THE EFFECT OF STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING TOWARD STUDENTS’ SKILL IN WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE TEXTS AT ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH YOGYAKARATA
The Effect of Students’ Critical Thinking toward Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative
Texts at English Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
A Skripsi
Submitted to Faculty of Language Education as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
By:
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
English Education Department
Faculty of Language Education
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
2016
i
The Effect of Students’ Critical Thinking toward Students’ Skill in Writing
Argumentative Texts at English Education Department of Universitas
Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
A Skripsi
Submitted to Faculty of Language Education as a Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
By:
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
English Education Department
Faculty of Language Education
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
2016
i
Approval Sheet
The Effect of Students’ Critical Thinking toward Students’ Skill in Writing
Argumentative Texts at English Education Department of
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
We hereby approve the Skripsi of
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
Candidate for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
December, 28th 2016
Evi Puspitasari, S.Pd., M.Hum.
The Skripsi Supervisor
December, 28th 2016
Mariska Intan Sari, S.S, MA.
The Examiner I
December, 28th 2016
Ika Wahyuni Lestari, S.Pd.,M. Hum
The Examiner II
Yogyakarta, December, 28th 2016
Accepted
Gendroyono, S.Pd.,M.Pd
The Dean of Faculty of Language Education
ii
Statement of Authenticity
I am a student with the following identity
Name
: Annisa Fi’izzatillah
NIM
: 20120540096
Program Study
: English Education Department
Faculty
: Faculty of Language Education
University
: Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
I certify that skripsi with the title ‘The Effect of Students’ Critical
Thinking Toward Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Texts at English
Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta’ is the original
my own work. I am completely responsible for the content of this paper. Others
opinions and findings included in this mini thesis are quoted in accordance with
ethical standards.
Yogyakarta, 9 December 2016
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, all praises be to ALLAH Subhanahu Wata’ala who give me
mercy and blessing, strength and love in accomplishing my skripsi writing.
I wish to express my deepest and special gratitude to my beloved parents,
Abi, Ummi, who are always advising, supporting and loving me in my study and
my life. I dedicate this skripsi to you. I greatly indebted to my beloved sisters, I Z
Husna and Azizah QA and my beloved brothers, M I Allam S and N Faza who are
always loving and supporting me. Your old sister has finished skripsi, now.
Special gratitude belongs to my supervisor, Ms. Evi Puspitasari, M. Hum
for supporting, guiding and helping me in finishing this skripsi writing. I also
thank to my examiners, Ms. Mariska Intan Sari, MA., and Ms Ika Wahyuni, M.
Hum for all suggestions and valuable comments to improve my skripsi writing. I
also place my thanks to all the lecturers of English Education Department of
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, for teaching and guiding me during my
study in this department.
I also thank to my respondents, students of EED of 2015. Thank you for
providing valuable information and the time. I am also grateful for all my friends
at EED UMY 2012, especially, member of Calestials who support and help me,
Maril, Nia, Amel, Yuli, Mba Icha, Diba, Inka, Fitri, Dani, Ama, Harni and all my
beloved friends who cannot be mentioned one by one. Thanks for the friendship
and togetherness.
iv
Sincerely, I also place big thank to my beloved friends in EDSA and
Senyum Kita for the beliefs given to me when we work together in this amazing
team. I am also grateful for my friends in Liqo group and Mawar geng for
friendship and togetherness.
I also thank for all who directly and indirectly have helped me to finish
this skripsi. May Allah will provide the best things for you all. I am very grateful
to have you all. Thank you.
Yogyakarta, 16 December 2016
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
v
Table of Content
Cover………………………………………………………………………
i
Approval Sheet………………………………………………………………
ii
Statement of Authenticity……………………………………………………
iii
Acknowledgment…………………………………………………………….
iv
Table of Content……………………………………………………………..
vi
List of Table………………………………………………………………….
ix
List of Figure ………………………………………………………………..
x
List of Appendices……………………………………………………………
xi
Abstract……………………………………………………………………...
xii
Chapter One…………………………………………………………………
1
Introduction………………………………………………………………….
1
Background of Study…………………………………………………..
1
Identification of Problem………………………………………………
3
Limitation of Problem…………………………………………………
5
Research Question……………………………………………………
5
Purpose of Study………………………………………………………
6
Significance of study…………………………………………………...
6
Chapter Two…………………………………………………………………
8
Literature Review…………………………………………………………….
8
Critical Thinking Skill…………………………………..……………...
8
Definition of Critical Thinking Skill…………………………………...
8
Critical Thinking Process………………………………………………
9
Critical Thinking Level……………………………………………….
10
Significances of Critical Thinking……………………………………..
13
vi
Writing………………………………………………………………………
14
Definition of Writing………………………………………………......
14
Aspect of Assessing Writing……………………………………………
15
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………………
17
Critical Thinking in Argumentative……………………………………………
17
Related Studies………………………………………………………………
18
Conceptual Framework………………………………………………………
21
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………...
23
Chapter Three………………………………………………………………..
24
Methodology………………………………………………………………...
24
Research Design………………………………………………………
24
Research Setting and Participant……………………………………….
24
Research Instrument…………………………………………………..
26
Validity of the Instrument……………………………………
27
Reliability of the Instrument…………………………………
28
Data Collection Method………………………………………………..
30
Data Analysis………………………………………………………….
30
Chapter Four…………………………………………………………………
33
Findings and Discussion………………………………………………………
33
Findings……………………………………………………………………...
33
The Students’ Critical Thinking of English Education Department UMY
Batch 2015……………………………………………………………
33
The Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Text of English Education
Department UMY Batch 2015…………………………………………
vii
46
The Effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 Students’ Critical Thinking on
Improving Writing Argumentative Text in Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………
48
Discussion……………………………………………………………………
49
The Students’ Critical Thinking of English Education Department UMY
Batch 2015……………………………………………………………
49
The Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Text of English Education
Department UMY Batch 2015…………………………………………
50
The Effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 Students’ Critical Thinking on
Improving Writing Argumentative Text in Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………..
51
Chapter Five…………………………………………………………………
53
Conclusion and Recommendation…………………………………………….
53
Conclusion…………………………………………………………….
53
Recommendation……………………………………………………...
54
References…………………………………………………………………...
56
Appendices…………………………………………………………………...
60
viii
List of Table
Table 2.1 Bloom taxonomy 1956……………………………………….....................
10
Table 3.1 Scale item scoring…………………………………………………………
27
Table 3.2 The criteria of reliability…………………………………………………..
29
Table 3.4 Critical thinking instrument construct………………………….................. 29
Table 3.5 Category of students’ critical thinking skill based on interval formula…...
31
Table 3.6 Category of students’ score of writing argumentative………….................
31
Table 4.1 Result students’ critical thinking score………………………………........
34
Table 4.2 Statement 1 and statement 2………………………………………………. 35
Table 4.3 Statement 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12……………………………………………...
37
Table 4.4 Statement 5 and 11………………………………………………………...
40
Table 4.5 Statement 13 and 16……………………………………………………….
41
Table 4.6 Statement 15, 17 and 19…………………………………………………...
43
Table 4.7 Statement 9, 10, 14, and 18……………………………………………......
44
Table 4.8 Students’ score of writing argumentative text…………………………….
46
Table 4.9 Result effect of critical thinking toward writing argumentative…………..
48
Table 4.10 Result correlation of critical thinking and writing argumentative……….
49
ix
List of Figure
Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of critical thinking skill and students skill in
writing argumentative text…………………………….....................................
22
Figure 4.1 Histogram critical thinking scale ……………………………………... 34
Figure 4.2 Histogram statement 1……………………..………………………….. 36
Figure 4.3 Histogram score argumentative writing……….…………………........
x
47
List of Appendices
Appendix 1. Questionnaire of
critical thinking scale
………………………………………………………. 60
Appendix 2. Number item
expert judgment
………………………………………………………. 64
Appendix 3. Number item
validity
………………………………………………………. 67
Appendix 4. Reliability of
critical thinking scale before
research
………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix 5. Reliability of
critical thinking scale after
research
………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix 7. The effect of
students critical thinking
toward students’ skill in
writing argumentative text
………………………………………………………. 72
Appendix 8. The data of
students’ critical thinking
scale and students score in
writing argumentative text
………………………………………………………. 78
xi
Abstract
This study aims to find out students’ critical thinking skill, students’ skill in
writing argumentative text, and effect of students’ critical thinking on improving
skill in writing argumentative text in Interpretive Reading and Argumentative
Writing course. Data were collected from seventy-five students batch 2015,
selected from the second year of EED UMY undergraduate students. The
researcher used the adapted questionnaire from Mincemoyer and Perkins (2005)
to measure critical thinking level. Furthermore, the students’ score of
argumentative writing data were taken from writing argumentative score. The data
were analyzed using descriptive statistic and simple regression in SPSS 16.
