on reading. The Project was

piloted to over 700 children at 33 After-school Corporation. Since then, the comic

book project became hosted by Teacher College, Columbia University

(http://www.comicbookproject.org/historynf.htm).

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In a research by Setagalih (2009) with the title “Merancang komik

pengetahuan pelajaran sejarah untuk usia sekolah dasar kelas V” find out that

most students like to learn by using comic 28,73% choose comic,

24,13% choose book with picture, 18,41% choose game

computer, 16,09% interact with computer and 12,64% choose

TV. In addition, Millard & Marsh (2001, In Wilson, 2009: 1) states that, “comic

books rank at or near the top of the list of student choice, but are not highly

regarded by classroom teachers”. As a result, comic is not often taught in schools.

Based on personal experience during take study at State University of

Gorontalo, especially in Faculty of Letter and Culture, English Department, the

use of comic as the media in teaching and learning English never been use,

especially in teaching reading. In English department, there only have a traditional

media that have been thought year by year, such as the use of media article, text,

novel, passage, magazine, and newspaper. This statement can also be proven by

looking at the list of student’s thesis in English department.

Whereas, there are many studies proved that the use of media comic in

teaching learning process give a significant change especially in the result of the

students achievement and students’ reading motivation. Based on studies before,

comic have been used by several people to motivate students in teaching learning

process and mostly conducted to the children. This study was aimed to find out

whether or not comic can enhance students’ motivation in reading especially to

students of University. Therefore, the survey of students’ reading motivation in

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reading English comic has conducted to the English Department students in 2009-

2010 academic years of State University of Gorontalo.

1.2 Problem Statement

“How is the Students’ Reading motivation of State University of

Gorontalo, 2009-2010 academic years in reading English Comic?”

1.3 Reason for Choosing the Topic

Similar to Novel or poem, comic is one of literary work that also needs

some attention from the educators. Comic could become a media in teaching

learning process especially in motivate students in reading. This research is aimed

to find out the students’ reading motivation in reading English comic at State

University of Gorontalo, English Department in 2009-2010 academic years

All educators also believe that reading is important. If students do not

read, do not enjoy reading, or do not see the value in reading, then the ability of

those students to understand and get the concepts in any subject is affected.

Discovering any approach that positively affects the motivation of students to read

will affect the classroom situation and the students’ it self. Therefore, based on the

important of reading, that is why the topic has been choosing.

1.4 Scope and delimitation of Study

This research is limited to survey students’ reading motivation in reading

English comic.

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1.5 The Objective of Study

The objective of this study is to describe how the students’ reading

motivation in reading English comic is.

1.6 The Significance of Study

This study was expected to find out how far the students are motivated in

reading English comic. Therefore, it can give contribution in the way of teaching

and learning process.

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CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

This chapter is going to discuss some related study about the use of comic

in order to motivate students in teaching learning process, theory of reading

motivation, what is comic, the use of comic as a media and reading motivation

relates to English comic.

2.1 Related Studies

There are many studies that have been conducted related to the use of

comic in motivate students in teaching learning process. First, Hadi (2005) with

the title “Pembelajaran Penjumlahan dan Pengurangan Pecahan dengan

Menggunakan media komik pada siswa kelas III SD Muhammadiyah Dau

Malang”. This study find out that students’ shows that with comic as the media,

students feel interested in learning, relax and they never felt strained in the term of

following the subject. Teaching process with comic as the media can motivate the

students to become more understand with the problem.

Second, Mariyanah (2005) with the title “Efektivitas Media Komik dengan

Media Gambar dalam Pembelajaran Geografi Pokok Bahasan Perhubungan dan

Pengangkutan (studi eksperimen pada siswa kelas II SMP Negeri I Pengandon

Kabupaten Kendal) find out that the use of comic more effective than the use of

pictures media. The average score of students who used comic is 8.12 and the

average score of students who used pictures media is 7.58.

