1
The Effect of Using PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies) Toward Students’
Reading Comprehension
A Study at Tenth Grade Students of SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya
Oleh:
Clara Siska Oktavina*)
**)Siska**) HevrianiSevrikaStaf Pengajar Program StudiBahasa InggrisSTKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pengaruh dari penggunaan Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) terhadap reading siswa dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode eksperimen, dengan menggunakan dua kualifikasi, yaitu kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol. Peneliti menggunakan Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) pada kelas eksperimen dan Say Something Strategy pada kelas kontrol. Populasi dari penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas X SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai tahun ajaran 2013/2014 yang berjumlah 160 siswa yang terdiri dari 5 kelas yaitu X2, X3, X4, X5, X6. Dalam pengambilan sampel, peneliti menggunakan sampel secara acak. Sampel yang digunakan adalah kelas X5 sebagai kelas eksperimen, X3 sebagai kelas kontrol, dan X6 sebagai kelas try-out. Setelah ditemukan homogenity dan normality setiap kelas, peneliti memilih kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol dengan menggunakan cara flipping coin, sehingga terpilih kelas X4 sebagai kelas eksperimen dan kelas X3 sebagai kelas kontrol. Instrumen penelitian ini berbentuk test reading tentang narrative dan descriptive.
Hasil analisis pada penelitian ini diklasifikasikan dalam bentuk soal objective sebanyak 50 soal.
Berdasarkan hasil analisis tes didapat rata-rata hasil tes pada kelas eksperimen (39.47) dan standar deviasi (13.4). sedangkan rata-rata kelas kontrol (36.37) dan standar deviasi (9.34). pengujian hipotesis ini dilakukan dengan uji ttable (2.00), setelah dilakukan pengujian diperoleh tcalculated (3.6) dengan derajat (0.05). Maka hipotesis pada penelituan ini di terima karena tcalculated lebih besar dari
ttable sehingga disimpulkan bahwa Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) dapat memberikan
efek yang signifikan terhadap hasil nilai reading siswa pada siswa kelas X5 SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya.
KeyWords:ReadingComprehension, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), Say Something Strategy.
*) Penulis
**) Pembimbing
2 INTRODUCTION
Reading activity is done by the students in the learning and teaching process. By reading, students can get some information from what they read, and beside that students can improve their knowledge in many area such as, technology, social, educational and politics. Grellet (1994:4) states that the function of reading consists of reading for information in order to find out something or in order to do something with the information that is gotten. The purpose of reading is to look for specific information from the text, after finding specific information the reader is expected to do something, for example, the reader wants to see the effects of smoking, when the reader gets a negative impact, they can avoid it.
Supported by BSNP (Badan Standar Pendidikan Nasional) 2006, there are several indicators in reading such as: the students can identify topic in the text, the students understand the information on the text an inference of the text. After reading students should know about the information that they read such as; the title, main idea, who the characters are, and the other components of the text. According to Harmer (2003:68), reading texts also provide opportunities to study language: vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and the way the readers construct sentences, paragraphs and text. It means when students read a text students not only read text but also learn new vocabulary and how to construct good grammar into sentences and paragraph.
In fact, not all students in the school could do reading process well. It was shown from the researcher’s experiences when pre-observation at SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai Dharmasraya, that some students got difficulties when they were working individually. When working in individual, students found some difficult words, they were reluctant to share it with their friends, even they did not want to ask some questions to either their friends or the teacher. As the result, most of students did not get the detail information in the text and they could not answer the question related to the text. When the teacher gave them evaluation to retell about the text, most of them just kept silent and could not do it.
Sometimes teacher always used the same strategy in teaching learning process, this condition was supported by the way of the teacher in applying the teaching strategy in learning process. Since, the teacher just made students work individually, the students could not develop their ability because they did not have any friends to discuss and share any difficulties, including vocabularies, idea and grammatical use and especially the content of the text during reading process.
The researcher indicates two main problems that were gotten by students especially at the tenth grade of SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya which had low reading comprehension. Firstly, the students got difficulty in working individually because they didn’t have friend to share ideas or asking the difficult words, so they did not understand the meaning or the whole content of the text and could not answer the question based on the text that students read. secondly, the teacher always became a center of teaching learning prosess and teacher did not give opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and knowledge in group activities.