Simple regression was used to see the effect of critical thinking toward students’
argumentative writing skill. The findings showed that students’ critical thinking
skill was in the high level (70-80) and students’ score in writing argumentative
text was in the good level (61-85). The finding also showed that number of sig.
was 0.869 > 0.05 meaning there was no significant effect of students’ critical
thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing argumentative text. Critical
thinking ability has no significant effect to students score in writing argumentative
text.
Keywords: Critical thinking, argumentative text, writing skill.
xii
1
Chapter One
Introduction
This chapter presents several points to reveal an accurate discussion of the
main problem of the research. This chapter elaborates the background of the
study, statement of the problem, limitation of the problem, research question, and
purpose of the study. The significance of the study is also presented in this
chapter.
Background of Study
Writing is one of important skills for communication. In a business field
for example, when people want to apply for a job, they need to write a curriculum
vitae and an application letter to persuade the manager of the company where they
want to propose. In addition, in an academic field, writing a thesis is one of the
obligations to graduate from the university. It means that writing skill plays a role
in communication. Hence, students have to master writing skills to support their
academic performance.
Based on the researcher’s experience as a student, writing is the most
complex and difficult skill in English language learning for students. It is because
students need a long process to create their product of writing. Students should
pay attention in creating idea, using grammar, arranging sentence structure, using
vocabulary in a right context, and organizing paragraphs. In this case, writing
effectively means that the ideas or information should be developed into good
2
organization, the error in writing should be minimized, and the writing must be
understandable to the reader.
At English Education Department (EED) of Universitas Muhammadiyah
Yogyakarta (UMY), students take Interpretive Reading and Argumentative
Writing class as a compulsory subject in semester two. Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing is an important subject in EED UMY to improve students’
ability in writing argumentative text, and mini research papers. In that class, to
encourage students in writing, the teacher designs various activities for them. One
of the activities is to write an argumentative article. In this activity, students have
to be a critical reader and they have to interpret texts. After the students read and
interpret the text, the lecturer asked them to write an argumentative article.
In writing argumentative articles, students need to be critical in expressing
ideas. They also have to organize sentences to be good and structured. Students
are also demanded to choose appropriate words to express their ideas to make
information understandable. Writing argumentative text is conducted to enhance
students’ ability in argumentative writing.
Based on the researcher’s experience, several students sometimes cannot
develop their idea in writing to produce text. The skills that is included in writing
were linguistic and analytical. In this case, several students’ found difficulties on
analytical skills. The researcher found it in one of students writing task, for
instance such as on the story. The italic words are not a sentence, but is a phrase.
However, students use the phrase as a sentence. This case is one of analytical
cases showing that the students are stuck in this part, and the students cannot
3
continue the phrase. This problem also happened to students in sixth semester
who had passed Intrepretative Reading and Argumentative Writing in their second
semester. It indicates that students cannot develop the idea of a phrase to be a
correct sentence.
Several students at EED UMY still do plagiarism. Based on researcher’s
experience, the lecturer found several students were submitting an entire
document written by another author as students’ task. This case will be decreased
when the students are able to think critically and are able to express their
argument logically and comprehensively based on their own perspective. In
writing argumentative texts, students need to develop their perspective about the
content of writing. When students are lack of critical thinking skill, they are not
able to develop their perspective to convince their argument. Hence, students who
do plagiarism to fulfill their task are not quite critical to analyze problems found
as an idea in writing.
Based on the above background, the researcher is interested in
investigating the effect of student’s critical thinking toward students’ writing skill
in writing argumentative texts.
Identification of Problem
Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class focuses on
students’ ability to present logical reasons and strong convincing arguments as
well as critical analysis. Judgment in the form of argumentative essays and mini
research papers is also needed. Based on informal interviews to the students of
4
2015 via What’s App, the researcher found several problems that emerged in
Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. The problems are
students’ lacked of understand in writing. It is because students do not understand
the issue or topic that will be discussed in argumentative writing, and students are
lack of critical thinking.
First, the problem of Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing
Class is students’ inadequate knowledge of writing. There are several things
needed to produce writing effectively. Those are organization of ideas,
grammatical pattern, and sentence structure in writing. In fact, there are some
students at EED UMY who lacked of awareness of those conditions as they were
writing. In this case, they only focus on topic that will be discussed in their text.
Second, some students do not understand the issue or topic that will be
discussed in the argumentative writing. This case was found in several students
that do not read a lot of the material or subject. Without reading a lot, the students
cannot produce good writing. It is because in argumentative writing, students need
to read and interpret the text.
Third, some students are lack of critical thinking skill. There are two
points for creating critical thinking. Based on Duron, Limbach, and Waugh
(2006), critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information.
However, many students in second semester are still lack of critical thinking in
writing ability. Based on interview with one of student, the student have
inadequate knowledge of the subject matter of their writing. The student still
confuses to criticize an article. This problem becomes basic problem for student to
5
write an argumentative text. It is because the student cannot criticize, analyze, and
evaluate an article. It is probably become a cause of students to be stuck in their
ideas in writing argumentative texts.
Limitation of Problem
This research is limited on students’ critical thinking skill related to
students’ skill in writing an argumentative text. The researcher chose this topic
because based on the problems above, one of the students’ problem in writing
argumentative texts is critical thinking. The students need to think critically before
they write an article. Without critical thinking, the students could not give strong
evidence in argumentative texts.
To make this research more specific, the researcher focused on writing
texts in Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. The researcher
also limits this research to investigate the effect of critical thinking toward
students’ skill in writing argumentative text. It discussed the significant effects of
critical thinking skill on improving students’ skill in writing argumentative texts.
Research Question
This research is intended to investigate the effect of students’ critical
thinking toward students’ skill in writing argumentative texts. Thus, there are
three main questions that are addressed in this research. The research questions of
this study are:
1. How is the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking skill?
2. How is the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ skill in writing
argumentative text?
6
3. How does critical thinking skill affecting EED UMY Batch 2015
students’ skill on improving writing argumentative text in Interpretive
Reading and Argumentative Writing course?
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study are:
1. To find out the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking skill.
2. To find out the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ skill in writing
argumentative text
3. To find out the effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking
on improving students’ skill in writing argumentative text in Interpretive
Reading and Argumentative Writing course.
Significance of Study
The researcher hopes that this research can give some benefits for several
parties including the researcher, students, teachers, and other researchers.
The researcher. The researcher knows the effect of critical thinking
toward students’ skill in writing argumentative texts. Additionally, the finding of
the research will be expected to help the researcher in the future to prepare
strategies to improve students’ critical thinking skill and writing skill. So, it can
help the researcher in accelerating achievement to think critically.
The students. The result of this research will give the students
information and reflection in terms of their effect critical thinking toward their
writing skill. This finding is also expected that students can increase critical
thinking skill by practicing writing argumentative texts.
7
The teachers. This research provides valuable information about the
effect of critical thinking toward students’ writing skill in argumentative texts. It
may encourage teachers to prepare teaching strategies in improving students’
writing skill in writing argumentative texts.
Other researchers. The researcher expects the information in this
research can be a reference for other researchers in the future who want to conduct
related study. This research provides a literature and discourse related to critical
thinking and writing skill that might help them do research in the same field.
8
Chapter two
Literature Review
As stated in the previous chapter, the aim of this research is to investigate
whether students’ critical thinking affects students’ skill in writing argumentative
text. Therefore, the discussion in this chapter focuses on experts’ opinion related
to the literatures of critical thinking skill, concept of writing skill, argumentative
writing, and related studies will be highlighted in this chapter. The theoretical
framework of the study is also explained in this chapter.
Critical Thinking Skill
There are four topics that will be discussed in critical thinking skill. Those
are definiton of crtical thinking skill, critical thinking process, critical thinking
level, and significances of critical thinking.
Definition of Critical Thinking Skill. Many different perspectives about
critical thinking has been mentioned by various educators. According to Taghva,
Rezai, Gadheri, and Taghva (2014), one of the most important methods of
creativity seeking among students is critical thinking. From this statement, it can
be considered that critical thinking is an activity to students for producing
something based on their perspective. Meanwhile, Elder and Paul as cited in
Shirkhani and Fahim (2011) stated that critical thinking refers to the ability of
individuals to take charge of their own thinking and develop appropriate criteria
and standards for analyzing their own thinking. It means that critical thinking can
be defined as ability to decide, create, and examine something in detail.
9
Similarly, Nuget and Vitale as cited in Fahim and Pazeshki (2012) stated that
critical thinking involves purposeful, goal directed thinking in a process of
making decisions based on evidence rather than guessing in scientific problem
solving process. Thus, critical thinking ability is one of way to take choice that
person makes about something after thinking about several possibilities.
