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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
In this chapter present the method used in this study. The research design,
research setting, research participation, research instrument, data collecting
technique, and data anaysis.

3.1 Research Design

This study aims to probe and distinguish the reading process

carried out by students. It examines what actually happens to
compendiums or reading learners of different genders when they
understand an English textbook. Specifically look at the reading
difficulties faced by students and explain the factors that make
students fail to understand English textbooks. This study also aims to
describe the strategies they use when facing difficulties. Areas of
difficulty have been anticipated according to some hypotheses, former
study, and the foreknowledge of some researchers as expressed in
previous chapters. Thus, this research is descriptive qualitative
because it isn't aimed to have treatment or manipulation of the subject
under investigation. This looks close to the intensity of the problems
mentioned. The researcher's part is restricted to taking notations from
supposing through protocol analysis and interviews and forming some
interpretations. This approach can be seen from the main objects of
the research and from the data collection techniques.

Based on the nature of descriptive research, this study doesn't

use hypotheses as impermanent answers to research questions as
applied in the quantitative approach. The theories in this study weren't
used to construct verified hypotheses based on empirical data. They're
applied as a base used by researchers to approach and help understand
reading problems and strategies used by students. They're also used to
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explain several methodologies of analyzing language learning

phenomena and explain the results of the analysis.

The way of data interpretation characterizes research to get

meaning from phenomena and eventually reach conclusions. This is
done inductively; meaning that conclusions are drawn grounded on
the data given or obtained from students and educators. The researcher
doesn't look for data or validation to prove or discredit the thesis he
holds before entering the study; rather abstractions are constructed as
specific things that have been gathered grouped together.( Bogdan and
Biklen, 2007). From different pieces of substantiation the researcher
builds some abstractions of reading problems and strategies that do in
the subject.

Likewise, the nature of this research is also in line with the

characteristics of qualitative research as portrayed by Bogdan and
Biklen( 2007). There are five characteristics of qualitative research( 1)
Qualitative research has an factual setting as a direct data source and
the researcher is the crucial instrument,(2) Qualitative research is
descriptive,(3) Qualitative researchers are more concerned with
process than process. only with results or products,(4) qualitative
researchers tend to analyze their data inductively, and(5)" meaning" is
an important concern in qualitative approaches.

The reason researchers use this type of descriptive research is

because this research is suitable to give a clear and comprehensive
picture from one social situation to another or from one time to
another, or can find patterns of connections between certain aspects
and other aspects. aspects, and can find hypotheses and theories. thus,
this approach uses a qualitative approach by matching the empirical
reality with the applied theory, using a descriptive method.
 24

With this approach, researchers conduct research with a natural

background or in agreement with the being context. A qualitative
approach was used to reveal the descriptive and instructional power of
what they did and what they endured towards the focus of the study.
According to Moelong( 2008), qualitative research has the following
characteristics scientific, human as an instrument, uses qualitative
methods, inductive data analysis, descriptive, more concerned with the
process than the results, there's focus, there are criteria for data
validity., interim research design, and research results were negotiated
and mutually agreed upon.

3.2 Subject of Research

There was one class in the subjects of this study. The class was
be eighth grade in the second semester. The research used one class as
the research’s sample that is VIII A. Because from the interview of
preliminary research, it was found that most student in this class still
confuse about reading strategies and because this class have low score
in reading. In short the research’s subject is the student at VIII A
which is consist 38 students.

3.3 Screening the sample

Since the research is to know the students' thought by
verbalizing their thoughts, the researcher needs the participants who
are expressive and able to verbalize their thoughts when they were
doing reading comprehension activity. It means that only students who
are expressive can be used as the participants of the study. The
researcher gave students trial run by using think aloud protocol
analysis to the VIII A class students. Then researcher took out of
students who are categorized as expressives ones. They are the
samples of this research.
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3.4 Data Source

According to Moleong, the main source of the data in qualitative
research is words and actions, and other things are as additional data.
In this study, the data source were students of VIII A at the eighth
grade of SMP Negeri 8 Mulya Kencana.

