Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No.

2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CRITICAL READING STRATEGY

FOR IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION SKILL OF
INFORMATICS ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Fita Faridah1* dan Nur Qomaria Nawafilah2

1,2
Informatics Study Program, Islamic University of Lamongan
[email protected]

Abstrak

Membaca kritis adalah salah satu strategi untuk membantu mereka memahami sebuah teks.
Strategi membaca kritis berikut disarankan oleh Tovani untuk membantu proses membaca.
Untuk tujuan penelitian ini, survei yang cermat dilakukan terhadap literatur untuk
mengidentifikasi strategi membaca kritis yang dianggap paling penting oleh para peneliti di
bidang membaca kritis. Desain penelitian dari penelitian ini adalah penelitian tindakan kelas
(PTK). Setiap tindakan dilakukan dalam bentuk proses siklus yang mengacu pada model
Keemmis dan Mc Tanggart, yang terdiri dari empat langkah utama yaitu: merencanakan,
bertindak, mengamati tindakan, dan merefleksikan tindakan tersebut. Temuan penelitian ada 34
siswa lulus nilai membaca minimum (KKM) dan ada 4 siswa gagal mencapai KKM.
Berdasarkan hasil observasi dalam penerapan teknik Critical Reading pada siklus 2
menunjukkan bahwa partisipasi siswa mendapat 89% atau kriteria “Sangat Bagus”. Sebagian
besar siswa memiliki perhatian yang baik untuk mengikuti instruksi guru. Dapat disimpulkan
bahwa penerapan strategi Membaca Kritis dapat meningkatkan prestasi siswa dalam
pemahaman membaca dan menciptakan suasana yang menarik dan menyenangkan selama
proses belajar mengajar.
Keywords: Membaca Kritis, Pemahaman Membaca, Penelitian Tindakan Kelas

Abstract

Critical reading is one of the strategies to help them understand a text. the following critical
reading strategies are suggested by Tovani to help the reading process. For the purpose of this
study a careful survey was made of the literature to identify the critical reading strategies that
are considered most important by researchers in the field of critical reading. The research design
of this study was classroom action research (CAR). Each action was conducted in the form of
cyclical process referred to Keemmis’ and Mc Tanggart’s model, which comprises four main
steps namely: planning, acting, observation the action, and reflecting on the action. The findings
of the research there were 34 students passed the minimum reading score (KKM) and there were
4 students failed reach the KKM. Based on the result of observation in the implementation of
Critical Reading technique in cycle 2 showed that the students’ participation got 89% or “Very
Good” criterion. Most of the students have good attention to follow the teacher’s instruction. It
can be concluded that the implementation of Critical Reading strategy can improve students’
achievement in reading comprehension and create an attractive and joyful atmosphere during
teaching and learning process.
Kata Kunci: Critical Reading, Reading Comprehension, Classroom Action Research.

65
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

I. INTRODUCTION There are many ways to help

In language learning and teaching, students understand a passage. Critical
especially English, reading skills are reading is one of the strategies to help
essential to be taught. According to Chall them understand a text. Critical reading is
and Stahl (2008), students need reading the way of getting information and ideas
skills to learn facts and concepts in social within a text (Kurland, 2000). In other
studies, science, and other subjects. In words, it is a kind of reading strategies
other words, reading proficiency is for comprehending a text. It is chosen
necessary for success in all academic because there are some findings show
subjects (Strang: 1967). Reading has an that the Critical Reading Strategies gives
important role in learning English, a significant effect to some learning
reading needs to be trained in foreign activities (Meraj and Maryam Talebi,
language learners because reading can 2015; Hosseini, 2012; and Akin et al,
obtain a variety of basic knowledge such 2015). As known that there are many
as grammar knowledge, vocabulary, and reading strategies in Critical Reading
knowledge. According to Anderson, Strategies that can be used to gain the
1999; Huckin & Bloch, 1993 stated that information from the texts that have been
Reading has been considered the most read by the students. Critical reading
important skill for foreign English strategy is the reading strategy used for
learners in academic contexts especially activating students’ critical thinking;
at the tertiary level because they need to meanwhile it can assess some
access professional knowledge written in information needed in reading texts.
Critical reading refers to the way or the
English. According to Bond and Wagner
process in which the students and
(1963: 5) reading is a process through
teachers interact in the classroom to
which the reader tries to share a writer’s
practice a comprehension. Critical
point of view, idea, and experiences in
reading strategy is the reading strategy
order to communicate with the writer.
used for activating students’ critical
Based on the observation at
thinking; meanwhile it can assess some
Informatics Engineering students, there information needed in reading texts.
are some of the factors of the students’ Critical reading refers to the way or the
low achievement, the first is the low process in which the students and
motivation of the students in learning teachers interact in the classroom to
English, especially reading. The students practice a comprehension.
were lack of motivation in reading According to Axelrod and Cooper
English text. Lack of vocabulary mastery (2002), stated that Preview,
also comprised the students’ low Contextualize, Outline, Analyze
motivation. Furthermore, they were lack Opposition, Summarize, Paraphrase,
of reading skills. Although some of them Synthesize, Question, and Reflect are the
were quite good at English, they needed most important applicable strategies for
more time to comprehend the text reading critically. Hall (2004) stated that
because they did not know how to read it “being an effective reader means being
effectively. These lead them to be a poor able to evaluate your own practices,
reader. The second is students had working to develop your critical reading
difficulty in finding the implicit and skills”. Thus, critical reading strategies
explicit information of the text. are best taught by using “real”
Therefore, there must be some actions to assignments. Programmers to improve
overcome this problem. these skills should involve changes in the

