IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ON

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT THROUGH RECIPROCAL TEACHING

TECHNIQUE

A RESEARCH ARTICLE

BY:
CHELSY HERYUNINGSIH
NIM. F1022131068

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
TANJUNGPURA UNIVERSITY PONTIANAK
2018
IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION ON DESCRIPTIVE
TEXT THROUGH RECIPROCAL TEACHING TECHNIQUE

Chelsy Heryuningsih, Y. Gatot Sutapa Y, Wardah

English Education Study Program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty
Tanjungpura University, Pontianak
Email :[email protected]

Abstract
This research was conducted in order to solve the problem encountered in the classroom; the
students were passive in learning process, they also had difficulties to figure out the main
idea, supporting details, and determine the synonym and antonym. The method of the
research was classroom action research. The subject of this research was the tenth grade
students science V of SMA Negeri 7 Pontianak in Academic Year 2017/2018. When the
researcher applied the reciprocal teaching technique, the students began to show their
interests by actively answering the questions and enthusiasm in having their roles in learning
process. The result of this research showed that reciprocal teaching did not only improve the
students’ reading comprehension, but also the students’ interaction between the students to
students and the students to the teacher.

Key Words: Reading Comprehension, Reciprocal Teaching, Descriptive Text

INTRODUCTION
Reading comprehension becomes essential still got difficulties in figuring out the ideas on
in English, especially in senior high school, the text and supporting details, understanding
because reading comprehension takes most part reference, and determining the synonym and
during teaching and learning English. It can be antonym of words.
proved in daily activity of teaching and learning Something which is also being the problem
process, the teacher more often gives the is because of the lack of students’ excitement
students reading comprehension test rather than during teaching and learning process. For the
listening test, writing test, or speaking test. example, the students have known how to
Meanwhile, based on the syllabus of curriculum pronounce the words without knowing the
2013 of senior high school, there are some kinds meaning. The students did not have the
of texts such as descriptive text, recount text, motivation to practice the reading, some of
narrative text, explanation text, factual report students looked up the dictionary to find out the
text, biography, and hortatory exposition. Most difficult vocabulary, but the others did not really
of the test items consist of those kinds of pay attention and rather talked to their friends
reading text. It means that if the students do not for other thing. Then, the students may
understand the text, they would be difficult to understand the meaning of words, but to link
fulfill the passing grade. the word to word into the right ideas is still be
Based on the researcher’s observation at confusing for students. The students were not
SMA Negeri 7 Pontianak especially the tenth confident to ask the difficult part or the part they
grade students, regarding to the result of the have not understood yet. The passiveness of
comprehension task on descriptive text, the students during the process of learning affected
researcher found out that only few of students their ability in doing the task. In other word, the
could pass the passing grade. Some students students had the problems with their learning