On the other hand, critical thinking requires the used imagination for
seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely
consequences of our positions. It is in line with Barnet and Bedau (2011) who
stated that thinking critically involves two activities. Those are analysis and
evaluation. This statement is also supported by Akyȕz and Samsa (2009), by
saying that one of the aspects of critical thinking is the ability to analyze,
understand, and evaluate an argument.
To sum up, based on definition and explanation above, critical thinking
skill is regarded as an art or ability to contemplate mind for criticizing, analyzing,
and evaluating an issue or subject in positive side and negative side. It is a way to
build creative thinking from investigating ideas to making judgment into own
perspective. Critical thinking also becomes a basic thing in creativity seeking.
Critical Thinking Process. There are six core processes of critical
thinking. Based on Facionce (2011), core of critical thinking consists of
interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation. It
is in line with Ruggiero (2004) who stated that there are some activities of
thinking. They are investigation, interpretation, and judgment. On the other hand,
Facione as cited in Snyder and Snyder (2008) stated that there are six steps to
10
effective thinking and problem solving. Those are identifying the problem,
defining the context, enumerating the choices, analyzing option, listing reason
explicitly, and self-correcting. This problem solving step guides the students
through the critical thinking process and utilized learner collaboration.
Critical Thinking Level. Critical thinking involves six levels in thinking.
According to Bloom Taxonomy as cited in Duron, Limbarch, and Waugh (2006),
higher order of thinking consists of six levels. Those are knowledge,
comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
The following table explain more about Bloom Taxonomy (1956)
Table 2.1 Bloom Taxonomy 1956
Categories
1. Knowledge
Explanation
The level of thinking that requires an
answer in demonstrating simple recall
of fact. Locating knowledge from long
term memory
2. Comprehension
Understand meaning of information.
Construct meaning from instructional
information, including answer that
demostrates a comprehending
message.
3. Application
An ability to use message,ideas, and
theories in a given situation.
11
4. Analysis
A skill to see way of achieving things
and classify information, ideas, and
theories into component parts.
5. Synthesis
An ability to create or decide original
product.
6. Evaluation
An ability to evaluate or make a
judgment based on sensible reason.
In addition, critical thinking based on Bloom Taxonomy 1956 revised by
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) as cognitive domain of critical thinking. The
differences between Bloom Taxonomy(1965) and revision by Anderson and
Krathwohl (2001) are based on model namely on the form of level name (noun to
verb). Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) state that cognitive process dimension
consists of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and
creating.
Remember. The original verb from Bloom Taxonomy (1956) is
knowledge, but it was renamed as remember. In this step, there are two processes,
recognizing and recalling. Recognizing is a way to know someone or something
because you have seen, heard, or experienced them before. After recognizing, the
next process of this step is recalling. It is a way to bring the memory of a past
event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember.
Understand. Determining the meaning of instructional message, including
oral, written, and graphic communication. In this categories, there are seven
12
subcategories in understand. Interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing,
inferring, comparing, and explaining are subcategories in understand. Interpreting
is a way to decide what the intended meaning of something is. Exemplifying is a
way to be or give a typical example of something. Classifying is a way to divide
things or information into groups according to their type. Summarizing is a way to
express the most important facts or ideas about something or someone in a short
and clear form. Inferring is a way to form an opinion or guess that something is
true because of the information that you have. Comparing is a way to examine or
look for the difference between two or more things. Explaining is when you have
to explain or give a good reason for your actions. In addition, the highest
subcategories in understand is able to explain. It means, the learner really
understands when they can explain something.
Apply. It is about carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation.
There are two main subcategories in apply, that is executing and implementing.
Executing is a way to do or perform something, especially in a planned way. After
executing, the next subcategories is implementing to put a plan or system into
operation.
Analyze. It is about examining something in detail, in order to discover
more about an issue. Analyze is divided into three subcategories. There are
differentiating, organizing, and attributing. Differentiating is a way to show or to
find the difference between things which are compared. After differentiating, the
next subcategories in analyze is organizing. In organizing to determine how
13
elements or function within a structure. The highest subcategories in analyze is
attributing. It is a way to think something has particular quality or feature.
Evaluate. It is about making judgment based on criteria and standards.
The criteria and standard can be measured by checking and critizing. Checking is
to make certain that something or someone is correct, safe or suitable by
examining it or them quickly. Critizing is a report of something such as a political
situation or system, or a person’s works or ideas, which examine an often negative
judgment.
Create. It is a way to put elements together to form a coherent or
functional whole. In high order of thinking, create by considering generating to
cause something exist, plan by act or decide how to do something, and producing
to make something or to bring something into existence.
These two kinds of Bloom taxonomy only have little difference on model
namely from noun to verb. However, this study will use revised Bloom Taxonomy
as basic theory in developing this research.
Significances of Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a framework for
any discipline. Based on Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, and Wallace (2011), Critical
thinking is valuable in many contexts outside the classroom and the workplace. It
is in line with Hatcher and Spencer as cited in Duron et al. (2006) who stated that
critical thinking is needed in the workplace as an essential and important skill. It
can support people to deal with mental and spiritual problem, and it can be used to
evaluate people, policies, and institutions, thereby avoiding social problems. It
means that critical thinking skill have contribution toward any dicipline. In
14
addition, skill in critical thinking will help people to be more exact and accurate in
nothing what is relevant and what is not (Cotrell, 2011). It means that with critical
thinking, people will be spesific and accurate in deciding something.
In education field, language learners who have improved critical thinking
skills are able to do activities of which other students may not be able (Shirkhani
& Fahim, 2011). In addition, Mahyudin, Lope, Elias, and Konting (2004) as cited
in Shirkhani and Fahim (2011) stated that the language learner with critical
thinking skill are capable of thinking critically and creatively to accomplish
purposes of the courses. Accordingly, this is essential for educational field to help
the learner become a critical thinker by applying it as the purpose of learning.
In English for Foreign Language (EFL), students need critical thinking to
improve their language proficiency. Fahim and Sa’eepour (2011) argued that
teaching critical thinking skills in EFL context can improve language learning. It
is by containing critical thinking skills in language classroom. In addition, Liaw
(2007) argued that the English language learners need to practice critical thinking
in all domains. To sum up, based on argument of researchers above, the EFL
teachers have a responsibility to gain student’s critical thinking with practice in
each course to improve language proficiency.
Writing
Writing is one of four major language skills. There are two topics that will
be discussed at this section. Those are definition of writing, and aspect of assesing
writing.
15
Definition of Writing. Writing is one of productive skills from four basic
skills in English proficiency. Writing is a complex activity involving many skills
to determine ideas and to transfer the ideas onto a piece of paper clearly and
comprehensibly for the readers (Brown, 2007). It means that writing is one of
language skill that needs extra effort for learner because the learner should master
many varieties of writing as well as engaged into complex learning process.
According to Brown (2007), writing is a complex process which involves a result
of thinking, drafting, and revising procedures. By this definition, writing includes
complex skill in English, because it is a productive skill and involves higher order
of thinking in writing process. According to Turk and Kirkman (2005), writing
must transfer ideas and information to other people. It means that writing plays a
role as communication tool to transfer ideas into accurate information.
Aspect of Assessing Writing. Assessing students’ writing need evaluation
checklist to measure students’ ability in writing. The evaluation checklist can
indicate to students their areas of strength and weakness. According to Brown
(2007), there are six general categories are often basic for evaluation students
writing. They consist of content, organization, discourse, syntax, vocabulary, and
mechanics.
Content. the content related to the ideas are contained in a piece of
writing. It also include thesis statement, development of ideas through personal
experience, illustration, facts, opinions, and consistent focus. The scale score of
content for writing assesment are 0-24 point.
16
Organization. Organization in writing is an activty to arrange the effective
writing. It is also included of effective of introduction, logical sequence of ideas,
conclusion, and appropriate length of text. The scale score of organization for
writing assesment are 0-20 point.
Discourse. Discourse is a piece of writing about topic sentences,
paragraph unity, transitions, discourse makers, cohesion, rhetorical conventions,
reference, fluency, and variation. The scale score of discourse for writing
assesment are 0-20 point.
Syntax. Syntax is about grammatical term. The grammatical arrangement
of words in a sentence. The scale score of syntax for writing assesment are 0-12
point.
Vocabulary. Vocabulary is all the words which exist in a partcular
language or subject. In writing, students hove to pay attention in vocabulary
choise for appropriate sentences. The scale score of vocabulary for writing
assesment are 0-12 point.
Mechanics. Mechanic of writing included spelling, punctuation, citation
of references, neatness, and appearance. The scale score of machanics for wrting
assesment are 0-12 point.
Based on six aspects of assesing writing above, the researcher conclude
that evaluation of student writing can be measured through various aspects and
rating scales. The total high score for all of evaluation is 100 point. Hence, the
evaluation checklist will help the teacher to assess the students’ writing as fairness
and reliability in evaluation.
17
Argumentative Writing.
