A Comparative Study Between Teaching Reading Comprehension

of Narrative Text by Using the Herringbone Technique (HT) and

the Context Clues Strategy To The Eighth Grade Students of SMP
Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 Academic Year
Yulia Rizki Ramadhani1, Yuswin Harputra2
1
(PostGraduate Program of Universitas HKBP Nommensen, Pematangsiantar, Indonesia)
2
(Universitas Graha Nusantara Padangsidimpuan, Indonesia)
Email : [email protected], [email protected]
Published at IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME)
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jrme/pages/v6-i2.v.2.html (March 2016)

Abstract: This paper is about to find out whether there is a significant difference between teaching reading
comprehension of narrative text by using the Herringbone Technique (HT) and the Context clues strategy to the
eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan or not.And the number of sample in this research is
70 students. They are divided into 35 students who are taught by using the Herringbone Technique and 35
students are taught by using the Context clues strategy.In order to get the needed data, the writer applies the
library and field research. And as the instrument for collecting the data from the field the writer uses the
written test. After getting the data, the next step which is done by the writer is analyzing it by using the
statistical analysis which is the formulation of t-test.
Keywords : reading comprehension, herringbone technique, context clues strategy

I. INTRODUCTION
Reading as one of the four language skills is very important in teaching and learning process in the
class. In this case, reading skill is used to get or find out some information from the written texts. In reading, the
students must comprehend all the contents and also the information of the text clearly.Although comprehension
is important in reading, it is not sufficient. The students might have a flawless understanding of what they read
as they read it, but forget much the information soon after. Therefore, they must also remember the material.
It is supremely important to bring those skills into students through designing appropriate method in
teaching reading skill. In Indonesia schools, many teachers only employ conventional method covering activities
of making list of difficult words, translating their meanings into First Language, asking students to read loudly
and silently, and having students answer the questions related to the text. This kind of teaching method may
result negative effects on students’ reading skill. For instance, students may read slowly and carefully, paying
attention to individual points, but without succeeding in getting clear idea of the overall meaning of the text.
By overlooking the background above, some methods have been managed to avoid students’ failure in
reading skill. Using Herringbone technique and context clues to teach reading skill is one of the
options.Therefore, in this research the writer is interested to compare the result of the application of the
Herringbone Technique (HT) and the Context clues strategy, especially in teaching of the narrative text.
Based on the background and problems stated above, the writer can formulate the purposes of the
research as follows :
1. To know whether there is a significant difference between teaching reading comprehension by using the
Herringbone Technique and context clues technique to the Eighth grade of SMP Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan
2. To know the students’ abilities in reading comprehension of narrative text by using the Herringbone
technique
3. To know the students’ abilities in reading comprehension of narrative text by using the context clues
4. To show us which technique of teaching is better to be applied in teaching reading, teaching by using
Herringbone technique or teaching by using context clues.
The hypothesis is a tentative answer of the researched problems. So that the writer can formulate the
hypothesis of this research as follows : There is no significant difference between teaching reading
comprehension by using the Herringbone technique and context clues to the eighth grade students of SMP
Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 academic year.
 II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Teaching
Teaching is a profession that is conducted by using combination of art, science, and skill. It is an art
because it relies on the teacher’s creative provision of the best possible learning environment and activities for
himself or herself. Teaching is the relationship between teacher and learners. The learners get the benefit of the
learning, while the teacher gets credit for the teaching. Teaching is what we are. What we learn is what we
experience. Teaching is introducing, providing and mediating experiences. Teaching is helping students make
sense out of their experiences and helping them to harmonize, analyze, synthesize, discuss, compare, contrast,
and discover personal meaning in the experiences. Teaching is also a communication procedure. It is our
responsibility to communicate history to our history students.

