8

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Theoretical Framework

2.1.1 Students’ Achievement in Reading Comprehension

An achievement is a process of developing skills or knowledge in teaching

and learning process. Brown (2007) stated that the achievement is reached

through a test which is treated directly to classroom lessons, unit or even total

curriculum.

Achievements tests are limited to particular material addressed in a

curriculum within a particular time frame and are offered after a course has

focused on the objectives in questions. The primarily role of an achievement test

is to determine whether course objectives have been met and appropriate

knowledge and the end of a period of instruction that shown by score given by a

teacher.

Meanwhile, reading achievement means that students are able to grasp the

writer’s message delivered through a text. In reaching the achievement, the

students must be able to construct meaning from a text which they read. Thus,

when the students are said that they have reached the achievement in reading, they

will be able not only to discover what the author means but also builds meaning

from their own understanding.

Therefore, what is meant by students’ achievement in reading

comprehension is the ability of students to retell or recall the facts or information

presented in a text, to take information which is inferred or implied within a text,

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to make a critical judgments about the information presented in the text, and to

use their imagination as an evaluation of ideas including question of logic, proof,

authenticity and value judgment.

Reading comprehension achievement is determined by some factors, they

are: (1) the students’ capability in comprehending a text as what is intended by the

writer, (2) the students’ capability in answering the questions related to the text,

(3) the students’ capability in retelling a text briefly, and (4) the students’

comprehending a text well in a short time.

2.1.2 Reading Comprehension

Generally, reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and

understand its meaning. Grabe and Stoller (2002) stated that reading

comprehension is an extraordinary feat of balancing and coordinating many

abilities in a very complex and rapid set of routines that makes comprehension a

seemingly effortless and enjoyable activity for fluent readers.

Reading comprehension involves much more than readers’ responses to

text. According to Klingner, et al (2007: 8) reading comprehension is a multi-

component, highly complex process that involves many interactions between

readers and what they bring to the text (previous knowledge, strategy use) as well

as variables related to the text itself (interest in text, understanding of text types).

In addition, Brassel (2008:18) insert that reading comprehension is the

ability to get the information from written text and do something with it in a way

that demonstrates knowledge or understanding of that information. In other words,

comprehension occurs when a reader is able to act on, respond to, or transform the
 10

information that is presented in written text in ways that demonstrate

understanding.

While the definition can be simply stated the act is not simple to teach,

learn or practice. Reading comprehension is an internal, active, interactive process

that occurs before, during, and after a person reads a particular piece of writing.

Grabe and Stoller (2002:17) explained that reading for general comprehension is

in its most obvious sense, the ability to understand information in a text and

interpret it appropriately.

Thus, it is concluded that reading comprehension is a process to

comprehend or construct meaning from the text by connecting the prior

knowledge with the material in the text so that new knowledge will be gathered.

The process of reading deals with language form, while comprehension, the end

of product, deals with language content. It involves the recognition of letters,

words, phrase, and clause, and some respects, it can be considered a simpler

process than comprehension.

2.1.3 Levels of Reading Comprehension

Actually, reading comprehension has different level. In line with the basic

skills of reading, there are three levels of comprehension. Thomas Barret in

Brassell (2008: 17) classifies levels of comprehension as follow:

1. Literal Comprehension

Literal comprehension involves what the author is actually saying. The

reader needs to understand ideas and information explicitly stated in the reading

material, such as names of characters and details of the setting.

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2. Inferential Comprehension

Inferential comprehension refers to the ability of the readers to establish,

guess correctly the logical inference of the authors. Inferential comprehension is

harder than literal comprehension for the readers are not only recognize the

author’s ideas stated explicitly in the text, but they have also to be able to guess

the author’s intention either explicitly or implicitly stated in the text.

3. Critical Comprehension

Critical comprehension refers to the ability to make judgment about ideas

and information a writer offers. Competent reader will measure them against what

they already know accepting or rejecting them in whole or part or by holding

judgment until confirmation is reached.

The three levels of comprehension mentioned above are important and

needed to be mastered by the students to be success in reading.

