IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION OF THE EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS OF SMPN 2 DENPASAR IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/2021 THROUGH KWL STRATEGY

Reading is a process of getting information and understanding the message of printed material. Preliminary research showed that most of VIII D students at SMPN 2 Denpasar in academic year 2020/2021 faced problems in reading comprehension especially identifying general information, specific information, textual meaning, and textual reference. Moreover, the research objective was to know whether or not reading comprehension of the eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Denpasar can be improved through KWL (Know What Learn). Thus, to achieve the objective, the researcher conducted a classroom action research, which was done in two cycles. The research instruments, tests and questionnaire, were administered to collect the required data. The data were then analyzed by comparing the results of the pre-test and post-tests, which showed there were significant improvements of the subjects’ mean score from the pre-test to post-tests. As the supporting data, the questionnaire was also administered at the end of the last cycle and the results showed positive responses on the implementation of KWL. Based on the results of the research instruments, it could be concluded that reading comprehension of the eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Denpasar in academic year 2020/2021 can be improved through the implementation of KWL.