3.5 Research Instrument

In research instrument, the researcher used three techniques,
namely think-aloud protocol analysis, test, and interview. The most
important activities in doing this research is how the way to get and
collecting data needed: the researcher applied some appropriate
research instrument. Those are ways to collect the data, they are:
questionnaire, test and interview. In this study, the researcher
collected the data by using several instrument namely, thinking aloud
protocol analysis, interview and reading test.

3.5.1 Thinking aloud protocol analysis

In order to see whether male participants or their female
counterparts use more reading strategies and face more difficulties,
think-aloud technique was chosen as another instrument for this study.
Think-aloud protocol known as verbal protocol analysis is a
qualitative research method by which researchers can explore
subject’s mental process, especially the sequence of their cognitive
events (Hannu & Pallab, 2002). This protocol is based on the
assumption that when subjects under investigation verbalize their
thoughts while doing certain tasks, this does not interfere with their
sequence of thoughts and hence can be considered as a valid data on
thinking (Ericsson & Simon, 1984). Also the researcher analyzed the
students’ reading ability based on the accuracy of students answer.
The students requested by researcher to determine the main idea from
the story they read. In determining the value of the student, the author
determines the score statement in the transcribe from thingking aloud
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protocol analysis. The writer used the Likert scale as score ratings.
Sugiyono (2008) says that the Likert scale used to measuring attitudes,
opinions, communities or groups of perception about social
phenomena. The how scale of students reading ability is as follows:

Table 3.1
Scale of Students’ Reading Ability
Category Score
Very high accuracy 4
High accuracy 3
Moderate accuracy 2
Low accuracy 1
Very low accuracy 0

In this study, thinking aloud would be measured from students

to find numerical data of their reading ability. In this research likert
scale is to measure the accuracy of main idea students answered and
each answer has five score with a scale score from 0 to 4. The
students are expected to determine the maind idea of story as accurate
as possible. The likert score has five scores, namely “Very high
accuracy (VHA)” which signifies that the students state the main idea
with almost accurate, “high accuracy (HA)” which signifies that the
students state the main idea with mostly accurate, “moderate accurate
(MA)” which signifies that the students state the main idea with half
accurate, “low accuracy (LA)” which signifies that the students state
the main idea with mostly inaccurate, and “very low accurate (VLA)”
which signifies that the students state the main idea with almost
inaccurate.

3.5.2 Interview
According to Sugiyono (2019) interview is a conversation of
more than one person in changing information through questions and
answers so as to obtain communication on a particular topic. Semi
 27

strucured interview will be used by researcher to get the data from the
students eight grade of SMP N 08 Mulya Kencana about reading
strategies and difficulties. It can be used to investigate the reading
strategies and difficulties they have to overcome. Furthermore, using
interview is to connect the result thinking aloud protocol analysis.

3.5.3 Test
According to Handayani (2002) test is one of the instruments
often used by the teacher to see the level of each student he teaches. It
means test is useful for teachers to see student levels, according to
handayani test was an instrument which is used by the teacher that
provides indicator of students perfomance level.
So this test is very helpful to the teacher's understanding of the
level of the students. However, in this study researchers did not see
the level of students. Instead, the tests given to the students are
intended to see the aspect of the most difficult by the students.

3.6 Data Collecting Technique

The most important activities in doing this research is how the
way to get and collecting data needed: the researcher applied some
appropriate research instrument. Those are ways to collect the data,
they are: questionnaire, test and interview. In this study, the researcher
collected the data by using several instrument namely, thinking aloud
protocol analysis, interview and reading test.

