AR’s Learning Style, English Speaking Ability, and Academic

97 I11032014P83AR-LA : “80 so I can complete the passing grade and step up to the next level ” Geiser and Santelices 2007 state that academic performance can be used to predict the competence level of the students. AR ’s target score in academic performance only focused on the passing grade in order to step to the next level. Then his academic competence was not clearly defined as high competence. Then he was not able to get a lot of learning outcome since he only focused on the score of academic performance and he did not know the essence of English learning as part of his future culture in which he might face various English applications for international communication. From AR’s statements based on the found themes in Table 4.11, AR’s past experience telling that he was not able to understand English lesson in the past relate to how he regards the importance of English afterward. His preliminary motivation to study in the Vocational High School brings further judgment on the process of his learning and the result of academic performance. The tendency of following any school activities is just to fulfill the formal regulation determined by his teachers. Then, the viewpoint of English learning is interrelated with his learning styles since he prefers to emphasize his psychomotor process rather than the combination of affective and cognitive processes. That is why he likes active English learning activities such as quizzes to fulfill his learning style. His speaking ability and academic performance results, which are not high, then can be predicted by his less motivation to study in Vocational High School and also learning style. 98 b. BA ’s Learning Style, English Speaking Ability, and Academic Performance The findings of themes related to students’ learning style, English speaking ability, and academic performance from BA is shown in Table 4.12. Table 4.12 Themes and Qualitative Result of BA’ Themes Coding Statements translated Viewpoint of Vocational High School  I11032014P3BA-LA  Honestly, my father asked me to study in state high school . I registered there, but the response of the teacher there was not good… I came here then, and met Bu Siska . …. She gave good response…so I decided to study here. Viewpoint of English as a subject  I11032014P6BA-LA  I11032014P7BA-LA  From the first time I learnt English, I did not really understand. I was not able to catch the material yet  Maybe, I was not able to understand…giving up or something like that. Feeling of learning English in class  I11032014P11BA-LA  I11032014P12BA-LA  I11032014P13BA-LA  …based on the mood  If I feel not in good mood in the morning, I will be lazy. If I am happy, I will have fun.  What I like from English lesson is that when I can do the assignments. If I cannot do it and then the teacher is in tension, I mumble by myself Learning styles  I11032014P15BA-LA  … watching movie and singing … by singing, I know the meaning … by watching movie, I know 99  I11032014P26BA-LA  I11032014P31BA-LA how to pronounce  … studying the formulas  I don’t understand if I read. Explain first then translate into Indonesian English Speaking Ability  I11032014P47BA-LA  I11032014P59BA-LA  … because I was not capable in English from long time ago and for the English exam, I always got the worst marks .  What I like if I can pronoun English vocabularies although it is not perfect yet, but in studying English, I enjoy more with a little bit musical instrument sounds. The barrier is the difficulty to pronoun the language because my tongue is not in habit to accept the words. Expectation of Academic Performance Scores I11032014P61BA-LA The score is up to you, Sir From Table 4.12, BA stated that actually she was asked by her father to study in State high School. Nevertheless, she got good response from the teacher in the Vocational High School compared to state high school when she registered. Hence, she decided to study in Vocational High School since she was impressed with the service of the teacher. It indicated that she had interest in Vocational High School for the first time she registered as a study. She said ; I11032014P3BA-LA : “Honestly, my father asked me to study in state high school . I registered there, but the response of the teacher there was not good……I came here then, and met Bu Siska. ……. She gave good response……so I decided to study here. ” 100 Her good