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Next, Sussilowati (2006) with the title “Developing Students’ Reading

Comprehension through Comic Strip Content Interpretation” find out that student

in reading comprehension through comic content interpretation is improved.

Before applied comic strip, the students’ reading comprehension is low, their

score 47.36% while after applied comic strip the students’ reading comprehension

are improved. They could answer the question 63.89%.

Fourth, Setiowati (2007) with the title “Peningkatan Keterampilan

Membaca Nyaring Melalui Media Komik Berbahasa Jawa Pada siswa kelas VI

SD Magersari Kabupaten Rembang” showed that the use of comic is very useful

in improving students’ skill in reading aloud. It was because students are

motivated with the media.

The last, Setagalih (2009) with the title “Merancang Komik Pengetahuan

Pelajaran Sejarah untuk Usia Sekolah Dasar Kelas V” find out by using comic

that the participants were interested in learn History by using comic and increase

students’ score.

In addition, Williams (1995) from the Eric journal with the title “The

Comic Book as Course Book: Why and How” propose comic Book as Course

Book. He explains how comic books are used as instructional materials in

intensive English as a second language. He use comic because they are authentic,

highly visual, culturally current, use a constant register and contained limited

lexical phrases.

This study was based on Wilson research (2009) at Missouri State

University “A Causal Comparative Study of Students’ Reading Motivation after

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Reading Comics in the Classroom”. The research was done to the fifth graders

and the result of this study showed that there was not a significant change in the

children’s attitudes toward reading after the study. The findings would suggest

that more research is needed.

The difference between Wilson research and this study are that this study

was aimed to find out whether or not comic can enhance students’ motivation in

reading especially students of University, 2009-2010 academic years of English

Department Students at State University of Gorontalo. This study will be

constructed by giving the sample questionnaire without giving treatment because

based on first observation the sample are believed as the comic reader.

2.2 Reading Motivation

Reading is the foundation in all learning. It is the process of gaining the

information from what we read. Reading actually is a complicated activity, which

include not only pronouncing the text, but also including visual activity,

intelligence and comprehending to get the information. Students always feel

bored when they asked to read book from the school and they felt that reading as

a negative experience at the school. It means that their ability to succeed in school

is compromised.

The most important point is to make students to be motivated in reading

because Students always feel bored when they asked to read book from the school

and they feel that reading as a negative experience at the school. Wilson (2009: 5)

states, “Reading motivation, as defined in this study, is the intrinsic desire to read

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for the purposes of learning or pleasure without being required by an outside

authority to do so”. Guthrie (in Wilson, 2009:5) states that “Several aspects

contribute to students’ motivation to read, both in and out of school including:

control, self-efficiency, involvement in reading, and communications about

reading”.

Control over reading is a significant construct that determines students’

motivations for reading (Cavazos-Kottke, 2005; Edmunds & Bauserman, 2006;

Guthrie, Hoa, Wigfield, Tonks & Perencevich, 2006; McPherson 2007; Pachtman

& Wilson, 2006; Veto, 2006 in Wilson, 2009 :5). “A variety of studies document

that perceived control and choice in the later elementary grades are associated

with academic achievement in reading” (Skinner, Wellborn, & Connell, 1990;

Sweet et al.,1998 in Guthrie, 2007:284).

Students usually discuss book from the school only when they were

assigned to do so. In addition, students always discuss book that they have

selected by themselves and try to find other people who like the same book.

Edmunds and Bauserman (2006:417) discovered that “when sharing the narrative

text they were reading, 84% of the children discussed books they had selected

themselves, while only 16% discussed books that were assigned by the teachers”.

Pachtman and Wilson (in Wilson, 2009: 6) found students who were able

to choose their own reading derived more enjoyment from the experience. When

coupled with a social discussion activity, the amount of reading increased.

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2.3 What is Comic?

