IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION

THROUGH GROUP INVESTIGATION

Nur Intan Kartika Desiana 1

Sudarkam R. Mertosono2
intankartikadesiana@gmail.com
srmertosono@gmail.com

Abstract
This research was aimed at proving that the use of group investigation can
improve the reading comprehension of the the eight grade students of MTs
Alkhairaat Tondo. The research applied quasi experimental with non-equivalent
control group. The population was selected randomly to take sample for
experimental and control groups. The instruments of data collection were tested
to measure students’ reading comprehension by using group investigation. The
data was analyzed by using t-test. Based on the data analysis, it was found that
the students’ mean score in experimental group pretest is 55.84 lower than the
control group’s mean score, 56.32. After doing the treatment, the students’ mean
score in experimental group posttest was 79.04 greater than the control group’s
mean score, 67.04. Comparison the two tests of scale described that t- counted value
= 5.33 > t-table value = 1.677. Therefore, Ha was accepted and Ho was rejected. It
can be concluded that applying group investigation was effective on students’
reading comprehension of MTs Alkhairaat Tondo.
Keywords: Group Investigation, Reading Comprehension

Abstrak
Tujuan penelitian ini ialah untuk membuktikan bahwa penggunaan
investigasi kelompok dapat meningkatkan pemahaman membaca siswa kelas
delapan MTs Alkhairaat Tondo. Penelitian ini menggunakan quasi eksperimental
dengan rancangan non-equivalen kelompok kontrol. Populasi di pilih secara acak
untuk menentukan sampel kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Instrumen
pengumpulan data menggunakan tes untuk mengukur pemahaman membaca
siswa dengan menggunakan investigasi kelompok. Pengumpulan data
menggunakan statistik uji-t. Data yang diperoleh melalui tes di analisa.
Ditemukan bahwa nilai rata-rata pretest dari kemampuan siswa kelompok
eksperimen adalah 55.84 lebih kecil dari kelompok kontrol, 56.32. Setelah
melakukan treatment, nilai rata-rata posttest dari kemampuan siswa kelompok
eksperimen adalah 79.04 lebih besar dari kelompok kontrol, 67.04. Hasil
perbandingan melalui uji-t menggambarkan nilai t- hitung = 5.33 > nilai t-table =
1.677. Sehingga, Ha di terima dan H0 di tolak. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa
penggunaan investigasi kelompok efektif pada pemahaman membaca siswa kelas
8 MTs Alkhairaat Tondo.
Kata Kunci: Investigasi Kelompok, Pemahaman Membaca
INTRODUCTION
Reading is one of the language skills, besides writing, listening, and
speaking. It is kind of information transfer from the books as the sources to the
readers. Therefore, reading can be classified into the receptive skill because the
readers just try to comprehend what they read without producing something. It is
supported by Nunan (2003) that reading is a process do by the readers in
combining information by a text and also their background to build the meaning
of the text. By mastering reading skill, it will be easy for the readers to get
information from various sources.

Reading is not always about readers knowledge, but is about readers ability.
The thing that is most noticed in reading activities is the ability of a person to
understand the meaning of reading in depth or commonly referred to as reading
comprehension skill. Reading comprehension is a complex interaction among
automatic and strategic cognitive processes that enables the reader to create a
mental representation to understand the information of the text (Van den Broek &
Espin, 2012). In comprehending the text, the readers should manage every part of
the text, because it is easy to gain the comprehension in reading when the readers
are able to organize the text.
In teaching and learning process, reading is one of the skills that is very
important to be mastered by students. Most of the knowledge is presented in the
form of written language which the students have to read in order to acquire
knowledge. It is related with the 2013 Curriculum, the students are expected to
have some abilities in understanding some simple functional texts, monologue,
and essay in the form of procedure, descriptive, recount, narrative, and report
texts. Therefore, the students need to have a good reading comprehension in order
to understand the text well.

In contrary, after conducting the preliminary observation, the problem

could be seen in MTS Al-Khairaat Tondo particularly in the eighth grade students.
The researcher found that some students were not fluent in reading, they lacked of
comprehending the text, it is hard for them to catch the meaning and the main
idea of the text, narrative text particularly. Though, the text was explained several
times, the students were still confused in mastering the content and showing
uninteresting feeling. It is also proved from the students’ scores last semester were
low.
Those problems can be solved through many strategies or methods. One
of them is Group Investigation method. According to Wichadee (2003:1-2), the
students who do not like to speak in the large class are comfortable speaking out
in the small group. Model of group investigation method of learning is one form
of cooperative learning teaching model that emphasizes student participation and
activity to seek their own information on the lessons will be learned through
materials available. In this method, the students are divided into three until five
members. The students may choose their own group. This method also involves
the students in planning both the topics for learning and the ways to proceed with
their investigation. According to Slavin in cooperative learning (2005:218) that in
the Group Investigation (GI) method, the students work through six stages: 1)
Identifying the topic and organizing students into group; 2) Planning the learning
tasks; 3) Carrying out the investigation; 4) Preparing a final report; 5) Presenting
the final report; and 6) Evaluation. It exercises the students to grow up their brain
skill in the teaching and learning process.
Based on the explanation above, it is necessary to change the method
with new one that can involve both the teacher and the students to participate in
the learning activities. That is why the researcher want to improve the students’
reading comprehension of the Eighth Grade Students of MTs Al-Khairaat Tondo
through Group Investigation.

