TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION ON NARRATIVE TEXT USING

NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER STRATEGY

(A Pre Experimental Research on the eleventh grade Students in SMA Negeri 2 Sungai
Kakap in Academic Year 2014/2015)

B.     RESEARCH BACKGROUND

Reading is one of language skills which has very complex process to be learned.

According to Patel and Jain (2008: 113) “Reading is an active process which consists of

recognition and comprehension skill.” Readers need to be able to comprehend what is being

discussed, involved in the process of acquiring grammatical structures and vocabularies of the

language and meaning. Readers should understand the processes involved in reading and

consciously control them in order to make their reading meaningful.

According to Richards and Renandya (2002:277) “Reading for comprehension is the

primary purpose for reading.” The ultimate goal of reading is comprehension. Readers need

ability to comprehend a reading text in order to gain the information from it. Hence, reading

comprehension is needed to ascertain the relationship between the sentences that enables the

reader in comprehending the paragraphs. When, the relationship between paragraphs have been

understood, the reader will get meaning of a text.

A narrative text is a spoken or written account of connected events of a story. This text

kind of imaginative story to entertain people. The purpose of narrative text is to entertain the

reader. To make readers attractive in reading narrative text it may include fairy stories,

mysteries, science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends.

The generic structures of this text are orientation, complication, and resolution.

Teaching narrative text in reading comprehension is taught in Senior High school level.

Students have to comprehend a great number of English reading text materials during learning in
order to know exactly about texts. Based on the English syllabus of tenth grade in first semester,

students should comprehend narrative texts in order to achieve the goal of learning.

Based on the writer’s observation when he was a temporary teacher in SMA Negeri 2

Sungai Kakap, the eleventh grade students face difficulties in understanding a narrative texts.

The difficulties that faced by students in understanding the narrative text could be found in their

learning process about it, such as students get confused about the generic structure, generic

feature, and grammar used in narrative texts. It could be seen by asking the student about what a

narrative text tells about. And also from the result of interview to some students, they felt

difficult to get the implied information of the reading text. They only translate narrative texts by

using electronic dictionary from one word to another word until finish without understand what

the reading text talking about. They could not make the translation become easily to understand.

As a result, they do not know the implicit information in the text and have problems in

answering the questions.

The writer thinks it is needed to propose a suitable strategy in order to make students

understand a narrative text. The suitable strategy is numbered heads together. This strategy

encourages students to comprehend a narrative text by working in groups. Number Head

Together strategy helps students understand that each part of the text by working together in

group made by the teacher.

The writer chooses Numbered Heads Together (NHT) strategy because Numbered Heads

Together includes teams, positive interdependence, and individual accountability, all of which

lead to cooperative interaction among students. Positive interdependence is built into the

structure: if any student knows the answer, the ability of each student is increased. Individual

accountability is also built in: all the helping is confined to the heads together step; students
know that once number is called, each student is on his or her own. The high achievers share

answers because they know their number might not be called, and they want their team to do

well. The lower achievers listen carefully because they know their number might be called.

Numbered Heads Together (NHT) is quite a contrast to whole Class Question-Answer in only

the high achievers need participate and the low achievers can tune out.

Based on the explanation above, the writer wanted to conduct a pre

experimental research on the tenth grade students in SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in Academic

Year 2014/2015. In pre experimental research, the writer chooses numbered heads together

strategy by considering the difficulties that faced by students in narrative texts.

Using numbered heads together strategy the writer believes it can make students know

how to comprehend narrative texts. In addition, it can create a condition which students involve

in reading process actively.

C.    RESEARCH PROBLEM

A good formulation of research problems will be very helpful to find the relevant data

easily. Considering the topic, the writer restricts the problems of this research as follows:

“Does teaching narrative text by using number head together strategy significantly promote

reading comprehension ability on narrative texts of the eleventh grade students in SMA Negeri 2

Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015?”

D.    RESEARCH PURPOSE

From the formulation of research problem, the purpose of this research is:
“To find out whether or not teaching narrative text by using numbered heads together strategy

significantly promote reading comprehension ability on narrative texts of the eleventh grade

students in SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015.”

