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IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION OF EXPLANATION

TEXT BY USING MAKE A MATCH TECHNIQUE AT THE ELEVENTH GRADE OF

SMA SWASTA SANTU XAVERIUS GUNUNGSITOLI IN 2022/2023

Rosmine Daeli

Afore Tahir Harefa

Elwin Piarawan Zebua

1, 2

English Education Study Program, Universitas Nias

Jl. Yos Surdaso, 118 E/S, Gunungsitoli, Nias 22812

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research is to determine whether there is an improvement in students' reading

comprehension after being taught using the 'Make a Match' technique. The researcher employed a

classroom action research design conducted over two cycles. The research focused on the students

of XI IPS 2. The instruments utilized for this study were a reading test and an observation sheet.

The results of each cycle revealed that in Cycle I, the technique was not successful. Therefore, the

research continued to the next cycle after revising the plan based on the weaknesses identified in

Cycle I. The findings of Cycle II indicated that 19 students (67.85%) reached the 'good' level, while

7 students (25%) achieved the 'very good' level. These results demonstrate that the implementation

of the 'Make a Match' Technique in this study successfully enhanced students’ reading

comprehension.

Keyword: Make A Match Technique, Reading Comprehension.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 CC BY-SA International License.

INTRODUCTION

Reading was a fundamental goal that students had to master in order to be successful

in school and in life. And also, reading was a visual means of acquiring and retaining

information. By reading, someone could get and comprehend the information, ideas,

opinions, or feelings from the text she or he read. For example, when the readers read

journals, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, books, thesis, and so on, which had been

written by different people, so they could gain new information. When someone wanted to

enrich their knowledge, he/she had to be diligent to read.

According to Mufidah et al. (2022), “Reading was an activity to get information

presented in the text”. It meant that the readers should have been able to understand and

comprehend the text that they had read. The students' ability in reading comprehension was

very important since by comprehending the text, they could understand what the text was

going to tell the reader. By reading comprehension, the readers understood events from

their context, and they could also add their knowledge. Without comprehending the text,

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the readers would have read without sense, so they could not have gotten any information

from the text.

As Grabe and Stoller were cited in Larasty & Sulastry (2020), they state that reading

for general comprehension was its most obvious sense, the ability to understand

information from a text and interpret it appropriately. It was more understandable that

reading for general comprehension was not only about reading literally or literally, but also

understanding the message contained therein correctly and precisely. This was very

important because reading for general comprehension could help a person expand their

knowledge, enrich their horizons, and improve their critical and analytical thinking skills.

Based on the syllabus of SMA Swasta Santu Xaverius Gunungsitoli, one of the basic

competencies that students must master is reading comprehension. This can be seen in one

of the competency standards in reading material which states that students must understand

the meaning of simple short written texts in the form of oral and written explanation texts

by giving and requesting information related to natural or social phenomena covered in

other subjects in class XI, according to the context of use. Students are required to be able

to understand and discuss information from the text and answer questions based on the text

correctly. However, in reality, many students are unable to fulfill it.

However, based on the researcher's observations during the internship at SMA

Swasta Santu Xaverius Gunungsitoli, the researcher found that the students at the eleventh

grade in the school had weaknesses in reading comprehension. The researcher addressed

this problem by having interviews with the English teacher and also by teaching the

students of the eleventh grade of SMA Swasta Santu Xaverius Gunungsitoli, especially in

explanation texts. The researcher could see the students' weaknesses in reading

comprehension when the researcher asked them to read an explanation text, and the

English teacher asked them to answer questions in an essay test. They made many

mistakes, even in reading and answering questions. As a result, the majority of the

students' marks were below 70, which was the (MCC) Minimum Competence Criterion.

They were not able to comprehend the content of the texts, especially in explanation texts.

The students read the texts, but they got nothing from them because they didn't understand

the meaning of the texts. As a result, many students could not answer interpretation

questions correctly. This happened because of some reasons: first, the English teacher

taught the students using a monotonous technique (asking the students to read explanation

texts loudly or silently without guiding them to interpret the content of the text stated

implicitly). Second, the students lacked vocabulary in English, which made them unable to

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comprehend the reading texts easily, especially in explanation texts, and they had to spend

time opening the dictionary. Third, the reading texts given to the students were not

appropriate to their needs, and as a result, the students were not keenly interested in

reading English texts. Fourth, the students lacked motivation in reading English materials.

