nn

Drs. Imam Rejana, M.Si.

NIP 1948042101978031004

ABSTRACT

DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN WRITING RECOUNT TEXT THROUGH GUIDING QUESTIONS

TECHNIQUE AT THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF SMPN 1 TERBANGGI BESAR

LAMPUNG TENGAH

By Iwan

Writing is a skill in which we express the ideas, feelings, and thoughts arranged in words, sentences and paragraphs using eyes, brain, and hand (Raimes, 1983: 76). According to 2006 curriculum, School Based Curriculum / KTSP, the goal of teaching learning at Junior High School is that the students must be able to develop communicative competence in written form as well as in spoken form to achieve functional literacy level. In this curriculum, the English material is taught based on the text. One of the texts that have to be learnt is recount `text. The problem is, recount text writing is not only difficult to master by the students but also it is difficult to teach by the teachers. This is because recount text requires some components to consider, such as;

organization which needs all the necessary background of information that makes sense to the readers, and then, series of events which needs the activity of the events that is created in systematic order, the next is re-orientation which needs the conclusion by summarizing the result, or offering personal comment or opinion concerning the text. Considering to the importance of recount text for the students to master, it is very important for the teacher to apply the best way to teach recount text in order to achieve the objectives stated on the curriculum. In this research, the researcher used guided writing in the form of guiding questions as a technique because the researcher believes that by giving them such questions as a guide, then the students follow the questions while they are writing, they will express the idea in form of writing easily and their piece of writing will be better organized.

The objective of this research was to know whether there is significant difference of the students’ recount text writing ability in the terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects after being

taught by using guiding questions technique.This research was conducted based on the experimental method. It applied the control group pre test – post test design modified from the idea suggested by Setiyadi (2006).This

experimental method

deals with two groups; experimental class 1 and experimental class 2. The samples of the research are the second year students of SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung in the year 2009/2010. In determining the

experimental class 1 and the experimental class 2, the researcher uses Simple

Probability Sampling, using coin. Since the data is in the form of students’

ability in writing recount text, the data was collected by using two writing tests; pre-test and post-test.

The result of the test shows that there was a significant difference from pre test to post test after being taught by using Guiding Questions in the experimental class 1. The increase is from 53.9 up to 69.96. The application of the technique also increases all aspects of writing; content 15.53 up to 19.63, organization 12.9 up to 15.96, vocabulary 11.53up to 15.06, language used 10.9 up to 15.73, and mechanic 2.65 up to 3.53.The result of the computation shows that the value of two tailed significance was 0.000. It means that H1 was accepted and H0 was rejected since 0.00 < 0.05.It proves that the treatments given by the

V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

After conducting and analyzing the data, the researcher draws some conclusions as follows:

1. Guided writing in the form of guiding questions can be used to develop the students’ recount text writing ability in the terms of a). Content,

concerning knowledgeable substantive, relevant topic, and the

development of the topic, b). Organization, concerning ideas clearly stated, well organized paragraphing, c). Vocabulary, concerning words form mastery, effective word choice and usage, d). Language used, concerning to the effective complex construction, word order, articles, pronoun, preposition, and the last e). Mechanic, concerning the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and of paragraphing. It can be proved from the

increase of students’ average score in the pre test and post test.

2. Guided writing in the form of guiding questions enables the students to write recount text unity and coherently since the questions given before writing provide the students’ preparation with the information, the facts, and the details about the topic. Following the question also makes their writing flow smoothly.

B. Suggestions

In line to the conclusions above, the researcher would like to give some suggestions as follows:

1. Suggestions to the teacher.

a. English teacher should try to develop students’ recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects by using guiding questions technique because guiding questions help the students to write recount text coherently. In this research, the researcher found that guided writing in the form of guiding questions can be used to develop the students’ recount text writing ability. Due to the finding, the researcher suggests the English teacher try to use other forms of guided writing such as; guided writing in the form of model composition. In this type, students are

given a model text that has the same topic with students’ writing task.

Students can follow the model text but should change all information that is not suitable with them or guided writing in the form of guided vocabulary. This type of guided writing pushes the students to write some vocabularies related to the topic of their writing task. Students can make a list of those vocabularies and develop those vocabularies into sentences.

b. The English teacher should see the crucial writing aspects especially in the language used. The students can be trained by improving their grammar ability, for example, the teacher can emphasize on tenses, pronouns, punctuation marks, etc. They can be assigned to practice

writing composition about their daily habits intended to practice present form. While writing compositions, for example, about the

students’ unforgettable experiences intended to practice past tense form, etc.

2. Suggestions to other researchers

a. The researcher applied guided writing in the form of guiding questions

to develop the students’ recount text writing ability. Other researchers could apply other forms of guided writing such as; guided writing in the form of model composition or in the form of guided vocabulary to develop other kinds of texts, for example descriptive text, narrative text, etc.

b. In this research, the researcher conducted guided writing in the form of guiding questions to help students in Junior High School, especially in recount text. Other researchers can conduct this technique on different level of students. It can be for example, Senior High School.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Problem

Guideline of School Based Curriculum / Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (Depdiknas: 2006), which is applied by the government for all schools in Indonesia, leads the students to have real-life skills. Referring to the goal of teaching English stated in School Based Curriculum / KTSP for English subject, there are four skills to be mastered, they are listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

According to the curriculum, the goal of teaching learning at Junior High School is that the students must be able to develop communicative competence in written as well as in spoken to achieve functional literacy level. They are expected to be able to communicate both in spoken and written form to solve problems in their daily life. In this curriculum, the English material is taught based on the text. One of the texts that have to be learnt by the second year students of Junior High School is recount text. The students have to be able to understand and create a recount text coherently based on the social function and generic structure of the text.