3.6.1 Test
Before the researcher using thinking aloud protocol analysis the
researcher will give the student test. The form of the student test
answers the multiple choice questions provided by the researcher. The
test of this research is adapted from reading aspect by Nuttal (1986).
In this research, the researcher wil use the test only to elicit the data
 28

not to measure the student’s level. Researchers will see on skill how
many of the existing skill students answer the most difficult.
The researcher made a blue print according to the reading
comprehension material that students learned in class. Where in the
test questions contain 5 skills that are in the reading comprehension
section that will be done by the respondent. Below, the researcher
provides a blue print table.
Table 3.2
Blue Print of Reading Comprehension Difficulties
N Number of
o Indicator Questions items
Students get difficulties in determining
1 main idea 1, 20 2
Students get difficulties in finding the 3, 4, 6, 7, 8,
2 specific information. 12, 13, 14 8
Students get difficulties in making
3 inference. 10, 11, 16, 3
Students get difficulties in identifying
4 reference 18 1
Students get difficulties in understanding 2, 5, 9, 15,
5 the meaning of word. 17, 19 6
Total 20

3.6.2 Think-aloud protocols analysis

After giving test to the student the researcher used thingking
aloud protocol analysis to know student’s reading strategies,
difficulties, and abilities. Research instrument involving think-aloud
tasks requires the researcher to understand the exact nature of the
think-aloud method and its limitations. There are steps researchers that
should go through in the data collections.
 29

First, before giving strudents the actual thinking aloud protocol

analysis the researcher gave students the direction about what students
have to do in tthinking aloud protocol analysis. In this step the
researcher showed students the narrative text that students have to
read. There were few narrative text that researcher gave to the
students. The reason researcher do this is to introduce students with
this narrative text.

Second, the the researcher gave the directions that specify

clearly to the participants to report exactly what they were thinking
while reading (to provide “concurrent” or “on-line” verbal reports);
they should be explicitly instructed to verbalize all the thoughts that
occurred to them after doing a given task (e.g. reading a text)
repeatedly until the student understand what the text about. The
directions given before the practice run are repeated for the actual
think-aloud task. The researcher should ask whether the directions are
clear to the participants before the actual think-aloud process start.
This is intended to minimize interruptions, and hence, the distortion,
of the process by either the researcher or the participants themselves.
This direction was repeated in their first language to ensure the
student understand full well about what they should do in this
research.

Third, the students done few thinking aloud practice run. This
practice run used few narrative text. Students do not have to finish
reading the whole passage; some may need only three or four
paragraphs to rehearse, while others may need more, in order to
achieve an appropriate level of think-aloud performance. Students
have to verbalize all the thought they get from the text including
determine the main idea, find specific information (scanning), make
the inference, identify the reference and understand the meaning of the
 30

word while reading. After the students have to tell how what their
difficulties in reading comprehension and how they overcome it.

Fourth, after doing the practice run students done actual thinking
aloud protocol analysis. The researcher gave students different
narative text from the practice run. This step almost same like few
thinking aloud practice run. the researcher gave students ten minute to
read the narrative text. The researcher already make sure that the
narrative text is suitable for the students.

Finally, after the student read and understanding the narrative

text the researcher asked the student to explain verbally while the
researcher taped record their voice. However, in this actual data
collection process, if the participant‟s think-alouds or responses have
not reflected any clue of his/her thought processes, the researcher may
ask for clarification to encourage the participant to maximize the
reports, the researcher can show his/her attention by using
expressions. When the participant is ready, he/she may start talking
into the tape or thinking aloud the thoughts entering his/her mind. To
make sure that the tape recorder works properly the researcher must
test the recording machine before the actual data collection starts.

3.6.3 Interview
After using thingking aloud prtocol analysis to the students the
researcher will give students the interview. The researcher gave
students two interview to know their reading strategies and
difficulties. First, to obtain the information about students' reading
strategies, survey of reading strategies interview for adolescent and
adult by Mohktari and Sheorey (2002) will be distributed. There were
30 items in the interview consisting of 3 items for each group of
reading strategies.(1) Global reading strategies, (2) Problem-Solving
reading strategies and (3) Support reading strategies. Each item of the
 31

interview has been translated into Bahasa Indonesia.