E.     HYPOTHESIS

Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005: 8) says, “A hypothesis is often described as an

attempt by the researcher to explain the phenomenon of interest.” The hypotheses in this research

are as follows:

1.      Null Hypothesis (Ho)

Teaching narrative text using numbered heads together strategy can not significantly promote

reading comprehension achievement on narrative texts of the eleventh grade students in SMA

Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015.

2.      Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

Teaching narrative text using numbered heads together strategy can significantly promote

reading comprehension achievement on narrative texts of the eleventh grade students in SMA

Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015.

F.     SCOPE OF RESEARCH

To clarify the limitation of the research, it is necessary to ascertain the scopes of research.

The scope of this research is research variable. Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005: 42) says,

“A variable is anything that can take on different values.” With respect to this research, variables

which need describing are independent and dependent variable as follow:

a.    Independent Variable

Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005: 42) says, “The independent variable is the factor that is

manipulated or controlled by the researcher.” Independent variable in this research is teaching

reading comprehension by using numbered heads together strategy on narrative texts.

b.    Dependent Variable

Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005:44) says, “The dependent variable is a measure of the

effect of the independent variable.” Dependent variable in this research is students’ reading

comprehension achievement on narrative texts.

G.    THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

1.      Language Teaching and Learning

Language is an instrument used by people communicate in order to convey information

and make social interaction between others. Darbyshire, cited in Patel & Jain (2008: 28) noted:

“Language is undoubtedly a kind of means of communication among human beings. It consists

primarily of vocal sounds. It is articulatory, systematic and arbitrary.”

According to Stern (1991: 21) “Language teaching can be defined as the activities which

are intended to bring about language learning.” Language teaching is considered as a part of

learning a language. In language teaching, the activities that have done towards about how

someone acquire a language. Hence, language teaching implies about language learning.

Furthemore, Brown (2000:7) says “Teaching is guiding and facilitating learning, enabling

the learner to learn, setting the conditions for learning.” Teaching language is not only about

providing the language materials, helping students to know the language materials, and causing
students acquire the language knowledge and skills. It is about how teacher make students

interested in learning language with guide, motivate, and create a good atmosphere.

Stern (1991: 21) states, “A good language teaching theory would meet the conditions and

needs of learners in the best possible ways.” Language teaching theory influences the activities

in language learning. In choosing the language teaching theory, teacher should pay attention to

students’ need and interest. The suitable language teaching theory, the better activities could

carried out in language learning.

Language learning is how student getting the language skills which they intended to get.

Brown (2000:7) says “Learning is acquiring or getting of knowledge of a subject or a skill by

study, experience, or instruction.” In learning language, students should have teacher who can

guide and teach them in order to get the language skills.

Nowadays, there is a new paradigm where students is the centered of learning. Students

should be more active in the classroom while teacher only guide, faciltate, and motivate students

in their learning activities. Students should construct their knowledge when learning by

themselves.

Furthemore, language learning and teaching can not be separeted. In acquiring language

students have to learn and also should be taught by teacher who can guide, facilitate, and

motivate them. Although in a new paradigm students is the centered, teacher also have a role as

facilitator in teaching and learning activities.

2.      Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is constructing meaning and understanding about the

information presented in a reading text. Pardo (2004: 272) said that comprehension is a process
 in which readers construct meaning by interacting with text through the combination of prior

knowledge, information in the text, and the stance reader takes in relationship to the text.

The main goal of reading is comprehension. According to Richards and Renandya

(2002:277) “Reading for comprehension is the primary purpose for reading.” Readers need

ability to comprehend a reading text in order to gain the information from it. Hence, reading

comprehension needed to ascertain the relationship between the sentences that enables the reader

in comprehending the paragraphs. When, the relationship between paragraphs have been

understood, the reader will get the information of a text.

Anders (2002: 112) states, “Reading comprehension is accomplished in the service of

learning, understanding, remembering, responding, and making inferences.” Reading

comprehension has a complex process that involves many levels of processing in order to acquire

information from a reading text.

Moreover, Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill (2004: 228) says,

“Comprehension occurs as the reader builds a mental representation of a text message.