Argumentative writing is one genre of writing. Giving argument to prove
the fact or information in written form is a goal of argumentative writing. It is in
line with Hillocks (2011) who states that the aim of creating an argument is to
assure an audience or reader of the rightness of the claims being made using
logical reasoning and relevant fact. It means that the writer gives evidence to
assure the reader to achieve the goal of writing. In addition, argumentative writing
is a kind of critical thinking and rhetorical production involving a claim,
supportive evidence, and assessment of the warrants (Newel, Vanderheide, Olsen,
& Team, 2013). Accordingly, argumentative writing plays significant role as a
way to think critically and prove the reader with rationally truth.
There are five basic conceptions in argumentative writing. It is in line with
Toulmins as cited in hillocks (2010) who stated that Toulmins’ basic conception
of argumentative writing consists of several elements. There are claims based on
evidence, with warrant that explain how evidence prove the claim, backing prove
the warrant, qualifications, and rebuttals that refute contending claims. Hence,
argumentative writing needs evidence to support the argument that you write on
it. Argumentative writing conception demands learner to activate their thinking
skill. It will support the evidence by determining material qualifications that asure
the reader should be included in their writing.
Critical Thinking in Argumentative Writing
18
Based on the definition of writing above, writing is closely related to
critical thinking skill. According to Deane, Odendahl, Quinlan, Fowles, Welsh,
and Tatum (2008), students should be able to use writing as a vehicle for critical
thinking. Accordingly, a teacher should assess students’ writing to integrate
critical thinking in writing. It is in line with Horger (2013) who stated that to
produce good writing, students have to be able to generate more cohesive and
coherent argument about literature. It means that, critical thinking will give
impact of process of honing an argument over the writing product.
Furthermore, thinking, organizing, re-thinking, and re-organizing are a
continuous process of writing. Based on Cottrel (2011), writing skill need critical
thinking. Those are involve process of providing reason, using evidence,
comparing and evaluating arguments, weighing up conflicting evidence, and
forming judgments on the basic evidence. It means that in a writing process the
students are required to use critical thinking.
According to these experts’ opinion, critical thinking and writing have
strong relationship. When students have a good critical thinking skill, they will be
easier in creating ideas and evidences for producing writing. They will have to
know how to decide idea, analyze, make argument with evidence, and apply other
critical thinking aspect that help them in writing process.
Related Studies
The following are the previous studies related to the variable of the present
study composing critical thinking skill and student skill in writing argumentative
text. First a study entitled The Impact of Teaching Critical Thinking Skills on
19
Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners was conducted by Fahim and
Sa’eepour (2011). The study was conducted to investigate the impact of teaching
critical thinking skill on reading comprehension ability by applying debate on
EFL learners. It was carried out in English Institute in Karaj Iran. The total of
participants were 60 intermediate students. The instrument is used Nelson test.
The reading comprehension and a critical thinking appraisal post test were
administered to the two groups. During the term, experimental group received 8
sessions of treatment using debate. To compare the two group they were given the
same test as post test. The result showed significant difference between two
groups on reading comprehension test, but the difference on critical thinking test
was non-significant.
The next study entitled Content-Based Reading and Writing for Critical
Thinking Skills in an EFL Context was conducted by Liaw (2007). It was carried
out to find out the effectiveness of promoting learners’ critical thinking skills and
EFL skills with a content-based approach. It was conducted in junior high school
in central Taiwan. There were 32 students, whose ages are 12 to 13 years old as
the participant of the study. The method used in the study was experimental study.
The participants of the study were divided into two groups, one being
experimental and one being controlled. Data were collected from class
assigments, a critical thinking assesment instrument, questionnaire, and a teacherconstructed language profeciency test. The result showed revealed significant
gains in the students’ English language proficiency test score. Critical thinking
skills and content area knowledge mastery were also found. The result also show
20
positive responses toward the content based EFL learning and teaching from the
participating students. Based on the result, instructional suggestions and caveats
are provided.
In addition, Learning to Improve: Using Writing to Increase Critical
Thinking Performance in General Education Biology was the next related study
conducted by Quitadamo and Kurtz (2007). It was carried out at a state-funded
regional comprehensive university in the pasific Northwest. The participants was
non major undergraduates who was taking biology in their general education
science requirement. The participants of the study were divided into two groups,
one being experimental and one being controlled. An experimental group
consisted of 158 participants and controlled group consisted of 152 participants.
Data were collected by pre test and post test critical thinking assesment. The result
showed the writing group (experimental) significantly improved in critical
thinking skill whereas the non writing group (control) were not signify. Analysis
and inference skills increased significantly in writing group but not the non
writing group. Writing students also showed greater gains in evaluation skills,
however these were not significant.
The previous studies above show the similarity with this research. The
previous studies use quantitative approach for examining the relationship among
variables. However, Sa’eepour (2011), Liaw (2007), and Quitadamo and Kurtz
(2007) investigated the same variable of critical thinking and writing skills, they
applied different design from this research. Their studies are categorized as an
experimental design since those studies are intended to find out the impact of
21
critical thinking toward writing skill. this research can be considered that this
research is not replica from the previous studies, instead it is an expansion as well
as more specific research focusing on critical thinking and students’ skill in
writing argumentative texts as the variables of this research.
Conceptual Framework
This research focused on investigating the effect of students critical thinking
toward students skill in writing argumentative texts at EED UMY Batch 2015.
The researcher applied Bloom Taxonomy as the foundation of this research.
Cottrell (2011) mentioned that there are three factors that influence students’
critical thinking, such as knowledge, skills, and attitude. Bloom Taxonomy (1956)
revised revision of Bloom taxonomy by Anderson and Krathwohl (2011) require
the higer oder of thinking that caracterizes critical tough. He arranged the
hierarchical structure of cogntive process dimension consist of remembering,
understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Additionally,
according to Brown (2007) the product of compositional nature of writing has
produced writing pedagogy that focuses how generate ideas, organize coherently,
use discourse makers and rhetorcal conventions to put them cohesively into
written text, revise text for clearer meaning, edit text for approriate grammar, and
product final product. Following figure 2.1 describes the estimated effect of
critical thinking skills toward students skill in writing argumentative texts.
22
Critical Thinking Skill
Writing Skill
Aspect of Students’ skill in
writing argumentative text
Bloom Taxonomy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Students’ Critical Thinking
1. Generating ideas
2. Organizing
coherently
3. Using discourse
makers
4. Rhetorical
conventions
5. Revising text
6. Appropriate
grammar
7. Final producing
Effect
Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of critical thinking skill and students skill
in writing argumentative texts.
Figure 2.1 reveals that the effect of critical thinking skill toward students’
skill in writing argumentative texts may be directly propotional. It means that if
the students have a good critical thinking, they are able to be good at writing
23
argumentative texts. On the contrary, if students lack of critical thinking, they are
poor in writing argumentative texts.
Hypothesis
This research proposes some hypothesis as follows:
1. Null hypothesis (H0), there is no significant effect of English Education
Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta batch 2015
students’ critical thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative texts in Interpretive reading and Argumentative Writing
Class in second semester.
2. Alternative hypothesis (Ha), there is a significant effect of English
Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta batch
2015 students’ critical thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative in Interpretive reading and Argumentative Writing Class
in second semester.
24
Chapter Three
Methodology
This chapter presents research design, setting, participant of the research,
research instrument, and data collection method. Moreover, data analysis is also
presented in this chapter.
Reserch Design
This research used quantitative approach. It is because the researcher
investigate the effect of students’ critical thinking toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative texts in which the data are going to be analyzed quantitatively. This
research also has independent and dependent variable. Then this research is
suitable to use quantitative approach. According to Creswell (2014), quantitative
research is an approach for testing objective theories by examining the
relationship among variables. In addition, this research used ex post facto (causalcomperative) design as the method. Based on Kothari (2004), ex post facto design
is one of non-experimental quantitative research types in which the researcher has
no control over the variables.
Research Setting and Participants
The setting of this research was in EED UMY. There are some reasons of
choosing EED as the setting. First, the problem of Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing Class is students’ inadequate knowledge of writing.
Second, the phenomenon in EED related to students’ critical thinking ability in
writing is the reason in conducting the research. Some students cannot think
25
critically to prove the evidence in writing argumentative texts. The other reason is
to measure EED students’ critical thinking. Moreover, the researcher is also
studying at EED UMY. It is easier to gather the data. The researcher conducted
the research in November 2016.
The participants of this research are the students of EED UMY Batch 2015
who take Interpretative Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. It becomes
consideration because in Interpretative Reading and Argumentative Writing Class,
the students need critical thinking for express their argument. The other reason is
that the students batch 2015 have just finished the Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing Class. It ease the researcher to gather the data because
batch 2015 are still take some courses.
