The Implementation of Project-Based Learning in Sociolinguistics class

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CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the data obtained by the researcher and the analyses of the data itself. There are two main parts of this chapter. This first part contains the discussion on how project-based learning is implemented in sociolinguistics class. Meanwhile, the second part discusses the sociolinguistics class students’ perception on project-based learning implemented in their class.

A. The Implementation of Project-Based Learning in Sociolinguistics class

The researcher presents the data analysis of the implementation of Project- Based Learning in Sociolinguistics class into two sections. First is the data presentation and analysis and the second is the discussion on the analyzed data.

1. Data Presentation

The researcher conducted a naturalistic observation on the Sociolinguistics class activities to answer the first problem, which is how project-based learning is implemented in sociolinguistics class. Naturalistic observation technique was used due to its function in giving the researcher the real image of the implementation of project based learning in sociolinguistics class. The descriptions of the project based learning implementation in sociolinguistics class are presented as follows. 38 a The First Class Observation The first class observation was conducted on May 8, 2012. In this meeting, the students had to find their group mates. One group contained approximately 5 members. The students could freely choose their own partners. After forming the group, the students had to choose the topic to investigate. The topics that they could choose were supposed to be related to sociolinguistics. When they found confusion or difficulties, they could consult the lecturer about what possible topics they could choose. After choosing the topics, they had to report it to the lecturer and the lecturer would note the topic they chose. b The Second Class Observation The second class observation was conducted on May 15, 2012. In the previous week’s meeting, the students had already chosen the topics they want to investigate. In this meeting, they were discussing the topic they had chosen last week. For those who had not had the fixed topic yet, they still had time to discuss the topics with their groups’ mates and consulted the lecturer to find the fixed topic they want to investigate. For the groups that had already had the topics to investigate, they could start to discuss the elements of the investigation, such as developing the topics, formulating the problem of their research, formulating the research instruments, finding the related theories, and doing activities related to their research. There were eight groups working on eight different topics. The 39 researcher observed the groups’ activities one by one and the following is what the researcher found in this day’s activities: In one week time, the researcher observed that the students started to find the related theories, conducted observation, and did all the things related to their project. The researcher found that each group had different progress on the project. Below is the table of the progress each group made in one week time. Table 4.1 The Students’ Group’s Progress in Undergoing Project Work Group Name Topics Progress Group 1 PBI Student’s Consistency in Using American and British English Developing a questionnaire. It contained vocabulary list, reading passage, pronunciation passage, and listening passage Group 2 Women’s gossip Obtaining data from the observation, discussing and analyzing the data they obtained. Group 3 Sexiest language Finding references related to their research, designing the questionnaire, conducting survey research, discussing and analyzing their data and designing the media for their group presentation next week. Group 4 Language Domain and Discourse of Bahasa Binan Bahasa Banci Searching for the related theories, constructing the questionnaire, conducting the research, and discussing the data gathered. Group 5 The speech function of Javanese Language Formulating questionnaire. Group 6 Speech functions on the lecturers’ speech during the course Discussing the topic they are about to investigate. Group 7 Lexical variation in Javanese regional dialect Formulating the questionnaire, developing their topic and mixing their ideas by relating them with the theories they found. Group 8 How men and women respond to certain gossips Developing their ideas and doing brainstorming on the topic they chose. 40 In this class observation, the researcher also observed the lecturer’s activities. During the lesson, the lecturer’s activities were going around the class, checking the students’ activities and progress, assisting the students if any of them need consultation or assistance dealing with their group project. The lecturer was also suggesting new ideas that could possibly trigger the students’ creativity to choose the topics and develop their ideas. Helping the students finding the related theories was also one of the activities the lecturer did during the lesson. Not only assisting and guiding, the lecturer motivated the students by giving compliment on their progress, and told them what next they supposed to do after they stepped a certain stage, for instance. c The Third and The Fourth Class Observation The third and the fourth class observations were conducted on May 22 and May 29, 2012. Those two meetings were scheduled as the groups’ presentations day. The lottery to decide the turns of the groups was conducted in the previous meeting. Therefore, it was expected that each group had already known their turn so that they could have a better preparation on the group’s presentation. There were eight groups created in this class. Since each group was given 20 minutes to present their work, there were only four groups who could have the turn to go in front of the class and present their work in each meeting. Based on the researcher’s observation, all groups who presented their project work undergo the same process in presenting their project work. There 41 were generally seven steps the groups conducted while presenting the project works. They were: 1 Introduction The groups’ presentations mostly started with introducing each of the group members. 2 Explaining the background of the project work The group started to explain the background of the project work by defining the topic they investigated first. One of the examples is one group which had “sexist language” as their topic; the group defined what sexist language is about to the audience. As the scientific research has, the groups also stated the background why they chose this kind of investigation by mentioning such phenomena happened around them or by observing a certain theory that they would like to investigate the truth of. 3 Mentioning the review of related literature They also presented the review of related literature as the fundamentals of their researches. Besides, they formulated the objectives of their research considering that every research should have objectives. 4 Explaining Methodologies After mentioning the background and the objectives of the research, they presented the methodologies of their research by showing the questionnaire, 42 giving the examples of the questionnaires’ responses, and explaining the method in analyzing the data qualitative, quantitative or mixed method. 5 Presenting the data The groups presented the data they gathered in charts and tables so that the audience could easily understand what data the groups obtained by because it was presented in number and percentage and explained along with oral explanation. 6 Delivering the analysis and discussion The following step after presenting the data was the analysis or the discussion of the data. All groups presented the analyses of the data by relating the data they gathered from their research with the theories they had previously. 7 Stating findings and conclusion of the project work The last step of the presentation was conveying the findings and conclusions of their project work. In the end of the presentation, some of the groups gave the suggestion to the other researchers who were likely to investigate the similar research. The groups who finished presenting their project work gave the audience chances to ask if there were any questions the audience wanted to ask related to the presentation. At the end of the lesson, the lecturer gave evaluation and suggestion for the groups presenting their projects work. 43 Below is the flowchart of how PBL was implemented in Sociolinguistics class. Figure 4.1 The Implementation of PBL in Sociolinguistics Class Publishable paper Presentable presentation Aspects of assessment: Grammar Pronunciation Fluency Power point presentation Aspects of assessment The content of the paper including the completeness of: Abstract Background Review of literature Methodology Result and discussion Final remarks findings References Reflection Preparation: Grouping Determining topic Finding related literature Determining methodology of research Constructing research instruments questionnaires, interview, observation sheet, Investigation: Conducting research conducting interview, distributing questionnaires, doing field observation. Data Analyses and discussion Result 44