The comprehension processes that bring about this representation occur at multiple levels
across units of language: word level, (lexical processes), sentence level (syntactic
processes), and text level. Across these levels, processes of word identification, parsing,
referential mapping, and a variety of inference processes all contribute, interacting with
the reader’s conceptual knowledge to produce a mental model of the text.”
There are four parts of reading comprehension. King & Stanley (1989: 330) stated

four parts in reading comprehension as follows:

1.      Reference

Reader should identify referents while they reading a text. In stead of repeating the same

word or phrase several times, after it has been used, the author usually refer to it rather

than repeat it.

2.      Main Idea

 Reader should focus on the main idea and also observe the flow of ideas while reading.

3.      Inference

Reader should draw logical inferences and make accurate predictions while reading.

4.      Restatement

In restatement, there are two things should reader do; interpret common features and

recognize restated information.

According to Berry (2005) there are three different levels of comprehension that ccould

be called the literal level, the interpretive level and the applied level. The brief explanation of

those as follows:

1)      Literal Level

The first level of comprehension can be called the literal level for the sake of wording

because it is the most simple. At this level the reader or student can attempt to answer the

question such as “What did the author say?”. At this level, reader would not have to understand

the true meaning of a paragraph, however, they could memorize the information. At the literal

level, reader would memorize the facts of such a reading text.. However, even though reader has

memorized these facts, this does not mean that reader necessarily understand their full meaning

or see the implication of these facts applied to other situations. At the literal level, reader is

looking at what was written by an author at “face value”, little interpretation is needed.

2)      Interpretive Level

The second level of comprehension is called the interpretive or inferential level. At the

interpretive level the reader or student can attempt to answer the question, such as “What was

meant by what was said?”. At this level, reader is attempting to understand what the author

meant by what she/he said in the story, paragraph or textbook. It is presumed that reader has
 already memorized certain facts at the literal level and now reader is attempting to see the

implications of the author’s words. At this level, reader is attempting to “read between the lines”

and understand that which she/he memorized at the literal level of comprehension.

3)      Applied Level

The last level is called the applied level. At this level the reader or student can attempt to

answer the question, such as “How would the author’s message apply to other situations given

what you memorized and understood at the other two levels?”. At this level, reader are

attempting to elevate or raise her/his thinking one more “notch” or level to a more critical,

analyzing level. It is presumed that reader has already reached the previous two levels. At this

level, reader is “reading between the lines” and then examining the message from the author and

attempting to apply that message to other settings.

In addition, Riverside Unified School District (2004: 2) stated that a description of

effective reading comprehension skills is included as below:

1.      Comparing similarities and differences

The skill of comparing is identifying similarities and differences among things or ideas presented

in texts. It is one of the most highly effective skills to deepen students’ understanding of a text

and the concepts they are reading about.

2.      Categorizing and classifying

This skill is a form of comparing similarities and differences. It involves grouping things into

categories based on like characteristics.

3.      Summarizing
 Summarizing is a skill that involves selecting the most important information and restating it in a

brief, synthesized manner. When this skill becomes automatic, students are able to use it as a

reading comprehension strategy and apply it in any situation.

4.      Noting details

Noting details involves recalling specific information during and after reading and being able to

pinpoint the information in the text.

5.      Identifying the sequence of events

Readers use this skill to determine the order in which events happen in a text.

6.      Identifying the topic, main idea, and supporting details

The main idea is the sentence within a paragraph that states what the paragraph is mainly about.

The supporting details are the related sentences in the paragraph that support the main idea. The

topic is what the entire paragraph is about. The topic is determined by identifying the main idea

and supporting details.

7.      Identifying cause and effect

This skill involves identifying which events in the text make other events happen. The effect

describes what happened. The cause describes why it happened.

8.      Making generalizations

Generalizations are broad statements that are true for most things in a group most of the time.

The skill of making generalizations involves using facts from the text and recognizing or

formulating a general statement that might apply to the facts using words such as most,

generally, often, many, usually.

9.      Drawing conclusions

 When readers draw a conclusion, they put together the facts and information found in the text or

the illustrations and come to a conclusion about what it all means. Drawing conclusions based on

textual information allows readers to understand things not directly stated in the text.

10.  Making inferences

Making inferences is a skill that allows readers to use clues from the text along with their prior

knowledge to understand something that is not directly stated in the text. When this skill

becomes automatic, students are able to use it as a reading comprehension strategy and apply it

in any situation.

11.  Making judgments

This skill involves using details from the text along with the reader’s own beliefs to form an

opinion. No single opinion is either correct or incorrect. Readers use facts from the text to

support their opinions.