This research used convenience sampling. Co
Texts at English Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
A Skripsi
Submitted to Faculty of Language Education as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
By:
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
English Education Department
Faculty of Language Education
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
2016
i
The Effect of Students’ Critical Thinking toward Students’ Skill in Writing
Argumentative Texts at English Education Department of Universitas
Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
A Skripsi
Submitted to Faculty of Language Education as a Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
By:
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
English Education Department
Faculty of Language Education
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
2016
i
Approval Sheet
The Effect of Students’ Critical Thinking toward Students’ Skill in Writing
Argumentative Texts at English Education Department of
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarata
We hereby approve the Skripsi of
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
Candidate for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
December, 28th 2016
Evi Puspitasari, S.Pd., M.Hum.
The Skripsi Supervisor
December, 28th 2016
Mariska Intan Sari, S.S, MA.
The Examiner I
December, 28th 2016
Ika Wahyuni Lestari, S.Pd.,M. Hum
The Examiner II
Yogyakarta, December, 28th 2016
Accepted
Gendroyono, S.Pd.,M.Pd
The Dean of Faculty of Language Education
ii
Statement of Authenticity
I am a student with the following identity
Name
: Annisa Fi’izzatillah
NIM
: 20120540096
Program Study
: English Education Department
Faculty
: Faculty of Language Education
University
: Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
I certify that skripsi with the title ‘The Effect of Students’ Critical
Thinking Toward Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Texts at English
Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta’ is the original
my own work. I am completely responsible for the content of this paper. Others
opinions and findings included in this mini thesis are quoted in accordance with
ethical standards.
Yogyakarta, 9 December 2016
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
20120540096
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, all praises be to ALLAH Subhanahu Wata’ala who give me
mercy and blessing, strength and love in accomplishing my skripsi writing.
I wish to express my deepest and special gratitude to my beloved parents,
Abi, Ummi, who are always advising, supporting and loving me in my study and
my life. I dedicate this skripsi to you. I greatly indebted to my beloved sisters, I Z
Husna and Azizah QA and my beloved brothers, M I Allam S and N Faza who are
always loving and supporting me. Your old sister has finished skripsi, now.
Special gratitude belongs to my supervisor, Ms. Evi Puspitasari, M. Hum
for supporting, guiding and helping me in finishing this skripsi writing. I also
thank to my examiners, Ms. Mariska Intan Sari, MA., and Ms Ika Wahyuni, M.
Hum for all suggestions and valuable comments to improve my skripsi writing. I
also place my thanks to all the lecturers of English Education Department of
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, for teaching and guiding me during my
study in this department.
I also thank to my respondents, students of EED of 2015. Thank you for
providing valuable information and the time. I am also grateful for all my friends
at EED UMY 2012, especially, member of Calestials who support and help me,
Maril, Nia, Amel, Yuli, Mba Icha, Diba, Inka, Fitri, Dani, Ama, Harni and all my
beloved friends who cannot be mentioned one by one. Thanks for the friendship
and togetherness.
iv
Sincerely, I also place big thank to my beloved friends in EDSA and
Senyum Kita for the beliefs given to me when we work together in this amazing
team. I am also grateful for my friends in Liqo group and Mawar geng for
friendship and togetherness.
I also thank for all who directly and indirectly have helped me to finish
this skripsi. May Allah will provide the best things for you all. I am very grateful
to have you all. Thank you.
Yogyakarta, 16 December 2016
Annisa Fi’izzatillah
v
Table of Content
Cover………………………………………………………………………
i
Approval Sheet………………………………………………………………
ii
Statement of Authenticity……………………………………………………
iii
Acknowledgment…………………………………………………………….
iv
Table of Content……………………………………………………………..
vi
List of Table………………………………………………………………….
ix
List of Figure ………………………………………………………………..
x
List of Appendices……………………………………………………………
xi
Abstract……………………………………………………………………...
xii
Chapter One…………………………………………………………………
1
Introduction………………………………………………………………….
1
Background of Study…………………………………………………..
1
Identification of Problem………………………………………………
3
Limitation of Problem…………………………………………………
5
Research Question……………………………………………………
5
Purpose of Study………………………………………………………
6
Significance of study…………………………………………………...
6
Chapter Two…………………………………………………………………
8
Literature Review…………………………………………………………….
8
Critical Thinking Skill…………………………………..……………...
8
Definition of Critical Thinking Skill…………………………………...
8
Critical Thinking Process………………………………………………
9
Critical Thinking Level……………………………………………….
10
Significances of Critical Thinking……………………………………..
13
vi
Writing………………………………………………………………………
14
Definition of Writing………………………………………………......
14
Aspect of Assessing Writing……………………………………………
15
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………………
17
Critical Thinking in Argumentative……………………………………………
17
Related Studies………………………………………………………………
18
Conceptual Framework………………………………………………………
21
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………...
23
Chapter Three………………………………………………………………..
24
Methodology………………………………………………………………...
24
Research Design………………………………………………………
24
Research Setting and Participant……………………………………….
24
Research Instrument…………………………………………………..
26
Validity of the Instrument……………………………………
27
Reliability of the Instrument…………………………………
28
Data Collection Method………………………………………………..
30
Data Analysis………………………………………………………….
30
Chapter Four…………………………………………………………………
33
Findings and Discussion………………………………………………………
33
Findings……………………………………………………………………...
33
The Students’ Critical Thinking of English Education Department UMY
Batch 2015……………………………………………………………
33
The Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Text of English Education
Department UMY Batch 2015…………………………………………
vii
46
The Effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 Students’ Critical Thinking on
Improving Writing Argumentative Text in Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………
48
Discussion……………………………………………………………………
49
The Students’ Critical Thinking of English Education Department UMY
Batch 2015……………………………………………………………
49
The Students’ Skill in Writing Argumentative Text of English Education
Department UMY Batch 2015…………………………………………
50
The Effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 Students’ Critical Thinking on
Improving Writing Argumentative Text in Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing………………………………………………..
51
Chapter Five…………………………………………………………………
53
Conclusion and Recommendation…………………………………………….
53
Conclusion…………………………………………………………….
53
Recommendation……………………………………………………...
54
References…………………………………………………………………...
56
Appendices…………………………………………………………………...
60
viii
List of Table
Table 2.1 Bloom taxonomy 1956……………………………………….....................
10
Table 3.1 Scale item scoring…………………………………………………………
27
Table 3.2 The criteria of reliability…………………………………………………..
29
Table 3.4 Critical thinking instrument construct………………………….................. 29
Table 3.5 Category of students’ critical thinking skill based on interval formula…...
31
Table 3.6 Category of students’ score of writing argumentative………….................
31
Table 4.1 Result students’ critical thinking score………………………………........
34
Table 4.2 Statement 1 and statement 2………………………………………………. 35
Table 4.3 Statement 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12……………………………………………...
37
Table 4.4 Statement 5 and 11………………………………………………………...
40
Table 4.5 Statement 13 and 16……………………………………………………….
41
Table 4.6 Statement 15, 17 and 19…………………………………………………...
43
Table 4.7 Statement 9, 10, 14, and 18……………………………………………......
44
Table 4.8 Students’ score of writing argumentative text…………………………….
46
Table 4.9 Result effect of critical thinking toward writing argumentative…………..
48
Table 4.10 Result correlation of critical thinking and writing argumentative……….
49
ix
List of Figure
Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of critical thinking skill and students skill in
writing argumentative text…………………………….....................................
22
Figure 4.1 Histogram critical thinking scale ……………………………………... 34
Figure 4.2 Histogram statement 1……………………..………………………….. 36
Figure 4.3 Histogram score argumentative writing……….…………………........
x
47
List of Appendices
Appendix 1. Questionnaire of
critical thinking scale
………………………………………………………. 60
Appendix 2. Number item
expert judgment
………………………………………………………. 64
Appendix 3. Number item
validity
………………………………………………………. 67
Appendix 4. Reliability of
critical thinking scale before
research
………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix 5. Reliability of
critical thinking scale after
research
………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix 7. The effect of
students critical thinking
toward students’ skill in
writing argumentative text
………………………………………………………. 72
Appendix 8. The data of
students’ critical thinking
scale and students score in
writing argumentative text
………………………………………………………. 78
xi
Abstract
This study aims to find out students’ critical thinking skill, students’ skill in
writing argumentative text, and effect of students’ critical thinking on improving
skill in writing argumentative text in Interpretive Reading and Argumentative
Writing course. Data were collected from seventy-five students batch 2015,
selected from the second year of EED UMY undergraduate students. The
researcher used the adapted questionnaire from Mincemoyer and Perkins (2005)
to measure critical thinking level. Furthermore, the students’ score of
argumentative writing data were taken from writing argumentative score. The data
were analyzed using descriptive statistic and simple regression in SPSS 16.