2.1.4 The Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Comprehension is something that cannot be examined directly (Coldwell,

2008:34) because it is a process happened in students’ mind. Automatically, the

assessor cannot actually see what is occurring in students’ head as they

comprehension.

Eventhough the process is invisible but the result of understanding process

actually can be seen through an assessment. The assessment of reading

comprehension is done in order to earn information about what skills are being

learned and what skills need to be strengthened (Buss, 2005). It is commonly

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requires students to read (silently and without assistance) many short passages and

answer some questions related with information in the text.

The questions as the material of the assessment can be designed into some

kinds of test such as gap – filling test, essay test and multiple choice test (Charles,

2000:206). Among the three test, the multiple choice test is the most frequent to

be used because it is kind of objective test which is able to show the students’

comprehension objectively by their choice in the test.

Moreover, the multiple choice test implies the fact about whether the

students can refer back to the text or not in answering the questions as the

reflection of their comprehension. In addition, the multiple choice test is able to

vary questions started from literal, inferential, and critical comprehension so that

it is placed as eligible test which is able to reflect the students’ achievement in

reading comprehension.

2.1.5 Genre

Genre is a term used to describe the classification of written materials.

Genre can be defined as a culturally specific text type which results from using

language (written or spoken) to accomplish something. Gerot (1994) stated that 13

types of genre and each genre have certain purposes, certain stages and certain

linguistic features. They are describing as follow:

1. Narrative

Narrative is to amuse, entertain and to deal with actual or vicarious

experience in different ways. Narrative deal with problematic events which

lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which turn finds a resolution.
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2. Analytical Exposition

An analytical exposition is used to persuade the reader or listener that

something is the case.

3. Description

Description is to describe a particular person, place or thing. This genre

commonly used in the police interrogation in which a person is asked to

describe a suspect.

4. Explanation

Explanation is to explain the process involved in the formation or working

of natural or socio cultural phenomena.

5. Procedure

A procedure is to describe something is accomplished through of sequence

of actions or steps.

6. Discussion

A discussion is applied to present points of view about an issue at least

from two sides namely protagonist and antagonist.

7. Recount

A recount is a writing text to document and to tell a series of events in a

chronological way so that it entertains or informs a reader.

8. Report

A report is to describe the way things are, with reference to a range of

natural, man-made and social phenomena in our environment.

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9. Anecdote

An anecdote is the social function to share with others an account of an

unusual or amusing incident.

10. News Items

A news item is to perform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the

day which are considered news worthy or important.

11. Review

A review is used to critique an art work, event for a public audience. Such

works of art includes movies, TV show, books, plays, operas, recordings,

exhibition, concerts and ballets.

12. Spoof/Recount

Spoof is a kind of genre used to retell an event with a humorous twist.

13. Hortatory Exposition

A hortatory exposition persuades the reader or listener that something

should or should not be the case.

From many kinds of genre, the researcher focuses on the text of expository

and narrative.

2.2 Teaching Strategies

Teaching strategy is a way of a material presented during the teaching and

learning process. Teaching strategy plays a very important role in increasing the

quality of education. According to Salkind (2008: 962) teaching strategies are the

procedures, processes, activities, and tools used to assist in learning. In other

words, strategy is a way to reach the idea in teaching.

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Teaching strategies refers to an elaborate and systematic plan of action

done by a teacher. It involves pre-planning, the plan, and using the plan in the

classroom (Harmer, 20003).

Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that strategy is one of

the effective way in teaching learning process because strategy is one of the ways

in getting goal of the instruction I teaching, many problems of students in learning

because of the strategy consists of some routines in applying. Reading

comprehension strategies are tools that proficient readers use to solve the

comprehension problems they counter in text. In this research, the researcher

focus on two strategies, they are INSERT strategy and DRTA strategy. It will be

explained detail in the following.

2.2.1 Interactive Notation System for Effective Reading and Thinking

(INSERT) Strategy

The INSERT strategy is a strategy that can help students interact with the

text to clarify their thinking. INSERT gets readers interacting with the text by

"inserting" their thoughts into the ideas proposed by the text to monitor their

comprehension and make decisions such as, “I knew that,” “I don’t understand,”

and “That’s really important.”

