UNDERSTANDING READING COMPREHENSION TEXT BY USING

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Baihaqi
Lecturer of English Teaching Department
Fakultas Agama Islam
Universitas Islam Tamiang
Jln. Medan-Banda Aceh Km 137 MTs Swasta Al-Ikhlas Tanah Terban
Kec. Karang Baru Kab. Aceh Tamiang
Abstract:
Reading is a very significant thing everybody needs to live his or her
life better, for through reading people can gain the knowledge and
information from all over the world without must around it. Small group
discussion is one of the alternatives among various language teaching
techniques that can be applied to teach reading comprehension.
This writing is aim to find out to know whether small group
discussion is effective to improve students ability in reading
comprehension or not, to know whether the use of small group discussion
is able to increase students interest in learning reading or not, and to find
out whether there is significant influences of the using of Small group
discussion in learning reading to the students individual ability in
mastering reading comprehension.
Keyword: Reading Comprehension text and Small Group
Discussion Technique
A. Introduction
According to Rubin (1997:3), Reading is a complex, dynamic
process that involves bringing of meaning and getting from the print
page. In addition, Hornsby (1994:1425) states, Reading is the
action of person who reads. Reading is one of four skills in English
that the students should acquire. It is a very important skill that the
students need for the success of their studies.
In general knowledge, reading is the most important skill
everyone should master. Therefore, reading has been introduces to
students since the early age. Reading is a very significant thing
everybody needs to live his or her life better, through reading people
can gain the knowledge and information from all over the world
without must around it. Reading is the window of the world.
Based on the importance of reading, it is reasonable enough to
consider reading as an endless learning. Bowman (1991:265) states,
Reading is the appropriate media to promote the long-life learning.

Furthermore, Cheek, Flippo, and Lindsey (1989:360) state: Reading is

the skill which may often used and retained the longest. It is an
essential foundation of learning and seeking information and
knowledge. Someone can increase his or her knowledge by reading
many books, news paper, encyclopedias, and so on. The information
one gets from reading helps him or her in his or her study and
enables them to gain good grades, which are useful to continue their
future studies or career position.
The statement above clearly states how important mastering
reading in our life is. Among the four skills of English, namely
listening, speaking, reading and writing, the skill of reading also
plays a crucial role. Nevertheless, the teaching of these four skills
should be done interactively, since they are linked each other.
Reading is viewed considerably important because by reading
students can enlarge and enrich their knowledge and experience
because most of information they need are served in written form.
However, in reading, comprehension is a very essential thing as
stated

by

Weaver

(1990:133),

.without

reading

comprehension, there would be no reading. But unfortunately,

learning reading is not a simple thing to do.
There are many difficulties the students face in learning this
skill. Resonshine (1990:535) declares: The failure is because reading
is

complex

task

requiring

different

abilities

in

single

performance. It is requires a complete command of written symbols,

and

understanding

of

words,

phrases,

and

structural

and

grammatical points. In addition, the previous experiences and

knowledge in the language affect the success and failure in reading.
The opinion above shows us that and appropriate technique in
teaching and learning reading is urgently needed, and a good
teacher should have a good technique to apply to teach reading.
Small group discussion is one of the alternatives among various
language teaching techniques. According to Baker (1997:159),
Small group discussion is three or more people interacting face to
face, with or without and assigned leader in such a way that each

person influences, and is influenced by another person in group.

The writer chooses this technique to implement because she
believes that in group reading, students may enjoy from time to
time getting away from the usual pattern of reading. Besides that, in
group learning, students are not only able to improve their
intellectual skill but also increase their social relationship, especially
among their peers.