Table 3.3
Reading Strategy Interview Blue Print.
S Numbers of item Description
Strategy
category
Global 1.3.4.6.8.12.15.17.20.21.23.24.27. Global reading
reading strategies
strategies involved
planning how to
read and
managing
comprehension.

Problem 7.9.11.14.16.19.25.28 Problem-

solving solving reading
strategies strategies
involved using
strategies when
reading difficult
part of the text.

Support 2.5.10.13.18.22.26.29.30. Support reading

reading strategies
strategies involved using
devices and
technique to
under standar
text.
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And then for the second to obtain student’s reading difficulties,

the researcher will give the students the interview that consist of
fifteen items assessing students’ difficulties. The students will be
given a interview to answer all of the statements and questions. It is
clear showed in the following table:
Table 3.4
Reading Difficulties Interview Blue Print.
Difficulties Item Numbers Total

Inferring information that is only

implicit in a text 1, 2, 3, 4,5 5

Making inferences to connect up the

ideas in a text 6,7,8,9,10 5
Inferring the meanings of particular 11,12,13,14,1
words from context 5 5

Futhermore, the researcher gave semi-structured interview to the

students. Semi-structured interview are often open-ended, allowing
the flexibility. Asking set questions in a set order allow for easy
comparison between students, but it can be limiting. Having less
structure can help you see patern, while still alowing for comparison
between students. Before this question will be used in this research,
the researcher examined a validity of those question by turning to his
advisor for help to examine the validity.

3.7 Technique of Data Analysis

Data analysis in this study means the process of systematically
searching and compiling interview transcripts and thinking hard
protocol analysis with students, and other materials that have been
collected during data collection. This data analysis was carried out to
create an understanding of the data and enable the researcher to
present the research results to the readers. Analysis involves, as
 33

Bogdan and Biklen (2007) explain, analysis involves working with

data, organizing it, breaking it down into manageable units, coding it,
synthesizing it, and looking for patterns. Interpretation involves
explaining and framing his ideas in terms of theory, other scholarship,
and action, as well as showing why his findings are important and
making them understandable.
As with the nature of the study, data analysis was carried out
using the procedure suggested by Miles and Huberman (1984). The
procedure includes three stages, namely data reduction, data display,
and drawing conclusions/data verification. This analysis procedure
actually takes place interactively and was carried out simultaneously
with data collection or after data has been collected. That is, data
analysis took place at the same time for three procedures from data
collection to writing research reports.
In this study, as already mentioned, data was collected by
analysis of thinking protocols, interviews, and tests. The data
generated from these instruments is initially called the raw data
collection process. This raw data was analyzed through three
procedures as described by Miles and Huberman (1984) and the
procedures are illustrated in Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2.
Data reduction is the process of selecting, simplifying and
transforming data into field notes. Sugiyono stated that data reduction
is summarizing, choosing the important things, focusing on the
important things, and looking for themes and patterns. It can be
concluded that data reduction is choosing and simplifying themes to
focus on significant things. At this stage, the data will be selected
from the analysis of the thinking aloud protocol and interviews with
students about reading strategies and difficulties in knowing the core
of the research.

DATA COLLECTION DATA DISPLAY

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DATA REDUCTION VERIVICATION/DRAWING

CONCLUSION

Figure 3.1 The process of data analysis

Not all information is considered as data on students' reading

difficulties and strategies. Data that does not fall into this category
will be excluded. After excluding unnecessary data, the selected data
will be classified, coded and archived. The same was done with other
data from other instruments. The results of data reduction are a
number of selected data about students' reading problems and
strategies that are ready to be displayed based on their classification
and research problems.

