2.8.2 Pictures as Media in Writing
Pictures are not only an aspect of method but also representation of places, objects, and people, they are an essential part of the overall experiences Wright,
1989: 2. In addition, Gerlach 1980: 273 states that through pictures, learners can be shown people, places, and things from areas outside their own experiences.
Moreover, Arsyad 1997: 89 states that visual media have an important role in teaching learning process. Further, he also says that media can be in the form of
pictures, maps, and graphics. Pictures are useful teaching aids to express the facts or actions, and provides near real type of experiences.
In this research, in teaching writing, pictures were helpful for the students to write a descriptive paragraph as many as they could. With pictures, the students could
explore their ideas, and they knew what they should want to write. By using individual pictures, the students were asked to describe the pictures in the form of a
descriptive paragraph.
2.9 The Procedures of Teaching Writing by Using Individual Pictures
The procedures that were used by the teacher in teaching writing by using individual pictures were as follows:
1. The teacher gave an explanation about a descriptive paragraph. 2. The teacher showed the individual picture and gave the example of how to
write a descriptive paragraph based on the picture. 3. The teacher let the students generate the ideas based on the picture given.
4. The teacher let students organize their ideas generated. 5. Then, the teacher asked students to list their own sentences.
6. The students began to write the description into a good descriptive paragraph based on their own sentences listed.
2.10 Action Hypothesis
Based on the literature review and the research problem, the hypotheses of this action research were formulated as follows:
1. The use of individual pictures could improve the seventh grade students’ active participation in the teaching learning process of writing a descriptive paragraph
by using individual pictures at SMPN 4 Jember in the 20132014 academic year. 2. The use of individual pictures could improve the seventh grade students’
achievement in writing a descriptive paragraph at SMPN 4 Jember in the 20132014 academic year.
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III. RESEARCH METHODS
This chapter presents the research methods that will be applied in the research. The methods cover research design, area determination method, subject determination
method, data collection methods, research procedures, and data analysis methods.
3.1 Research Design
In this research, the researcher applied a Classroom Action Research CAR with cycle model. This research was intended to improve the seventh grade students’
descriptive paragraph writing achievement by using individual pictures. McMillan 1992:44 states that a classroom action research is a type of
applied action research with the purpose of solving a specific classroom problem or making decision at a individual local site. In addition, Elliot 1991:69 explains that
an action research is the study of a social situation, with a view to improve the quality of action within it. He adds a model of classroom action research process is outlined.
It means that it is followed by a list of methods and techniques for gathering and analyzing data. Therefore, a classroom action research was intended to solve problem
in a classroom, in this research the problem encountered by the seventh grade students of SMPN 4 Jember was writing descriptive paragraph.
This classroom action research was conducted at SMPN 4 Jember. In this research, the researcher collaborated with the English teacher of Grade VII students
of SMPN 4 Jember. This classroom action research was conducted with the cycle model in which each cycle covered the activities of the planning of the action, the
implementing of the action, class observation and evaluation, data analysis and reflection of the action Elliott, 1991. Since the results of descriptive paragraph
writing and observation in the first cycle did not achieve the research objective or the criteria, the action was continued to the second cycle.
The design of this classroom action research was illustrated in the following diagram;
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