2.2. Reading Comprehension

Person having good comprehension skills is considered as active reader, with an ability to interact with
the words by understanding its complete meaning and the concept behind it. Thus skill of reading
comprehension distinguishes an active reader from a passive reader who just read the text without getting its
meaning (Pakhare, 2010:1). Meanwhile, Hornby (1985:967) states that reading is to look at and understand the
meaning of written or printed words or symbols. David Nunan (1989:33) says that it is important to bear in mind
that reading is not an invariant skill, that there are different types of reading skills that correspond to the many
different purposes we have for reading.So that, in the classroom, in students’ reading activities, the writer is sure
that they have many purposes, among others are to graduate from their school and to provide themselves with
the knowledge to continue their studies whatever theirpurposes are. In order to achieve the goal, the
comprehension ability in reading isneeded.

2.3. Narrative Text

According to Wardiman, et.al. (2008:133), narrative is to amuse, entertain and to deal with an actual or
vicarious experience in different ways. Narrative deals with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning
point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution. There are three characteristics of narrative text, they are:
a) Orientation, it is about the opening paragraph where the characters of the story are introduced,
b) Complication, where the problems in the story developed, c) Resolution, where the problems in the story is
solved.

2.4. Herringbone Technique (HT)

Tierney, et.al. (1980:82) state that Herringtone Technique is a structured outlining procedure designed
to help students organize and remember important information in a text by using a Herringbone format. The
Herringbone format can facilitate the students to obtain the important information by asking six very basic
comprehension questions: Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?. The Herringbone Format, which can
be copied in large quantities on standard 8.5” x 11” paper, appears in Chart 1.
Chart 1 Herringbone format

After the students understand the structure of the form and after they have been prepared enough for
learning the information within the text, they are ready to begin the process of reading and recording. The
students are advised to read the information seeking answers to the questions that have expanded. For example:
1. Who was involved?
2. What did the person or group do?
3. When was it done?
4. Where was it done?
5. How was it accomplished?
6. Why did it happen?
As students work through this procedure and record their answer, they should find out the important
relationship within this information. The teachers instruct them to record the unfamiliar terms on the left- hand
column of the format so that the teachers know the terms that are confusing to the students and therefore, need
to be taught, retaught, emphasized, and reinforced.
Finally, there is the term “Main idea” on the mid- line of Herringbone Format (see chart 1). After the
students have completed the text and their outline, they are asked to make a statement that would represent the
main idea of the text.
2.4. Context Clues
Context Clues are used to indicate a vague and general way of searching the words surrounding an
unknown word to see if the reader can guess at the meaning. In addition, the use of context clues does not
always unlock meaning, particularly when the readers’ experience is not matched to that of the writer, when a
piece of writing is poorly organized, and/or when the writing lacks much redundancy (Robinson,1976: 59).
The use of context may well be the major skill which distinguishes connected meaningful reading from
reading of word lists. Besides, Pirozzi (2003:5) defines that the context refers to the surrounding words in a
sentence that give a word its specific meaning. Thus, we can the context especially Context Clues to help us
figure out the meanings of unknown or unfamiliar words without consulting a dictionary. In conclusion, the use
of Context Clues can help us in catching meaning of unknown or unfamiliar word. Thus, we are able to
comprehend reading text easily.

III. RESEARCH METHOD

In appropriate to the topic of this research, the reseacher applies the comparative method. And for
getting the needed data the researcher applies the library research is applied based on the needs of scientific
books as the sources of theories and informations concerning with the topic of this research and the field
research is applied based on the needs of data from the field, in this case from the SMP Negeri 3
Padangsidimpuan.
In order to get the needed data from the field about the result of the application of the two techniques in
teaching reading, for the first time the writer divides the students into two groups. One group is taught by using
the Herringbone technique and another group is taught by using the context clues techniques. Each group
consists of 35 students. After finishing teaching the two groups, then the students are tested by using the written
test by using the same items of the test. The forms of the test used in this research are the essay and translation
test. The students’ scores are used as the data in order to compare the result of the application of the
Herringbone technique and context clues technique in teaching reading.
After getting the data, the next step which is done by the writer is analyzing the collected data by using
the statistical analysis. The statistical formula which is used is the formula of t-test. The writer uses the formula
of t-test, because the t-test can be used to determine whether there is a significant difference between the two
samples or variables or not. The t-test for independent sample is used to determine whether there is probably a
significant difference between the two samples. And Anas Sudijono (1987 : 275) also states The t-test is one of
the statistical test which is used for testing the acceptance or rejection of the null hypothesis that states there is
no significant different between two samples taken randomly from the same population.
The t-test which is used in this research is the formula given by Arikunto S (1989) as follows :