B. Problem of Study
The problem of study discussed through this writing is there
any influence of the using of Small group discussion technique in
learning reading to the students individual ability in mastering
reading comprehension?
C. Purpose of Study
This writing aimed to know whether there is some influences
of the using of Small group discussion in learning reading to the
students individual ability in mastering reading comprehension or
not and to know whether small group discussion is effective to
improve students ability in reading comprehension or not and to
know whether the use of small group discussion is able to increase
students interest in learning reading or not.
D. Method of Study
This method used in writing this study is library research
through identifying of reference list and then analyze and compose
into academic writing.
E. Description
1. Definition of Reading
Hornby (1994:1425) declares: Reading is the action of person
what who reads. Reading is one of four skills in English that the
students should acquire. It is a very important skill that the students

need for the success of their studies. Moreover, Zintz and Maggart
(1999:15) state: Reading is one more than seeing word clearly, more
than pronouncing printed word correctly, more than recognizing the
meaning of isolated word. Regarding requires you think, feel, and
imagine. Effective reading is purposeful. The use one make of his
reading largely determines what he reads, why he reads, and how
he reads.
As stated above, reading is not just seeing and pronouncing
words in the text. Many experts have defined the definition of
reading. Rubin (1997:3) states: Reading is a complex, dynamic
process that involves bringing of meaning to and getting meaning
from the printed page. Furthermore, Gunning (1992:19) states:
Reading is an interaction between the author and the reader. To
understand the print message, the reader must perceive, interpret,
hypothesize, and evaluate their reading. These processes occur in
varying degrees depending on the readers familiarity with the
content of the text and with their purpose reading.
Meanwhile, Smith and Robinson (1990:6) perceive: Reading is
defined as an active attempt to understand the writers message.
When a reader reads, she or he interacts with, and tries to
reconstruct, what a writer wishes to communicate. For that purpose,
the reader must have enough background to make contact with the
writer.
From all of definitions of reading above, we know that the
experts themselves define reading in various ways, but based on
the definitions of reading the experts above, it can be concluded
that reading is an active and interactive activity to reproduce the
word mentally and vocally and tries to understand the content of
reading text.
2. Skill of Reading

Finochiario (1999:25) states: There are some skills needed to

comprehend a reading text namely scanning, skimming, predicting,
guessing the meaning, paraphrasing and summarizing the writers
idea.
The quotation above tells us that to be able to understand a
reading text well, one has to master some skill, they are:
a. Scanning
Scanning is a reading skill used to find out specific information
from the reading material. In scanning, one only tries to locate
specific information and simply lets his or her eyes wander over the
text until he or she finds what she or he is looking for, whether it is a
name, a date, or an object.
b. Skimming
By skimming, the readers read the material quickly to get the
gist, the essence, and a global comprehension of the paragraphs,
for example, getting the main ideas. In skimming, they should not
look up any words or stop to ask the meaning of a word.
c. Predicting
The readers sense and experience help him to predict what
the writer is likely to say next. The reader who can think along with
the writer in this way will find the text relatively easy. The ability to
predict depends on both the background knowledge of the reader
and the content of the text.
d. Guessing the meaning
This is the skill of knowing the meaning of a word by
considering its context. The reader will be able to do this by
guessing the meaning from the context in which the word is used.

e. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a valuable tool to determine how clear a
readers understanding is. It is the skill of restating the writers idea
on sentences in a simpler and more concise way.
f. Summarizing the writers idea
It is a skill of telling the writers main point of the text. The
readers should tell the purpose of the writer on his or her text.
From the definitions above, we can conclude that the purpose
of reading is, principally, for understanding the message in the text.
Zintz and Maggart (1999:15) declare: There are four steps that
occur

during

the

reading

act,

those

steps

are

perception,

comprehension, reaction and integration. Perception is the ability to

pronounce the word as a meaningful unit. Comprehension is the
ability to make individual words evoke useful ideas as they are read
in context. Reaction requires judgmental actions and feeling about
what the author has said. The final step, integration is the ability to
assimilate the idea or concept into one's background experience so
that it is useful as a part of the total experience of the individual.
3. Definition of Reading Comprehension
According

to

Bromley

(1992:209),

Comprehension

is

understanding, the ability to get the meaning of something. It is an

active cognitive process that requires the construction of meaning
from incoming information and prior knowledge. In relation to
reading, Rubin (1997:315) states: Reading comprehension is a
complex intellectual process involving a number of abilities. The two
major abilities involve word meanings and verbal reasoning, without
word meanings and verbal reasoning, there would be no reading
comprehension.