12.  Identifying story elements/structure

Identifying and analyzing story elements such as character, setting, plot, and theme and

determining the structure of the text enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of what they

are reading.

13.  Identifying fact and opinion

This skill allows the reader to distinguish between facts things that can be proven true or false,

and opinions - thoughts, beliefs, or feelings about something which cannot be proven right or

wrong.

14.  Identifying text organization

Identifying how the author has organized the text allows readers to determine which ideas are the

most important and how ideas relate to each other.

15.  Identifying the author’s viewpoint

The author’s viewpoint is what the author understands or feels about something including his or

her attitudes and beliefs. Readers use this skill to determine the author’s viewpoint based on

evidence in the text.

3.      Teaching Narrative text

Teaching reading is very important in teaching english. It is an activity to improve

student`s knowledge and reading ability. The teacher should know how to teach reading well to

the student in order they will understand the lesson easily.

4.      Number Head Together (NHT) Strategy

a.      Definition

One of cooperative methods that is applied in school is Numbered Heads Together.  This
technique is developd by Kagan (1993). Generally, NHT is used to involve the students in
checking the understandin of the students about the materials. By using NHT tecnique will give
the students the opportunity to share their ideas and their opinion about the appropriate answer.
This technique will motivate the students to improve their motivation to cooperate each others.
Numbered Heads Together is a cooperative learning strategy that holds each student accountable
for learning the material. Students are placed in groups and each person is given a number (from
one to the maximum number in each group). The teacher poses a question and students "put their
heads together" to figure out the answer. The teacher calls a specific number to respond as
spokesperson for the group. By having students work together in a group, this strategy ensures
that each member knows the answer to problems or questions asked by the teacher. Because no
one knows which number will be called, all team members must be prepared.
Salah satu metode kooperatif yang diterapkan di sekolah Numbered Heads Together. Teknik ini
developd oleh Kagan (1993). Umumnya, NHT digunakan untuk melibatkan siswa dalam memeriksa
understandin siswa tentang materi. Dengan menggunakan NHT tecnique akan memberikan siswa
kesempatan untuk berbagi ide dan pendapat mereka tentang jawaban yang tepat. Teknik ini akan
memotivasi siswa untuk meningkatkan motivasi mereka untuk bekerja sama satu sama lain. Numbered
Heads Together adalah strategi pembelajaran kooperatif yang memegang setiap siswa bertanggung
jawab untuk belajar materi. Siswa ditempatkan dalam kelompok-kelompok dan setiap orang diberi
nomor (dari satu sampai jumlah maksimum dalam setiap kelompok). Guru menimbulkan pertanyaan
dan siswa "menempatkan kepala mereka bersama-sama" untuk mencari tahu jawabannya. Guru
memanggil nomor tertentu untuk merespon sebagai juru bicara untuk kelompok. Dengan memiliki siswa
bekerja sama dalam kelompok, strategi ini memastikan bahwa setiap anggota tahu jawaban untuk
 masalah atau pertanyaan yang diajukan oleh guru. Karena tidak ada yang tahu yang nomor akan
dipanggil, semua anggota tim harus siap.

This cooperative learning strategy promotes discussion and both individual and group
accountability. This strategy is beneficial for reviewing and integrating subject matter. Students
with special needs often benefit when this strategy is used. After direct instruction of the
material, the group supports each member and provides opportunities for practice, rehearsal, and
discussion of content material. Group learning methods encourage students to take greater
responsibility for their own learning and to learn from one another, as well as from the instructor
(Terenzini & Pascarella, 1994).

b.      How to make it happen

1.      The teacher has students number off within groups, so that each student has a number 1, 2, 3, or

2.      The teacher ask a question.

3.      The teacher tells the students to “put their heads together” to make sure that everyone on the

team knows the answer.

4.      The teacher calls a number (1, 2, 3, or 4), and the students with that number can raise their hands

to respond.

