AN ANALYSIS ON THE SECOND GRADE STUDENTS` PROBLEMS IN

COMPREHENDING AN ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXT AT PEMBANGUNAN

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PADANG
Febrina Bilya Efendi1, Lely Refnita1, Lailatul Husna1
1
English Department the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Bung Hatta University
E- mail: febrinabilya@yahoo.co.id

Abstract

The aim of this research was to find out the problem of the second year students of
Pembangunan Senior High School in comprehending analytical exposition text. The
population of this research was the second year students at Pembangunan Senior High
School Padang. The total number of population members of this research was 132 students.
They were divided into two strata, MIA class and IS class. The number of sample was 52
students, chosen by using stratified random sampling technique to get representative
sample. The instrument used to get the data was reading test. Based on the result of data
analysis of try out test, the researcher found that the reliability index of the test was .609. It
means that the test was reliable. Based on the result of analyzing the data the researcher
found that the students had problem in comprehending analytical exposition text. It was
proved by the data that there were 8 students (30%) classified as having no problem and 18
students (70%) classified as having problem. Specifically, there were 10 students (38%)
who had no problem and 16 students (62%) who had problemin understanding the thesis
of analytical exposition text. In terms of comprehending the argument of analytical
exposition text, there were 9 students (35%) who had no problem and 16 students (65%)
who had problem. In terms of comprehending the reiteration of analytical exposition text,
there were 4 students (15%) who had no problem and 22 students (85%) who had problem.
Finally, based on the findings, it can be concluded that the second grade students’ of
Pembangunan Senior High School had problem in comprehending analytical exposition
text. For the students, it is suggested to do more practice in reading by paying attention to
those aspects or components of reading. The English teachers are suggested to make the
students to be more active in reading.
Keywords :Problem, comprehending and Exposition Text
INTRODUCTION since as a matter of fact, many aspects of life
like tourism, business, science, technology,
English is an international language
education, politic, and commerce involve
used by many people in the world. Ramelan
English.
(1992:2) states that English as an
Due to the important role of English
international language is used to
as discussed above, it was taught in many
communicate, to strengthen and to fasten
schools in all over the world.In Indonesia,
relationship among all countries in the world
English as a foreign language becomes a
compulsory subject in any level of school. It expected to be able to comprehend the text
means that English has been learnt from and able to differentiate the types of text one
junior high school, senior high school, to to another.
university level. The studentswere required In general, according to the
to possessEnglish skillsin order to be able to curriculum for English subject at senior high
communicate with people from other school (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan
countries. Pendidikan or known as KTSP) there are
Reading is one of the four language thirteen genres; recount, spoof, narration,
skills in English that are taught at all levels description, procedure, discussion, news
of school. Reading is a complex cognitive item, report, explanation, review, exposition
process of decoding symbols in order to text, included hortatory exposition, and
construct or derive meaning analytical exposition. Each of them has
(reading comprehension). It is a means different aspects that should be understood
of languageacquisition, of communication, by the students.
and of sharing information and ideas. It is a Exposition text is the text to
complex interaction between the text and the persuade the reader by presenting one side
reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior of an argument.Exposition text could be
knowledge, experiences, attitude, and advertisements, spoken arguments, and
language community which is culturally and editorials. There are three generic structures
socially situated. The reading process of exposition text; thesis, argumentation,
requires continuous practice, development, and reitaration.
and refinement. However, based on information
At senior high school, the skill of obtained from the student at SMA
reading was taught through implementing Pembangunan Padang when the researcher
genre based approach. By this approach the did observation, it was found that many
students are introduced to some genres or students still had problems in
types of the text. In the teaching learning comprehending each part of exposition text.
process, students were guided to When the teacher gave them exercises on
comprehend each component of text; social comprehending exposition text, for example,
function, generic structure, and language they were not able to do them well.
feature. By doing this, the students were
 Based on the fact above, the The population of this research is the
researcher was interested in doing a research second grade students of SMA
entitled An Analysis on the Second Grade Pembangunan Padang because they had
Students Problems in Comprehending learnt about analytical exposition text. The
Analytical Exposition Text at SMA population in this study was 132 students
Pembangunan Padang. and they were distributed into five classes.
To make it clearer, it is shown in Table 3.1
Table 3.1
RESEARCH METHOD
The Population of the Research
This research was designed to
find out students’ problem in Class Number
comprehending a text, especially an XI1( science) 26
analytical exposition text. Therefore, the XI 2( science) 26
researcher used descriptive method. Gay XI 3 (social) 27
(1987:189) says that descriptive research XI 4 (social) 26
involved the activity to collect the data in XI 5 (social) 27
order to test hypothesis or to answer the
questions concerning the current status of
the subject of study. Furthermore, she stated Total 132
that the descriptive research is useful in
investigating many kinds of educational Because the population was quite large, the
problem. researcher took sample out of the
Based on the definition above, population. The sample size was 52 students
descriptive research was a research which comprising XI 1 (exact science) class and XI
describes the condition and the phenomena 4 (social science) class. In this research, the
in order to get the real information. In this researcher used reading test in form of
research, the researcher described the multiple choice to reveal students’ problems
problems faced by the second grade students in comprehending analytical exposition text.
of SMA Pembangunan Padang in It was the multiple – choice test, it consisted
comprehending analytical exposition text. of 20 iems. The researcher asked the
students to answer the questions in 60
minutes. The researcher gave one point for 3. The researcher calculated the
each correct answer and 0 for the wrong percentage of the students who
answer. had problems and who did not
have problems by using the
To collect the data, the researcher conducted
following formula :
the following steps:
P = × 100%
1. The researcher gave the test to the
sample of the research. Where: P = Percentage of