“A picture means thousand words” this sentence was best describe what

comic it self. Comic divided of picture to illustrate and some text in balloons to

describe the picture itself. According to McCould (in Grant: 2003), comic is

pictures and signs or symbols that is close-set in order to give the information or

to attain aesthetic reaction from the reader. The use of comic, beside gives the

information, it makes the reader feel interested. It is an ordered picture and part of

literature. In Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia (1990) also said that comic is a story

with picture as the combination of art and literature. Comic form is picture in box

and all becoming a sequence of the story. According to Sudjana and Rivai (2009)

comic define as form of cartoon that reveal the character and playing the part of

the story in sequence strongly related with the picture and was designed to

entertain the reader.

Based on definition above, it can be concluded that comic is a structure of

picture followed by the text and form a story that mostly make the reader feel

entertain to read it.

2.4 The use of Comic to Motivate

According to Gene Yang (2003) comic have five advantage if we use it in

teaching learning process, one of them is to motivate. Hutchinson (1949: 244)

found that 74% teachers thought that Comic “help to motivate”, while 79% said

that comic “improve individual participation”. In addition, one of the teachers

said that comic make “teaching learning process become easier”. This result of

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experiment showed us that comic truly could motivate students in teaching

learning process.

Comic has its own unique functions, as the media in educational system

and as media to entertain. Comic as the media in visual has its own assumption

that it can influence students in teaching learning process because it can attract the

interest and the attention of the students in terms of giving information. This is

suitable with the role of comic that is visualizing the ideas and concepts.

Moreover, the consumer of comic is a teenager and students’ in the university

(Yakti, 2001)

Comic brings the students in excitement situation so it will make the

classroom situation feeling happy (DePorter, Reardon, and Nourie, 2000). The

excitement situation in reading comic will activate the nerve of brain, so the

students can record what their read in easier. Person will read in enthusiastic if

she/he loves what she/he learns and they will feel happy if they can involve on it

(Howard Gardner, 1995, in DePorter, dkk, 2000).

The use of comic in teaching learning process has an important role to

attract the student’s motivation especially in reading. Dr. Joseph LeDoux (1994,

in DePorter, dkk, 2000), a famous scientist explained that comic is an interesting

choice as the media in teaching learning process because it will involve the

student’s emotion and will influence the memory of the students about what their

read. Moreover, most of students have a visual style in learning, means they

activate their memory trough picture (DePorter and Hernacki, 1999).

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There is also a theory from Multiple Intelligence (1983) that was

developed by Dr. Howard Gardner. He proposes eight different intelligences to

account human potential and one of them is spatial intelligence or picture smart.

Multiple Intelligence helps students to examining their potential. DePorter,

Readon, and Nourie said, “A picture is having lots of meaning than thousand

words”.

In Multiple Intelligence, there are also eight different ways in teaching

and learn anything and one of them is by using pictures or spatial intelligence.

This makes we strongly believe that the use of comic is potential in motivate

students’ on reading.

Comic can cause imagination and draw up stimulus of creative thinking.

According to Rothlein and Meinbach, Comic also can cause an appreciation in

language and improve oral communication, improve the way of thinking,

expression, and improve sensitively in art (in Hadi: 2005). Schwarz (In Wilson:

2009) said that comic literature can be used for social studies, science, math, art,

philosophy and sociology.

While according to Davis (in Hadi, 2005: 7), comic becoming an

interesting media to motivate students because:

(a) a built-in desire to learn through comics; (b) easy accessibility in daily newspaper and bookstands; (c) the novel and ingenious way in which this authentic medium depicts real-life language and “every facet of people and society”; and (d) the variety of visual and linguistic element and codes that appeal to student with different learning style.

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2.5 Reading Motivation and English Comic

It has been discussed some theories about reading motivation, what is

comic, and the use of comic in this case to motivate students in teaching learning

process. It clearly describes how comic can motivate students because comic are

visualizing the idea and the concept. Comic also cause imagination and draw up

stimulus thinking. The use of comic in teaching learning process also suitable

with the theory of Multiple Intelligent, which said that human potential in

intelligent one of them, is spatial intelligent or picture smart. Most readers of

comic are teenager because they were interested on it.

