IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPETENCE THROUGH TWO STAY TWO STRAY TECHNIQUE (A Classroom Action Research to the Students of Class VIII A of SMP YPPK Biak Numfor in the Academic Year of 2010/2011)

AUGUST LEWAHERILLA. Improving Students Reading Competence Through Two Stay Two Stray Technique (A Classroom Action Research to the Students of Class VIIIA of SMP YPPK Biak Numfor in the Academic Year of 2010/2011). Thesis. Surakarta. English Education Department. Graduate School, Sebelas Maret University. The aim of the this thesis is to know whether two stay two stray technique can improve students’ reading competence for the students of class VIIIa of SMP YPPK Biak or not, and to know the strengths and the weaknesses of the two stay two stray technique when it is applied in teaching reading. The preliminary research showed that the students had problems on main idea, word meaning, referent word, explicitly stated information, and implicitly stated information. The research was done in SMP YPPK Biak Numfor from January- March 2011. The subject of the study was the students of class VIIIa of SMP YPPK Biak Numfor consisting of 26 students. It was a classroom action research. The writer did some steps for each cycle. They were planning, action, observation, and reflection. In collecting the data, the writer applied several techniques including observation, interview, questionnaire, and test. The quantitative data were analysed by using descriptive statistics. It compared between the scores of pre-test (before implementing two stay two stray technique) and post-test (after implementing two stay two stray technique), while the qualitative data were analysed by using constant comparative method which consisted of comparing incidents applicable to each category, integrating categories into their properties, delimiting theory, and writing theory. The result of the research showed that: (1) two stay two stray technique can improve students’ reading competence, which covered: main idea, word meaning, referent word, explicitly stated information, and implicitly stated information. The improvement can also be seen from their results of post-test. The averages of the scores improved from cycle to cycle. The average score of pre-test was 57.019. Then, it increased to 64.62 in post-test 1 and 72.788 in post-test 2, and (2) The students became more active and enthusiastic in learning process. They were brave to give their opinion using English language. Besides, the class became active and alive. Moreover, they could collaborate with others well. In conclusion, two stay two stray technique is able to improve students’ reading competence. It stimulates students to be responsible and active. In short, it is recommended that the English teachers use two stay two stray technique in teaching reading competence, so that it can be students’ own reading strategy in order to improve their reading competence