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Considering the standard of competence in writing according to the curriculum that students are to be able to understand meaning in the short simple
recount text. Comic strips can be both a method and medium of instruction. In the area of basic competence in Writing, the task for students is developing steps in the
short simple passage and functional written text accurately, fluently and acceptable. Therefore the comic strips activities are expected to help students activities in
order to be varied and have the meaningful goal especially in process of learning writing.
B. Relevant Studies
The first study is the research of Yuliana Istiani 2012 which proved that the writing skill of the students can be improved by using Comic Strips. The ability of
the students of SMP N 1 Ngemplak in writing text increased after the researcher applied comic strips in the class. The improvements included four aspects. Those are
in terms of content, vocabulary, language use, and organization. The study also show that the comic strips was
improving the students’ interest and involvement in the
learning process.
Furthermore the research from Krisnanto 2013 was also succesful to improve ability of students of SMP N 5 Depok in speaking. Based on the study
above, it is mentioned that comic strips is effective to improve students’ speaking
skills. The study showed that comic strips wa s able to improve the students’ speaking
in terms of Confidence and participation. Moreover, the use of comic strips could
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improve the students’ participation in terms of students’ interest, concern,and attitude.
Based on those relevant studies, the research will be conducted in improving the students’ learning process in writing recount texts within the context of Junior
High School students by using Comic Strips.
C. Conceptual Framework
Every skill in the teaching-learning activity plays important roles in the students’ language learning mastery and also contributes to the ability in English
which may influence to their talent. It means that the objectives of the English teaching and learning process must be emphasized at helping the students to be able
to develop their writing competence. Sometimes the teacher has decided the plans and goal to maximize the
learning process but it did not work . It can be seen from the students’ writing
performances and their responses toward writing. Most of them consider that the writing skill is one of the most difficult skills to be mastered.
From the observations and interviews with the English teacher, several problems were found by the researcher related to the teaching and learning process of
writing in SMPN 2 Padangan. The classroom learning writing process does not work well. This happens because there are some problems that may influence the learning
process. Those factors are the teaching and learning atmosphere, limited sources of
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learning and lack of practice. Besides, the students are also uninterested in the teaching and learning process.
Then, the researcher decided to use comic strips as one of the best solutions to those problems. Comic strips was chosen to be the relevant media to improve the
learning process because it has many benefits in the teaching and learning process of writing. The first advantage of using comic strips is that it will make the students
writing interest improved. By using the comic strips, the students are more interested to be involved in the teaching-learning process and be able to write well. It happens
because the Junior high school students have the high interest in the comic, as it has some features that entertain them.
Then using comic strips in the teaching and learning process of writing will also change the classroom atmosphere. By giving the comic strips into the teaching
and learning process, it expected to break the habit as the entertaining material that seems to be casual and informal are forgotten to be brought into the teaching and
learning process. In relation to its other benefits in writing, comic strips can be used as a
medium to practice and drill English everywhere, as the comic strips can be given in every situations in the classroom activity. The students are lack of practice and
drilling, therefore the students need a media to do those activities and certainly they also want to be guided by their teacher.
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The last, comic strips can be used to improve students’ language use and
vocabulary because it can be designed into several activities i.e. vocabulary and grammar exercises. The activities will encourage the students to improve their
vocabulary and language use. To conclude, in this research study, the comic strips are used to be a kind of
effective media to practice and improve the students’ learning process in terms of their participation, interest and writing skill.
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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD
This research is a kind of classroom action research CAR that tries to solve the problems of classroom activity especially in the teaching and learning
process of writing based on the preliminary observations and interviews, so this research is categorized as action research. Lodico et al. 2010:313 mentioned that
action research is a type of research that aims to enact immediate changes in an educational setting.
Meanwhile Mc Niff and Whitehead 2002: 39 said that the focus of action research is observing behavior and explaining the result of the observation. The
act of observing behavior can be assumed as the way the observer found the problem in the classroom.
A. Subjects of the Research
The participants of the research were the teacher, the observer, me, and the
students of the Eighth grade of SMP 2 Padangan as the subject of research.
The subjects of the research were 34 students of VIII B class of SMP N 2 Padangan. Therefore this class was chosen as the subjects of the study after
conducted the discussion with the English teacher. The research was conducted collaboratively by all research team members. This study involved me, the
English teacher, and the students of VIII B class of SMP N 2 Padangan.