2. The researcher collected the test students who had

3. The researcher checked all the and did not have

students answer problems

4. The researcher gave 1 score for the R =The sum of the

correct answer and 0 for the wrong students who had

answer. problems or who did

5. The researcher counted the total not have problems

score for each student. T = The sum of

The researcher analyzed data on students’ students.

problems in comprehending analytical 5. Finally, the researcher interpreted

exposition text by doing following steps: the result of data analysis.

1. The researcher presented the raw

score. Finding and Discussion

2. The researcher classified the

Students’ Problem in Analytical
students into those who had
Exposition Text
problems and those who did not
have problems based on the Based on the result of data analysis,

criterion that is used in SMA the students were classified into two

Pembangunan Padang : categories. : Students who had no problem

≥ 80 : Did not have and students who had problem. There were 8

problems students (30%) classified as having no

< 80 : Had problems problem and 18 students (70%) classified as

having problem. It can be seen in the Based on the result of data analysis,
following diagram : there were 10 students (38%) classified as
Diagram 4.1 The Percentage of Students having no problem and 16 students (62%)
Who Had and Had No Problem classified as having problem. It can be seen
in Comprehending Analytical in the following diagram :
Exposition Text. Diagram 4.2 The Percentage of Students
Who Had and Had No
90%
80% Problem in comprehending
70% Analyical Exposition Text in
60%
50% Terms of Thesis of Analytical
40%
30% Exposition Text.
20%
10% 90%
0%
80%
Had no problem Had problrem
70%
4 students 22 students
60%
50%
Diagram 4.1 above indicates that the
40%
second grade students in comprehending an 30%
exposition text of Pembangunan Senior 20%
High School Padang was having problem. It 10%

was proved by the evidence that 70% of 0%

Had no problem Had problrem
them had problem in comprehending
4 students 22 students
analytical exposition text.