Actually, the students' motivation and interest were very important in reading

comprehension.

Exactly, the teacher, as the educator, facilitator, motivator, and evaluator, had to be

able to create a good atmosphere in the classroom with a purpose in order for the students

to have been able to follow the teaching-learning process well. They also had to have been

able to apply the appropriate techniques in teaching the reading subject. By applying the

appropriate techniques, the target of teaching reading could have been reached.

From the problems above, the researcher wanted to apply make a match technique to

improve students' reading comprehension of explanation text. The researcher used make a

match technique to help students in comprehending English text. Make a match technique

was one of the cooperative learning techniques. It was learning that students looked for

pairs, each student got a card (can be questions or answers), and then quickly looked for a

partner that matched the card he held. As stated by Wastawan, Sutarsyah, & Sudirman, in

Yusuf & Hasanudin (2020), make a match technique was that type that could make the

students' interest improve and interfere with the interactive situation in the class. It was

why the teacher should use make a match technique type of cooperative learning to make

the students easier to comprehend the text. By using make a match technique, the teacher

could create an environment that encouraged students to collaborate and engage with the

material, ultimately leading to improved reading comprehension. Therefore, make a match

technique was the ideal technique to be used for this purpose.

Make a match technique was a cooperative learning technique that could improve

reading comprehension. The procedure of the "make a match" technique involved pairing

up students to find cards that matched (e.g., questions and answers) related to the text

being studied. This interactive and fun way of learning could help students engage with the

material and retain more information. By using this technique, students could improve their

problem-solving abilities and broaden their horizons, which was essential for their overall

education. Additionally, since each student had a different learning style, using different

learning techniques could help them learn better. The make a match technique was a

valuable learning method that improved students' reading comprehension skills in an

interactive and fun way, leading to a better quality of education. Overall, the make a match

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technique was a useful tool for teachers to consider when trying to improve students'

reading comprehension skills.

Although the make a match technique had been used in several previous studies,

research on its use in improving students' reading comprehension skills was still limited.

Therefore, this study could have made a new contribution in expanding the understanding

of the effectiveness of this learning method and provided new insights for teachers and

educational practitioners.

METHODS

In this research, Classroom Action Research (CAR) was the method of the research.

The study consist of four stages; planning, action, observation and reflection. Planning

stages focuses preparing material, making lesson plan, and designing the steps in doing the

action, preparing cards to teach the students how to comprehend the explanation text in an

effective way by introducing make a match technique, Preparing of observation sheet for

the researcher’s and the students, and preparing field notes. (to know the situation of

teaching learning process when the technique is applied), and Preparing a test. The action

stages the researcher conducted the action in the classroom, the teaching-learning process

consisted of the pre-teaching-learning activities, the whilst-teaching-learning activities, and

the post-teaching-learning activities. The observation stages involved the activities of the

students and the researcher during the teaching process designed based on the lesson plan.

It was used by the teacher-collaborator to observe the advantages or weaknesses of the

students' and the researcher's activities during the teaching-learning process that took

place. The reflection stages the researcher evaluated the result of the observation sheet and

the researcher

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

1. The researcher for all cycles

In the first meeting of Cycle I, there were 14 activities (36.84%) done by the

researcher, 15 activities (39.47%) a half done by the researcher, and there was 9 activity

(23,68%) not done by the researcher. While, in the second meeting, there were 23 activities

(63.88%) done by the researcher, 13 activities (36.11%) a half done by the researcher, and

there was 0 activity (0%) not done by the researcher. The researcher’s activities were

dominated by done activities in good level.

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Furthermore, in the first meeting of Cycle II, there were 33 activities (91,66%) done

by the researcher, 3 activity (8,34%) a half done done by the researcher, and there was no

activity (0%) not done by the researcher. While, in the second meeting, there were 38

activities (100%) done by the researcher, 0 activity (0%) not done by the researcher, and

there was no activity (0%) not done by the researcher. The researcher’s activities were

dominated by done activities in very good level. The entire researcher’s activities can be

viewed in the table such below:

Table 1

THE RESEARCHER ACTIVITIES OF ALL CYCLES

No.

