The Implementation of Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Teaching Reading Analytical Exposition Texts to the

Eleventh Graders in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VENN DIAGRAM AS A STRATEGY IN TEACHING READING

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXTS TO THE ELEVENTH GRADERS IN SMA
MUHAMMADIYAH 1 TAMAN

Desti Aisyah Fauziah

English Education, Languages and Arts Faculty, State University of Surabaya
destiaisyahf@gmail.com

Dra. Theresia Kumalarini, S.Pd., M.Pd.

English Education, Languages and Arts Faculty, State University of Surabaya
kumala_rini@yahoo.co.id

Abstrak

Membaca merupakan salah satu dari empat keterampilan yang harus dicapai oleh siswa dalam
pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing. Siswa diharapkan mampu memahami teks bacaan serta
mampu menguasai tujuan, konteks, jenis, dan seluruh informasi yang terdapat dalam teks dalam kegiatan
membaca. Namun, beberapa siswa masih kesulitan memahami teks dalam kegiatan membaca. Hal ini
dikarenakan para guru lebih sering meminta siswa untuk membaca kemudian menjawab pertanyaan-
pertanyaan yang telah tersedia daripada memberikan strategi membaca yang dapat membantu siswa untuk
membaca dan memahami teks. Terdapat banyak sekali strategi membaca yang dapat digunakan oleh para
guru. Salah satunya adalah Venn diagram yang dapat membantu siswa dalam mengorganisir pikiran
mereka saat membaca melalui persamaan dan perbedaan sehingga mereka dapat menangkap informasi
yang ada dan membantu mereka memahami teks bacaan dengan mudah. Sehingga, studi ini bertujuan
untuk melihat penerapan Venn diagram sebagai sebuah strategi pengajaran dalam kegiatan membaca teks
eksposisi analitis dan respon para siswa terhadap penerapan Venn diagram. Metode penelitian yang
digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Subjek penelitian dalam studi ini adalah guru Bahasa Inggris dan 46
siswa kelas 11 di SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman. Dalam pengumpulan data, daftar periksa observasi dan
kuesioner digunakan sebagai alat bantu dalam penelitian ini. Kemudian data dianalisa dengan
mendeskripsikan dan menginterpretasikan secara kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Venn
diagram dapat diimplementasikan dengan baik oleh guru. Strategi ini dapat membantu siswa memahami
teks dengan berfokus pada ide-ide yang dibandingkan. Hasil dari kuesioner menunjukkan bahwa Venn
diagram telah berhasil membantu siswa dalam memahami teks bacaan eksposisi analitis.

Kata Kunci: Membaca, Pengajaran Membaca, Analytical Exposition Texts, Venn diagram.

Abstract

Reading is one of the four important skills that should be gained by the students while learning English
as a foreign language. In a reading activity, students are expected to understand the text. They should be
able to comprehend the purposes of the text, the context, the nature of the text, and all of the information
provided in the text. However, most of the students still get difficulties understanding the text whenever
the reading activity is held. It happens because the teachers only ask the students to read and answer the
questions rather than giving a reading strategy that can help students read and understand the text deeply.
There are a lot of strategies which can be used by teachers. One of them is Venn diagram that helps
students organize their thought through comparison and contrast. Thus, this study aims to see the
implementation of Venn diagram as a strategy in teaching reading analytical exposition texts and the
students response towards it. This study uses descriptive qualitative design and the subjects are an
English teacher and 46 eleventh graders of SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman. To collect the data, the
observation checklist and a questionnaire and they are analyzed descriptively in the form of words. The
results show that Venn diagram can be implemented by the teacher. It also helps students to focus on the
terms being compared and contrasted. Moreover, the results of the questionnaire show that Venn diagram
can be used to help students understand the analytical exposition texts.

Keywords: Reading, Teaching reading, Analytical exposition texts, Venn diagram.