In other words, we can say that to get the information that is

given by the writer, the reader must have the ability to comprehend
the written source. In the process of the construction of meaning
through the interaction with the written source, two sources are
involved; the new incoming information and existing information.
Moreover, Rubin (1997:194) claims: Reading comprehension is a
complex intellectual process involving a number of abilities. The two
major abilities involve word meaning and verbal reasoning. Without
word meaning and verbal reasoning, there would be no reading
comprehension; without reading comprehension, there will be no
reading. Moreover, comprehension cannot be separated from the
reading process itself. There would be no reading without having
comprehension in it. Comprehension is very essential in reading
process. Someone does not really read if he or she does not
understand what is being read, even if he or she can pronounce the
words perfectly.
Furthermore, Smith and Robinson (1990:205) state: Reading
comprehension means the understanding, evaluating and utilizing of
information and idea gained through the interaction between the
reader and the author. Meanwhile, Tarigan (1999:343) states:
Reading comprehension means the result of comprehending new
information to what one already knows and to find the answers of
cognitive questions of the written material. In addition, Mc. Bride
(1993:91) defines: Reading comprehension is considered as an
effective skill besides listening, speaking, and writing in getting
information.
4. Levels of Reading Comprehension
Smith (1997:317-318) says: There are four levels of reading
comprehension;

literal

comprehension,

interpretation,

critical

reading, and creative reading. Based on the statement above, we

know that there are four levels of reading comprehension, they are:

a. Literal comprehension
The

lowest

level

of

reading

comprehension

is

literal

comprehension. Literal comprehension is getting the primary, direct,

literal meaning of an idea in context. The readers are only able to
use the information which is stated explicitly in the text. The readers
are able to answer such as questions that simply demand them to
recall from memory what the exact words given in the book.
Although it only needs little or no thinking on the part of the
readers, it gives them opportunity to practice in recalling and
reproducing statements of facts and have a place in detailed factual
reading.
b. Interpretation
The next level is interpretation. In interpretation readers read
between the lines, make connection among individual stated idea,
make

inferences,

draw

conclusions,

or

experience

emotional

reaction. To answer the questions at the interpretative level, readers

must have problem-solving ability and be able to work at various
levels of abstraction. Obviously, children who are slow learners will
have difficulty working at this level as well as in the next two
categories.
c. Critical reading
Critical reading is at higher level than the other two categories
above because it involves evaluation. To be able to make judgment,
a reader must be able to collect, interpret, apply, analyze, and
synthesize the information. Smith (1997:11) declares: Critical
reading includes such skills as the ability to differentiate between
fantasy

and

reality,

and

the

ability

to

discern

propaganda

techniques. Critical reading is related to critical listening because

they both require critical thinking.
d. Creative reading

The highest level of comprehension is creative reading.

Creative reading uses divergent thinking skills to go beyond the
literal comprehension, interpretation, and critical reading levels. In
creative reading, the reader tries to come up with new or alternative
solutions to those presented by the writer. Smith and Robinson
(1990:225-226) state: Creative reading involves the imaginative
treatment of ideas in both inductive and deductive thinking,
resulting in new insight, fresh ideas, and new organization or pattern
of thought.
In order to be able to acquire the four types of comprehension
needed by the students to cope with the reading texts, they must be
helped to develop and expand their comprehension level. By using
the appropriate teaching techniques, a teacher can increase
students' reading comprehension level. By doing so, the students
can maximize themselves in reading for the purpose of getting
information.
5. Small Group Discussion Teaching
As explained earlier that technique in teaching is one of the
main factors that determines the success of a teaching and learning
process and it is also one of the determiner factors of the purpose of
study achievement, so it is reasonable enough to think that the
appropriate