The Interactive Notation System for Effective Reading and Thinking

(INSERT) was originally created by Vaughn and Estes (1986); it uses symbols

or notations such as a check mark or a plus sign as a way for the reader to respond

to the text while reading. This strategy helps students to activate background

knowledge. It used by relating what they know previously to new information that
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is found in the text. It also helps them to identify what they do not know or are

confused about during reading. It means that through this strategy, we know the

students’ prior knowledge about the text by seeing their symbols’ chosen. Also we

may know their ability and confusing in the text by their symbols.

INSERT is particularly helpful way for less skilled readers to become

more aware of their breakdown in comprehension so that they can remember to

clarify the issue at a later time. This is a strategy that is used by the students when

they have their own books and can mark in them.

This strategy is quite simple, and consists of recording marginal symbols

as you read. Alternatively, these marks/notes may be made on post-a-notes to

avoid writing in the text. Students who use post-a-notes are encouraged to record

symbols and comments/questions as they read. The post-a-notes may be

transferred to two column notes or a graphic organizer after class discussion.

INSERT strategy assists the reader in maintaining sustained engagement

with text. It promotes meta-cognitive activity in the reader, and therefore is a

good choice to use with struggling readers (Thomas, 1991). This strategy is

closely related with the schemata of the readers. As the McNeil (1992:19) said

that schema theory attempts to specify how the reader’s prior knowledge

influences the information on the page, how this knowledge must be organized to

support the interaction, and how readers’ schemata affects the processing of

textual information.

By using INSERT strategy, student feels easy to identify the text based on

their prior knowledge. Because this kind of strategy will show the reader how

much they know previously about certain text.

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2.2.1.1 Procedures in INSERT Strategy

Begin by explaining to students what the INSERT strategy symbols mean

and how they can use them to mark/code text while reading. Students make the

following INSERT notations during reading. The symbols that are used can either

be written on the page margin (if it is their own book or handout) or on sticky-

note. Each notation indicates students’ knowledge level with respect to the content

of the text. You may devise any symbols you wish, but the following are

commonly used:

√  Put a √ (check mark) in the margin if you read text that confirms
something you already knew
–  Put a – (minus sign) in the margin if you read information that
contradicts what you think you know
+  Put a + (plus sign) in the margin if you encounter new information
?  Put a ? (question mark) in the margin if you encounter information
that is confusing or if you want to know more about something in the
text
As you read, you will be using different symbols in the margin or on post-

a-notes to note your own knowledge or understanding. If you choose to use post-

a-notes, record annotations on each post-a-notes as you read.

The number of symbols you record will vary. It is not necessary to mark

each line or idea. In very dense text, you might record a symbol for every idea, or

several symbols per paragraph. In text about familiar information, you may not

mark every paragraph. After you complete your reading, construct a chart like the

one below and categorize information from the reading:

Table 1. INSERT Chart

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Record information and ideas that confirmed what you knew as you
√
read the text
Record information that contradicts what you thought you knew as
–
you read the text
+ Record information that was new to you
? Record questions you have or ideas that were confusing to you

After all students have read, recorded symbols, and created their own

insert summary charts, they compare their charts with one or two peers.

Discussion based on these charts will help to clarify information for students. This

strategy is most powerful when students create a conceptually based map from

their INSERT chart. After comparing their INSERT summary charts, students

might reorganize their post-notes to reflect how the information they have

recorded is related, producing a concept map or graphic organizer.

2.2.2 Directed Reading – Thinking Activity (DRTA) Strategy

Directed Reading – Thinking Activity (DRTA) is proposed by Russell

Stauffer (1969). He describes that DRTA is a group of comprehension activity

that features prediction of the story events prior to reading, reading to prove or

modify predictions and the use of divergent thinking.