METHODS
This research was a quantitative research. It used Quasi-experimental
design. Two classes were used in this research, there were experimental group and
the control group. The population of this research was the eighth grade students of
MTs Al-Khairaat Tondo. The number of population were 92 students distributed
to four classes, which 54% of them were chosen as the sample of this research
using a simple random sampling technique. There were two classes taken
randomly by using lottery system. The class chosen were VIIIA as the
experimental group and VIIID as the control group. The instrument used to collect
the data was test. It consisted of pre-test and post-test. The pre-test was given
before treatment and post-test was done after treatment. The test was used to
know whether the treatment is effective or not. In this research, there were two
types of test, namely essay and true false test. Essay test contained 5 numbers and
each correct item is scored 3 and 10 numbers for true false test and each correct
item was scored 1. Those texts were taken from BSE (Buku Sekolah Elektronik),
When English rings the bell book, and Internet. Furthermore, in creating
questions, the researcher obtained the guidance on 2013 curriculum junior high
school in indicator K.D 3.14 about narrative text.

FINDINGS
The following was the calculation of students’ improvement in test 1 (pre-
test in experimental group), test 2 (post-test in control group), and test 3 (post-test
in experimental group). On each test, students were asked to answer the questions
related to narrative text that learnt by using group investigation.
Table 1. Mean Score
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3
Score Category Score Score Category Score Score Category Score
Highest score 76 Highest score 80 Highest score 92
Lowest score 36 Lowest score 52 Lowest score 76
Mean score 55.84 Mean score 67.04 Mean score 79.04

100
90
80
70
60
50 Experiment
40
Control
30
20
10
0
Post-Test Pre-Test Standard Deviation
 Chart 1. Post Test, Pre Test, and Standard Deviation of Experimental
Group and Control Group

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
T-Counted T-Table

Chart 2. Difference of T-Counted and T-Table

Based on the data that had been calculated, this means that the group
investigation method is effective to improve students‘ reading comprehension in
reading narrative text. The effectiveness is proven by using formula t-counted. It
shows that the result is 5.33 it is greater than t-table which the result is 1.677. The
t-counted is greater than t-table result.
DISCUSSION
In this research, the researcher applied Group Investion as the
method in teaching narrative text. The objective of this research is to find out
whether or not group investigation method can improve reading comprehension of
grade eight students of MTs Alkhairaat Tondo. The researcher focused on literal
reading comprehension narrative text. In conducting this research, the researcher
applied quasi-experimental research design. Class A was the experimental group
and Class D was the control group. The experimental and the control group
consisted of 25 students in each class. It was chosen randomly.

The method was used to help the students improving their reading
comprehension. Most of them could not catch the meaning of the text and seem
uninterested in learning activities. The researcher conducted the treatment to
experimental group for eight meetings. Finally, the students could defined the
ideas of narative text in particular orientation, complication, and resolution
appropriately. They were also active and enjoyed discussing in their group by
following the stages of group investigation method. It means that group
investigation method gave effects to improve students’ reading comprehension.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of data analysis, it can be concluded that the use of
group investigation method has significant influence on students’ reading
comprehension. It can be proved from their achievement from pretest to posttest.
After using the group investigation, the students are able to read the text and to
catch the main idea of the text. Moreover, if it is compared to the class that is not
taught by using group investigation, the students are still confused with the main
idea of the story and they are still shy to read the text loudly. It can be seen from
their achievement from pretest to posttest, there is only a bit improvement from
their score. It can be said that the group that is taught using group investigation
has greater improvement than another one. From all the results indicate that the
alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted, while the null hypothesis (H 0) is rejected.
In other word, applying grouinvestigation method can improve the reading
comprehension of the eighth grade students of MTs Alkhairaat Tondo.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First of all, I would like to express my thankfulness to the Almighty God for
the grace, mercies, and blessings. Many people have facilitated the researcher to
accomplish this article. They gave a lot of contributions. The researcher would
like to present high appreciation to Afrillia Anggreni, S. Pd.I., M. Pd., as the
Editor who have given many correction, advices, and beneficial input for the
improvement of this article.
Afterwards, inexpressible appreciation is sent to all the researcher families
and her friends who always gave supports, care, and helps.
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