impression of the Vocational High School supported her interest to study English subject. The way she dealt with English was affected by her emotion meaning that her learning was reflected by the internal process I11032014P11P12BA-LA. She realized that she was not able to understand the English lesson since she felt that she could not understand English from the first time she know English in formal study and then she gave up studying English when she was stuck of understanding, as she said ; I11032014P6BA-LA : “From the first time I learnt English, I did not really understand. I was not able to catch the material yet …” “Maybe, I was not able to understand…giving up or something like that.” In addition, she was very happy when she could do English assignment as the reflection of how she started to like English lesson, as she stated ; I11032014P13BA-LA : “What I like from English lesson is that when I can do the assignments …” As Kraus et al. 2001 states that different learning situation may change the individual’s learning style. The recent English learning activities which consisted of various speaking activities such as singing and movies discussion enhance BA’s interest to study English because she also liked to sing and to watch movies, as she stated : I11032014P15BA- LA : “… watching movie and singing … by singing, I know the meaning … by watching movie, I know how to pronounce ” Then, BA started to study English deeper related to the English formula of sentences and then she would like to translate some English sentences I11032014P26P31BA-LA. 101 For the English speaking ability, BA felt that she was not capable enough to understand English because of her past learning experience that she could not understand English. She said ; I11032014P47BA-LA : “… because I was not capable in English from long time ago and for the English exam, I always got the worst marks . ” Then, since she started to like some English speaking activities, she also started to like English lesson and studied English vocabularies. She emphasized that she could enjoy the English lesson if there was musical instrument meaning that she liked music and also singing as mentioned before. She noted ; I11032014P59BA-LA : “What I like if I can pronoun English vocabularies even it is not perfect yet, but in studying English, I enjoy more with a little bit musical instrument sounds. The barrier is the difficulty to pronoun the language because my tongue is not in habit to accept the words.” Nunan 2003 states that speaking is the production of verbal utterances to convey meaning. BA was able to produce her verbal utterances if the learning activities supported her to do so. When she heard musical instrument of English songs she might know, she could express the pronunciation of the song lyrics and as a stretch, she could fulfill her interest in singing. For the academic performance, BA had no idea her target score since she just started to like English lesson I11032014P61BA-LA. Carter 1959 states that academic performance is the combination of knowledge acquisition and skills development. Since BA just realized that she could improve her English knowledge and skill with certain learning activities, than she could not predict the score of her academic performance. Although she knew the passing grade of 102 academic performance score, she still considered her bad English learning experience as the point to pass the grade. BA’s statements, as in Table 4.12, emphasize her satisfaction of Vocational High School management services and also her fulfillment of having English learning activities that she liked. Then, BA’s lived-experience of her learning, English speaking, and academic performance were clearly found since she could feel some changes of her competency in English such as she feels comfortable with the school activities although her first option was not to study in the Vocational High School. She also feels to clarify the essence of English subject since she is able to find the fun of English lessons. Her biggest barrier to study English comes from her less exploration of how to overcome the English learning difficulty. In addition, her personal emotion also supports the way she faces English learning activities. Then, if she has good mood in studying English and she deals with English learning activities she likes, she will produce good comprehension of English speaking ability and academic performance.