66
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

structure, not necessarily the content, of connections between the text and reader
assignments (Barton-Arwood et al., personal experience and knowledge,
2005). They can be taught in one-to-one monitor your comprehension of the text,
sessions with consultants, in classroom summarize the key points when you’re
settings by teachers, or at home by finished reading. For the purpose of this
parents, siblings, or friends (Harvey & study a careful survey was made of the
Chickie-Wolfe, 2007). literature to identify the critical reading
Based on all these facts, the strategies that are considered most
following critical reading strategies are important by researchers in the field of
suggested by Tovani (2000) to help the critical reading. Several lists of critical
reading process: Set a purpose for reading strategies were compiled, many
reading (Before reading a text), preview of them overlapping. Finally, ten critical
the text before reading, pay attention to reading strategies were sorted out which
print features and text structures, mark is shown in Table 1.
the text while you read, make

Table 1. Critical Reading Strategy

Critical Reading
A summary of the strategies
Strategies
Annotating Reading reactions to and questions about a text directly on the page.
Previewing Getting an overview of text structure, text cues, pictures, and
personal experiences prior to reading a text.
Scan&Skimming Finding out the key features of the reading and reading to get only
the gist of the text
Facts vs. Opinions Facts can be proved, undisputed, have concrete evidence and opinion

refers to a belief, a value, can be argued

Drawing
Looking for clues in the text, thinking about what those clues trigger
Conclusions
in prior knowledge, and making a prediction.

Monitoring Monitoring for understanding by checking to see if the text makes

sense
Summarizing Briefly present the main ideas of the text. Write a paragraph or more
that presents the main ideas in your own words
Paraphrasing Restate and clarify the meaning of a few sentences from the text.
Reread the passage to be paraphrased and look up unknown words.
Translate information into your own words.
Synthesizing Combine ideas and information selected from different texts. Look
for patterns among your sources, possibly supporting or refuting
your ideas or those of other sources
Questioning Write questions while you read a text for the first time, you will

understand the material better and remember it longer if you

write a question for every paragraph or brief section.

II. RESEARCH METHOD researcher directly works together with

The research design of this study was one of the English lectures to help
classroom action research (CAR). The conducting the research as well as to cope

67
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

with the students' problems, investigate conducted in the form of cyclical process
and note the class happens, the students' referred to Keemmis’ and Mc Tanggart’s
actions at the teaching reading skill model (McNiff, 2002:45), which
during school hours. The data in the comprises four main steps namely:
study was from the actions given to the planning, acting, observation the action,
students in class. Each action was and reflecting on the action.

Figure 1. The Classroom Action Research Procedures

This study will conduct at the same time, observed the student’s
Informatics Engineering of participation in teaching-learning
IslamicUniversity of Lamongan on Jl. process. The realization of the action
Veteran No. 53 A Lamongan, Informatics consists of: (a) planning, (b)
Engineering is one of study program in implementing of action, (c) observing,
Engineering faculty. This subject was and (d) reflecting.
choosen because the students showed low
achievement in reading comprehension. III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
And the research procedure were Before the actions were
Preliminary Action and Realizing the implemented, I did the observation on the
Action. In the the preliminary action is an teaching and learning process. Based on
introduction activity in which the the observation and the discussion, I
researchers applied the learning-teaching found problems that the lecture usually
process using conventional strategy, at met, the students found difficulties in

68
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

reading. The problem was influenced by the reference of some words in the text
lack of reading technique, low and almost all students gave more
vocabulary mastery, lack of confidence, attention and active during reading lesson
and the students’ low motivation. And the when teaching learning process was
result of preliminary study there were 17 conducted. Some of the students had
students (45%) of 38 students of second difficulties in comprehend the mean of
semester informatics engineering passed the text, some of them lose the
the reading minimum score (KKM) of 75 concentration.
and there were 21 students (55%) failed.
The highest score in the preliminary
study was 82 and the lowest score 60.