According to Miles and Huberman (1984), several collections of

information that are organized and condense and agree on actions and
draw conclusions are called data displays. Sugiyono also stated that
the presentation of organized data arranged in a relationship pattern
would be easier to understand. Presentation of data can be done in the
form of abbreviations, descriptions, charts, category relationships,
flow charts, etc. At this stage, after reducing the data, the important
points of the research are obtained, so that the data can be easily
understood and described in the table. It is intended to obtain a
systematic organization of data showing interrelated data flows thus
enabling the researcher to draw some tentative conclusions which will
be consulted, and examined.

Student’s reading difficulty and strategies

Interpretation

Data
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Figure 3.2 The Process of Data Reduction

Before drawing conclusions, there is actually a process of

forming a hypothesis in the mind of the researcher when analyzing the
data. This process guides the researcher in carrying out data reduction
to reach the final conclusion. The data that has been displayed directs
the researcher to verify whether the hypothesis is true. This data
display ultimately turns the hypothesis into a thesis and is called a
conclusion. However, if verification fails, a new hypothesis will
appear with a new data display or maybe even start with data
reduction. It is the process of presenting data to have another stage in
drawing conclusions in data analysis.
The last step is to make conclusions and suggestions based on
the data analysis. Clarifying the actual meaning of the data, the
findings of this study become a complete conclusion in accordance
with the research data and verification explains the meaning of data
configuration in facts. According to Miles, verification is thinking that
crosses analysis between writing and short trips. Verification is always
 36

carried out as long as necessary using triangulation, consultation with

several experts until a final conclusion can be reached. After being
verified, the hypothesis becomes a thesis and is ready to be drawn
conclusions in the form of general problem statements and reading
strategies. Thus, these three stages of analysis are interactive with
each other.

3.8 Trustworthiness
In analyzing the data, the researcher also needs to analyze the
validity of tha data sources to get the valid data. To prove and to
check the data validation of a data scientifically and responibly,
qualitative research must use the relevant technique of data analysis.
To ensure that all researcher is not being misinformed, the searcher
une triangulation technique in research. Moleong states that
tringulation is a technical analysis of data which is benefited
something out of data itself in order to check the research of data or as
a data comparere and there are four kinds of triangulations, namely
triangulation data source, which means the data will be gained from
different groups, times, and location, triangulation method in which
researchers must use more than one method in research, triangulation
investigator which refer used more than one researcher, and
triangulation theoritical in which a comparison between data findings
and perspective theory is carried out by researchers. In this study,
researchers employed two triangulations to ensure data validity.
Triangulation method and triangulation data source:
1. Triangulation Method
By comparing information / data in various ways, the triangulation
approach used interviews, thingking aloud protocol analysis, and test
were employed in this study to get accurate information on the data
collected at SMPN 8 Mulya Kencana.
2. Triangulation of Data Sources
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In this case, the researcher used a variety of methods and data sources
to investigate the information. In addition to interviews and thinking
aloud protocol analysis, researchers used reading difficulty test in this
study. These various methods created distinct data, which in turn
provided different insights in the SMPN 8 Mulya Kencana, which in
turn provided diverse insights into the phenomenon under study. As a
result of these numerous points of view, information will be gained in
order to attain reliable truth.
3.9 Research Procedure
The research on reading difficulties and strategies was begun from a
preliminary research on the first semester of academic year of the
subjects (2022/2023). The researcher came several times to meet the
teacher (Drs. Sadjarwo) and the student from VIII D grade to see the
situation and find some posibilities to carry out the research. Interview
and Thinking Aloud Protocol Analysis was done mostly outside the
class room with the student. The researcher was also done a test to
students to know their reading capability.
The result of this preliminary research was brought to a discussion
between the researcher and the advisor in order to decide the topic the
research and how to brought it to the students. From this discussion,
the researcher obtained some input, which was used as a basis for
revision of the research proposal.
Based on the letter permission from the Dean of FKIP on october 18
2022, the research was conducted at the beginning on the second
semester of 2022/2023 academic year. The research was conducted to
the VIII D Grade.
The first day of meeting began with introduction, the researcher was
introducted to all students at VIII D Grade. This activity is important
so that the students knew the purpose of the researcher coming to their
class. They should know also know what he was going to do with
them, that is, to make some analysis and other activities outside the
 38