The Students’ Problem in This shows that the students were

Comprehending Analytical Exposition having problem in comprehending analytical

Text in Terms of Thesis exposition text in terms of thesis because

there were 62% of the students classified
The data consisted of the results of
into having problem in comprehending
the problem of the students in
analytical exposition text in terms of thesis.
comprehending analytical exposition text in
The Students’ Problem in
terms of thesis.
Comprehending Analytical Exposition
Text in Terms of Argument
 Based on the result of data analysis, Based on the result of data analysis,
there were 9 students (35%) classified as there were 4 students (15%) classified as
having no problem and 16 students (65%) having no problem and 22 students (85%)
classified as having problem in classified as having problem in
comprehending the argument of analytical comprehending the reiteration of analytical
expoisition text. It can be seen in the exposotion text. It can be seen in the
following diagram: following diagram:
Diagram 4.3 The Percentage of Students Diagram 4.4 The Percentage of Students
Who Had and Had No Who Had and Had no Problem
Problem in Comprehending the in Comprehending the
Argument of Analytical Reiteration of Analytical
Exposition Text. ExpositionText.
100% 100%
80% 80%
60% 60%
40% 40%
20% 20%
0% 0%
Had no problem Had problrem Had no problem Had problrem
4 students 22 students 4 students 22 students

This shows that the students were having This shows that the students were having
problem in comprehending analytical problem in comprehending analytical
exposition text in terms of argument because exposition text in terms of reiteration
there were 65% of the students had been because there were 85% of the students had
classified into having problem in been classified into having problem in
comprehending analytical exposition text in comprehending analytical exposition text in
terms of argument. terms of reiteration.

The Students’ Problem in

Comprehending Analytical Exposition
Text in Terms of Reiteration.
Discussions
 The first finding of this study was one or combination of causes mentioned in
that the students had problem in the previous findings.
comprehending analytical exposition text Conclusion
since there were 70% of them classified as
Having presented the results of the
having problem. It means that even though
data analysis, the writer concludes that in
most of the students had problem in
general the students had problem in
comprehending analytical exposition text,
comprehending analytical exposition text.
there was a number of students who were
Specifically,the second year students at
classified as having no problem (30%). The
SMA Pembangunan Padang had problem in
majority of the students did not understand
comprehending the thesis of analytical
the content of the text.
exposition text.Then, the second year
The next finding of this research was
students at SMA Pembangunan Padang were
that many students (38%) had no problem in
having problem in comprehending analytical
comprehending analytical exposition text in
exposition text in terms of arguments.
terms of thesis. It means that 62% of the
Furthermore, the second year students at
students classified as having problem. It
SMA Pembangunan Padang were having
might be caused by the students’
problem in comprehending analytical
unfamiliarity with new words.
exposition text in terms of reiteration.
Another finding of this research was
that many students 38% had no problem in
Suggestion
comprehending analytical exposition text in
Based on the findings of the research, the
terms of thesis, while 65% of the students
researcher proposes some suggestions as
classified as having problem. It might be
follows:
related to the students less seriousness to
(1) The English teachers are suggested
answer the questions.
to consider the three components :
The last finding of this research was
thesis , arguments , reiteration when
that many students 15% had no having
measuring students’ problem in
problem in comprehending analytical
comprehending analytical exposition
exposition text in terms of reiteration. In
text. And based on research, the
contrast, there were still 85% of the students
researcher suggests the English
classified as having problem. It might due to
teachesr to explain more about
 reading comprehension of analytical
exposition text, specifically in
comprehending thesis, argument, and
reiteration of analytical exposition
text, develop material in English
reading to improve the students’
comprehension. The English teachers
can make the students to be more
active in reading to improve their
comprehension about the generic
structure of analytical exposition
text. .
(2) The students are suggested to do
more practice in reading. First, the
students are suggested to improve
their reading in generic structure
because based on result of the
research there were 70% students
having problem. Second, to improve
the comprehension of analytical
exposition text, the students are
suggested to learn more about
analytical exposition text.
(3) The researcher hopes and suggests
any further researchers to conduct
the research with another topic of
comprehending analytical exposition
text and find the factors causing the
problems.
REFERENCES
Gay, L. R. (1987). Educational Research:
Competencies for Analysis and
Applications. Colombus. Merrill
Publishing Company.
Ramelan. (1992) Introduction to Linguistic
Analysis. Semarang: IKIP Semarang
Press.