Data Finding in Cycle 1

There were some actions that would
be implemented in Cycle 1. The activities
of the action were integrated into three
reading phases: pre-reading, whilst- Figure 2. The improvement of student’s
reading, and post- reading. In this cycle, achievement
the planned pre-reading activities were
predicting and brainstorming, the whilst- Based on the reflection above the
reading in this cycle covered engaged researcher need revised the plan for the
reading activities and post reading next Cycle 2 in order can reach the
activities which included answering criteria of success. The researcher revised
questions, discussions and retelling. And the lesson plan, the researcher gave the
after the implemented of critical reading more explanation in finding main idea in
strategy for reading comprehension in the the paragraph. The teacher explained
cycle 1 of four meetings, there were about the strategy critical reading again.
improvement of the students score, there The researcher gave the additional
were 12 students (29%) increasing 10 material in skimming and scanning,
points and there were 11 students could summarizing, paraphrasing, synthesizing
not pass the reading minimum score and questioning.
(KKM), and there were 27 students
(71%) passed the reading minimum score Data finding in Cycle 2
(KKM). It means there was 26 % The findings of the research include
increase the students passed the reading the students’ reading achievement, and
minimum score. The highest score in the the students’ responses to the
cycle 1 was 85 and the lowest score was implementation of critical reading in
64. reading comprehension. The second cycle
Based on the analysis of the tests and was done after reflecting of the result in
the observation of the action in cycle 1, cycle 1. The researcher did it based on
the researcher got the results that there some consideration from the lecture and
was the improvement of students’ reading design new lesson plan in cycle 2. The
comprehension after implementing the students’ mean score was 82.0 in cycle 2,
action. Based on the facts above, the there were 34 students passed the
researcher reflected some positive results minimum reading score (KKM) and there
and some weaknesses in the first cycle. were 4 students failed reach the KKM.
The students were able to find the explicit The highest score in this cycle was 90
information of the text, able to determine and the minimum score was 70. The

69
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

progress of students’ achievement could improve than the first cycle and the
showed in the figure 3 below. result had reached the criteria of success
in this research. So, the researcher did not
need next cycle to improve students’
reading comprehension.

IV. CONCLUSION
After conducting Classroom Action
Research (CAR) for implementing of
Critical Reading strategy in teaching
Figure 3. The improvement of student’s reading comprehension for two cycles,
achievement the researcher can conclude that critical
reading strategy can improve students’
Based on the result of observation in reading skill at second semester students
the implementation of Critical Reading of Informatics Engineering, it was shown
technique in cycle 2 showed that the by the result of test there were
students’ participation got 89% or “Very improvement in every cycle. All of them
Good” criterion. Most of the students enjoy when the teaching learning process
have good attention to follow the in the class. It can be concluded that the
teacher’s instruction. The students implementation of Critical Reading
cooperate with their group for solve the strategy can improve students’
problem when the process reading achievement in reading comprehension
comprehension using critical reading and create an attractive and joyful
technique. In the teaching learning atmosphere during teaching and learning
process, the students got improvement in process.
the presenting the main ideas of the text,
combine ideas and information selected V. REFERENCES
from different text. And in the end of the Alyousef, HeshamSulaeman. 2005.
process critical reading the student could Teaching Reading Comprehension to
write the question while they read a text ESL/EFL Learners. The Reading
for the first time. In this section Matrix,Vol. 5, No. 2.
conducted by students in order the Anderson, R. et all. 1985. Becoming a
students understood the material better Nation of Readers: the Report on the
and remember it longer if they write a Commission on Reading.
question for every paragraph or brief Champaign, IL: University of
section. Illinois, Center for the Study of
The reflection of the cycle 2 means Reading.
reading comprehension fulfilled the Anderson, R. et all. 1985. Becoming a
criteria of success, in general the Nation of Readers: The Report on
implementation of Critical reading the Commission on Reading.
technique could increase the achievement Champaign, IL: University of
of reading comprehension. Based on the Illinois, Center for the Study of
observation the implementation of Reading.
Critical reading technique had improved Dallman, Marta. 1982. The Teaching qt.
students’ reading comprehension of reading. New Yoi•k: Hoyt, Rinehart
Informatics engineering students of and Winston inc.
second semester. The students’ Garfield, J. 2013. Cooperative Learning
participation and the students’ score Revisited: From an Instructional

70
 Lintang Songo: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol. 2 No. 2 Agustus 2019
P-ISSN: 2528-4207
E-ISSN: 2620-407X

Method to a Way of Life. Journal of Reading”. Teaching

Statistics Education, Volume 21, ExceptionalChildren Journal. Vol. 1,
Number 2 (2013). (http:// pp. 32-37.
www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v21 Klingner, Janette K., Sharon Vaughn, and
n2/garfield.pdf, retrieved at 10 April Alison Broadman. 2007.
2017) TeachingReading Comprehension
Kemmis, S and Mc Taggart, R. 1998. The to Students with Learning
Action Research Planner. Difficulties. NewYork: The
Victoria: Deakin University Guildford Press.
Press. Kurland, Daniel J. 2000. Critical Reading
Klingner, J., and Sharon Vaughn. 2000. vs. Critical Thinking. Retrieved from
“The Helping Behaviors of Fifth www.criticalreading.com on July
Graders while Using Collaborative 2019.
Strategic Reading during ESL Kurland, Daniel J. 2007. How the
Content Classes”. TESOL Language Really Works:The
QuarterlyJournal. Vol. 34, pp. 69- Fundamentals of Critical Reading
98. and Effective Writing. Retrieved
Klingner, Janette K. and Sharon Vaughn. from www.criticalreading.com on
1998. “Using Collaborative Strategic July 2019.

71