technique

selection

in

teaching

is

considerably

important. Among the various pedagogical techniques used in

teaching, small group discussion is one of them. Small group
discussion is a discussion within a group consisting of three or more
students. Johnson (1995:76) defines: Small group discussion is
discussion of three or more people interacting face to face, with or
without an assigned leader in such a way that each person
influences, and is influenced by another person in the group. A
good teacher should be able to make the situation and condition in
the classroom as attractive as possible in order the students fell
excited and more interested in learning and the use of small group

discussion in teaching is a suitable alternative. In group learning,

students may enjoy from time to time getting away from the usual
pattern of learning. In the case of learning reading, by using the
small group discussion, the students may enjoy their learning
activity escaping the ordinary pattern of reading a story or article
aloud at sight. But conducting a learning activity by implementing
the small group discussion is not easy to do. Applying a small group
discussion learning even for the Senior High School students still has
get

more

directions

from

the

teacher.

Furthermore,

Johnson

(1995:78) suggests: Students should be arranged so that each

student can see all other members of his group and can be heard
without shouting and disturbing the other groups.
Most of the teaching learning process lately focuses on the
teacher (teacher-centered), where as this type of teaching and
learning process is proven less effective. Therefore, it is hoped that
by using the small group discussion technique, the process of
teaching and learning will be better and the target of learning is able
to be achieved. The using of small group discussion in teaching,
especially reading comprehension, will enable the students to get
the meaning of passage by getting information from his friends and
teacher. The students can share the difficulties the reading text to
each other and provide themselves with the knowledge. Barker
(1999:168) declares: The members of the group know well enough
to really trust each other, and they still have to determine each
others skills, knowledge, situation and attitudes. They often feel
comfortable and lost.
From the descriptions above we know that using of small
group discussion in a teaching learning process is not only able to
increase the students intellectual skills but also develop their social
relationship.

6. The Process of Small Group Discussion in The Classroom

The classroom organization does not deal directly with the

reading process, or with materials, methods, or approaches to
teaching reading comprehension. Yet without good classroom
organization and classroom management, reading instruction may
be totally ineffective. It is enough for teachers to know what
organizational patterns and management techniques are conducive
in learning. Nunan (2000:91) points out that setting in the classroom
are important. Setting here refers to the classroom arrangements
specifying or implying the task, and it also requires consideration
whether the task is to be carried out wholly or partly in the
classroom. For example, an activity involving small groups will be an
important factor influencing roles and relationship.
Besides the classroom management explained above, the
appropriate technique in grouping the students is also one of the
factors that determines whether the small group discussion learning
can run well or not. Two opposite tendencies exist with regard to the
number of people in a group. The larger the group, the greater is the
pool of talent and experience available for solving problems or
sharing the effort. On the other hand, as the size increases, fewer
members have the chance to participate, and indeed the differences
in relative participation increase to the point where one or two
members begin to dominate. Barker (1999:159) purposes: The best
size in terms of total interaction and greatest efficiency is some
where between five and seven members.
Small group discussion learning is considered succeed if it is able
to produce a communicative class. There are many ways to build a
communicative class, some of them are:
a. Jigsaw
Group with five students are set up. Each group member is
assigned some unique material to learn and then to teach to his group
members. To help the students in the learning, students across the

class working on the same sub-section get together to decide what is

important and how to teach it. After practicing in these expert groups
the original group reform and students teach each other. Test
assessment follows.
b. Think-pair-share
It involves three steps of cooperative structure. During the first
step individuals think silently about a question posed by the instructor.
Individuals pair up during the second step and exchange thoughts. In
the third step, the pairs share their responses with other pairs, other
teams, or the entire group.
c. Three-step Interview
Each member of a team chooses another member to be a
partner. During the first step individuals interview their partners by
asking or clarifying questions. During the second step partners reverse
the roles. For the final step, members share their partners response.
d. Round Robin Brain Storming
Class is divided into small groups (4 to 6) with one person
appointed as the recorder. A question is posed with many answers.
After the think time, members of the team share responses with one
another round robin style. The recorder writes down the answer of the
group members. The person next to the recorder starts and each
person in the group in order give an answer until time is called.
e. Three Minute Interview
Teachers stop anytime during a lecture of discussion and give
team three minutes to review what has been said then ask clarifying
questions or answer questions.
f. Numbered Head