Simple regression was used to see the effect of critical thinking toward students’
argumentative writing skill. The findings showed that students’ critical thinking
skill was in the high level (70-80) and students’ score in writing argumentative
text was in the good level (61-85). The finding also showed that number of sig.
was 0.869 > 0.05 meaning there was no significant effect of students’ critical
thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing argumentative text. Critical
thinking ability has no significant effect to students score in writing argumentative
text.
Keywords: Critical thinking, argumentative text, writing skill.
xii
1
Chapter One
Introduction
This chapter presents several points to reveal an accurate discussion of the
main problem of the research. This chapter elaborates the background of the
study, statement of the problem, limitation of the problem, research question, and
purpose of the study. The significance of the study is also presented in this
chapter.
Background of Study
Writing is one of important skills for communication. In a business field
for example, when people want to apply for a job, they need to write a curriculum
vitae and an application letter to persuade the manager of the company where they
want to propose. In addition, in an academic field, writing a thesis is one of the
obligations to graduate from the university. It means that writing skill plays a role
in communication. Hence, students have to master writing skills to support their
academic performance.
Based on the researcher’s experience as a student, writing is the most
complex and difficult skill in English language learning for students. It is because
students need a long process to create their product of writing. Students should
pay attention in creating idea, using grammar, arranging sentence structure, using
vocabulary in a right context, and organizing paragraphs. In this case, writing
effectively means that the ideas or information should be developed into good
2
organization, the error in writing should be minimized, and the writing must be
understandable to the reader.
At English Education Department (EED) of Universitas Muhammadiyah
Yogyakarta (UMY), students take Interpretive Reading and Argumentative
Writing class as a compulsory subject in semester two. Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing is an important subject in EED UMY to improve students’
ability in writing argumentative text, and mini research papers. In that class, to
encourage students in writing, the teacher designs various activities for them. One
of the activities is to write an argumentative article. In this activity, students have
to be a critical reader and they have to interpret texts. After the students read and
interpret the text, the lecturer asked them to write an argumentative article.
In writing argumentative articles, students need to be critical in expressing
ideas. They also have to organize sentences to be good and structured. Students
are also demanded to choose appropriate words to express their ideas to make
information understandable. Writing argumentative text is conducted to enhance
students’ ability in argumentative writing.
Based on the researcher’s experience, several students sometimes cannot
develop their idea in writing to produce text. The skills that is included in writing
were linguistic and analytical. In this case, several students’ found difficulties on
analytical skills. The researcher found it in one of students writing task, for
instance such as on the story. The italic words are not a sentence, but is a phrase.
However, students use the phrase as a sentence. This case is one of analytical
cases showing that the students are stuck in this part, and the students cannot
3
continue the phrase. This problem also happened to students in sixth semester
who had passed Intrepretative Reading and Argumentative Writing in their second
semester. It indicates that students cannot develop the idea of a phrase to be a
correct sentence.
Several students at EED UMY still do plagiarism. Based on researcher’s
experience, the lecturer found several students were submitting an entire
document written by another author as students’ task. This case will be decreased
when the students are able to think critically and are able to express their
argument logically and comprehensively based on their own perspective. In
writing argumentative texts, students need to develop their perspective about the
content of writing. When students are lack of critical thinking skill, they are not
able to develop their perspective to convince their argument. Hence, students who
do plagiarism to fulfill their task are not quite critical to analyze problems found
as an idea in writing.
Based on the above background, the researcher is interested in
investigating the effect of student’s critical thinking toward students’ writing skill
in writing argumentative texts.
Identification of Problem
Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class focuses on
students’ ability to present logical reasons and strong convincing arguments as
well as critical analysis. Judgment in the form of argumentative essays and mini
research papers is also needed. Based on informal interviews to the students of
4
2015 via What’s App, the researcher found several problems that emerged in
Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. The problems are
students’ lacked of understand in writing. It is because students do not understand
the issue or topic that will be discussed in argumentative writing, and students are
lack of critical thinking.
First, the problem of Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing
Class is students’ inadequate knowledge of writing. There are several things
needed to produce writing effectively. Those are organization of ideas,
grammatical pattern, and sentence structure in writing. In fact, there are some
students at EED UMY who lacked of awareness of those conditions as they were
writing. In this case, they only focus on topic that will be discussed in their text.
Second, some students do not understand the issue or topic that will be
discussed in the argumentative writing. This case was found in several students
that do not read a lot of the material or subject. Without reading a lot, the students
cannot produce good writing. It is because in argumentative writing, students need
to read and interpret the text.
Third, some students are lack of critical thinking skill. There are two
points for creating critical thinking. Based on Duron, Limbach, and Waugh
(2006), critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information.
However, many students in second semester are still lack of critical thinking in
writing ability. Based on interview with one of student, the student have
inadequate knowledge of the subject matter of their writing. The student still
confuses to criticize an article. This problem becomes basic problem for student to
5
write an argumentative text. It is because the student cannot criticize, analyze, and
evaluate an article. It is probably become a cause of students to be stuck in their
ideas in writing argumentative texts.
Limitation of Problem
This research is limited on students’ critical thinking skill related to
students’ skill in writing an argumentative text. The researcher chose this topic
because based on the problems above, one of the students’ problem in writing
argumentative texts is critical thinking. The students need to think critically before
they write an article. Without critical thinking, the students could not give strong
evidence in argumentative texts.
To make this research more specific, the researcher focused on writing
texts in Interpretive Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. The researcher
also limits this research to investigate the effect of critical thinking toward
students’ skill in writing argumentative text. It discussed the significant effects of
critical thinking skill on improving students’ skill in writing argumentative texts.
Research Question
This research is intended to investigate the effect of students’ critical
thinking toward students’ skill in writing argumentative texts. Thus, there are
three main questions that are addressed in this research. The research questions of
this study are:
1. How is the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking skill?
2. How is the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ skill in writing
argumentative text?
6
3. How does critical thinking skill affecting EED UMY Batch 2015
students’ skill on improving writing argumentative text in Interpretive
Reading and Argumentative Writing course?
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study are:
1. To find out the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking skill.
2. To find out the EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ skill in writing
argumentative text
3. To find out the effect of EED UMY Batch 2015 students’ critical thinking
on improving students’ skill in writing argumentative text in Interpretive
Reading and Argumentative Writing course.
Significance of Study
The researcher hopes that this research can give some benefits for several
parties including the researcher, students, teachers, and other researchers.
The researcher. The researcher knows the effect of critical thinking
toward students’ skill in writing argumentative texts. Additionally, the finding of
the research will be expected to help the researcher in the future to prepare
strategies to improve students’ critical thinking skill and writing skill. So, it can
help the researcher in accelerating achievement to think critically.
The students. The result of this research will give the students
information and reflection in terms of their effect critical thinking toward their
writing skill. This finding is also expected that students can increase critical
thinking skill by practicing writing argumentative texts.
7
The teachers. This research provides valuable information about the
effect of critical thinking toward students’ writing skill in argumentative texts. It
may encourage teachers to prepare teaching strategies in improving students’
writing skill in writing argumentative texts.
Other researchers. The researcher expects the information in this
research can be a reference for other researchers in the future who want to conduct
related study. This research provides a literature and discourse related to critical
thinking and writing skill that might help them do research in the same field.
8
Chapter two
Literature Review
As stated in the previous chapter, the aim of this research is to investigate
whether students’ critical thinking affects students’ skill in writing argumentative
text. Therefore, the discussion in this chapter focuses on experts’ opinion related
to the literatures of critical thinking skill, concept of writing skill, argumentative
writing, and related studies will be highlighted in this chapter. The theoretical
framework of the study is also explained in this chapter.
Critical Thinking Skill
There are four topics that will be discussed in critical thinking skill. Those
are definiton of crtical thinking skill, critical thinking process, critical thinking
level, and significances of critical thinking.
Definition of Critical Thinking Skill. Many different perspectives about
critical thinking has been mentioned by various educators. According to Taghva,
Rezai, Gadheri, and Taghva (2014), one of the most important methods of
creativity seeking among students is critical thinking. From this statement, it can
be considered that critical thinking is an activity to students for producing
something based on their perspective. Meanwhile, Elder and Paul as cited in
Shirkhani and Fahim (2011) stated that critical thinking refers to the ability of
individuals to take charge of their own thinking and develop appropriate criteria
and standards for analyzing their own thinking. It means that critical thinking can
be defined as ability to decide, create, and examine something in detail.
9
Similarly, Nuget and Vitale as cited in Fahim and Pazeshki (2012) stated that
critical thinking involves purposeful, goal directed thinking in a process of
making decisions based on evidence rather than guessing in scientific problem
solving process. Thus, critical thinking ability is one of way to take choice that
person makes about something after thinking about several possibilities.
On the other hand, critical thinking requires the used imagination for
seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely
consequences of our positions. It is in line with Barnet and Bedau (2011) who
stated that thinking critically involves two activities. Those are analysis and
evaluation. This statement is also supported by Akyȕz and Samsa (2009), by
saying that one of the aspects of critical thinking is the ability to analyze,
understand, and evaluate an argument.