DRTA is teaching technique to develop comprehension by activating

students’ background knowledge, having them make predictions, complete

graphic organizers, and answer questions. These techniques are suggested in the

literature and by knowledgeable for learning involves helping English learners

make “connections between their own knowledge and experiences and the new

information being taught” (Rumelhart, 1994, as cited in Echevarria, Vogt & Short,

2008).
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Stauffer developed Directed Reading Thinking Activity based on the

student centered and constructivism learning theory, while the teacher as

facilitator. According to Stauffer, Directed Reading Thinking Activity has three

basic steps namely: Predicting, Reading and Proving. Predicting involves what the

students interpret as to what will happen in the text. Then the students read to

turning point in the text. And proving involves the students and the teacher react

to the text as whole.

Moreover, Richard and Rodgers (2001) stated that DRTA was designed to

get the pupils asking questions in reading comprehension instead of just

answering the teacher’s questions. This strategy teaches students to acquire and

active their own purpose for reading. By setting their own purposes of reading,

students develop their reading and thinking process whiles the teacher, though his

questioning techniques prescribe how the students will interact with the text.

As the reading continues, questions are answered and predictions are

confirmed, revised, or rejected. The predicting-reading-proving cycle continues

throughout the lesson. The format can be varied with different activities and by

integrating technology. Predictions made at the beginning of the lesson should be

revisited at the end of the lesson as closing activity. This review offers a

comprehension check. Questions such as, “Were you correct?” and, “What do you

think now?” help students examine the proof of their predictions.

DRTA strategy can be used with any age group, but is most commonly

used with elementary students. This strategy works with both picture books and

chapter books, and can be done with individual students, small groups or the

whole class.
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Since it involves predicting what will happen next, DRTA must be used

with a story that is unfamiliar to the students. However, students should have

some background knowledge. The teacher needs prepare for the activity ahead of

time by reading the book and deciding in advance where the stopping points will

be for each section.

2.2.2.1 The Procedures in DRTA

According to Richard and Rodgers (2001) DRTA are designed to get

students asking questions to aid in reading comprehension instead of just

answering teacher’s question and encourages student to develop their own reading

and thinking processes by setting their own purpose for reading. The descriptions

of exemplify the steps are:

1. Predicting

The first step, the teacher sets the students for reading and helps them

think about what they are going to read before begin. The teacher encourages

students to predict by presenting them with pictures, title/subheading and/or

introductory paragraph. In these steps the students can predict and give their

reason of prediction clearly and effectively, and can mark logically. The students

must be active to tell their prediction about the text, according to their knowledge.

During this step of the strategy, the teacher’s role is to both activate and

agitate thought by asking students some following questions: 1) What do you

think this story will be about?, 2) Why do you think so?, 3) What will a story with

this title be about?, 4) Where do you think this story will take place?
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2. Reading

In the second step, the students read the text with the silent reading to see

if their predictions are correct or not. Individual reading will make the different

comprehend according to their opinions. The students demanded to prove their

predictions by showing their part of prediction. The students asked to make

summary of what they had read by using their own word.

When the whole selection has been read, they can go back and point to

unfamiliar terms. Use this opportunity to point to the contextual clues that might

be enabling them to approximate the meanings of words without a dictionary.

3. Proving

In the third step, the students ask to draw or sum up what they had read.

So, it would make the teacher easier to know how far the students have

comprehended the materials. Group discussion will help the students in

communications to exchange their arguments and to share knowledge between

students. The students evaluate their predictions in group. The question which can

be used by the teacher in guiding process proving, are shown as follows: (1) Was

your guess correct? Why or why not? (2) What do you think now? Why? (3) Why

do you think that happened?

The purposes for using DRTA are:

1. Encouraging students to be active and thoughtful readers

2. Activating students’ prior knowledge

3. Teaching students to monitor their understanding of the text as they are

reading

4. Helping strengthen and critical thinking skills.

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2.3 Curiosity

Curiosity is defined as a disposition to inquire, investigate or seek after

knowledge. It is simply to frame of mind in which you went to learn more about

something it also provides the source of internal motivation that comprises the

foundation of education

According to Berlyne (1998) states curiosity is defined as a need, thirst or

desire for knowledge. The concept of curiosity is control to motivation. The terms

can be used as both a description of specific behavior as well as hypothetical

construct to explain the same behavior; he also argues that the curiosity is a

motivational prerequisite for exploratory behavior.