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strategy and motivation. The teacher applied the class. Reciprocal teaching is designed to
conventional teaching way, in other word the enhance the students’ comprehension of text.
teacher just explained the material then gave the Reciprocal teaching is first developed by
task to the students without giving the chance to Palinscar and Brown. As said by Klinger (2001,
the students to take part actively in the process p.131) reciprocal teaching is an instruction that
learning. is developed to help students who can decode
Facing those problems, the researcher the language but have difficulty in
decided to conduct a classroom action research comprehending the text. Foster and Rotoloni
which focuses on the students’ reading (2008, p.2) define that reciprocal teaching as a
comprehension on descriptive text with the teaching method that gives students model and
purpose to improve the students’ reading prompts students thinking process on how to
comprehension especially on main idea, share their learning experience. From the two
supporting details, synonym and antonym. The idea, it can be concluded that reciprocal
technique that researcher applied was reciprocal teaching is a kind of cooperative learning which
teaching which focused on how the technique encouraging students to involved directly
improves the students’ reading comprehension during teaching and learning process.
on descriptive text especially in finding main Reciprocal teaching technique is the
idea, supporting details, determining synonym learning process by involving students directly
and antonym after conducting reciprocal that could be spur the students to be more active.
teaching technique. It is related with Taylor et al in Yen-Ju Hou
Therefore, the technique that is used in the (2015, p. 16) that reciprocal teaching (RT), is a
previous research was the same as this multiple strategy approach used for teaching
technique. The different was the way how to reading comprehension, is a technique
implement reciprocal teaching technique and considered to be effective in helping students
the purpose of implementing that technique in become active learners by reading
the process of teaching learning, however, the comprehension. It means the technique of
main purpose of this research was to improve reciprocal teaching is used to helping students
students’ reading comprehension by using to be more active in comprehending a reading
reciprocal teaching technique. text.
Reciprocal teaching was the technique There are three features of reciprocal
which stimulates the students in memorizing, teaching technique. They are scaffolding and
thinking, and motivating themselves. When explicit instruction, four main strategies, and
students predict, they stimulate prior knowledge social interaction. 1).Reciprocal teaching
to hypothesize what is going to discussed in the technique provides scaffolding through explicit
text. Predicting helps students to connect their instruction involving the modeling and
prior knowledge with new knowledge they explanation of the four strategies, independent
encounter. Generating questions helps students practice, and the application of the procedures
to discover the main ideas by identifying the of reciprocal teaching technique by the students
most important information in the text and help themselves. Graves et al (2003) have defined
them to comprehend and remember the scaffolding as an effective way to assist students
information on the text. Clarifying helps in reaching their higher ability by supporting
students to monitoring their comprehension their accompplishment for a task they could not
about the text and summarization helps them to complete by themselves. 2). Reciprocal
monitoring their fully understood about the text. teaching technique is a technique that requires
With all of the advantages of reciprocal students to work cooperatively in groups. It
teaching technique, the researcher believe that it consists of four main steps namely predicting,
helped the students to improve their reading clarifying, questions generating, and
comprehension. summarizing. Predicting encourages students to
Reciprocal teaching technique is one of the think ahead actively, they anticipate what will
techniques used by English teacher in reading come in the next. This strategy makes easier to

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see what is new and what is alredy known. The encourages students to see the text as a coherent
second is clarifaying, in this strategy the whole.
students can find any ways to solve the Beside the strength, there are also some
difficulties in comprehending the text. The third weaknesses of reciprocal teaching technique.
is generating question, it helps students to When applying reciprocal teaching, it
comprehend the text deeply. The 5W1H demanded to the students to collaborate with
questions include important information of text. each other and share the material with the
The last is summarizing, the students can teacher, it is possible that students can give
identify and integrate the text to find the wrong feedback, miscommunication or
meaning and the core of the text. 3). Social misinformation when they are discussing. Then,
interaction can be occur in applying reciprocal with a larger group, it is little hard to monitor all
teaching technique to the students. Students in of the communication among students.
group can learn with their friend by discussing, Despite there are some weaknesses of
sharing information, and peer tutoring. In reciprocal teaching technique, it also has
reciprocal teaching, the students learn to work solution to solve the problems that might be
in cooperatative groups, what strategy to use, occur in applying reciprocal teaching. The
and why to use. Students also build their own teachers can offer themselves to be asked when
understanding and reading process by learning the students have difficulties to avoid
from the social setting and thus engage in a misinformation between students. The teachers
process of transformation. can check to every groups occasionally what
Reciprocal teaching technique is one of they have disscussed. The teacher also can
the good alternative ways in teaching reading. stimulate the students’ to learn by giving the
There are some reasons why reciprocal teaching interest and up to date material, giving them
could be claimed as a good technique in helping reward for the best group, it expects students to
students to improve their reading be more serious and motivated in giving
comprehension. According to Helmes in feedback.
Yawisah (p.21) students who use reciprocal According to Klingner (2007, p.134),
teaching can improve their summaries with reciprocal teaching has four strategies. They are
practice and works independently. Then, 1). predicting, involves finding clues in the
because the students are more cognitively structure and content of the passage that might
engaged in the material, reciprocal teaching suggest what would happen next. In this
classes see fewer disruptive student behaviour. strategy, the students demanded to be active in
Reciprocal teaching has also been shown to help thinking about the topic of material. Students
students develop interpersonal communication can guess from the title or the clues of the text
skills because they must interact with other then discuss and share to their group about their
students and teacher. prediction. This strategy encourages learners to
Predicting gives students a purpose in actively think ahead. The learner predicts what
reading the new section of the text. It activates comes next in the text based on prior knowledge
the students’ prior knowledge in order to know and the content of the text. This makes students
what will come next in the text and what is on to know what information is new and what is
the author’s mind. Clarifying the students’ they already know. Predicting or guessing
difficulties makes students become familiar encourages the students’ parrticipation by
with potential comprehension blocks in the text, inviting students to invest something for their
and finally they can learn ways to dealing with reading experience. Even they are trained to
them. Generating questions from the important make prediction from the content of the text
information of the text helps students determine right after they read the title of the text. Their
between important information and detail. The prediction represent their most recent
students can be stimulated to know the new hyphotehis about the author’s aim in writing the
vocabulary by finding the synonim or antonym text. Moreover, predicting motivates students to
of words. Moreover, constructing summary discover how accurate their prediction is.

