Improving Reading Skills at the Tenth Grade Students of SMA Negeri 1 Padamara in Purbalingga Regency through Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS)Procedures

This research study was aimed to improve students’ reading skills of recognizing words, deducing meaning from context, understanding literal and inferred meaning, identifying main ideas, and making prediction of the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Padamara in the academic year of 2013/2014 through Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) Procedures. This research study was an action research study, which used a model modified from Burns (1999) and was conducted for three cycles. The research study participants were the tenth grade English teacher and the 24 students of grade X-6. The data were collected through participant observation by the classroom’s teacher, non-participant observation by the teacher collaborator, interviews, photographs taking, and reading tests. The data were qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative data from the field notes, interview transcripts, and photographs were analyzed by using interactive model of Miles and Huberman (1984). The quantitative data on the students’ activity, cooperation, and enthusiasm were analyzed by using intermeetings comparison to see any improvements occuring over meetings. The quantitative data in the form of students’ pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results of the data analyses show that: 1) an improvement was found to occur on the teacher’s skill and attitude in encouraging the students to be active, cooperative, and enthusiastic in following the process of teaching and learning reading; 2) an improvement was found to occur on the process of teaching and learning reading, which was indicated by the improvement on the students’ activity, cooperation, and enthusiasm during the process of teaching and learning reading; and 3) an improvement was found to occur on students’ reading skills of recognizing words, deducing meaning from context, understanding literal and inferred meaning, identifying main ideas, and making prediction. The range of students’ reading tests score improved from 25 to 55 becoming 50 to 75. The mean improved from 40.83 to 66.46. The median improved from 40 to 70. The mode improved from 40 and 45 to 7