Students always feel bored when they are asked to read book, which they

not interested on it. They felt it as a negative experience. While if we allowed

them to read what they was interested on, it will motivate them to read more and

more. In addition, several aspects contribute student’s motivation in reading there

are control, self-efficacy, involvement in reading, and communications about

reading.

Perceived control over reading defines as the student’s choices or their

decisions about something. They read for pleasure and were their own choices of

what they read. Skinner (1995 in Guthrie, 2007:284) defined “control is an

individual’s causal model about how the world works: about the likely causes of

desired and undesired events, about their own role in successes and failures, about

the responsiveness of other people, institutions, and social systems”

Self-efficiency is appropriate with the readers’ need. Comic is appropriate

with the students’ need that is shown in some studies and significantly improve

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student’s motivation to read. It because they feel entertain while reading comic

and they need something new.

When students can choose what they will read, it is kind of involvement

of the students that can motivate them to read. As said before, students always

feel bored when they asked to read book from the school and they felt that

reading as a negative experience at the school. By giving them opportunity to

choose what they read, it is believed that students will have a strong motivation to

read more and more.

Students always discuss book that they have selected by themselves and

try to find another people who like the same book. In this case, the students

having communication or social interaction with other people about the story they

read. Usually, after reading comic, students who have the same interests will

discuss each other about the story they read. If they have a social interaction with

their friends, teachers and even parents, it means that they have reading

motivation.

Based on personal experience during take study at State University of

Gorontalo, in Faculty of Letter and Culture, English Department, English Comic

is the new media that never been use by the teacher in teaching learning process..

The examples of English comic are Treasure Island and Frankenstein that provide

by Regents Publishing in form of illustrated classic or comic classic. We can find

in www.onemanga.com many translated comic in English language. That is why,

It is important to investigate the students reading motivation in reading English

comic by using the theory of Guthrie (in Wilson, 2009: 5); several aspect

15

contribute students reading motivation are : control, self-efficiency, involvement

in reading, and communications about reading.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

3.1 Setting of the research

This research will use descriptive method and will be described by using

percentage and graphics based on the result of the questionnaire. The aim of using

this method is to describe how the students’ reading motivation in reading English

comic is.

3.2 Population and Sample

The sources of the data are students of 2009-2010 academic years at

English Department students of State University of Gorontalo. The Population is

190 students consist of 6 Classes. The population will comprise of students ages

18-20. The sample will be chosen in random, 123 students from 2009-2010

academic year. They have been chosen because they were in the process of taking

subject Reading 3. The sample was determining by using Nomogram Table with

95% level of confidence and 5% level of error (Sugiyono, 2009:128). By using it,

the generality error of the study will be a little bit small.

3.3 Technique of Collecting the Data

The data of this research will be collected through questionnaire. The

Questionnaire is a self-assessment, where helps the students become aware of

their attitudes. In this case, the students answer the statements on the

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questionnaire based on their experience-reading English comic. This is suitable

with the theory of the reading motivation it self. In previous part, Wilson (2009:

5) states, “Reading motivation, as defined in this study, is the desire to read for

the purposes of learning or pleasure without being required by an outside

authority to do so”.

Questionnaire is a tool to get the information trough survey. The

questionnaire in this research is some statements to reveal some data about how is

the students’ reading motivation in reading English comic. The questionnaire was

adapted from Wilson research (2009) and the indicators of each statements are

about picture and illustrations, reading motivation and enjoyment, perception

toward reading comic literature, and social interaction of reading. The advantages

of using questionnaire are efficient for researcher time, Researcher effort and

financial resources (Dornyei: 2003).

