Chunking, Elaborating, and Mapping Strategies in Teaching Reading Comprehension Using Content Area Materials

Abstract

This paper reports on an experimental study of the application of chunking, elaborating, and mapping strategies inteaching reading comprehension using content area reading materials. The research method employed apretest-posttest control group design. The purpose was intended to answer the research problem related to the effectof the treatment on the students’ English reading achievement. The hypothesis proposed was that there was nodifference in reading achievement scores of the two groups before and after the treatment. The subjects of theresearch were the first year students at the Economics Faculty, Bandung Islamic University, Indonesia. The researchinstruments were reading comprehension tests covering micro processes, integrative processes, macro processes, andelaborative processes. The data obtained through pretest and posttest, were statistically analyzed using t-test. Thestudy showed that the treatment had a significant effect on the students’ reading achievement. In addition, thestudents in both groups were asked to fill in questionnaires to identify their perception on the trained readingstrategies and teaching materials. The study indicated that their perception was mostly positive. In brief, this studysuggests that chunking, elaborating, mapping, and summarizing strategies facilitate students’ reading comprehensionin expository texts in the Indonesian context. However, further research utilizing different reading strategies shouldbe conducted to explore other outcomes that might be more effective in EAP classrooms.