Jonathan (2012:11) proposed four theories related to the nature of

curiosity. His further explanation of related theories can be seen in the following

table:

Table 2. The Nature of Curiosity

No Theory Summary
1 Drive Curiosity is a human drive, comparable to hunger and
thirsty
2 Incongruity Curiosity is evoked by incongruity between something
(an event, object, etc) and person’s existing knowledge
3 Gap Curiosity arises when someone become aware of a gap
between his or existing set of information and some
other desired information
4 Tactile Curiosity arises from physical engagement with things
we believe we might change

From the table above it is clear that Drive Theory is almost biological in

nature. Curiosity is exemplified by the need of food and water to struggle life. It

means that drive Theory helps to explain that someone’s curiosity will be satisfied

by the acquisition of knowledge and experience.

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The second theory is more cognitive in nature. It seems that person tries to

make sense of the world around him or her and when expectation about the way

the world works is violated, curiosity is provoked. In incongruity theory, curiosity

is extremely affected by one’s violation. When the violations are minor, person

will accept them easily without much thought and he or she is will not be very

curios. On the other hand, when violations to his or her existing expectations are

enormous, person will pay much attention to them and he or she will be very

curious.

The third theory interprets curiosity as the reaction of loosing something

that arises from the perception of a gap in knowledge or understanding. Curiosity,

in this theory, is provoked when person begins to feel that gaps, for instance after

he or she is asked a question or after learning some sequences of events without

knowing the conclusion.

The fourth theory links curiosity to the environment. It means that

environmental really affect the decision of person’s physical engagement in

changing the condition. Shortly, the concept of this theory is related to motivation

concepts. When there is a thing that makes people curios, they will provoke their

vigorous motivation to search and explore it. That is why curiosity is considered

as the nature of exploratory behavior. It often produces impulse behavior and

attempts at self control (Loewenstein, 1994).

Moreover, Barlyne (1998) divides curiosity into innate or natural curiosity

and nurtural curiosity. Innate or natural curiosity is brought by the humans

genetically. It has already existed in humans since they were born to the world.

The characteristics of humans with good innate curiosity are: good – socialized,
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more tolerant, good initiative, good interest and enjoyment, and good interaction.

Innate or natural curiosity is static. In addition, nurtural curiosity is acquired by

the humans during raising period. This curiosity is really affected by external

conditions besides the humans. Environment, family, or peers are some factors

that can alter such curiosity. This curiosity is dynamic.

2.3.1 Types of Curiosity

In teaching and learning process, curiosity is really important to provoke

student’s interest. When they have good interest in learning, they are eager to

learn something more and more, to process it in their brain, and get closer to it.

Meanwhile, if the students have no interest at all, they will be reluctant to involve

in learning, give positive feedback, on the task given by the teachers, or give less

attention to the activity. Dweck (2006:13) divided four types of curiosity in

learning process:

1. Perceptual – Diversive. It is flighty stimulated by many different

environmental cues with attention given to many of them. This type of

curiosity may motivate students to wander through a matter they have

stumbled upon, taking in new sights, sounds, smells and textures. It is

exploratory rather than directed towards answering any particular

question.

2. Perceptual – Specific. This type of curiosity might lead students to want to

know how a particular experience feels. It is the desire for new sensation

directed towards answering a particular question and is often stimulated by

the environment around the students.

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3. Epistemic – Diversive. This type of curiosity is the desire for information

or knowledge that is exploratory and might describe the behavior of

students about different topics.

4. Epistemic – Specific. This type of curiosity is the desire for information or

knowledge directed towards answering a specific question, however deep

that question is.

To accomplish meaningful learning, curiosity is viewed as a strong

motivator and director to it for by having curiosity, the students are actively seek

out stimulation or moderate novelty to learn about their surroundings and

ultimately to facilitate their cognitive development. when the students are paying

attention to the materials taught by a teacher, for example, they actually are trying

to focus on it to perceive information and knowledge and to be acquainted with

something new.