class related to the research program. They should also know why
these were done with them. In order to be familiar to the subjects, the
researcher was allowed to teach them to replace their teacher for about
three days. This meeting had no relation with the data collecting
program. It was just a mean o mingling between the researcher and the
students.
Before doing analysis and to begin the investigation on reading
difiiculties and strategy, a reading test was prepared to be given to the
VIII D Grade students. The aim of this test is to reveal the sudents
data, especially the data on their reading difficulties. When doing
these reading test, some students had difficulty or could not answer
the questions. Then the researcher noted down and decided what wind
of difficulty the students had. If the problem was noted clear, as has
been mentioned, the name of the students was noted down to be
interviwed later.
And from this test, the researcher found common problem faced by
most students, not only faced by low scoring students. This was done
by having item analysis, which items were answered wrongly by most
studentsso that the students reading difficulty can be found. However
we cannot easily conclude the items show the students reading
difficulty. Perhaps the item are not good in a way that they they do not
have acceptable discimination or difficulty index.
The similar data taken from this test were then confirmed with the
data from interview outside the class. This was done in order to have
more data and importantly to have valid and relaible data )
triangulation). The students who were interviewed were those who
had experienced many difficulty as already described previously.
After the test was collected, the next thing was to begin collecting data
which was the main purpose of the study. The first step to do this was
to chose few students that have suitable criteria and capability with the
instrument. Thingking aloud protocol analysis required students that
 39

talkactive and capable to express their thingking aloud. The researcher

with advise from the teacher finally choose 6 students, 3 boys and 3
girls as a sample from VIII D Grade. The researcher will teach each
students to know how the instrument’s procedure.
Each students were given time to read a text to make them know the
content of the text. There are three text that was given to each of them.
They were given varied time to comprehence the text depend on the
students. Students approximately need thirty minute until one hours
for each text. After that students will tell the researcher the main idea
of the text, what difficulties they faced and how they solved while the
researcher record their talking. During the recording, the researcher
did not interfere the students except when students is silent for more
than fifteen seconds because the nature of the research need the
researcher to be passive participant. On other hand, the presence of the
researcher in recording was expected not to distrub the students. This
can be avoided because students and the teacher had already known
the purpuse the researcher. The focus of the research is not on the
teacher, but on the students, that is to look at their reading difficulites
and strategies.
But sometimes the was done to get the reliable data or as a means to
have methodological triangulation. Other students might produce the
same data that can support other as data triangulation. Before the
interview wa carried out, the subject were told about this. They were
told about questions that were going to be asked so that they can be
prepared. All the six students that have been done thingking aloud
were interviewed. Many of them is relucant but the researcher
managed to persuaded them to understand the importants of this
interview.
At the very beginning of the thingking aloud protocol analysis and
interview they felt nervous, but it took only a few minute, after that it
was natural between the researcher and students. The researcher
 40

believes that there was no distortion from the students answer in that
they answered freely and spoke whatever the know knew , felt, and
experineced. Besides interviewing the students, a teacher was also
interviewed. This this was deliberately done in order to get addtional
data (secondary data) to support the primary data from students. These
data were also used to have data triangulation. The teacher, Drs
Sadjarwo was the english teacher where the research carried out. It is
believed he know much about the students reading process and
reading difficulty in the class. The interview with him was done on
november 1 2022.
Thingking aloud protocol analysis and interview was recorded and
transcribed for analysis. In the process of trannscribing some
meaningless sound and unclear utterance were excluded. This
transcription is the called the data from thingking aloud and interview.
Each data from different sources, such as, thingking aloud protocol
analysis, interviews, and tests were directly analyzed. The reduction,
display, and conclusion in the process of data analysis were done
simultaneously. When the data had been sufficiently accumulated, the
report of the research result together with its discussion is presented in
the following chapters.