c. DA ’s Learning Style, English Speaking Ability, and Academic

Performance The findings of themes related to students’ learning style, English speaking ability, and academic performance from DA is shown in Table 4.13. Table 4.13 Themes and Qualitative Result of DA’ Themes Coding Statements translated Viewpoint of Vocational High School I11032014P9DA-LA It is better compared to the stories of my friends seen from the escort activities. Viewpoint of  I11032014P20DA-LA  It is important 103 English as a subject  I11032014P21DA-LA  It is for communication if I work in foreign companies Feeling of learning English in class I11032014P54DA-LA I am so excited and happy. Learning styles  I11032014P13DA-LA  I11032014P16DA-LA  I11032014P35DA-LA  Before starting the lesson, there are quizzes like in my Junior High School  … discussion because we can share and transfer knowledge. We do not work alone  I read, learn by heart, close my book and re-write what I have learnt English Speaking Ability  I11032014P60DA-LA  I11032014P67DA-LA  Quite good in English study confidence  As a matter of fact, 9 point … I want to get maximum score of 100 Expectation of Academic Performance Scores I11032014P73DA-LA The score I want to get is 90 point , close to 100 because in the field of language and literature, score of 90 is the most perfect score From Table 4.13, DA felt that Vocational High School had better learning process compared to the stories of her friends telling that the learning process in Vocational High School was not good enough. Since she already had good impression about Vocational High School, then she also had good spirit to study by telling that she was very happy to study in Vocational High School. Moreover, she could break her friends’ opinion about the underestimated opinion of studying in the Vocational High School. She said ; I11032014P9DA-LA : “It is better compared to the stories of my friends seen from the escort activities.” 104 Related to English learning activities, she liked to have quizzes and discussion so that she could apply and share her knowledge with her classmates I11032014P13P16DA-LA. She was quite creative in studying since she had her own system learning style phases such as reading, learning by heart, closing the learning materials, and rewriting the materials she had learnt, as she stated ; I11032014P35DA- LA : “I read, learn by heart, close my book and re-write what I have learnt” Ladd and Ruby 1999 states that learning style derives from the learners’ adjustment to their teachers’ instruction and learning task. In this case, DA applied what her teacher instructed to study certain learning materials and considering the kinds of learning materials, she applied her learning style phases to get the essence of learning materials. For the English speaking ability, BA felt that she was quite capable to understand English because she was confident and she liked English lesson. She already had interest in English before she entered Vocational High School I11032014P54DA-LA. She knew that English mastery was important to support global communication. In addition, she would like to work in a foreign company in the future meaning that she had interest to use English for her interpersonal communication in her job field I11032014P20P21DA-LA. West and Turner 2007 states that interpersonal communication is supported by the speaking skill to have correlation with other speakers. Since she had an awareness of English use for wider communication, then she studied English lesson her best I11032014P60DA-LA. At last, she expected to get good English speaking ability scores as the consequence of her passion in English subject I11032014P67DA-LA. 105 For the academic performance, DA expected to get high score of 90, but not perfect score, since she realized that in the field of language and literature, maximum score was difficult to get. She said ; I11032014P73DA-LA : “The score I want to get is 90 point, close to 100 because in the field of language and literature, score of 90 is the most perfect score ” Her expectation was quite rational considering her capability in English learning. Good in Slameto 2002 states that academic performance is an achievement or capability as the result of knowledge, attitude, and skill level in the learning process. DA had good knowledge and skill in English learning shown by her good English speaking ability score. Her attitude in regarding English as important subject reflected her behavior change of using English which differentiated her English competency to other students. On the other words, he had passion to study English realizing that English was important for her future. Based on the previous reasons, DA expected to get high score in her academic performance. Indeed, she could get good score in her academic performance as she expected before. DA’s statements, as in Table 4.13, show her high interest in studying English. Studying in Vocational High School which emphasizes practical English gives her more motivation to practice English speaking. Before entering the Vocational High School, she already realizes that English is useful for her improvement in global communication. Her past experience of getting exciting English lesson in Junior High School adds her motivation to study English with better academic performances. Although she likes to study English subject, she does not neglect her focus to get good scores in English speaking ability and also academic performance. Implicitly, she knows that the combination of good 106 academic scores and English speaking skill will help her reach her dream to work in a foreign company in the future. The way she studies English reflects her passion in English self-exploration to possess English good proficiency supported by good scores of English speaking ability and academic performance. Finally, she expects for high scores in her English speaking ability and academic performance since she is quite confident and capable in the English lesson. She also defines that English subject is part of language and literature in which the perfect score of English is indefinite since English subject is not an exact subject.

B. Research Discussion

This section exposes answers of the problems formulation. The data for this section derived from quantitative and qualitative research findings. To support the quantitative result and discussion, I organized the shared themes of the interviewees’ statements as shown in Table 4.14. Table 4.14 Shared Themes of Qualitative Results Themes Coding Shared Themes Viewpoint of Vocational High School  I11032014P2AR-LA  I11032014P3BA-LA  I11032014P9DA-LA The participants had no interest in Vocational High school since AR and BA were asked to study in Vocational High School by their parents and DA heard some bad stories from her friends about the learning process in Vocational High School. Viewpoint of English as a subject  I11032014P16AR-LA  I11032014P26AR-LA  I11032014P20DA-LA  I11032014P21DA-LA Both AR and DA realized the importance of English although in different level of awareness. AR saw the importance from the passing grade to pass since he did not understand English subject in the past and DA saw