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 2). Clarifying, involves discerning when comprhenesion, particularly on descriptive text
there is a breakdown in comprehension and by using the techniques, and procedures of
taking steps to restore meaning. In this strategy, Classroom Action Research. In addition,
the students are stimulated to enrich their according to Koshy (2005, p.9) classroom
knowledge, when their friends find any word action research is about working towards
which they do not understand, the students can practical outcomes and also about creating new
define it with the synonim of word that easier to forms of understanding, since action without
be understood. The students can employ some understanding is blind, just as theory without
strategies to restore meaning; re-reading, using action is meaningless. Classroom action
the context, using their knowledge, or using a research is systematic that is carried out by
dictionary for looking the meaning. practitioners themselves and is not imposed by
3). Questions Generating, question are the others. According to Goodnough (2011, p.5)
consctructed about important information, It is insider research in the same that those
rather than about unimportant details in the text. directly involved in the situation take action to
In this questions generating, the students are improve their own practice and their
instructed to select important information from understanding of practice, while resolving
the paragraph and use the 5W+1H. They are problem. Tomal (2010, p. 10) stated “ classroom
what, who, where, when, why, and how. The action research is a systematic process of
students can ask about the the main idea, solving educational problems and making
important details, and part which they cannot improvements”. So, this method was applied to
find the answer on the passage. solve the problems that occurred in the
4). Summarizing, a summary is one or two classroom and more concerned with the
sentence statement that tells the most important improvements.
ideas contained in a paragraph or section of text. The researcher and the teacher planned to
In this strategy, the students are instructed to do an activity based on the stages, they are plan,
make the main idea and the supporting details action, observation, and reflection. Planning is
of the text in their own words. By doing this the first step about all preparation before
strategy, the students need to identify the most implement the classroom action research. It
important content of the text. It is also integrate included preparing the teaching technique
the information which indicates understanding. (reciprocal teaching), preparing lesson plan
If students are unable to summarize, it means based on the syllabus at the school (curriculum
the teacher shoul be reprocess the procedures of 2013), preparing teaching material, preparing
comprehending the text. test item, and the media which is needed. Then,
acting is the step to implementing the technique
METHOD (reciprocal teaching technique) based on the
In this research, the method that is used by lesson plan that has been made in planning step.
the researcher was Classroom Action Research Then observing step, it is the step to observe the
(CAR) that designed by Kemmis & Mc Taggart acivity of teacher and students in the acting step.
in order to improve the students’ reading The researcher observed the class situation,
comprehension particularly on descriptive text. students’ response and notes all of the activity
According to Burns (2010, p.34) a researcher and/or every action during in the classroom.
needs to take into consideration about the The last is reflecting, after doing the action and
purpose because this will be helpful to point to observation, the researcher anylize and assess
the most appropriate methods that would be the result. The teacher and the researcher made
used. According to Ferrance (2000, p.1) a conclusion and evaluation on how the
Classroom action research is a process in which technique improves the students’ reading
participants examine their own educational comprehension.
practice systematically and carefully, using the
techniques of research. It means, the researcher Tecnique of Data Collection
wanted to assess her participants’ reading