It is reasonable, then to say that curiosity is extremely related to personal

interest. When students have no interest on certain topic or material, their

curiosity will not be provoked. Based on this concept, Loewenstein (1994:79)

introduces breadth curiosity and depth curiosity. Breadth curiosity is defined as

the number of interests and individuals has whereas depth curiosity reflects the

degree to which an individual might pursue a single area of interest.

Learners, in an effort to secure more information and learn about a

stimulus, pay more attention to unexpected events and are also motivated to test

new methods of perceiving what are they observing. In classroom settings,

Driscoll (1994:19) stresses perceptual curiosity could be maintained by varying

instructional approaches, such as keeping learners alert by rejecting relevant

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humor, varying one’s tone of voice, and variously alternating group activities and

demonstrations with lecture. These activities would sustain curiosity and thus

serve as a continuing source of learning motivation.

Moreover, Driscoll (1994:19) asserts that epistemic curiosity can be

stimulated and maintained by assigning learners to solve the problem during

learning activity. With sufficient clues and the information necessary to solve the

problems, the teacher can enhance learners’ motivation by allowing them to

experience the complexity of problems characteristic of real life situations.

Students’ experience, then, will lead them to creativity. In short, it is an early

stage in the process of creative thought.

Based on explanation and overview above, it is clear that curiosity,

primarily, plays an important role in determining the success of learning and

teaching process since it helps the students to focus their attention to seek

information and knowledge and to increase their effort to accomplish the tasks.

The closer the students to knowledge and information, the more curios they are

about. It will, of course, foster the process of learning in the classroom.

2.3.2 High and Low Curiosity of Students in Learning

The levels of students’ curiosity affect the process of learning in the

classroom. When the students have high curiosity, they will make effort to obtain

their goals of learning on a certain topic, build positive feelings and beliefs toward

a certain activity, and engage as actively as possible in the classroom. On the

other hand, when the students have low curiosity, they will have less effort to
 27

obtain their learning goals, they are reluctant to engage in activity designed by the

teachers, and they have no interest to study in the classroom.

Dweck (2006:21) identified some characteristics of students with high and

low curiosity toward learning. His explanations are briefly summarized in the

following table:

Table 3. Characteristic of High and Low Curiosity

No High Curiosity Low Curiosity

1 Students have great desire to question
the gaps in learning
2 Students have great desire for
exploratory information and
knowledge
3 Students have great desire towards
answering particular questions
4 Students have attention in learning
Students have plain desire to answer
particular questions
Students have plain desire for
exploratory information and knowledge
Students have plain desire towards
answering particular question
Students have no attention in learning

Dweck (2006: 22) stresses many advantages of having high curiosity in

learning; by having great desire to question the gaps in learning, the students will

effectively cope with sense of novelty, ambiguity, and uncertainty during

learning, by having great desire for exploratory information and knowledge, the

students will actively seek information and knowledge about something that are

unknown, by having great desire for answering particular questions, the students

will devote thought to process information more deeply, remember information

better, and are more likely to persists on tasks until the goals are met, and by

having attention in learning, the students have more of the sense of wondering and

challenging to explore information and they like spending time with novel stimuli

expose to some degree of information and experience.

Conversely, when the students are overwhelmed by low curiosity

characteristic, they have difficulties to grasp information and knowledge, to

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concentrate on the lesson, to have cognitive confusion and good organization

skills, to solve the problem that puzzle them, and to provoke interest in

participation in class activities.

2.4 Conceptual Framework

2.4.1 The Differences between the Students’ Achievements in Reading

Comprehension Taught by Using INSERT Strategy and DRTA Strategy

It is realized that reading is not just a passive activity. Actually, there is a

process happened when someone is reading a text in order to get the

comprehension. The comprehension is able to be earned if the students relate their

previous knowledge with the topic in the text given. The INSERT and DRTA are

those strategies can do that thing with interesting ways to invite the eagerness of

the students in reading.

INSERT is one of teaching strategy in reading. This strategy is particularly

helpful way in teaching. By using this strategy, it expected to improve students’

reading comprehension. INSERT is stand for Interactive Notation System for

Effective Reading and Thinking. It will help the students monitor their thinking as

they read. INSERT uses some note or symbol in application.