Stone said that, NHT is a simple four-step structure which strengths are in building mastering
and in reviewing previously learned information. In step one, the students on each team number
off from 1 to 4. In step two, on a team of only 3, team member #3 answers when number 3 and 4
are called. On a team of 5 student, team members #4 and #5 both answer when number 4 is
called. The teacher then asks a high consensus question. Rather than asking a simple knowledge
or comprehension question, ask a question with multiple responses. In step three, the students put
their head together, discuss the correct answers and make sure that everyone knows the answer.
In step four, the teacher calls a number and those students raise their hands to respond. (Stone,
2000: 72)

Stone also suggested what he called as Heads Back Together, i.e.: when a teacher asks a question
and only a couple of the group respond, the teacher should have all the groups put their heads
back together. The teacher might say, “Not enough #2’s have their hands up, put your heads
together and make sure all #2’s can answer the question.” Teacher may also vary the order of
numbers called to respond by using a spinner, dice, or pulling numbers from a hat.
 5.      Narrative Text

A narrative text is a spoken or written account of connected events of a story. This text

kind of imaginative story to entertain people. Derewianka (1990: 40) stated that the

basic purpose of narrative text is to entertain, to gain and hold a readers' interest in a story.

Derewianka (1990: 40) also add types of narrative text may include fairy stories, mysteries,

science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, “heroes and villains” (e.g. TV

cartoons), myths and legends.

Derewianka (1990: 40) stated that there are three part in of the text organisation or

generic structure of narrative text. First, orientation, in which the main character(s), setting and

time of the story are established; this part usually details who, what, where, when and why.

Second, complication, which involves the main character, may occur after an event or series of

events where the problem arise. And the last is resolution, whereby the problem is solved. The

complication may be resolved for better or worse/happily or unhappily.

Derewianka (1990: 42) also noted that there are some language features of narrative text,

such as focuses on specific participants rather than representing a general group, includes

participants who are human, or animals with human-like characteristics, mainly action verbs

(material processes), but also many verbs which refer to what the human participants said, or felt,

or thought (verbal and mental processes), normally past tense, uses text connectives e.g. then, so,

furthermore, at least, meanwhile, uses dialogue to develop characters and relationships; the tense

may change to the present or the future when dialogue is used, uses descriptive language,

including adjectives and adverbs, to enhance and develop the story and help readers construct

images and connect with the story, can be written in the first person personal pronouns (e.g. I,

we), but can be written in the third person (e.g. he, she, they).
 Below is the axample of narrative text and the generic structure of it adopted from

Derewianka (1990: 41),

John slumped in the beanbag, his arms

crossed and his face with a gloomy
frown. He was a new kid in town but
no-one knew he was even there. John
Orientation
wasn’t the type of person you could
have fun with. He didn’t like anybody
and they didn’t like him. All day he sat
hunched in the beanbag staring blankly
out the window.
Through the window he caught a
glimpse of a gigantic hollow tree in a
vacant lot. The tree seemed to beckon
him. He stood slowly up as if he was in
a trance, then started to walk towards
Complication the tree. Its branches were scarggly and
tough, its roots dug into the ground like
claws. The tree had thorns all over it
and vines hung around it. John tried to
turn away but he couldn’t. A
mysterious force was pulling him into
the hollow.
Resolution John never reappeared.....but no-one
noticed or cared

H.    CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Reading can be meaningful if readers can comprehend the whole of a reading text. The

purpose of reading comprehension is constructing meaning and understanding about the

information presented in a reading text. Usually, the author states the information in two ways,

those are explicitly and implicitly. In explicit information, readers can get the information

directly because it has already stated in the reading text. While in implicit way, readers should

read between lines since the ideas do not presented directly in the text. The reader who read a

text is to find what the text is telling about. In other word, in this case the readers are students,
they must know the main idea to comprehend the texts. To find the main idea of a text, the

students have to know the meaning of the words, grammar, the structure of the text and the

relation between each words. If students can do that, it will be easy to find the main idea. But if

they can not do thatt, it will be a big problem.

Based on the writer’s observation in teaching practice in SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap,

the eleventh grade students have a problem in finding main idea of narrative texts as well as.

Students only translate narrative texts by using book or electronic dictionary from one word to

another word until finish without knowing what the text is talking about. By considering those

problems, the writer chooses number head together (NHT) strategy on teaching reading reading

comprehension on narrative. In the application, the writer wiil do pre-experimental design. and

teaching the class in the approriate time toward the SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap schedule.