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 In this research, the researcher used several about X science V grade students of SMA
approaches to measure and collect the data; they Negeri 7 Pontianak when applying reciprocal
are observation and measurement test. Those teaching technique. The test was used to know
two techniques were applied in order to find out the improvement of every student after applied
the student1``s’ reading comprehension in reciprocal teaching technique. The test of this
learning process. The researcher observed the research is consist of 20 questions in form
students’ behavior on the implementation of multiple choice items. The test was given after
reciprocal teaching technique in reading skill. implement the reciprocal teaching technique.
The researcher observes what students’ and The test is aimed to know the students process
teacher do during the implementation of result after implementing reciprocal teaching
reciprocal teaching technique. The students technique.
have been given the test in multiple choice
form, which consist of 20 questions. The test RESEARCH FINDINGS AND
items included determining main idea, DISCUSSION
supporting details, references, antonym, Research Findings
synonym, and conclusion. The test is adapted The purpose of this research is to improve
from some books and internet. the students’ reading comprehension by using
reciprocal teaching technique. As the researcher
Tools of Data Collection has stated in chapter one, the 10th grade students
There were three tools of data collection; of SMA Negeri 7 Pontianak were identified to
Observation checklist is a note which has have a problem with their reading
several contents by put a checklist (). The comprehension of English text. In fact the
observation checklist describes the students’ students were hard to understand the text. The
activity and participation in learning process. researcher believed that reciprocal teaching
The process is when the implementation of technique could improve students’ reading
CAR, reading activity and students’ comprehension especially on descriptive text.
participation in applying reciprocal teaching In the first cycle, during dividing students
technique in reading factual report text. The in group, researcher needed more attention.
observation checklist has 14 aspects which were Then, after all of students sat well, The
done by the teacher and the students such as researcher began to explain the schematic of
responding the teacher’s greeting, answering descriptive text and selected text in descriptive
the teacher’s questions, asking questions to text through reciprocal teaching. In that
another students, and etc. The researcher situation, few students raised their hand and
analyzed all the aspects in the observation gave their idea and answered the teacher’s
checklist then described it into paragraph. The questions well, but another students just prefer
researcher described in detail the aspects which to talked to their friends for other business, did
were done and were not done in teaching another work, and some of them walked to
learning process reciprocal teaching technique. another table. Furthermore, it can be seen, most
Field notes used by the researcher to record of students did not pay attention to the
anything happened in the classroom when the researcher. Moreover, when the teacher
reciprocal teaching technique was applied. It requested to do the exercise, many of them did
included some description of classroom not do it well in their group. Only few students
condition, time management, teacher and finished it well and asked to the teacher
students interaction, and other things happen in actively. For the result of the test is described
the classroom. In the field note, the researcher below. Both the researcher and the teacher
got the data from the collaborator (the teacher) reflected what had done in this cycle. Based on
and the students’ activities in teaching and the result of observation toward teaching
learning process which was not gathered in the learning in this cycle, the students’ participation
observation checklist. The data in field note is were still low, because they had difficulties to
about additional information to the researcher find out the main idea, still confused in