To sum up, based on definition and explanation above, critical thinking
skill is regarded as an art or ability to contemplate mind for criticizing, analyzing,
and evaluating an issue or subject in positive side and negative side. It is a way to
build creative thinking from investigating ideas to making judgment into own
perspective. Critical thinking also becomes a basic thing in creativity seeking.
Critical Thinking Process. There are six core processes of critical
thinking. Based on Facionce (2011), core of critical thinking consists of
interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation. It
is in line with Ruggiero (2004) who stated that there are some activities of
thinking. They are investigation, interpretation, and judgment. On the other hand,
Facione as cited in Snyder and Snyder (2008) stated that there are six steps to
10
effective thinking and problem solving. Those are identifying the problem,
defining the context, enumerating the choices, analyzing option, listing reason
explicitly, and self-correcting. This problem solving step guides the students
through the critical thinking process and utilized learner collaboration.
Critical Thinking Level. Critical thinking involves six levels in thinking.
According to Bloom Taxonomy as cited in Duron, Limbarch, and Waugh (2006),
higher order of thinking consists of six levels. Those are knowledge,
comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
The following table explain more about Bloom Taxonomy (1956)
Table 2.1 Bloom Taxonomy 1956
Categories
1. Knowledge
Explanation
The level of thinking that requires an
answer in demonstrating simple recall
of fact. Locating knowledge from long
term memory
2. Comprehension
Understand meaning of information.
Construct meaning from instructional
information, including answer that
demostrates a comprehending
message.
3. Application
An ability to use message,ideas, and
theories in a given situation.
11
4. Analysis
A skill to see way of achieving things
and classify information, ideas, and
theories into component parts.
5. Synthesis
An ability to create or decide original
product.
6. Evaluation
An ability to evaluate or make a
judgment based on sensible reason.
In addition, critical thinking based on Bloom Taxonomy 1956 revised by
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) as cognitive domain of critical thinking. The
differences between Bloom Taxonomy(1965) and revision by Anderson and
Krathwohl (2001) are based on model namely on the form of level name (noun to
verb). Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) state that cognitive process dimension
consists of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and
creating.
Remember. The original verb from Bloom Taxonomy (1956) is
knowledge, but it was renamed as remember. In this step, there are two processes,
recognizing and recalling. Recognizing is a way to know someone or something
because you have seen, heard, or experienced them before. After recognizing, the
next process of this step is recalling. It is a way to bring the memory of a past
event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember.
Understand. Determining the meaning of instructional message, including
oral, written, and graphic communication. In this categories, there are seven
12
subcategories in understand. Interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing,
inferring, comparing, and explaining are subcategories in understand. Interpreting
is a way to decide what the intended meaning of something is. Exemplifying is a
way to be or give a typical example of something. Classifying is a way to divide
things or information into groups according to their type. Summarizing is a way to
express the most important facts or ideas about something or someone in a short
and clear form. Inferring is a way to form an opinion or guess that something is
true because of the information that you have. Comparing is a way to examine or
look for the difference between two or more things. Explaining is when you have
to explain or give a good reason for your actions. In addition, the highest
subcategories in understand is able to explain. It means, the learner really
understands when they can explain something.
Apply. It is about carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation.
There are two main subcategories in apply, that is executing and implementing.
Executing is a way to do or perform something, especially in a planned way. After
executing, the next subcategories is implementing to put a plan or system into
operation.
Analyze. It is about examining something in detail, in order to discover
more about an issue. Analyze is divided into three subcategories. There are
differentiating, organizing, and attributing. Differentiating is a way to show or to
find the difference between things which are compared. After differentiating, the
next subcategories in analyze is organizing. In organizing to determine how
13
elements or function within a structure. The highest subcategories in analyze is
attributing. It is a way to think something has particular quality or feature.
Evaluate. It is about making judgment based on criteria and standards.
The criteria and standard can be measured by checking and critizing. Checking is
to make certain that something or someone is correct, safe or suitable by
examining it or them quickly. Critizing is a report of something such as a political
situation or system, or a person’s works or ideas, which examine an often negative
judgment.
Create. It is a way to put elements together to form a coherent or
functional whole. In high order of thinking, create by considering generating to
cause something exist, plan by act or decide how to do something, and producing
to make something or to bring something into existence.
These two kinds of Bloom taxonomy only have little difference on model
namely from noun to verb. However, this study will use revised Bloom Taxonomy
as basic theory in developing this research.
Significances of Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a framework for
any discipline. Based on Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, and Wallace (2011), Critical
thinking is valuable in many contexts outside the classroom and the workplace. It
is in line with Hatcher and Spencer as cited in Duron et al. (2006) who stated that
critical thinking is needed in the workplace as an essential and important skill. It
can support people to deal with mental and spiritual problem, and it can be used to
evaluate people, policies, and institutions, thereby avoiding social problems. It
means that critical thinking skill have contribution toward any dicipline. In
14
addition, skill in critical thinking will help people to be more exact and accurate in
nothing what is relevant and what is not (Cotrell, 2011). It means that with critical
thinking, people will be spesific and accurate in deciding something.
In education field, language learners who have improved critical thinking
skills are able to do activities of which other students may not be able (Shirkhani
& Fahim, 2011). In addition, Mahyudin, Lope, Elias, and Konting (2004) as cited
in Shirkhani and Fahim (2011) stated that the language learner with critical
thinking skill are capable of thinking critically and creatively to accomplish
purposes of the courses. Accordingly, this is essential for educational field to help
the learner become a critical thinker by applying it as the purpose of learning.
In English for Foreign Language (EFL), students need critical thinking to
improve their language proficiency. Fahim and Sa’eepour (2011) argued that
teaching critical thinking skills in EFL context can improve language learning. It
is by containing critical thinking skills in language classroom. In addition, Liaw
(2007) argued that the English language learners need to practice critical thinking
in all domains. To sum up, based on argument of researchers above, the EFL
teachers have a responsibility to gain student’s critical thinking with practice in
each course to improve language proficiency.
Writing
Writing is one of four major language skills. There are two topics that will
be discussed at this section. Those are definition of writing, and aspect of assesing
writing.
15
Definition of Writing. Writing is one of productive skills from four basic
skills in English proficiency. Writing is a complex activity involving many skills
to determine ideas and to transfer the ideas onto a piece of paper clearly and
comprehensibly for the readers (Brown, 2007). It means that writing is one of
language skill that needs extra effort for learner because the learner should master
many varieties of writing as well as engaged into complex learning process.
According to Brown (2007), writing is a complex process which involves a result
of thinking, drafting, and revising procedures. By this definition, writing includes
complex skill in English, because it is a productive skill and involves higher order
of thinking in writing process. According to Turk and Kirkman (2005), writing
must transfer ideas and information to other people. It means that writing plays a
role as communication tool to transfer ideas into accurate information.
Aspect of Assessing Writing. Assessing students’ writing need evaluation
checklist to measure students’ ability in writing. The evaluation checklist can
indicate to students their areas of strength and weakness. According to Brown
(2007), there are six general categories are often basic for evaluation students
writing. They consist of content, organization, discourse, syntax, vocabulary, and
mechanics.
Content. the content related to the ideas are contained in a piece of
writing. It also include thesis statement, development of ideas through personal
experience, illustration, facts, opinions, and consistent focus. The scale score of
content for writing assesment are 0-24 point.
16
Organization. Organization in writing is an activty to arrange the effective
writing. It is also included of effective of introduction, logical sequence of ideas,
conclusion, and appropriate length of text. The scale score of organization for
writing assesment are 0-20 point.
Discourse. Discourse is a piece of writing about topic sentences,
paragraph unity, transitions, discourse makers, cohesion, rhetorical conventions,
reference, fluency, and variation. The scale score of discourse for writing
assesment are 0-20 point.
Syntax. Syntax is about grammatical term. The grammatical arrangement
of words in a sentence. The scale score of syntax for writing assesment are 0-12
point.
Vocabulary. Vocabulary is all the words which exist in a partcular
language or subject. In writing, students hove to pay attention in vocabulary
choise for appropriate sentences. The scale score of vocabulary for writing
assesment are 0-12 point.
Mechanics. Mechanic of writing included spelling, punctuation, citation
of references, neatness, and appearance. The scale score of machanics for wrting
assesment are 0-12 point.
Based on six aspects of assesing writing above, the researcher conclude
that evaluation of student writing can be measured through various aspects and
rating scales. The total high score for all of evaluation is 100 point. Hence, the
evaluation checklist will help the teacher to assess the students’ writing as fairness
and reliability in evaluation.
17
Argumentative Writing.