[ ∑x
][
2

t=
2 N−2
+Y 2 1 1
+
N N ]
The explanations of formula are as follows :
t = The test of Significance
X = The scores of students in reading taught by using the Herringbone technique
Y = The scores of students in reading by using the context clues technique
N = The Number of Sample
After getting the value of t-test, then it is consulted to the value of t-table with the degree of freedom
( df ) = ( NX + NY – 2 ) or 34 + 34 – 2 = 68, in the level of significance are 5% and 1%.The value of t-test and
t-table are used to test the null hypothesis of this research (H 0) that states :“There is no significant difference
between teaching reading comprehension by using the Herringbone technique and context clues to the eighth
grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 academic year “.
The ways used in order to test the null hypothesis are as follows :
1. H0 is rejected if the value of t-test is equal or greater than t-table( t-test > t-table )
2. H0 is accepted if the value of t-test is less thant-table ( t-test< t-table )

IV. THE RESULT OF RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION

4.1 The Result Of Research
After analyzing the collected data, it has been got that the value of t-test is 0.72. By consulting the value t-
test to the table of t (t-table) with the degree of freedom (df ) is 68 in the level of significance 5% and 1%, the
value of t-test is less than t-table or 2.00 > 0.72 < 2.65. It means that there is no significant difference
between teaching reading comprehension of narrative text by using the Herringbone Technique (HT) and the
Context clues strategy to the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 academic
year.
And from the collected data, in this case the scores of the students in reading, it can be seen that the lowest
score got by the students taught by using the Herringbone Technique (HT) is 5.0, and highest score is 9.0,
whereas the mean score of the students in the sentences taught by using the discussion strategy is 7.07
( Appendix 6 ). It means that in general the students’ skills in reading taught by using the Herringbone
Technique (HT) can be categorized into the capable category.
And through the collected data the writer can calculate the percentages of the students in the quantifiers
taught by using the Herringbone Technique (HT), both for the students who have succeeded in achieving the
teaching objectives and the students who haven’t achieved the teaching objectives. In this case the writer uses
the formula of R = H-L+1 (Anas Sudijono, 1987) in which :
R = Range
H = The highest score
L = The lowest score
So that the writer can calculate the value of R as follows :
R = 9.0 – 5.0 + 1
R=5
The percentages of the students’ skills in reading taught by using the Herringbone Technique can be seen in
the following table:
TABLE IThe Percentages Distribution Of The Students’ Scores In Reading Taught By Using The Herringbone
Technique
R SCORES INTERVAL FREQUENCY PERCENTAGES
1 5.0 – 5.5 2 5.7 %
2 6.0 – 6.5 10 28.6 %
3 7.0 – 7.5 15 42.8 %
4 8.0 – 8.5 7 20 %
5 9.0 – 9.5 1 2.9 %
TOTAL 35 100 %
From the above table the writer canconclude that the percentages of the students’ skills taught by using the
Herringbone Technique (HT) whohave succeeded in achieving the teaching objectives is 94.3 %, because the
value hasachieved thevalue of the Minimum Completeness Criteria ( KKM ) in this school, that is 6.0.
And the scores of the student in reading taught by using the Context clues strategy show that the lowest
score got by the students is 5.5, and highest score is 8.5. The mean score of the students 7.11,it means that the
students’ skills in reading taught by using the Context clues strategy can be categorized in to the capable
category.And through the collected data the writer can calculate the percentages of the students’ skills in reading
taught by using the Context clues strategy, both for the students who have succeeded in achieving the teaching
objectives and the students who haven’t achieved the teaching objectives. So that the writer can calculate the
value of R as follows :
R = 8.5 – 5.5 + 1
R=4
The percentages of the students’ skills in reading taught by using the Context clues strategy can be seen in
the following table:
Table II The Percentage Distribution Of The Student Scores In Reading Taught By Using The Context Clues
Strategy
R SCORES INTERVAL FREQUENCY PERCENTAGES
1 5.0 – 5.5 1 2.9 %
2 6.0 – 6.5 10 28.6 %
3 7.0 – 7.5 16 45.7 %
4 8.0 – 8.5 8 22.8 %
5 5.0 – 5.5 1 2.9 %
TOTAL 35 100 %
From the above table the writer canconclude that the percentages of the students’ abilities in the
reading taught by using the Context clues strategy whohave succeeded in achieving the teaching objectives is
97.1 %, because the value of students hasachieved thevalue of the Minimum Completeness Criteria ( KKM ) in
this school, that is 6.0.