Based on problems above, there are several strategies that can be used by teacher in teaching reading, they are; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS), Say Something Strategy, Interactive Read Aloud strategy, and Two Column Notes Strategy. First, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) gives the students in the work in pairs; each pair includes a higher and lower performing student and procedures for repeated reading, paragraph shrinking, and prediction relay.
Second, Say Something Strategy is a type of oral reading strategy to understand reading text, students will work in pair and after students read the text they will explain to another classmates with their ownwords.
Third, Interactive Read Aloud strategy, in this strategy, the teacher reads a book or a text aloud by using many kind of expression, different voice through predicting, discussion and discussion and checking for understanding. Fourth, Two Column Notes is one of the strategies in reading that teach the students to catch and make sense of the text by using double column.
3 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Nature of Reading
Reading is one of necessary skills in language teaching, by reading students can improve their knowledge, information based on what students read on the learning process that day. According to Anthony, Pearson and Raphael in Bielby (1999:20) reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among the reader’s existing knowledge, the information suggested by the written language, and the context of the reading situation. Reading is one activity that students can connect with what they read and the knowledge that students had. After students connect them, the teacher hopes that students can understand on what they read.
In addition, Seyler (2004:3) states that reading is the process of obtaining or constructing meaning from a word or cluster of words. When students doing reading activities students have to construct meaning from word by word so students can understand what the authors’ mean. Next, students connect the words into a meaning.
Then, students can get information or conclusion from the text.
Comprehension is one of the important abilities in reading skill. Reading comprehension is where the students get the point about what they read. The students get the clues and specific information about what the writers’ purposes in the text. Snow (2002:11) stated that reading comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. In other words, when the readers read a text the reader also look or make a perception from the real meaning of the text.
Moreover, Richard and Renandya (2002:277) remark that reading for comprehension is the primary purpose of reading (though this is sometimes overlooked when students are asked to read overly difficult texts): raising students awareness of main ideas in a text and exploring the organisation of a text are essential for good comprehension. In other word, the main purpose of reading comprehension is to increase students’
motivation to be able to understand the content of a text, and students know the
main idea of the text and they can answer the questions based on the text
.
Teaching is a process in the classroom, there are interaction between teacher and students. Teacher has responsibility to make sure students understand about the text, or students can improve their reading comprehension.
According to Nunan (2003:68) teaching reading usually has at least two aspects.
First, it can refer to teaching learners who are learning to read for every first time. A second aspect of teaching reading refers to teaching learners who already have reading skills in their first language. When teacher will teach reading, they have two ways in teaching, such as; teaching students that do not have background knowledge, and the students have background knowledge, so students have two understanding, students can compare with both understanding.
Rao (2004: 197) also states that teaching reading is difficult works, teacher must aware of the progress that student are making and adjust the information of the text and there are many consideration in teaching reading. In this case, the teacher must pay attention in teaching reading because it is not easy job and the consideration in teaching reading is necessary.
PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy) Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) is a strategy that used to help students in reading comprehension. By using PALS students will feel comfortable because they work with their friends. It will make students more understand about the text.
According to Bursztyn (2007: 103) definition of peer-assisted learning (PALS) is an instructional strategy that promotes classroom friendships at the same time that is strengthens students’ academic achievement. So in implementing of PALS in the learning process, because of the students work in pairs that make them will be more enthusiastic because they work with their friends and they could be more comfortable for sharing their ideas and they can be motivated to more understanding about the texts that they read, and also the PALS can make students more closer with her/his friends.
According to Topping and Ehly (2009:10) PALS also provides rapid feedback: working alone or during teacher presentations, learners can carry forward and
4 even practice mistakes. PAL can be do in small group or pairs, however, they need not wait; they can quickly compare and correct their understandings. In the PAL, students work in small groups or in pairs, students should have a much background knowledge of the text that they read because if students find wrong information so that they can correct the information correctly based their own opinion.
