This research aimed to improve the students‟ reading comprehension using Number
Heads Together technique. It used Classroom Action Research, which was conducted at VIII
B Grade of SMP PGRI 2 Ajibarang in Academic Year 2012/2013 as the subject of the
research. The numbers of the students were 30 students comprised of 13 males and 17
females. This study was done from October 2012 until February 2013.
The writer worked collaboratively with the English teacher in the class. The Classroom
Action Research was carried out based on the Kemmis and Mc. Taggart design. The writer
took two cycles with two actions in each cycle. Each cycle consisted of planning, acting,
observing, and reflecting. The writer applied both qualitative data and quantitative data that
were taken from questionnaire, observation, reading test, and documentation.
The result of the research showed that there was a significant improvement in the
students‟ reading comprehension after implementing the Classroom Action Research using
Number Head Together technique. The average score of the students in reading was 41.47%
in test (pre-test and post-test). The mean of the students‟ reading test score was as follows;
pre test showed 55.33%, cycle one showed 65.83%, and cycle two showed 13.06%.
Therefore, the improvement of mean from pre-test until cycle two was 30.29%. It was
supported by the improvement of observation and questionnaire result. The data of
observation showed that the average of the students‟ improvement in reading activities in
cycle one at 25.93% and cycle two at 56.02%. Then, the improvement from cycle one to
cycle two was 30.09%. The data from the students‟ questionnaire which were gained from the
ten questions showed that the students gave positive response to the implementation of
Number Head Together technique in their reading activities. The average of the students‟
questionnaire was 79.34%. Those data proved that Number Head Together technique could
improve the students‟ reading comprehension and the students‟ reading activities. It means
that the method could solve the problem reading class.