Rohana, Dwi. 2016. The effect of using semantic mapping strategy on efl students’ reading comprehension of the first year in english department of mulawarman university in academic year 2015/2016..Final Project. English Department. Mulawarman University. First Advisor: Dr. H. Masrur Yahya,M.Hum. Second Advisor: A K Amarullah, S.S.,M.Pd. Key words: semantic mapping strategy, reading comprehension, experimental research.

This research was aimed at investigating the effect of using semantic mapping strategy in teaching reading comprehension and the significant difference on reading comprehension between two groups: the ones were taught with semantic mapping strategy and those who were taught without using semantic mapping strategy.
The design of this study was explanatory mixed method design. The population of this study was the first year students of Mulawarman University in the academic year of 2015/2016. The number of the subjects was 76 students. The data were obtained by administering reading test to the A Regular as control group and B Regular as experimental group. The research was started by giving pre-test, treatments, and post-test to the experimental and pre-test, post-test for the control groups. The data of the test were analyzed by using t-test formula to know the difference of the students’ comprehension in reading text between two groups.
The result of the t-test was 3.00 and t-table was 2.028. It means that t-value is higher than t-table (3.00 >2.028). The calculation revealed that the hypothesis about a significant difference on reading comprehension between students who were taught by using semantic mapping strategy and those who were taught without using semantic mapping strategy was accepted. The students stated their opinion by using semantic mapping strategy in learning reading comprehension. All the students showed that semantic mapping strategy helpful for them in reading comprehension in many ways. They were find out the ideas quickly, increase vocabulary and understand the content of the text.
For future researchers, they can use this final project as a literature to guide them when they want to do the similar research. This research will help the researcher or further researcher to find out the new strategy which is supported and combined with semantic mapping strategy through reading a passage .