In teaching narrative text by using number head together (NHT) strategy, the writer tends

to explain how students use this strategy in comprehending narrative text, wants to know the

students’ achievement in main idea finding taught by it, and also hopes it helping students to

solve their problems in comprehend the narrative text.

In applying number head together (NHT) strategy, the writer will use group work method,

where students divide into small groups that consists of four to five students in each group. In

small groups, students are able to share their ideas and learn from their group members that will

make them easier developing their understanding of narrative texts.

The implementation of teaching narrative text using number head together (NHT) strategy

in the classroom for the first as usually teacher greets students and checks the students’ present.

Then, teacher do apperception through asking some questions to the students did they have an

experience related to the materials that would be explained. It is useful to get students’ attention
 and involved in before begin to learn. And then, it is important to teacher tells some indicators

that should be achieved by students. After that, students divide into some small groups that

consist of four or five students in each group.

I.       RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.      Form of Research

In accordance with the problems, the approriate method to be used in this research is

experimental method. Cohen, Manion, & Morrison (2000:210) says, “The essential feature of

experimental research is that investigators deliberately control and manipulate the conditions

which determine the events in which they are interested.” This method manipulates variables and

measures the affect of the manipulation on other set of variables.

The designing form of the experimental method which the writer chooses is pre

experimental designs. The writer uses one kind of pre experimental designs, namely the one-

group pre-test post-test design. Cohen, Manion, & Morrison (2000:213) represented the one-

group pre-test post-test design as below:

O1 X O2

The design is illustrated as follows:

a.    Apply O1 that is pre-test in the form of written test to measure the students’ main idea finding

achievement on narrative texts before giving treatment.

b.    Apply X that is the treatment; which is teaching main idea finding by using number head

together on narrative texts.

c.    Apply O2 that is post-test to measure students’ main idea finding achievement on narrative texts

after giving treatment.

d.   Comparing O1 and O2 to determine the students’ mean score of pre-test and post-test. 

The result of pre-test post-test of students will be counted. The writer will measure and

compare the result of both tests to know whether or not teaching main idea finding by using

number head together (NHT) strategy promote students’ main idea finding achievement on

narrative texts.

2.    Population and Sample

a.         Population

Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005: 18) says, “The population is all individuals of

interest to the researcher.” The population in this research is the first semester of eleventh year

students of SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015. There are three classes of

eleventh year students of SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Kakap in academic year 2014/2015. It consists

of one science program and two social program classes.  

b.        Sample

Marczyk, DeMatteo, & Festinger (2005: 18) said that sample is representative of the

population from which it was selected. The writer uses purposive sampling in this research. The

writer only take one class that considered necessary to be given the treatment. As Cohen,

Manion, & Morrison (2000: 103) says, Purposive sampling the sample has been chosen for a

specific purpose.” English Teacher of eleventh grade students in this school also suggested to

take sample from XI science class.        

 3.    Technique and Tool of Data Collection

a.    Technique of Data Collection

In this research, the writer applies measurement technique in collecting the data.

Measurement technique is a technique to collect the data of research which purpose in collecting

quantitative data; in the form of score or achievement. It is intended to measure the students’

achievement or score before and after the treatment.

b.   Tool of Data Collection

Based on the measurement technique, the tools for gathering the data in this research is in

the form of written test, especially objective test. The form of objective test is multiple choice

test with four option of which only one is correct by choosing the approriate answer whether a, b,

c, or d based on the text that had given. Thirty items multiple choice items are considered being

adequate enough for this measurement. And from scoring point of view, each item is scored 1.

Therefore, the highest score is 30 and the lowest score is 0.  

In making test items, first the writer takes the texts from internet. And then the writer

makes questions from the texts that have already taken. Each text has different types of story,

such as fable and legend. The test that have constructed will be administered to students as

sample of the research.

The writer tries out the thirty test items before it is administered to collect the data on

finding main idea achievement on narrative texts. The thirty test items carried out in the eleventh

class of science program. Try out is carried out because the writer wants to know the reliability,

level difficulty (LD) and discriminating power (DP).

 c.       Instrument Analysis

1.      Validity

Heaton (1975: 153) says, “The Validity of the test is the extent to which it measures what

it is supposed to measure and nothing else.” The test called by valid when the test contains what

material that want to measure.