2. Analysis and Discussion on the Implementation of PBL in Sociolinguistics Class.

Based on the data presented above, it could be said that that the lecturer of the sociolinguistics class significantly used project-based learning as the approach in sociolinguistics class. The PBL which the researcher observed in sociolinguistics fulfilled the characteristics of PBL according to several experts. The characteristics are: a PBL contains complex task. Jones, Rasmussen Moffit 1997 stated that project-based learning contains complex tasks. According to the researcher’s observation, the projects that the lecturer gave were complex tasks. In doing the project, the students were not merely doing a textbook’s tasks, wrote the answers down on their exercise book and then submitted them on the lecturer’s desk. They were all in charge of all the things related to their project from defining the background, determining the method they would use, doing the little research up to reaching the final remarks of their research. The students had to work in team which was not easy because they had to lower their ego and idealism in order to make a good teamwork. Their tasks to search for the theories, formulate questionnaires, look for respondents, and do the research were not obviously a simple thing to do but complex. b PBL contains challenging problems or questions. According to Jones, Rasmussen Moffit 1997, PBL typically based on challenging problems or questions and involving students in designing, problem 45 solving, decision making, and investigating activities. The researcher found that the students were doing their project based on challenging problems or questions. It can be proven from the topics they chose as their projects. When they thought about the topic they were going to choose, they were thinking of interesting phenomena happening around them. They have to go outside the class and challenge themselves to learn in the real situation. They also challenged themselves to deal with everything related to their topic, such as finding related theories, constructing questionnaires, looking for respondents, doing research, and analyzing the data. c PBL lasts over extended period of time, let the students work autonomously, and culminate in realistic or tangible products. Henry 1994, Stoller 2006, Jones, Rasmussen, Moffitt 1997; Thomas, Mergendoller, Michaelson 1999 state that project-based learning lets the students to work autonomously over extended periods of time and to present a tangible products such as written reports and oral presentations. In this class, The lecturer gave the students 2 weeks time to processed the project including the process of choosing the topics, developing topics, formulating problems, determining methodologies, constructing questionnaires, looking for respondents, conducting the research, analyzing the data, and preparing the stuffs for the group presentation. The results of their projects were expected in the form of group presentation and scientific papers. 46 d PBL engages students’ cooperative learning The students were working in groups in doing the projects work. Thus, in order to make the group worked well, they had to be cooperative to their groups’ mates. This finding looked fit with Brandsford and Stein’s 1993 theory stated that project-based learning is a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained cooperative learning. By implementing project-based leaning, the students were given periods of time in which they had to work in group. Automatically, the students had implemented cooperative learning in the class and the two week time of making the projects made their cooperative learning sustained. e PBL requires a good communication and planning skill. Besides demanding good cooperation skill, working in groups demands a good communication and planning skill Mergendoller, 1999. The students also had to acquire those two skills to make their group worked well. By working in groups, the students would learn how to communicate their ideas, how to make a deal, and how to make the plan for their research. In this class, the students were expected to undergo the process of communicating and planning. The significant proof proving they experienced the process of communicating and planning was measured by the final products. If a group was able to at least produce a good group presentation and papers without any of the groups’ members gone, it can be concluded that all of the members of this group had learnt the good communication and planning skill. Based on the researcher’s observation, all of 47 the groups successfully made good group presentations and papers without any members gone. Hence, it can be concluded that all of the students in this class were undergoing the process of communicating and planning. This finding fits the theory of Mergendoller 1999 saying that project-based learning contains the process of planning and communicating. f The lecturer’s role is to guide and assist. Dewey 1938 stated that teacher’s roles are to guide, assist, direct, and evaluate the students throughout the process of undergoing PBL in the class as cited in Guo, 2006, p.144. In this class, the lecturer did not giving the students’ knowledge by lecturing. He let the students work autonomously. The lecturer’s roles were checking the progress of ach group by going around the class and observing each group. If there was a questions, the lecturer would ask by giving oral explanation, directing the students to the related books, or even browsing the related stuffs to internet.

B. The students’ Perceptions on PBL implemented in Sociolinguistics Class.