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to the students. If this way of teaching applies in every

INTRODUCTION reading activity, the students will less interest and do not
have any motivation to be successful in a reading activity
Reading is one of important skills that should be so they will not understand the information that had been
learned by the students while learning English as a written on the text. Furthermore, in reading analytical
foreign language. Cline et.al (2006: 2) explains that exposition texts, the students are expected to think
reading is an activity of decoding and understanding the critically toward the phenomenon (Simbolon, 2013).
texts. In a reading activity, students are expected to be They are also expected to understand that different
able to decode and to understand the texts that are given perspectives are important matter so that they will
by the teacher. Moreover, reading demands the students become an open-minded reader. Because of this fact, the
not only read the text, but also understand the writers reading strategies are needed to help the students to think
ideas and various kinds of information containing in the critical while reading analytical exposition texts.
text. William (1984) agrees that the students, when read a
text, should not only look at the text but they should also Brown (2007) defines strategy as a specific
understand what has been written. If the students are method that can be used in approaching a problem or
successful to understand the text, they will automatically task. This strategy can help the students in understanding
get the new information from the text. Brunan (1989) the texts. OMalley and Chamot (1990) defines three
defines reading as a two-way interaction in which categories of language learning strategies; (1)
information is exchange between the reader and the Metacognitive strategies, (2) Cognitive strategies, (3)
author". It means that the interaction that happens in Social-affective strategies. Since reading is an activity of
reading is not only read the words or sentences, but also understanding the texts, the cognitive strategies are
transfers the authors ideas to the readers. needed. Cognitive strategies are the methods that are used
to help students in learning problems, such as
In the syllabus of 2013 curriculum in Senior summarizing, making mental images, and relating new
High school, students are expected to be a good reader in information with their prior knowledge. In the cognitive
reading texts. One of the texts that should be learned by strategies there are seven things of the effective readers
the eleventh graders is analytical exposition texts. It is a which are Acivating, Inferring, Monitoring-Clarifying,
type of argumentative text which contains the authors Questioning, Searching-Selecting, Summarizing, and
ideas about phenomenon surroundings. This text provides Visualizing-Organizing (McEwan, 2007).
a point of view, ideas, thoughts, issue or problems that
need to get persuade the reader that the idea is important Moreover, Adler (2001) mentions there are
matter (Djuharia, 2007). Mali-Jali (2007) explains that seven strategies in teaching reading the texts to the
the purpose of analytical exposition text is to argue and to students. They are monitoring comprehension,
give reasons for particular point of view of the issue. By metacognition, answering questions, generating
reading analytical exposition texts, students will get more questions, recognizing story structure, summarizing,
information about the topic from different perspectives. semantic and graphic organizers. Furthermore, Venn
The perspectives that are included in the texts might be diagram is one kind of graphic organizers that is
pro and contra so that the students need a logical and discussed in this study.
critical thinking while reading analytical exposition texts
(Simbolon, 2013). Venn diagram is a kind of graphic organizers
that allows the students to see how two or more people,
However, Osborne (2010) sees that most of the places, events, or ideas are alike and different (Manzo &
students still get difficulties on understanding a text. Manzo, 1997). It is composed by overlapping circles to
Most of the students tend to find the meaning of each represent similarities and differences of the texts. Booth
word rather than understand the ideas of the text. If this (1998:81) states that Venn diagram is an effective
happens, the students will not get the information that strategy and concise graphic tool employed in post-
have been written on the text. On the other hand, the reading context. It assists spatial and visual learners by
strategies that are used in a reading activity are transforming complex information into visually
monotonous. In fact, the teachers only asked the students comprehendible charts. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2001). Venn
to read the text and to answer the questions that are given diagram can help the students to organize the students
The Implementation of Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Teaching Reading Analytical Exposition Texts to the
Eleventh Graders in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman

thought so they can understand the text by using 1. How is the implementation of Venn diagram as a
comparison and contrast. It also helps the students to strategy in teaching reading analytical exposition
extend their thinking and apply the information by texts to the eleventh graders in SMA Muhammadiyah
comparing and contrasting. Using Venn diagram in 1 Taman?
reading analytical exposition texts will help the students
to understand that the different perspectives from the 2. How is the students response after being taught using
different authors are important matters. Venn diagram as a strategy in teaching reading
analytical exposition texts?

RESEARCH METHOD

The research design that used in this study was

descriptive qualitative and focused on the implementation
of Venn diagram as a strategy in teaching reading
analytical exposition texts. Descriptive qualitative
research uses words and pictures rather than numbers to
express what the researcher has found about the
Picture 1.1 Venn diagram phenomenon (Meriam, 1998).