Cycle

Meeting

Criteria

Frequency

First meeting

Done

36.84%

A half Done

39.47%

Not done

23.68%

Second meeting

Done

63.88%

A half Done

36.11%

Not done

First meeting

Done

91.66%

A half Done

8,34%

Not done

Second meeting

Done

100

100%

A half Done

Not done

2. The students activities of all cycles

Based on the result of observation to the students, in the first cycle, at the first

meeting, there were 3 activities (25%) done excellently, there were 7 activities (58.33%) a

half done, and there were 2 activities (16.67%) not done. At the second meeting, there

were 7 activities (58.34%) done excellently, there were 5 activities (41.67%) a half done,

and there were 0 activities (0%) not done. In the second cycle, at the first meeting, there

were 10 activities (83.33%) which were done, there were 2 activities (16.67%) a half done,

and there was no activity (0%) which was not done. At the second meeting, there were 12

activities (100%) which were done, there was 0 activity (0%) a half done and there was no

activity (0%) which was not done.

The entire of the students’ activities results can be viewed in Table 3 below:

TABLE 2

THE STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES IN ALL CYCLES

No.

Cycle

Meeting

Criteria

Frequency

First meeting

Done

25%

A half Done

58.33%

Not done

16.67%

Second meeting

Done

58.34%

A half Done

41.67%

Not done

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First meeting

Done

83.33%

A half Done

16.67%

Not done

Second meeting

Done

100%

A half Done

Not done

3. The field notes of the students’ activities of all cycles

Based on the result of observation, the students who were active, inactive, creative,

and uncreative in following the teaching-learning process was increased from the previous

meetings to the next meetings. In this case, the researcher had the purpose of making field

notes on students to assess the extent to which they were involved in understanding the

explanation text material using the make a match technique. The researcher aimed to

identify which students were active, inactive, creative, and uncreative. Active, refers to a

learning process where students are actively involved in the learning process. Teachers

who use active learning have reported that their students learn more material, understand

more ideas, and enjoy school more. Inactive, refers to a learning process where students

are not actively involved. This type of learning can lead to students struggling to remember

information and not enjoying school. Creative, refers to the ability to think outside the box

and come up with unique solutions to problems. Improving creative thinking skills can be

achieved through problem-based learning. Uncreative, refers to the inability to think

outside the box and come up with unique solutions to problems. Teachers may face

difficulties in the teaching and learning process due to uncreative methods, materials, and

media. Therefore, the researcher observed students who were active, inactive, creative, and

uncreative in two cycles, each consisting of two meetings.

In the first cycle at the first meeting, there were 3 students (10.72%) who were

active, 12 students (42.85%) who were inactive, 1 students (3.58%) who were creative, 12

students (42.85%) who were uncreative. At the second meeting, there were 6 students

(21.42%) who were active, there were 8 students (28.58%) who were inactive, there were 5

students (17.86%) who were creative, there were 9 students (32.14%) who were

uncreative.

In the second cycle at the first meeting there were 11 students (39.28%) who were

active, there were 4 students (14.28%) who were inactive, there were 8 students (28.58%)

who were creative, and there were 5 students (17.85%) who were uncreative. At the second

meeting, there were 15 students (53.58%) who were active, there were 0 students (0%)

who were inactive, there were 13 students (46.42%) who were creative, and there were 0

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students (0%) who were uncreative. The total number of the students was 28 persons and

all of the students were present in each meeting of cycles.

The entire field notes of the students’ activities results can be viewed in Table 4

below:

TABLE 3

THE FIELD NOTES OF THE STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES OF ALL CYCLES

Cycle

Meeting

Activities

Frequency

First meeting

Active

10.72%

Inactive

42.85%

Creative

3.58%

Uncreative

42.85%

Second meeting

Active

21.42%

Inactive

28.58%

Creative

17.86%

Uncreative

32.14%

First meeting

Active

39.28%

Inactive

14.28%

Creative

28.58%

Uncreative

17.85%

Second meeting

Active

53.58%

Inactive

Creative

46.42%

Uncreative

4. The Result of the Students’ Reading Comprehension by Using Make A Match

Technique all cycles

Based on the results of student evaluations, researchers found that student scores had

improved from cycle to cycle. In this test, the researcher gave a test according to the level

of reading comprehension, namely critical reading comprehension which has the

characteristics of Identification and evaluation of evidence, Interpretation and judgment,

Clarity and understanding, Independent thinking, and Mental tools to unpack the text. The

test consisted of 6 essay questions related to the text provided by the researcher. At the end

of each cycle, a test was conducted to conclude the meeting.