Table 4. INSERT Symbols

√ This confirms what you already knew.

- Contradicts what you thought
+ This is a new idea or word for you.
? This is confusing and unclear for you.

The strategy is simple, and consists of symbols as you read. These

marks/notes may be made on post-a-notes to avoid writing in the text. Students

 29

who use post-a-notes are encouraged to record symbols and comments/questions

as they read. The post-a-notes may be transferred to two columns after class

discussion. This strategy will support students in comprehend the reading text,

because the students use their prior knowledge in reading the text.

By using INSERT strategy, the student will get the helping media in

comprehending text. Students can make decisions about their comprehension or

reactions to the text by using a set of symbols. In choosing the symbols they

decide, it means that they comprehend the text directly and understand the text

about.

Another strategy is DRTA, it stands for Directed Reading Thinking

Activity. In DRTA, teacher encourages to stimulus and develops the

comprehension by activating students’ background knowledge, having them make

predictions, and answer questions.

DRTA asks students to predict the unknown in a text, and at times student

will be incorrect. For some students, you may want to consider having them write

their predictions in a journal rather than posting them on the chalkboard.

Encourage students not to be intimidated by taking a risk and not to feel pressure

to state correct prediction. As an introductory lesson to DRTA, select a reading

passage, and determine several appropriate stopping points within it for students

to make, verify or modify predictions. Use sticky notes to mark students’ copies

of the text in advance to prevent students from reading too far ahead. Be cautious

not to interrupt the flow of the text too many times, as this will adversely affect

comprehension.
 30

When you use this strategy, guide and simulate students’ thinking through

the use of questions. Pose open-ended questions, and encourage students to state

their predictions, valuing and supporting all ideas. Wait a few second after asking

a question, to allow students to process the information and form a prediction.

At the beginning of the lesson, write the title of the book or passage on an

chalkboard. Ask students, “Given this title, what do you think the passage will

about?” Accept and record all predictions on the chalkboard. Ask students, “Why

do you think that?” to encourage them to justify their responses and activate their

prior knowledge.

Preview or heading the passage, ask students to revise their predictions

based on this new information. Make changes to the predictions on the

chalkboard.

Have students read silently. Stop them after the first section of the passage,

and lead a class discussion to verify or modify predictions. Ask students to cite

the text which caused them to confirm or change a prediction. Ask students,

“What in the passage makes you think that? Can you prove it?” Make changes to

the predictions on the chalkboard. Repeat this process until students have read

each section of the passage. Verify or modify the predictions made at the

beginning of the lesson.

As students become more comfortable with this process, have each student

write predictions in a piece of paper. Then, in small groups, students can discuss

their predictions and share their thinking process. Next, ask students to write

summary statements about how their predictions compared to the passage.

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Thus, from the explanation above on both strategy used in reading

comprehension, it is assumed that students’ achievement taught by DRTA

strategy is higher than INSERT strategy.

Table 5. The Diference between INSERT and DRTA as Reading Strategy

Strategies
INSERT DRTA
Aspects
Purpose To develop students’ awareness To develop critical reading skills
of when they do not and the ability to predict; to
comprehend so that they can support the incidental learning of
clarify their understanding. vocabulary.
Description A strategy for students to Silent reading activity during
visually indicate comprehension which participants stop and
hypothesis about possible
information or events ahead.
Different views are debated,
using the text already read as
supporting evidence.
Stages of During Reading Before and During Reading
Reading
The teacher’s Teacher is the learner assistant Teachers direct and activate
role Monitoring students' thinking. Facilitator
The students’ Trait the learners to be Trait the learners to be
role independent dependent
Active prior Making connections between Making predictions about the
knowledge prior knowledge and text text content
content
Material Mind activator new information Support multiple opinions
Procedure It is a three-stage process There is a predict-read-prove
focused on direct instruction, cycle used in the DRTA.
application, and reflection.

2.4.2 The Differences of Students’ Achievement in Reading Comprehension

having High Curiosity and Low Curiosity

Curiosity is one factor that affects reading comprehension because when

student have curiosity, they have interest, motivation, and involvement to seek

general, specific and detail information and knowledge. It means that higher the
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curiosity they have, better they comprehend the text. Curiosity will lead the

students become good readers.