According to Kristie (2006:9) in Indiana association also identifies the characteristics of high ability student:
Characteristics of Good Ability student Characteris
tic
Positive Behavior
Negative Behavior Learns
rapidly/easil y
Memorizes and masters basic facts quickly
Gets bored easily, resists drill, disturbs others, underachieves Reads
intensively
Reads, uses library on own
Neglects other responsibilitie s
Perfectionist Exceptional accomplish ments
Intolerant of mistakes, reluctant to try new things Retains
quantity of information
Ready recall and
responses
Resists repetitions,
“know it all”
Long attention span
Sticks with task of personal Interest
Resists class routine, dislikes interruptions Imaginative,
curious, many interests
Asks questions, gets excited about ideas, takes risks
Goes on tangents, no follow through, disorganized Works
independentl y
Creates and invents beyond assigned tasks
Refuses to work with others
Alert, observant
Recognizes problems
Impolitely corrects adults Good sense
of humor
Able to enjoy subtleties of thought
Plays cruel jokes or tricks on
Others Comprehend
s, recognizes relationships
Able to solve problems alone
Interferes in the affairs of others, can be bossy Aesthetic Appreciation Imposes
insight, awareness
of the arts personal values/
judgments on others Highly
verbal, extensive Vocabulary
Fluent with words and numbers, leads peers in positive ways
Leads others into negative behaviors, monopolizes discussion Individualist
ic, strong- willed
Asserts self and ideas, has small circle of friends, sense of own uniqueness
Stubborn in beliefs, inflexible in thinking
Self- motivated, self sufficient
Requires minimum teachers direction or help
Aggressive, challenges authority
Prefers older peers
Wise beyond years
Isolated or misunderstood Highly
sensitive, passionate
Emphasizes fairness and morality, Compassion ate
Overreacts to situations
Views with a different perspective
Observes across boundaries, makes connections
Resists limitations and narrowly focused content
According to McNamara
(2007:184) the first activity in every PALS session is Partner Reading. Each student reads the text, for the first chance the higher reader to explain the text, after the higher reader have read, the lower reader retels what is written in the text. Second session is Paragraph Shrinking. In this session students summarize what they have read, students just read one paragraph, after that stopping to identify what is the mainly the paragraph tell about. For example, students can identify the main idea, the characters, and where the text take place. The students should make summary on 10 words or less. The last session is Prediction Relay. Students predict what happen on the next event, after that students explain their prediction to the teacher, and teacher should confirm if there is an error. After students revise their error, students make summary about the text.Connolly (2011:14) PALS has three activities taught each session: first, Partner
5 Reading, in partner reading students devided into some groups, consist of high performing and low performing student. High performing always take of “coach,” then, between high performing and low performing switch roles, the lower performing retells the story’s events. It need 11-12 minutes. Second, Paragraph shrinking, each pair tells who or what is the main character and summarize in ten words. After switch roles, the next reader repeat the summary of their partner and correct any errors that the other may make while reading. Last session is Prediction relay, pairs begin reading where the last reader stopped, read for 5 minutes.
Every strategy has positive advantages, as well as PALS has several advantages. According to Locke et al (2001:5) using Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) Strategy can improve reading comprehension and on-task behavior of students who exhibited high rates of off-task behavior during reading activities.
Mathes et al (2004:6) divide there are eights of benefits in PALS. First, provides students with instruction in and practice of critical decoding strategies and comprehension. Include tasks that all students can perform successfully. Second, Motivates students to become better readers.
Thirds, inexpensively expands instructional resources and strategies in the classroom.
Fourth, involves all students and creates opportunities for lower functioning students to assume an integral role in a valued activity. Fifth, facilitates positive and productive peer interaction. Sixth, Enhances social relationships. Seventh, Promotes greater student achievement in reading than more conventional. Eight, reading strategies such as sustained silent reading or round robin reading.
Say Something Strategy
Say Something Strategy is a type of oral reading strategy to understand reading text. This strategy can be applied in teaching reading. The students will be shared the information to the others about what they have read.
Kucer (2013:210) Say Something Strategy cencept is comprehension involves a transaction not only between the reader and the text but also between reader and reader. Other reader as well as the author influence how a text is understood. During reading a text the reader should make a connection not only the reader and the text,
to make a good comprehension about the text the reader should make a interaction with another reader.Brownlie (2005:7) states that Say Something Strategy is the strategy that involves everyone in the group and gives the students considerable control over the conversation. It opens enough that everyone can participate and no one can monopolize. Say something is a first step on the way to teaching students to participate thoughtful, engaging conversation about their reading. In this case the expert explain that in this strategy the students work in a group and then the students will be engaged to be active and communicative students.
Not only that this strategy also teach the students about how honestly, it means that the students will transform their argument when the teacher asks about what the other students read and then the students that get command from the teacher to answer it they should say something about the reading text.