In this research, the researcher focused on how Venn

The effectiveness of using Venn diagram diagram is implemented for teaching reading in the EFL
strategy in teaching reading has been asserted by several class of the eleventh grade and would like to know on the
studies. Jacobucci et. al (2012) found that Venn diagrams students responses after the strategy was implemented in
encouraged the students to compare and contrast the the class. The subjects of this study were the teacher and
information for reading analysis. This study believes that the 46 eleventh graders in SMA Muhammadiyah 1
Venn diagram helps the students on understanding the the Taman. In deciding the subjects of the study, the
texts better. The study from Samosir (2012) found that researcher used random sampling.
Venn diagram helps the students to understand the texts
because it helps them to be focused on the terms that In collecting the data, the researcher did a non-
should be compared and contrasted. Moreover, the study participant observation as a technique to collect the data
from Neri (2013) found that the combination of Venn which were needed to answer the research questions. Non-
diagram and mental imagery motivate the students in participant technique was a technique which the
reading a text. researcher did not involve in the teaching and learning
process (Susanto, 2012). During the teaching and learning
From those studies, the researcher would like to process, the researcher only observed the activities on
investigate the implementation of Venn diagram as a how the teacher implemented Venn diagram as a strategy
strategy in teaching reading analytical exposition texts to in reading analytical exposition texts. The data were
the eleventh graders. Also, the researcher would like to collected from the observation checklists and the
describe the students response after being taught using questionnaire in the form of words. The observation
Venn diagram in reading analytical exposition texts. checklists were used to answer the first research question
Those three studies prove that Venn diagram in a reading about the implementation of Venn diagram as a strategy in
activity help the students understand the texts through teaching reading analytical exposition texts. While the
comparing and contrasting. Thus, the researcher expects questionnaire was used to answer the second question
this strategy is useful for the teacher in the teaching about the students responses after being taught using
reading activity to the students, especially in teaching Venn diagram as a strategy in reading analytical
reading analytical exposition texts. exposition texts.

According to the background study above, there In doing the research, the researcher conducted two
are two research questions that will be discussed in this meeting observations and was done once a week. The
present study. researcher gained the data from the teaching and learning
process. The researches were conducted by filling the

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observation checklists and took a note on every meeting implementation by brainstorming the students in the pre-
that had been held. After the program of the second reading activity. It is used to prepare the students and to
meeting, the questionnaires were distributed to the activate the students prior knowledge before the lesson
students. It is used to know the students responses after was begun (Grabe & Stoller, 2001). The teacher asked the
being taught using Venn diagram in reading analytical students some questions related to the topic. The questions
exposition texts. were about smoking and the teacher asked the students
opinions about it. After that, the teacher moved to the
The data collection was selected and analyzed whilst reading activity. The first stage of this activity was
descriptively using the theory from Ary (2006). There are called observing. In the observing, the teacher distributed
three stages of analyzing the data in descriptive qualitative the texts and a blank Venn diagram to the students. Then,
design. First, the data should be familiarized and the teacher became a model on the application of Venn
organized by reading and understanding the data. The data diagram to the students. This activity was in line with the
that firstly analyzed were the results of the observation theory from Dreher & Gray (2009) which states that
checklists and the results of the questionnaire. Then the introduction and teachers modeling of Venn diagram was
data was sorted into some categories and was reduced in needed in order to show the students on how to compare
order to get the data that are needed to answer the first and and contrast the information such as the main idea, social
the second questions. After that, the data was interpreted function, the implicit and explicit information, and the
and represented in the form of words in order to describe authors opinions related to the issue before the students
the data. can do it by themselves. Then, the teacher gave an
opportunity for the students to ask on how is the
application of Venn diagram in reading analytical
exposition texts so that the students will get the clearer
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION understanding from the teacher. This stage was called
questioning of the scientific approach. In this stage, some
The researcher presented the results and
of the students asked the teacher about what should they
discussion of the data that were obtained during the wrote in the diagram and what kind of activity that will be
research in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman. The done. The teacher answered that they should write the
observations were conducted in two meetings to find out information, main idea, social functions, and the authors
the description of the implementation and the results of opinion which are similar or different. After that the
the questionnaires.
teacher asked the students to read the texts and completed
the diagram. The teacher also gave the students some
minutes to complete the diagram so that they can compare
and contrast the ideas confidently (Cambria, Coddington,
The Implementation of Venn Diagram as a Strategy in
Guthrie, & Wigfield, 2010). After all of the students
Teaching Reading Analytical Exposition Tetxs
completed the diagram, the teacher and the students
The results of the observations showed that the discussed it together. In this stage, the teacher called the
teacher had implemented Venn diagram strategy in students one by one and asked them to read one of their
teaching reading analytical exposition texts. The activities answers. The teacher also asked some questions related to
that had been implemented by the teachers were the texts and the diagram that had been completed. The
conducted based on Curriculum 2013 and used scientific teacher asked the students about the main idea of Text 1
approach combined with the theory from Dreher & Gray and Text 2. A student raised his hand and answered that
(2009). There are three activities in a reading activity the main idea of both texts were different. The main idea
which are pre-reading activity, whilst reading activity and of Text 1 was the smokers died because of diseases
post-reading activity. The scientific approach was used in caused by smoking, while Text 2 showed that smoking in
twhilst-reading activity. There are five stages that used in the public should be prohibited. Then the teacher asked
the scientific approach which are observing, questioning, another question about the function of the texts. All of the
exploring, associating, and communicating. students answered that both of the texts had the same
function that is to persuade the readers not to smoke the
There were two meetings that were observed by cigarette because it will bring diseases and death. For the
the researcher. The first meeting was held on February, 3rd last question, the teacher asked the students whether the
2017. In this meeting, Venn diagram was implemented authors of the two texts were having the same opinion or
successfully by the teachers. The teacher began the not. All of the students agreed that the authors had the
same opinion that smoking is not good for health.
The Implementation of Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Teaching Reading Analytical Exposition Texts to the
Eleventh Graders in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman

In the first implementation, the result showed Students Responses toward the Implementation of
that the students still got difficulties in reading the texts Venn Diagram Strategy
and applying Venn diagram. Most of the students
preferred to translate the text word by word to understand After the program was done, the questionnaire
the text rather than finding the important keywords that was distributed to the students. There are eight questions
represented the differences and the similarities of the two that should be answered by the students. They are asked to
texts. Unfamiliar with Venn diagram in the reading choose agree or disagree with the questions of each
activity made the students still confused to use it. number. In the first question, all of the students agreed
that Venn diagram was really helpful to understand the
At the end of the first meeting, the teacher made texts through comparing and contrasting the information.
a reflection on the teaching and learning process. The Moreover, most students would like to apply Venn
teacher explained the purposes in using Venn diagram diagram in reading the other texts because they felt that
and reminded the students to try to apply Venn diagram there was a difference in reading with and/or without
at home. Then the teacher reviewed briefly the analytical using Venn diagram in a reading activity. Using Venn
exposition texts and told the students that they still had diagram helps them to be focused on the terms that should
the same activity on the next meeting. be compared and contrasted. However, some of the
students believed that Venn diagram was not really
The second meeting was held on February, 10 th helpful to find the information in the texts and more than
2017. The activities were similar to the first meeting. The 15 students stated that they still confused in applying
teacher began the class by brainstorming the students and Venn diagram. At least 15 students stated that the texts
reviewing the previous lesson on the last meeting. In this were difficult because there were some of difficult words
meeting, the teacher did not become a model of Venn in the texts that made the students fail to catch the ideas of
diagram application and all of the students understood the the texts.
application of Venn diagram in reading analytical
exposition texts. The teacher only asked whether the From those results, the students responses
students have a question about Venn diagram or not. showed that Venn diagram was really helpful in making
Then the teacher gave the other texts which have a same them to understand the texts and to find out the
title but have a different content on each. The topic that similarities and differences of the information that
was given to the students was familiar to them. It is in containing in the texts. The students agreed that Venn
line with the statement from Pintrich (2000) that diagram helps them to understand the text better because
choosing familiar topic to the students will lead them to they directly know the information in the texts by
understand the texts deeply. It also motivated the students applying Venn diagram. Although some of the students
in a reading activity and made them enjoy the activity felt that the texts were difficult because they had many
without feeling bored. The result of the second meeting difficult words, but all of the students were agreed that
showed that all of the students completed the diagram they can understand the ideas of the texts through Venn
successfully and they understood on the application of diagram.
Venn diagram in the reading activity of analytical
exposition texts. Based on the analysis above, it can be seen that Venn
diagram can be implemented as a strategy in teaching
In the implementation of the strategy, it can be seen reading analytical exposition texts because it could help
that the teacher would like to give a new way to motivate the students to understand the texts better through
the students in a reading activity. The students could comparing and contrasting the ideas or the information
understand the texts through comparing and contrasting in containing in the texts.
Venn diagram. Using Venn diagram could motivate the
students to enjoy the activity of reading analytical
exposition texts which have rich contents and ideas.
Besides that, the teacher also motivated the students in the
discussion session by giving the questions related to their
work and the topic that had been discussed.