In teaching learning process, curiosity determines how deep the students

want to build comprehension skills as the students pay attention to the sentences,

headings, and subheadings that convey main ideas in order to be able to interpret

the text based on author’s intention behind his or her product of writing.

In this study, curiosity is divided into two; students that have high

curiosity and students that have low curiosity. High curiosity is marked by some

characteristics such as students’ interesting feeling to know new things and their

positive attitude toward learning goal, students’ full attention to the task being

accomplished, students’ willingness to embrace the novel, uncertainty, and

unpredictable nature of everyday life, and students’ efforts in seeking general and

specific information and knowledge. Meanwhile, students with low curiosity are

identified by students’ difficulties in grasping information and knowledge,

students’ incompleteness in doing the tasks, students’ confusion in provoking

stimuli and in demonstrating organizational skills, students’ low interest in

participating in the classroom, and students’ disabilities in solving problem and

breaking their wondering by finding out correct answer.

In accordance to the explanation above, it can be predicted that the

students who have high curiosity will get higher achievement in reading

comprehension than those who have low curiosity.

2.4.3 The Interaction between Teaching Strategies and Curiosity on

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Students’ Achievement in Reading Comprehension

Teaching strategies are realized as important point in teaching – learning

process. Teaching strategies are an elaborate and systematic plan or series actions

done by a teacher. It includes; need analysis to interpret institutional goals and

expectation for learning, plan to meet specific goals, topics, texts, and tasks, and

meaningful approach, method, technique, and strategy to complex the nature of

reading. In other words, by using strategies, the certain problem faced by teacher

in classroom can be solved well.

An essential goal of teaching reading comprehension is to establish the

students become good and strategic readers. The students will not be good and

strategic in comprehending a text if they are not able to develop their knowledge

of the world and decoding skills, to improve their reading fluency, and to extent

their ability to comprehend what they read.

Without curiosity, it is impossible for the students to become good and

strategic readers as curiosity arouse a desire for information and attention in

comprehending a passage in teaching and learning, it is described as a drive, a

personality characteristic, and motivation to explore information and knowledge.

It may be the key to the underlying foundation that stimulates learning that can

increase the quality of response and exploratory behavior.

The students with high curiosity tend to be more interested to search and

browse ideas from the text. They are also able to remember, understand, analyze,

and evaluate problems deductively, retrieve the information from the text

accurately, and interpret the text personally by using their own self knowledge.

They are eager and able to do these steps independently. INSERT is really
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suitable for the students with high curiosity. In INSERT strategy, the teacher use

note or symbols in reading the passage, and by using this strategy the teacher can

assess the ability of the students in some problem in the text, because INSERT is

also activate the students prior knowledge.

If students with high curiosity are taught by using DRTA strategy, it will

not facilitate their reading comprehension as this strategy is fully controlled and

monitored by the questions provided by the teachers. The process of activating

prior knowledge and retrieving information occurs after they are given questions

by the teachers.

Accordingly, the students with low curiosity are more suitable to be taught

by using DRTA strategy. Because DRTA strategy is a strategy that guides

students in asking questions about a text, making predictions, and then reading to

confirm or refute their predictions. Stauffer explains that teacher can motivate the

effort and the students’ concentration by involving them and also generate them to

formulate the questions and hypotheses, to process the information, and to

evaluate the temporary solution. DRTA strategy directed to achieve the general

goal.

Related to the explanation above, it can be predicted that there is an

interaction between teaching strategies and curiosity on students’ achievement in

reading comprehension.

2.5 Hypotheses
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Based on the explanation at the previous, the hypotheses of this research

are as the following:

Based on the explanation at the previous, the hypotheses of this research are as the

following:

1. Students’ achievement in reading comprehension taught by using INSERT

strategy is higher than taught by using DRTA strategy

2. Students’ reading comprehension achievement by high curiosity is

significantly higher than low curiosity

3. There is an interaction between INSERT and DRTA Strategies with

curiosity on the students’ reading comprehension.