Argumentative writing is one genre of writing. Giving argument to prove
the fact or information in written form is a goal of argumentative writing. It is in
line with Hillocks (2011) who states that the aim of creating an argument is to
assure an audience or reader of the rightness of the claims being made using
logical reasoning and relevant fact. It means that the writer gives evidence to
assure the reader to achieve the goal of writing. In addition, argumentative writing
is a kind of critical thinking and rhetorical production involving a claim,
supportive evidence, and assessment of the warrants (Newel, Vanderheide, Olsen,
& Team, 2013). Accordingly, argumentative writing plays significant role as a
way to think critically and prove the reader with rationally truth.
There are five basic conceptions in argumentative writing. It is in line with
Toulmins as cited in hillocks (2010) who stated that Toulmins’ basic conception
of argumentative writing consists of several elements. There are claims based on
evidence, with warrant that explain how evidence prove the claim, backing prove
the warrant, qualifications, and rebuttals that refute contending claims. Hence,
argumentative writing needs evidence to support the argument that you write on
it. Argumentative writing conception demands learner to activate their thinking
skill. It will support the evidence by determining material qualifications that asure
the reader should be included in their writing.
Critical Thinking in Argumentative Writing
18
Based on the definition of writing above, writing is closely related to
critical thinking skill. According to Deane, Odendahl, Quinlan, Fowles, Welsh,
and Tatum (2008), students should be able to use writing as a vehicle for critical
thinking. Accordingly, a teacher should assess students’ writing to integrate
critical thinking in writing. It is in line with Horger (2013) who stated that to
produce good writing, students have to be able to generate more cohesive and
coherent argument about literature. It means that, critical thinking will give
impact of process of honing an argument over the writing product.
Furthermore, thinking, organizing, re-thinking, and re-organizing are a
continuous process of writing. Based on Cottrel (2011), writing skill need critical
thinking. Those are involve process of providing reason, using evidence,
comparing and evaluating arguments, weighing up conflicting evidence, and
forming judgments on the basic evidence. It means that in a writing process the
students are required to use critical thinking.
According to these experts’ opinion, critical thinking and writing have
strong relationship. When students have a good critical thinking skill, they will be
easier in creating ideas and evidences for producing writing. They will have to
know how to decide idea, analyze, make argument with evidence, and apply other
critical thinking aspect that help them in writing process.
Related Studies
The following are the previous studies related to the variable of the present
study composing critical thinking skill and student skill in writing argumentative
text. First a study entitled The Impact of Teaching Critical Thinking Skills on
19
Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners was conducted by Fahim and
Sa’eepour (2011). The study was conducted to investigate the impact of teaching
critical thinking skill on reading comprehension ability by applying debate on
EFL learners. It was carried out in English Institute in Karaj Iran. The total of
participants were 60 intermediate students. The instrument is used Nelson test.
The reading comprehension and a critical thinking appraisal post test were
administered to the two groups. During the term, experimental group received 8
sessions of treatment using debate. To compare the two group they were given the
same test as post test. The result showed significant difference between two
groups on reading comprehension test, but the difference on critical thinking test
was non-significant.
The next study entitled Content-Based Reading and Writing for Critical
Thinking Skills in an EFL Context was conducted by Liaw (2007). It was carried
out to find out the effectiveness of promoting learners’ critical thinking skills and
EFL skills with a content-based approach. It was conducted in junior high school
in central Taiwan. There were 32 students, whose ages are 12 to 13 years old as
the participant of the study. The method used in the study was experimental study.
The participants of the study were divided into two groups, one being
experimental and one being controlled. Data were collected from class
assigments, a critical thinking assesment instrument, questionnaire, and a teacherconstructed language profeciency test. The result showed revealed significant
gains in the students’ English language proficiency test score. Critical thinking
skills and content area knowledge mastery were also found. The result also show
20
positive responses toward the content based EFL learning and teaching from the
participating students. Based on the result, instructional suggestions and caveats
are provided.
In addition, Learning to Improve: Using Writing to Increase Critical
Thinking Performance in General Education Biology was the next related study
conducted by Quitadamo and Kurtz (2007). It was carried out at a state-funded
regional comprehensive university in the pasific Northwest. The participants was
non major undergraduates who was taking biology in their general education
science requirement. The participants of the study were divided into two groups,
one being experimental and one being controlled. An experimental group
consisted of 158 participants and controlled group consisted of 152 participants.
Data were collected by pre test and post test critical thinking assesment. The result
showed the writing group (experimental) significantly improved in critical
thinking skill whereas the non writing group (control) were not signify. Analysis
and inference skills increased significantly in writing group but not the non
writing group. Writing students also showed greater gains in evaluation skills,
however these were not significant.
The previous studies above show the similarity with this research. The
previous studies use quantitative approach for examining the relationship among
variables. However, Sa’eepour (2011), Liaw (2007), and Quitadamo and Kurtz
(2007) investigated the same variable of critical thinking and writing skills, they
applied different design from this research. Their studies are categorized as an
experimental design since those studies are intended to find out the impact of
21
critical thinking toward writing skill. this research can be considered that this
research is not replica from the previous studies, instead it is an expansion as well
as more specific research focusing on critical thinking and students’ skill in
writing argumentative texts as the variables of this research.
Conceptual Framework
This research focused on investigating the effect of students critical thinking
toward students skill in writing argumentative texts at EED UMY Batch 2015.
The researcher applied Bloom Taxonomy as the foundation of this research.
Cottrell (2011) mentioned that there are three factors that influence students’
critical thinking, such as knowledge, skills, and attitude. Bloom Taxonomy (1956)
revised revision of Bloom taxonomy by Anderson and Krathwohl (2011) require
the higer oder of thinking that caracterizes critical tough. He arranged the
hierarchical structure of cogntive process dimension consist of remembering,
understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Additionally,
according to Brown (2007) the product of compositional nature of writing has
produced writing pedagogy that focuses how generate ideas, organize coherently,
use discourse makers and rhetorcal conventions to put them cohesively into
written text, revise text for clearer meaning, edit text for approriate grammar, and
product final product. Following figure 2.1 describes the estimated effect of
critical thinking skills toward students skill in writing argumentative texts.
22
Critical Thinking Skill
Writing Skill
Aspect of Students’ skill in
writing argumentative text
Bloom Taxonomy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Students’ Critical Thinking
1. Generating ideas
2. Organizing
coherently
3. Using discourse
makers
4. Rhetorical
conventions
5. Revising text
6. Appropriate
grammar
7. Final producing
Effect
Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of critical thinking skill and students skill
in writing argumentative texts.
Figure 2.1 reveals that the effect of critical thinking skill toward students’
skill in writing argumentative texts may be directly propotional. It means that if
the students have a good critical thinking, they are able to be good at writing
23
argumentative texts. On the contrary, if students lack of critical thinking, they are
poor in writing argumentative texts.
Hypothesis
This research proposes some hypothesis as follows:
1. Null hypothesis (H0), there is no significant effect of English Education
Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta batch 2015
students’ critical thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative texts in Interpretive reading and Argumentative Writing
Class in second semester.
2. Alternative hypothesis (Ha), there is a significant effect of English
Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta batch
2015 students’ critical thinking skill toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative in Interpretive reading and Argumentative Writing Class
in second semester.
24
Chapter Three
Methodology
This chapter presents research design, setting, participant of the research,
research instrument, and data collection method. Moreover, data analysis is also
presented in this chapter.
Reserch Design
This research used quantitative approach. It is because the researcher
investigate the effect of students’ critical thinking toward students’ skill in writing
argumentative texts in which the data are going to be analyzed quantitatively. This
research also has independent and dependent variable. Then this research is
suitable to use quantitative approach. According to Creswell (2014), quantitative
research is an approach for testing objective theories by examining the
relationship among variables. In addition, this research used ex post facto (causalcomperative) design as the method. Based on Kothari (2004), ex post facto design
is one of non-experimental quantitative research types in which the researcher has
no control over the variables.
Research Setting and Participants
The setting of this research was in EED UMY. There are some reasons of
choosing EED as the setting. First, the problem of Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing Class is students’ inadequate knowledge of writing.
Second, the phenomenon in EED related to students’ critical thinking ability in
writing is the reason in conducting the research. Some students cannot think
25
critically to prove the evidence in writing argumentative texts. The other reason is
to measure EED students’ critical thinking. Moreover, the researcher is also
studying at EED UMY. It is easier to gather the data. The researcher conducted
the research in November 2016.
The participants of this research are the students of EED UMY Batch 2015
who take Interpretative Reading and Argumentative Writing Class. It becomes
consideration because in Interpretative Reading and Argumentative Writing Class,
the students need critical thinking for express their argument. The other reason is
that the students batch 2015 have just finished the Interpretive Reading and
Argumentative Writing Class. It ease the researcher to gather the data because
batch 2015 are still take some courses.
This research used convenience sampling. Co