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differenciate between main idea or supporting They felt enthusiastic in analyzing
details, and several students thought the descriptive text by underlining the
questions of test that was given is difficult. As important part and making note. As the
the prove, the result of some students was still result they can answer correctly.
not good and have no improvement. Some
students still needed much effort to accomplish
Discussion
the goal of technique applied. It meant that the
Reciprocal teaching technique as one of the
second cycle was waiting for being conducted.
teaching reading techniques was suitable to be
There were some problems; the first problem
implemented in English class. This technique
was about time management. The teacher did
could improve the students’ reading
not have any time to conclude all material in the
comprehension in the process of teaching
last activity because the bell had rung. The
learning English. Through this technique, the
second problem is there were some students
students could figure out the main idea, find
could do and understood the activity of
supporting details, find synonim and antonym
reciprocal teaching, it made students not
easier. When reciprocal teaching was applied in
confident. The third problem is the students
the classroom, the students showed their
were not serious when grouping, some groups
progress. In the treatment they could predict the
tended to joke.
text from the title, they could clarify the wrong
In the second cycle, the students in the
information of the text, they generated
classroom in learning process were more
questions by using 5W1H which make them
curious and silent. They sit well on their own
easier to determine the main idea and
chair. When the teacher gave apportunity to the
supporting details. By knowing the information
students to predict and ask questions, many
through 5W1H, it would help the students to
students raised their hand to give their idea and
make a good summary of the text. Based on the
ask questions related to the text. There were no
findings, reciprocal teaching has given positive
students walked to another table and talked to
effects to the students as it is proved by Ahmadi
their friends when the teacher was explaining
(2012) in his research.
the lesson. They focused and followed the
Conducting reciprocal teaching also gave
instruction from the researcher. The researcher
all students chance to be active and take their
gave the reward to the students who give their
role in the learning process in practice reading
idea related to the text and material in order to
comprehension. Therefore, all of students were
increase the students’ interest to ask, convey
free to learn and had chance to practice their
their ideas, predict, and focus to the learning.
reading comprehension. This finding was in line
The students were active in the classroom and
with Taylor et al in Yen-Ju Hou (2015, p.16).
did exercise collaboratively. Based on the Using reciprocal teaching made students
result of planning, acting and observing became more motivated in reading activity,
toward teaching learning process in cycle 2, because they could work together with their
the researcher and the teacher were satisfied friends It made them felt not pressure of the
because the effort to improve the students’ activity. It also improved students’s interaction
reading comprehension on descriptive text in the class. Students had to socialize with their
had been reached. There were many friends in the learning process and taught
improvements after applying the second students to take responsibility. It meant students
action of Classroom Action Research. got help in cooperating, taking responsibility,
There were, the students could be figure out and building leadership. Those findings were in
line with Marzano in Ahmadi (2012, p.164).
the main idea of the text easily, they also
However some students were too noisy
could differenciate which is the main idea when they had discussion group. Other groups
or supporting details. complained the situation. Furthermore, some
Then, in the classroom , students could students were passive in the class discussion. It
develop their skill in term reading skill. caused some factors, the students said that they
6
were not confident enough to their answer Based on the classroom action research
correctness. They were afraid of making result, the researcher would like to give some
mistakes. Some students also did not pay their suggestions. To the students, the researcher
attention and rather to do another subject work. hopes the students have great motivation to
To solve these problems, the researcher learn English. They also need more practice at
conducted a new action that could overcome home or school to explore their English. Then,
them. The researcher gave a reward to the best they should be creative to find the best way to
group which could work compactly, actively, learn English by themselves because each
and have good behavior. student has different style in learning. To the
The use of reciprocal teaching has English teacher, the English teacher should be
improved the students in comprehending the creative in choosing the activity of teaching and
descriptive text. Reciprocal teaching also learning. The teacher should know what
helped students in interacting with their friends students need to improve their reading
and also the teacher. In conclusion, this research comprehension. If the teacher want to use
could answer the reasearch question that the use reciprocal teaching, the teacher should consider
of reciprocal teaching technique can improve on the situation of class, so the teacher can
reading comprehension on descriptive text of manage the class well. The teacher can also
Tenth science V class of SMA Negeri 7 choose the interesting topic which can motivate
Pontianak. students more. And to the other researcher, the
other researcher who wants to do the research
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS by using reciprocal teaching technique should
Conclusion understand the reciprocal teaching technique
Referring to the discussion of the previous first. They should be able to apply reciprocal
chapter, it could be concluded that the use of stages before they explain to the students. She
reciprocal teaching was very useful in teaching also should give the model to the students.
and learning English, especially in
comprehending the text. As more details, REFERENCES
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