In this research, the writer intended to know the students’ achievement in finding main

idea on narrative texts. The validity of the test could be seen in table specification as follow:

Indicators
Number of Test
The Title of Texts (Skills in Inference
Items
Making)

Text 1 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 19,

Predicting outcome
The Ugly Duckling 24, 28, 29
and future
Text 2 (9)
The Story of Smart
Monkey and Dull
Crocodile
Text 3 2, 12, 17, 20, 22,30
Identifying referents
The story of Lake Toba (6)
Text 4
Love story of Antony
and Cleopatra
Text 5 Determine implied 6, 15, 23, 25
The Story of cause-effect (4)
Sangkuriang and
Tangkuban Perahu
Mountain 1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14,
Draw conclusion 18, 21, 26, 27
(11)
Total number of items 30

2.      Reliability
 Reliability is the extent for a test procedure consistent result when administered under

similar condition. Cohen, Manion, & Morrison (2000: 117) says, “Reliability is essentially a

synonym for consistency and replicability over time, over instruments and over groups of

respondents.” The formula that will be used to measure the reliability of the test is the Kuder

Richardson Formula 21 (KR21).

 =   

Note:

      =  Kuder Richardson reliability coefficient.

K         =  The number of items in the test.

X         =  Mean score of the test.

δ          =  Test Variance/standard deviation.

In order to get Standard Deviation δ used formula as follow:

SD =       

Where:

SD       =  The standard deviation.

   
=   The sum of squares of each score.

N        =   The number of items.

The criteria for the reliability coefficient of the test score as follow:

Coefficient Classification

0.00 – 0.20 Negligible (N)

0.20 – 0.40 Low (L)

0.40 – 0.60 Moderate (M)

0.60 – 0.80 Substantial (S)

 0.80 – 1.00 High to very high (H)

a.        Test Item Analysis 

1.    Level Difficulty (LD)

Level Difficulty is simply shows how easy or difficult the test items based on students’

answer. The formula of Level Difficulty as follow:  

LD       =  

Where:

LD       = Level Difficulty

          = Upper Group

         = Lower Group

T          = The total number of students

The criteria that is used to classify the level difficulty of the test item as follow:

Level difficulty (LD) Item qualification

0.00 – 0.29 Revised / discarded (R)

0.30 – 0.49 Difficult (D)

0.50 – 0.79 Moderate (M)

0.80 – 0.92 Easy (E)

2.                   Discriminating Power (DP)

 Disciminating Power indicates the extent to which the test items discriminates between

high and low group of students. Good test items should discriminate between those who score

high on the test and those who score low. The formula of Level Difficulty as follow:

DP       =   
       
Where:

DP       = Dicriminating Power

          = Upper group

        = Lower group

T          = The total number of students

The criteria that is used to classify the discriminating power of the test item as follow:

Discriminating Power (DP) Item qualification

0.00 – 0.19 Bad/Revised  (R)

0.20 – 0.29 Sufficient (S)

0.30 – 0.39 Good (G)

0.40 – 1.00 Excellent (X)

3.         Technique of Data Analysis

After collecting the data, the writer will analyzes the data by using statistical method in

order to see the achivement of teaching reading comprehension on narrative text using number

head together (NHT) strategy.

a.       Analysis on the students’ mean score of pre-test and post-test.

M1=                    M2 = 
 Where:

M1          =  The students’ mean score of pre-test

  M2         =  The students’ mean score of post-test

      = The sum of individual score of pre-test

       = The sum of individual score of post-test

  N       = The total number of students

b. Analysis on the students’ different score of pre-test and post-test.

MD =  

Where:

MD      = The different students’ mean score of pre-test and post-test

         =  The students’ mean score of pre-test

          =  The students’ mean score of post-test

c.  Analysis on the students’ significance score of pre-test and post-test.

t-test is used to analyze the treatment influence

t    =

Where: 

t           = The obtained for correlated sample

MD      = The mean of difference

d       = The sum of difference students’ scores between pre-test and

               post-test

  N       = The total number of students

d. Analysis on the effect size of the treatment.

 ES       = t

Where:

ES       = Effect size

t           = The result of t-test

N         = The total number of students

The result of effect size categorized as below:

ES ≤ 0.2 Low

ES ≤ 0.8 Moderate

ES ≥ 0.8 High 

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