https://jurnal.unigal.ac.id/index.php/jall/index https://jurnal.unigal.ac.id/index.php/jall/index JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 Received Accepted Published December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES IN TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION Yulia Enggar Wigati Wibowo yuliaenggar09@gmail.com University of Bengkulu, Indonesia Syafrizal syafrizal@unib.ac.id University of Bengkulu, Indonesia Syafryadin syafriadin@unib.ac.id University of Bengkulu, Indonesia ABSTRACT The objective of this research is to find out the teachers’ strategies in teaching reading comprehension at one of Senior High School in Bengkulu, Indonesia. This research is a mixed method research design. The subjects in this research are two English teachers who teach English at class X, XI, and XII. The data were collected using an observation checklist. The result of the research showed that the teachers used some strategies in teaching reading with the highest percentage were Question Generating (27%), Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries (25%) and Question Answering (23%). This indicated that the teachers only used a few strategies in teaching reading comprehension. For the next researchers, they could conduct research about the teachers’ strategies used by English teachers in a wider area. So, the result will be more advantageous and be applied in a larger area. Keywords: Teachers’ Strategies, Reading Comprehension INTRODUCTION Reading is one of the language skills which is very important to be learned by students. Through this activity, students can improve their own language and experience. They will get information and ideas which they need to know. Moreover, they will be able to know what they do not know before. Burt, Peyton, and Adam (2003) stated that it is important to learn reading since it (1) helps people learn to think new language, (2) helps people build better vocabulary, (3) helps people more comfortable with written English, (4) can help people plan to study in JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 21 English, speaking country. The students who master reading skills will easily extract meaning from reading English texts because they have a better vocabulary in context. In teaching reading, the teacher may use different strategies. By using the appropriate strategy could affect the students to comprehend their reading. Harmer (2007) has said that a strategy is an action that the teacher takes to attain one or more of her teaching-learning goals. The general direction set could be defined as the strategy in reading. Teaching strategies in reading comprehension are important in the learning process and could affect the students reading comprehension. Brown (2004) has noted that teaching strategies can make teaching reading easier to implement a variety of teaching methods and techniques. Therefore, successful teachers who teach reading comprehension realize that reading can be taught by using various strategies. There were studies that have been conducted related to this research. It was conducted by Sarjan (2017) entitled “An Analysis on The English Teachers Strategies in Teaching Reading Comprehension at SMP 1 Wonomulyo”. Feradepi, D. (2019) “Classroom Activities Based on Multiple Intelligence Theory in English Language Teaching 2013 Curriculum for Seventh Grade”. Siregar, N.O., Afriazi, R., Arasuli. (2019) “The Correlation Between Reading Strategies And Reading Comprehension Achievement Of The Sixth Semester In English Education Study Program Of Bengkulu University”. Those strategies were effective in teaching reading comprehension because can help the student to comprehend the text. Based on the researchers' observation at the research site, the English teachers rarely use the strategies in teaching reading comprehension. The teachers only use a few strategies. So, the researchers think that it is important to explore more about the teachers’ strategies used in teaching reading comprehension. Therefore, the researchers want to conduct research related to “An Analysis of English Teachers’ Strategies in Teaching Reading Comprehension”. METHOD This research used a mixed-method research design. It helps the researchers to go for inductive and deductive reasoning techniques in order to more accurately answer the study’s research questions that cannot be completely answered through qualitative or quantitative research alone (Lincoln, 2000). According to Moelong (2006), descriptive research is a method of research that trying to picture out and interprets the objects as in the fact. So, in this research https://jurnal.unigal.ac.id/index.php/jall/article/view/2681 https://jurnal.unigal.ac.id/index.php/jall/article/view/2681 https://jurnal.unigal.ac.id/index.php/jall/article/view/2681 javascript:void(0) javascript:void(0) javascript:void(0) JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 22 descriptive research was conducted to describe the fact and characteristics of the teachers systematically. The subjects of this research were two English teachers at one of Senior High School in Bengkulu, Indonesia who teach at class X, XI and XII. The researchers use an observation checklist. In order to collect the data, the researchers used the observation checklist as the main instrument in each meeting. Gorman and Clayton (2005) defined observation studies as those that involve the systematic recording of observable phenomena or behavior in a natural setting. Observation means the action of the process of closely observing or monitoring or someone. The observation checklist used to observe the English teacher strategies in class during the learning process. The observation checklist was developed from Adler (2006); McShane (2005); Brown (2004); and Wallace (1992). Moreover, the researchers analyzing the observation checklist by using the formula from Arikunto (2006). Furthermore, the researchers used the Pearson Product Moment to analyze the data. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The observation was done in three meetings in the classroom that held on August 29, 2019, September 13, 2019, and September 19, 2019. Chart 1. The Results of Strategies in Teaching Reading by Teacher 1 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The Results of Strategies in Teaching Reading by Teacher 1 JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 23 1: Predicting, 2:Generating Text, 3: Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries, 4:Graphic Organizers, 5; Story Structure, 6: Question Generating, 7: Skimming, 8: Scanning, 9: Question Answering, 10: Summarizing, 11: Monitor Comprehension, 12: Reciprocal Teaching. In all of the meetings, Teacher 1 always used two strategies, they were Question Generating and Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries with the percentage (22% and 27%). On the other hand, the use of Question Answering Strategies was 21%, Monitor Comprehension was 12% followed by Predicting 9%, then, Generating Text 5%, and Skimming 3%. The teacher 1 was not used to strategies Graphic Organizers, Story Structure, Scanning, Summarizing, and Reciprocal Teaching with the percentage 0%. In detail, each of the observation frequency of the strategies can be seen in appendix II. The Result of Strategies in Teaching Reading by Teacher 2 The first observation was done in class XI IPS 1, the second was done in class XII MIPA 1 and the third observation was done in class XII MIPA 3. The result of observation Teacher 2’s strategies can be seen on the following chart: Chart 2. The Results of Strategies in Teaching Reading by Teacher 2 1: Predicting, 2: Generating Text, 3: Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries, 4: Graphic Organizers, 5; Story Structure, 6: Question Generating, 7: Skimming, 8: Scanning, 9: Question Answering, 10: Summarizing, 11: Monitor Comprehension, 12: Reciprocal Teaching. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The Results of Strategies in Teaching Reading by Teacher 2 JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 24 Based on the chart 2, the dominant strategies used by the Teacher 2 was Question Answering and Question Generating with the highest percentage 30% and 27% while Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries strategies used by the teacher was (23%), Predicting (9%), Monitor Comprehension (7%), Summarizing and Scanning Strategies with the percentage 1%. On the other hand, the teacher did not use those strategies, they were Generating Text, Graphic Organizers, Story Structure, Skimming and Reciprocal Teaching with the percentage 0%. The Number of Strategies in Teaching Reading used by 2 Teachers The following chart below presents the result of observation of the strategies in teaching reading comprehension which were applied by two teachers that were held on August 2019 until October 2019. Chart 3. The Number of Strategies in Teaching Reading used by 2 Teachers 1: Predicting, 2: Generating Text, 3: Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries, 4: Graphic Organizers, 5; Story Structure, 6: Question Generating, 7: Skimming, 8: Scanning, 9: Question Answering, 10: Summarizing, 11: Monitor Comprehension, 12: Reciprocal Teaching. Chart 3 indicates that the dominant strategy applied by teacher 1 and teacher 2 were similar. Teacher 1 used this Question Generating strategy with the percentage 27% and Teacher 2 used this Question Generating strategy with the percentage 27%. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The Number of Strategies in Teaching Reading used by 2 Teacher JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 25 The researchers conducted the observation to acquire data of the English teachers’ strategies in teaching reading comprehension. Based on the research findings, the researchers found that the two English teachers used nine strategies in teaching reading comprehension. However, from the twelve strategies, the researcher found three most dominant strategies used by the two English teachers, they are Question Generating Strategy, Question Answering Strategy, and Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries strategy. The highest dominant strategies used by the teachers were Question Generating and Question Answering strategy. Question Generating is the strategy that requires learners to ask and answer questions from the teacher while they are reading in order to understand the text. Then, the Question Answering Strategy is a strategy used to encourage the students answering the question from the teacher. Raphael (2006) states that Question Generating and Question Answering strategy teaches students three comprehension strategies (a)locating information, (b) determining text structures and how they convey information, and (c) determining when an inference is required. By using Question Generating and Question Answering strategy, the students may be stimulated to think critically. Furthermore, these strategies could help the students to recognize a possible answer. The third dominant strategy used by the teachers was Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries strategy. The use of dictionaries in teaching reading comprehension as a foreign language considered as the third dominant strategy. In this case, the two teachers of this lesson asked the students to use a dictionary in the pre-reading stage, during the reading stage and while the reading stage. However, Wallace (1992) states that teachers can encourage students to use dictionaries at a pre-reading activity. The teachers used this strategy in all stages, it happened because the students probably did not know the meaning of unfamiliar words. Among the twelve strategies, the teachers did not use three strategies in teaching reading. They are Graphic Organizers, Story Structure and Reciprocal Teaching Strategy. Muzammil (2016) stated that a suitable reading strategy can improve the students’ comprehension. These three strategies may do not suitable for the students and the material may do not appropriate with these three strategies. CONCLUSION Based on the results and discussion, the researchers have made some conclusions related to an analysis of English teachers’ strategies in teaching reading comprehension. The two JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), ISSN 2598-8530, February, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2020 26 teachers used nine most dominant strategies for teaching reading comprehension. Those were Question Generating, Question Answering, Encouraging the Use of Dictionaries, Predicting, Monitor Comprehension, Generating Text, Skimming, Scanning, and summarizing. The teachers used those strategies to make the student understand the reading text. The teachers used various strategies and modified the strategies used for teaching depending on the materials or the genre of the text studied. So, the process of teaching-learning reading comprehension was made more interesting. The teachers used the strategies depend on the materials, the indicators and the purpose of learning based on the syllabus and the curriculum. They chose strategies most likely to help the students comprehend the text well. The teachers used these strategies to help the students overcome difficulties in comprehending the texts. Without using the appropriate strategies, the purpose of learning reading comprehension cannot be easily reached. For the next researchers, they could conduct research about the teachers’ strategies used by the English teacher in a wider area. So, the result will be more advantageous and be applied in a larger area. REFERENCES Adler, C.R. (2001). Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks of Reading Instruction. Kindergarten Through Grade 3, Second Edition. The National Institute for Literacy. Arikunto, S. (2006). Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktek. Jakarta : PT. Rineka Cipta. Brown, H. D. (2000). The Principles of Language Learning Teaching - 4 th Edition. New York: Wadsworth Thompson Learning. Brown, H. D. (2004). Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. New York. Longman. Burt, M., Peyton, J.K., & Adams, R. (2003). 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