A team of four is established. Each member is given numbers of

1,2,3,4. Questions are asked of the group. Groups work together to
answer the question so that all can verbally answer the question.
Teacher calls out a number (two) and each two is asked to give the
answer.
g. Team Pair Solo
Students do problem first as a team, then with a partner, and
finally on their own. It is designed to motivate students to tackle and
succeed at problems, which initially are beyond their ability. It is based
on a simple notion of media led learning. Students can do more things
with help (mediator) than they can do alone. By allowing them to work
on problem they could not do alone, first as a team and then with a
partner, they progress to a point they can do alone that which at first
they could do only with help.
h. Circle the Sage
First the teacher polls the class to see which students have a
special knowledge to share. For example the teacher may ask who in
the class was able to solve a difficult math homework question, who
had visited Mexico, who knows the chemical reactions involved in how
salting the streets help dissipate snow. Those students (the sages)
stand and spread out in the room. The teacher then has the rest of the
classmates each surround a sage, with no two members of the same
team going to the same. The sage explains what she knows while the
classmates listen, ask questions, and take notes. All students then
return to their teams. Each in turn, explains what they learned.
Because each one has gone to a different sage, they compare notes. If
there is disagreement, they stand up as a team. Finally, the
disagreements are aired and resolved.
i. Partners

The class is divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side
of the room. Half of each team is given an assignment to be able to
teach the other half. Partners work to learn and can consult with other
partners working on the same material. Teams go back together with
each set of partners teaching the other set. Partner quiz and tutor
teammates. Team reviews how well they learned and taught and how
they might improve the process.
By choosing one of the ways stated above, combining it with the
small group discussion and applying it in teaching learning process, so
the process of teaching and learning will be better and the target of
learning is quite possible to achieve.
7. Teachers

and

Students

Role

in

the

Small

Group

Discussion
The teaching of reading comprehension using a small group
discussion means that the class has to be communicative. Nunan
(2000:10) informs: I too will consider the communicative task a piece
of

classroom

work

that

involves

learners

in

comprehending,

manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while

their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form.
According

to

Nunan

(2000:87):

The

teacher

in

communicative

classroom has three main roles. The first is to act as facilitator for the
communicative process, the second is to act as participant, and the
third is to act as an observer and learner. While the student have more
active role, they can communicate directly with each other, rather
than exclusive with the teacher. As an activity is carried out in a small
group work, it makes it possible for a greater amount of individual
participation than when it is done in the class teaching situation.
Thus, it is clear that using a small group discussion, the students
and the teacher can interact with each other in the classroom. Nunan
(2000:87) then points out: The interaction can be either between the

teacher and the students or between students as they interact in small

group works. The writer here concludes that in a classroom, students
will be more motivated by cooperative interaction in a group.
F. Conclusion
The

use

of

small

group

discussion

in

learning

reading

comprehension influences the students individual ability in mastering

reading comprehension. It can be seen from the results of the analysis
which shows that there is a significant correlation between the using of
small group discussion in learning reading and the students individual
ability in mastering reading comprehension. Reading comprehension
is one of the skills of the language that support the others skill such as
speaking, listening and writing.
The factors that make the students uninterested in reading is
hard topics for learning material, therefore a teacher should know
which reading material is suitable for students.

In the teaching

reading comprehension, a teacher must select the suitable method

and techniques besides the material of reading must be suitable with
their level. Small group discussion has some advantages to stimulate
students enthusiasm in reading and it can avoid students boredom in
learning reading.

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