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CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION directly understand the texts without translating the texts
word by word.
Conclusion
Furthermore, the results of the questionnaire
From the results and discussion it can be found showed that Venn diagram could be helpful in reading
that the teacher used scientific approach and the analytical exposition texts. Students believed that Venn
combination of theory from Dreher & Gray (2009) in the diagram could help them to understand the text through
implementation of Venn diagram in teaching reading similarities and differences. Because it helped the
analytical exposition texts. There are two meetings that students in reading, it can motivate the students to read
had been conducted by the teacher. The meeting was analytical exposition texts in a classroom.
started by greeting and preparing the students before the
students joined the activity. Then, it continued to the
brainstorming session which is used to stimulate the
students to have a basic knowledge about analytical Suggestion
exposition texts. In the implementation of Venn diagram,
it can be seen that the students were easily to understand From the conclusion above, the researcher would
the application of Venn diagram in reading analytical like to formulate some suggestions to the teachers and to
exposition texts even though they were get confused to the next future researcher.
apply it in the first meeting. It happened because the
teacher firstly became a model when she explained how a. To The Teachers
to use Venn diagram in order to give the clearer
Since this study proves that Venn diagram helps
explanation to the students. The teacher also used
questioning strategy. Firstly, the teacher asked the the students in a reading activity, the teachers can use it a
students whether the students understand or not with the strategy in a reading activity to help the students on
application of Venn diagram. In this session, only a few understanding the texts. Before the teachers would like to
of the students asked to the teacher. The questioning conduct the reading activity, they need to consider the
session helped the students to get the clearer texts that are chosen to be given to the students. The texts
understanding about the strategy so that they will be should have rich contents and the topics should be
successful in applying the strategy to read the analytical familiar to the students so that the students will have
exposition texts. After the questioning session, the background knowledge of the topic before the
students were asked to complete the diagram with the implementation is begun. In a reading activity, the teacher
ideas or information such as the main idea, the subjects of should change the habit of translating the text word by
the text and other information which had some word to predicting the texts by using keywords. This
similarities and differences. activity will help the students become an active reader and
comprehend the texts better. Teachers should be aware
In the discussion session, the teacher asked with the words, phrases, and sentences that were written
some questions related to the diagram that had been in the texts. Make sure that the words, phrases, and the
completed by the students, such as the main idea, the sentences were suitable to the students English level. The
subjects of the texts, the causes and the effects of texts should not be too easy or too hard to the students so
smoking and flood, and the other information which were that they will have a motivation to read the texts in the
given in the texts. The teacher also asked the students to teaching and learning process. Teacher can modify the use
summarize the writers opinions about the issues which of Venn diagram in the reading activity. It is not only
were written in the texts. comparing and contrasting the ideas or information, but it
can also be used to comparing and contrasting the
Furthermore, the researcher concludes that Venn structures, language features, or social function of the text.
diagram was really helpful in teaching reading analytical
exposition texts. Venn diagram helps the students to
understand the text through comparing and contrasting
the ideas such as the main idea, the information that are b. To The Future Researcher
provided in the text, and also the subjects of the text.
To the future researcher, some modifications and
Comparing and contrasting the ideas made the students
improvements are possible to do in conducting the
looked deeper to the texts so that the students will
strategy in the teaching and learning process of EFL
classroom. Since Venn diagram could help the students in
The Implementation of Venn Diagram as a Strategy in Teaching Reading Analytical Exposition Texts to the
Eleventh Graders in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman

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