Readers Theater as a Tool to Understand Difficult Concept in Economics

Abstract

Readers Theater is one of the innovative learning in an effort to increase the understanding and value students’ learning processes that involve the activity of reading, writing, listening and speaking. In this type of learning, students read a manuscript of a certain literature and other students grasp the meaning of what was read and is shown by the reader. Readers Theaters are different from playing drama. In the drama needed costumes, setting room etc., but in this learning not required. Is the key to effective learning is clearly read the script readers, and listeners can clearly visualize from what is shown. This paper used readers theater to teach a topic of macroeconomics which is unemployment that often considered as a hard topic. We found that students are very happy with this method. Their reading, writing, listening and speaking activities are improving and the most important thing is their understanding of unemployment topic is so much better compared to teaching them with the only direct instruction method. One of the parts that should not be forgotten by teachers is debriefing to check the understanding of the students and many students want this method to be continued especially for another difficult topic so it will be easy to understand.