In Cycle I, there was no students’ value which could be classified in “very good

level”. While, there were 4 students’ value (14.28%) in “good level”, there were 5

students’ value (17.85%) in “enough level”, there were 8 students’ value (28.57%) in “less

level”, and there was 11 student’s value (39.28) in “fail level”. This result showed that the

students were still not able to comprehend a narrative text even though the researcher had

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applied Make A Match Technique in the teaching and learning processes. As written in

Chapter III which said that whenever the students’ in comprehending explanation text by

using Make A Match Technique cannot achieve the Minimum Competence Criterion in

Cycle I so it will be continued to the next cycle.

In Cycle II, there was no student’s value in “fail level” and in “less level”. Instead of

that, there were 2 students’ value (7.14%) in “enough”, there were 19 students’ value

(67.85%) in “good level”, 7 students’ value (25%) in “very good level”. This result showed

that the students of the eleventh grade (XI-IPS 2) of SMA Swasta Santu Xaverius

Gunungsitoli were able to comprehend a explanation text by using Make A Match

Technique. The average of students’ value was higher than the Minimum Competence

Criterion that was 70. The students’ in reading comprehension explanation text by using

Make A Match Technique can be viewed in the table such below:

TABLE 5

THE STUDENTS’ IN READING COMPREHENSION OF EXPLANATION

TEXT BY USING MAKE A MATCH TECHNIQUE OF ALL CYCLE

Cycle

Meeting

Level

Quantity

Meeting

Very good

Good

14.28%

Enough

17.85%

Less

28.57%

Fail

39.28%

Meeting

Very good

25%

Good

67.85%

Enough

7.14%

Less

Fail

Furthermore, the students’ in reading comprehension by using Make A Match

Technique can be viewed in Graphic below:

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5. The Analysis and Interpretation of the Research Findings

After conducted the research in two cycles, the researcher analyzed the result of the

research based on the observation sheet, students’ score in evaluation sheet, and the

opinion from teacher-collaborator.

In the second meeting of cycle I, the researcher distributed evaluation sheets to

students to measure students' reading comprehension after the application of the make a

match technique in the teaching and learning process. From the results of student tests, it

shows that most students do not pass the predetermined KKM of 70. From the available

data, 11 students (39.28%) are at the failing level, 8 students (28.57%) at the insufficient

level, 5 students (17.85%) at the sufficient level, 4 students (14.28%) at the good level and

0 students at the excellent level. From the data in Cycle I, the researcher concluded that

students' reading comprehension skills were still lacking.

There are several factors that affect students' abilities in cycle I. Students did not

have background knowledge of the material they were learning, students did not use

dictionaries to look up translations of vocabulary that was quite difficult, students were

busy with their own activities and made noise in the teaching and learning process so that

the researcher could not control the class, and they were still confused in doing the

questions. The application of make a match at the beginning of the meeting also made

students focus on distributing cards so that it made the time longer and made researchers

have to give a long time to match the cards so that they were not serious in the learning

process. To overcome these problems, researchers carried out several activities such as

researchers asking students' background knowledge, researchers went around students to

attract students' attention and intonation in explaining the material was not monotonous,

researchers controlled the class in applying the make a match technique, researchers

provided opportunities for students to ask about material that was unclear and explanations

that were not understood.

After analyzing and evaluating the research in Cycle I, researchers continued to

conduct Cycle II because the results from Cycle I were still low. In Cycle II, researchers

conducted research by making several improvements to overcome the problems in Cycle I.

The implementation of Cycle II showed that the results of student and researcher activities

had improved. From the data obtained, the results of students' reading comprehension in

Cycle II have improved, this is indicated by all students passing the KKM, there are no

students whose scores are at the "failing level" and "deficient level", while the value of

students who are at the "sufficient level" is 2 people (7.14%), the value of students who are

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at the "good