The first step will be going to do is constructing the statements in the

questionnaire based on the theory and the indicators:

Table 3.1. The statement of the questionnaire based on the indicators

No. Indicator Positive StatementsNegative

StatementsTotal

1. Pictures and Illustrations 4,7,9,14,17,19,23,20 37,40 10

2. Enjoyment and Motivation 1,2,3,13,15,26,27,28 29,38 10

3. Perception 5,6,8,11,12,18,22,24 25,31 10

4. Social Interaction 10,16,21,30,32,34,35,39 33,36 10

Total 40

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Data will be obtained by using the result of questionnaire that is

constructed in order to find how students’ reading motivation in reading English

Comic. It is use Scale Likert to score students answer and each item gives the

score:

For positive statements

5 (five) if they answer SA (strongly agree)

4 (four) if they answer A (agree)

3 (three) if they answer N (neutral)

2 (two) if they answer D (disagree)

1 (one) if they answer SD (strongly disagree).

For Negative statements

1 (one) if they answer SA (strongly agree)

2 (two) if they answer A (agree)

3 (three) if they answer N (neutral)

4 (four) if they answer D (disagree)

5 (five) if they answer SD (strongly disagree).

After that, the validity of each test item of the instrument will be check.

The validity is a condition that describes each test item of the instrument was

valid or not. The formula is:

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(Sugiyono, 2005: 213)

r = The validity of the test

n = The number of respondent

= Score for each items

= Total Score of respondent

Coleration Product Moment will do to find out validity of each item in the

instrument. The item will be concerned as valid if the rcount > r table (n = 38, α =

0.05) = 0,320. After applying Coleration Product Moment, 27 statements are

valid.

Table 3.2. the statements of the questionnaire after applying the validity test

No. Indicator Positive StatementsNegative

StatementsTotal

1. Pictures and Illustrations 6,10,14,15,18, 27 6

2. Enjoyment and Motivation 1,2,3,11,20,21 6

3. Perception 4,5,8,9,13,17,19 7

4. Social Interaction 7,12,16,22,23,24,25,26 8

Total 27

After checking the validity of each test item, it will be check and analyze

the reliability of the instrument by using Alfa:

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= Reliability of instrument

K = The number of question

= Total variants of items

= Variant total of the instrument

(Arikunto, 2002: 171)

Sugiyono (2007:216) suggested some criterion to determine of reliability,

the criteria as follows:

0.00 – 0,199 = Very low

0.20 – 0.399 = Low

0.40 – 0.5099 = Medium

0.60 – 0.799 = High

0.80 – 1.000 = Very high

After analyze the reliability of the instrument, it found that the reliability is

0.8343. It means that the instrument was categorized as very high and effective to

collect the data. Reliability is to detect if the instrument that have been choose in

this study (in this case, questionnaire using scale likert) to encompass the data is

really convince as the instrument to collect the data or not.

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3.4 Technique of Analyzing the Data

The data will be analyze, identify, and interpret the students’ reading

motivation in reading English comic from the questionnaire qualitatively and

describe it using percentage.

To determine the criteria of reading motivations’ of each students in

reading English comic, it will be use:

Minimum Score : 1 x 27 (number of statement) = 27

Maximal Score : 5 x 27 (number of statement) = 135

Interval :

: 21.6 or 22

Table 3.3. Determine the interpretation of the result of study

No Score Interval Criteria

1. 113 – 135 Highly Motivated

2. 90 – 112 Motivated

3. 67 – 89 Neutral

4. 44 – 66 Low Motivated

5. 21 – 43 Unmotivated

(Adapted from Yunus, 2008: 32)

The next step is analyzing the data. The students’ answers will be check

by scoring from 5 (five) until 1 (one). Then analyze, and calculate the score to get

the total of the score. It will be by using descriptive percentage:

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n

% = x 100

N

Note:

n: Acquired value

N : The total value

After that, analyze the criteria of each student, and describe the data for

each indicator that are Picture and Illustration, Enjoyment and Motivation,

Perception and Social interaction.

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