Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan signifikan dari metode Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) dalam memaknai teks bacaan bagi siswa kelas delapan SMP Negeri 12 Tarakan. Metode penelitian ini adalah quasi eksperimental. Sampel diperoleh dengan menggunakan random sampling technique. Terdapat dua kelas yang diperoleh sebagai sampel dalam penelitian ini. Kelas eksperimen menggunakan metode Student Teams achievement Division (STAD) sedangkan kelas kontrol menggunakan metode ceramah. Instrumen penelitian ini adalah tes tertulis dengan tipe pilihan ganda. Data yang dianalisis adalah data nilai hasil pre-test dan posttest dari kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol. Dalam menganalisis data, peneliti menggunakan independent sample Ttest dengan SPSS 23.0. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai rata-rata kelas eksperimen adalah 78,58 dan nilai rata-rata kelas kontrol adalah 67,74. Tidak hanya hasil dari independent sample Ttest yang nilai probabilitasnya kurang dari level signifikan (0,002.000) dengan kata lain, hypothesis null (H0) ditolak dengan hypothesis alternative (Ha) diterima. Hasil analisis data membuktikan bahwa hasil pengajaran menggunakan metode Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan menggunakan metode ceramah.

The objective of this research was to find out the significant difference in students reading comprehension by using Student Teams achievement Division (STAD ) method at the eighth of SMP Negeri 12 Tarakan. The method of this reseach was quasi experimental. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling technique. There were two classes as the samples of this reseach. The experimental group was taught by using Student Teams achievement Division (STAD ) method and control group was taught using lecture method. The instrument of this research was written test with multiple choice type. The data analyzed was from pre-test and post-test of the experimental group and control group. In anayzing the data, the researcher used as independent sample Ttest with SPSS 23.0. The result of the research shows that the mean score of experimental group was 78,58 and the mean score of control group was 67,74. Not only the result of independent sample Ttest wich was probability value was less than level significant (0,00>0,05)but also the value of Ttable and Ttest. Ttable value was 2000 and Ttest was 5490. It indicated value of Ttest was higher than ttable (5490>2.000). In other words, the null hypothesis (H0 ) was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha ) was accepted. The result of the analysis data proves that taught by using Student Teams achievement Division (STAD ) method was higher than taught by using lecture method.