4.2 The Testing of Hypothesis

 Through the collected data and analysis of data it has been known that there is no significant difference
between teaching reading comprehension of narrative text by using the Herringbone Technique (HT) and the
Context clues strategy to the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 academic
year. So that, it can be concluded that the hypothesis that has been formulated before is accepted.

4.3 The Discussion

From the result of research it can be known that the hypothesis of this research that has been
formulated before is accepted.And from the values of mean scores of the students (M) in reading, both for the
students’ who are taught by using the Herringbone technique and the context clues strategy, they are : 7.07 for
the students taught by using the Herringbone Technique, and 7.11 for the students taught by using the Context
clues strategy, it can be stated that the students skills in the two variables can be categorized into the capable
category.It means that the the Herringtone Technique and the Context clues strategy are good to be implemented
in teaching reading. So that, it is suggested to the English teachers to apply the two strategies in teaching
reading.

V. THE CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

4.1 The Conclusions
1. There is no significant difference between teaching reading comprehension of narrative text by using the
Herringbone Technique (HT) and the Context clues strategy to the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3
Padangsidimpuan in 2011-2012 academic year.
2. The Herringbone Technique (HT) and the Context clues strategy are good to be implemented in teaching
reading.
3. The students’ skills in reading, both the students who are taught by using the Heringbone Technique (HT)
and the Context clues strategy can be categorized into the capable category.
4. The hypothesis of this research is accepted.

5.2. The Suggestions

1. It is suggested to the teachers to apply the most appropriate strategies in teaching, because the strategies
used by the teachers can influence the students’ skill, especially in reading.
2. Reading is regarded important to be mastered by the students for its important role to improve our
knowledge about something, so that it is suggested to the students to learn it well.
3. It is suggested for the English teachers to teach reading well for its important role to improve the students’
knowledge.
4. It is suggested to the English teachers to apply the various strategies in teaching reading.
5. It is suggested to the English teachers to implement the Herringbone Technique (HT) and the Context clues
strategy in teaching the reading materials, because the two strategies are familiar to the students and the
result is satisfied.
6. It suggested to other researchers to conduct the deeper research relating to the topic of this research,
because this research is still far from being perfect based on the limitation of the writer

REFERENCES
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[3] Nunan, David,Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989)
[4] Pakhare, Jayashree. Effective Teaching: Reading Comprehension Strategies. [online]http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effective-teaching-
reading-comprehension -strategies.html. [on 29th July 2010].
[5] Pirozzi, Richard,Critical Reading, Critical Thinking A Contemprary Issues Approach(New York: Addison-Wesley Educational
Publisher, Inc, 2003)
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[8] Sugiyono. Metode Penelitian Pendidikan(Bandung: Alfabeta, 2008)
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