tabulation was used to tabulate the score of each item in the rubric. Thus, there were seven tabulations since there were seven items in the rubric. The tabulation
showed, for the specific item, how many students obtained score 3, how many students obtained score 2 and how many students obtained score 1.
5. Analyzing the Tabulation to Answer Research Question Number 2
From the tabulation of each item, it could be clearly seen the items in which the students were strong most of the students obtained score 3 and the items in
which the students were weak most of the students obtained score 1. From the tabulation, the researcher analyzed the result by using these following questions:
a. In which items isare the students’ strengths? b. What is the description of each item?
c. It can be concluded that the students’ strengths isare … d. In which items isare the students’ weaknesss?
e. What is the description of each item? f. It can be concluded that the students’ weaknesses isare …
The answer to those questions would be elaborated in the form of narrative paragraphs to answer the second research question: what the students’ strengths
and weaknesses in writing a topic sentence and supporting sentences in an argumentative paragraph were.
3.6 RESEARCH PROCEDURE
This research followed some procedures in conducting this study. There were six stages to be followed to conduct this study. The stages would be elaborated as
follows:
1. Literature Review
The researcher reviewed some literatures in order to choose the topic and the problem of this study. The literature review was also used to get the supporting
theories of this research so that the research had the background theory to support it. The literature review was done from November - December 2006.
2. Writing the Proposal
The next step after doing the literature review was writing the proposal of the study. The proposal consisted of three chapters; they were chapter one for
introduction, chapter two for theoretical review and chapter three for methodology. This proposal was compiled to give boundaries of the study and
the guidelines in conducting the research. This step was done from January – March 2007.
3. Conducting a Test
Having written the proposal, the researcher conducted a test. Before conducting the test, the researcher stated the sampling of the participants. The researcher
chose randomly which Writing IV class that would be used as the participants to do the test. After choosing two classes, the researcher conducted the test in those
classes. Through the test, the researcher asked the fourth semester students in those classes to write an argumentative paragraph based on the topics provided.
The researcher did not tell them what characteristics would be judged to make sure that the result will be originally based on the students’ basic writing
competency. This step was done in March 2007.
4. Testing the rubric