The Use of Story Mapping to Improve Student Reading Comprehension In The Narrative Text of Second Year Student of SMP Islam Al Faqih Sukoanyar Pakis Malang

By Lissa Adah

 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION 

This chapter presents about background of the study, research problem, objective of research, significance of research, scope and limitation of the research, and definition of key terms. 

1.1  Background of the Study

Language is a means of communication. People, all over the world, use the language to convey their feelings, thought and ideas whether in spoken or in written forms. Now days, learning English as a foreign language is very importance, since English is the key to the international currencies of technology and commerce            (Hutchinson and waters, 1989:6 ) . The ability of English will help the people to be easier and in better condition in their lives. And it shows that either spoken or writing forms should be mastered.

English have four skills that include in the English ability. And it is divided become two kind of skill they are receptive skill which is include reading and listening skill and  productive skill which is deal to speaking and writing skill. And reading skill is considered important because it promotes better spelling, writing, and comprehension, as well as more advanced vocabulary (Williamson, 1998:8 ).          According to Bowman (1991: 265) reading is an appropriate means of promoting a lifelong learning. By teaching the children know how to read means giving these children a future which provides a strategy that can be giving the reader some information about something that he/she don’t know before. And he/she can explore how “the world” wherever he/she chose, and provide the opportunity to get a goal in life.

As one of the important subject in the school, the exams of English usually use text to measure of student understanding about the text. The student should have good comprehension in the process of reading in order to understand the text and also pass the exam. Carnine et al (1990:3) states that “success in reading is very important to the student, both academic and vocational advancement and for the student’s physiological well – being “. The way or technique in understanding the text is also important to make easier in reading text.

There are so many technique in understand the text based on the kind of text. Like a descriptive text, procedure text, report text, narrative text and so on. In the narrative text, one of the techniques that suitable in understanding text is use story mapping. Story mapping can divided in to some of part, such like setting of the story, subject of story, the conflicts, and ending the story. It shows the detail message of text with the easier way.

Related to the English curriculum in the second year of Junior high school that has material about the narrative text, this technique can give solution in the student problem to understanding the text. Because, so far the student can’t pass the exam all. It is essential to implement a technique that can solve the problem, that is, a technique that can bring students out of boredom, competitive and individual class atmosphere, and is more students-centered, and that can improve students’ reading comprehension.

Based on the difficulties of the student to understanding the narrative reading text, this technique is suitable for them to solve this problem. It can see from their result of the test in narrative text that the students score is not reach SKMB that decided from the school. The SKMB is 65, and the average of the students score in SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH in the second year at Academic year 2011/2012 is still 55.

Story mapping technique that chosen by researcher has some advantages. First, it suits the text type discussed in the second year of Junior High school (narrative texts) .Second, it enables student to relate story event and perceive structure in literary selection. By sharing personal interpretation of stories through illustrations, students increase their understanding and appreciation of the selected text (Saskatoon Public Schools, 2008:1)

            In conclusion, reading is one of four skills in English. Reading is a way to get information from something that was written. Understanding of the text is important in the second year of Junior high school student at least in order to pass the exam. Based on all of the related statements above, in this research, the researcher would like to use the story mapping in order to improve the student comprehension in reading. The technique will apply in this Classroom Action Research.

1.2  Research Problem

Based on the discussion above, the problem in this study is formulated as follows:

1.      How can story mapping improve the students reading comprehension in the narrative text at the second year of SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH SUKOANYAR PAKIS MALANG?

2.      How can story mapping improve the activeness of students in the reading activity at the second year of SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH SUKOANYAR PAKIS MALANG?

1.3  Objective of Research

This study aims to describe:

1.      How story mapping can improve the students reading comprehension in the narrative text at the second year SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH SUKOANYAR PAKIS MALANG.

2.      How story mapping can improve the activeness of students in the reading activity at the second year SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH SUKOANYAR PAKIS MALANG.

1.4  Significance of Research

This study expected to give contribution for English teacher in general, especially for Junior High School and they can informed about the use of story mapping as means to improve the student reading comprehension in narrative text. And for the students, they can use it to understanding about the narrative text.

1.5  Scope and Limitation of the Research

Based on the curriculum of the Junior High School in the English subject, there are some genres of the text that taught for the student. They are procedure text, descriptive text, recount, narrative and report text. And one of the text is narrative text that chosen by the researcher. Because the student still have less reading comprehension in this kind of text.

As a classroom action research, this study will conduct on the student of second year SMP ISLAM ALFAQIH SUKOANYAR PAKIS MALANG.

1.6  Definition of Key Terms

In order to avoid misunderstanding or get the same perception of the terms used in the study, the following definitions are given:

1.      Improve                                        

The term improve in this study is to increase the students’ score on reading comprehension. It means that the score should be rise up than before the technique given.

2.      Reading Comprehension Skill     

The term refers to the understanding of a text as proved by the ability to correctly choose the right alternative provided for the answer of the question asked from the text, which is proved by the scores.

3.      Story mapping

This technique uses cooperative learning and learning technique. It allows students to work cooperatively with their group. Each group consists of four members. Each group will give the form story mapping. And based on their understanding the text, they will fill the mapping of the story. Such like, setting, the characteristics of the actor, plot, the conflicts etc. after each group finished, they will compare to another group to correct the assignment.

4.        Narrative text

A narrative text is a text amuses, entertain and deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways. Narrative text deals with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution.

The generic structures of a narrative text:
1. Orientation              : Sets the scene and introduces the participants.
2. Complication           : A crisis arises
3. Resolution               : The crisis is resolved, for the better or for worse.
4. Re-orientation         : Optional
5. Evaluation               : A stepping back to evaluate the plight