In teaching reading process, the teacher needs procedures of the strategy to control the class, such as this strategy. Say something strategy also has some procedures that the students easier to comprehend the reading text. There are some procedures that can help the students in reading process
According to Kucer (1996:211), there are five procedures of say something strategy as follow:
a. Students will read a text with a partner
b. Students are given pause to share what they have read by connecting their experience with the text that they read. Students make a prediction of what will happen next with some questions.
c. The text is read to the previously selected stopping point. The teacher can read the text, students can take turn reading aloud, or students can read the text silently.
d. When the stopping point has been reached, ask the students to turn to their partner and “Say Something”
about the text.
Say something strategy gives advantages for the teacher and the students in teaching reading process. Moreover, Buehl (2009:51) explains that there are three advantages of say something strategy:
a. Students are continually reminded that reading involves a mental conversation between an author and a reader, both needs to contribute to
6 the conversation if comprehension is to occur.
b. Students are provided with cues that guide them into accessing implicit layers of meaning that necessitate inferential thinking.
c. Students verbalize their understandings as they sum up what they have gained from their reading.
RESEARCH METHOD
The design of this research was an experimental research. The researcher chooses the experimental research because the researcher wanted to know the effect of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) toward strudents reading comprehension at senior high school. Therefore, the researcher took two sample groups. According to Gay and Airasian (2000:368), an experimental research is the only type of research that can test hypotheses to establish cause-effect relationship.
The researcher used posttest only control group design. According to Gay and Airasian (2000:393) this design is exactly same as the pretest-posttest control group design except there is no pretest. In the application, the researcher used two classes as experimental class and control class. One group for experimental group was taught by using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) and other group as control group that was taught by using Say Something Strategy. In this case, the researcher was to find out the effect of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) on students’ reading comprehension. In addition, the posttest scores were compared to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
In this research, the population consisted five classes in tenth grade students of SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya.
In order to found the normality and homogeneity data the researcher used the students’ last reading score. After that the researcher choose two classes that have relevant homogeneity and normality as the sample of the research, to find the homogenity of the sample, the researcher used barlet formula and to find normality the researcher used lilifors formula. The researcher also choose one class which had same score with the experimental class to gave try out to know the validity and
reliability of the test. Then, the researcher determinened the experimental and control classes by flipping coin. One class was taught by Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS), as an experimental class and the other was taught by Say Something Strategy as control class. In implementing Peer- Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) the researcher devided the students into some groups, as high reader and as low reader.
When the researcher choose high reader and low reader, the researcher considered some characteristics that stated by some experts.
The way to place the high reader and low reader was used a reading test and distributed a questionnaire. After the researcher got the result of reading test and questionnaire, the researcher made a list there are from the highest score until the lowest score and devided students into some groups. Then, the researcher discuss with the teacher to identify which students have high ability and students have low ability, by having discussing with English teacher there are not significant diferences between result from questionaire and discuss with the reacher.
FINDING AND DISCUSSION
The researcher found that the mean score for experimental class was 39.29 with standard deviation 13.88, meanwhile mean score for control class was 36.37, and standard deviation was 9.34. The researcher found that ttest (3.6) was bigger than ttable
(2.00) at the degree of freedom of 59 at the level significance of 0.05. It could be concluded that there was significant effect of using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies(PALS) toward student’s reading comprehension at tenth grade students of SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya.
CONCLUSION
As stated in chapter 1, the main purpose of doing this research is to show the effect of using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) toward students’ reading comprehension a SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya. The design of this research was the post-test only. In this design, the researcher used two classes experimental class and control class, each class had given treatment for eight meetings. For experimental class the researcher used Peer- Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), and
7 for control class, the researcher used Say Something Strategy.
The population of this research was the tenth grade students of SMA N 1 Sungai RumbaiDharmasraya in academic year 2013/2014 at the second semester. To get sample of the research, the researcher used cluster sampling, then the researcher used flipping coin to determine the experimental class and control class. The X5 was the experimental class and X4 was the control class. At the end of research, both of group did post-test to found out the significance effect of using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) on students’ reading comprehension. The post-test was given by using multiple choice item during 90 minutes.
Based on the result of data analysis in chapter four, this research has been discussed PALS increase students’ reading comprehension at SMA N 1 Sungai Rumbai, Dharmasraya. The result of post-test was analyzed by using t-test, the researcher got the value of t-test was 3.6 and the value of t-table
was 2.0. It means t-test was higher than t-table, so the hypothesis one was accepted. Finally, the researcher concluded that there was significant effect of using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) on students’
reading comprehension.
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