In fact, this objective is very hard to achieve. Most of the students’ skills are far away from their learning target. Diharyono (1990: 1) says that students know or have the ideas what they are going to write but they do not know how to put them into words. They cannot build a good sentence. This might be caused by the following assumptions: firstly, the students do not know the specific technique that can guide them in developing their ideas (Juniarsih 2008: 65). Secondly, they almost never get writing exercises (Juwitasari 2005: 2). And thirdly, many English teacher still teach writing in conventional way and seldom use media and

technique in teaching source text for writing skills (Noprianto 2007: 59).

Wiliyanti (2006) conducted a recount text writing test to one of the classes of the second year students of SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung. The result showed that many students could not express their ideas in written form although they might know what would be written. They still could not understand or create a recount text although the teacher had explained it. Wiliyanti (2006: 40) reported that there were still some grammar mistakes or inappropriate vocabulary use. Most of the students were also not able to construct sentences in past tense and arrange the sentences coherently.

In line to this, Yuniarsih (2008: 65), found that many students could not express their idea smoothly in written form. Although they had been given a topic to write, they could not automatically start their writing assignment. In other words, although they have written several lines, they mostly find difficulties on how to continue their writing. These frustrate the students and as the result, they tend to

stop their writing. This is because they do not know specific technique that can guide them in developing their ideas and put them in written form.

Furthermore, Juwitasari (2005: 2) adds that nowadays, many English teachers still concern on teaching writing theoretically. The students are not encouraged to apply the theories given by the teacher on the paper. They almost never get writing exercises. It makes the students always confused when they are asked to write. Many English teachers still teach writing in conventional way and seldom use media and technique in teaching writing text (Noprianto, 2007: 59).

Consequently, the students would easily get bored in writing class and thought that writing is boring and difficult activity to learn. The fact proves that writing is still difficult for the students besides other skills.

Considering to the importance of recount text for the students to master, it is very important for the teacher to apply the best way to teach recount text in order to achieve the objectives stated on the curriculum. Referring to this, Wilkins (1983: 14) states that students’ learning depends on the effectiveness of the teacher techniques. Therefore, the use of various teaching techniques is necessary for motivating students to learn English, as well as for adjusting the material and avoiding the students’ boredom. By mastering a good technique, the teacher will be able to perform well in the teaching learning process and simultaneously will be able to achieve the target.

Thus, the teacher must guide the students in writing carefully in order to

brainstorm the students in expressing their ideas, their thought, their expressions, and their feelings.

Concerning the problems that the students faced when they tried to express their ideas into written form, a teacher should choose an appropriate technique in teaching recount text writing. One of the techniques which can be applied in teaching recount text writing is Guided Writing in the form of Guiding Questions. The researcher chooses guided writing in the form of guiding questions as a technique to develop the students’ ability in writing recount text because it gives the opportunity for the students to develop their own idea freely by answering the questions given by the teacher. The researcher believes that by giving them such questions as a guide, then, the students follow the questions while they are writing, they will express the idea in form of writing easily and their piece of writing will be better organized. The assumption above supports Raimes (1983: 101) who states that the guiding questions are used to allow students a little more freedom in structuring sentences. Carefully constructed questions will produce a coherent text.

Kartiningsih (1997) conducted research to explore how guided writing in the form of guiding questions can develop the students’ ability in writing. From the study, she only focused on the ability of the students of Vocational High School in writing letter, and she found that guided writing can develop the students’ ability in writing letter. She used a small group of students containing ten students as the sample of the population while the researcher is going to apply this technique in

how to write a recount text for the second year students of SMP and the sample taken was more than thirty students. The researcher chooses recount text since, based on the School Based Curriculum, one of the objectives of teaching is that the students have to be able to understand and create a recount text cohesively based on the social function and generic structure of the text. Another reason is that recount text is assumed to be appropriate with guided writing in the form of guiding questions.

From the descriptions above, the writer is going to use guided writing in the form of guiding questions to develop the students’ ability in writing recount text. He assumes that guided writing in the form of guiding questions will help the students arrange their ideas coherently. And the problems faced by the students when they do not know what they are going to write, will be solved since the questions made before writing flow coherently from the beginning to the end of the writing.

Hereby, the research is focused on the students’ recount text writing ability.

In other words, the writer conducts guided writing in the form of guiding

questions as a method in developing the students’ ability in writing recount text. Therefore, the research is entitled “Developing the Second Year Students’ Recount Text Writing Ability through Guiding Questions Technique at SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung.”

B. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background of the problem above, the writer formulated the problems as follows: Is there any significant difference of the student’s recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects after being taught by using Guiding Questions Technique?

C. Objective of the Research

Adjusted to formulation of the problem, the objective of this research was to know whether there is significant difference of the students’ recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects after being taught by using guiding questions technique or not.

D. Uses of the Research

Hopefully, the research could have the following uses:

1. Theoretically, it may support theories that guiding questions can be applied to develop the students’ recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects. 2. Practically, it may inform English teachers on how to teach recount text by

E. Scope of the Research

The research was conducted to the second year students of SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung. Based on the School Based Curriculum (KTSP) 2006 English Curriculum, in the first semester they should have already been taught about recount text. They also had already studied grammar, vocabulary,

preposition, and transitional signals in their previous level. One of the texts that had been learned by the students is recount text. So, the researcher used guided writing in the form of guiding questions in teaching recount text writing. The students’ achievement was evaluated through the recount text writing’s aspects; content, organization, vocabulary, language use, mechanic, and recount text structures (orientation, series of events, and re-orientation). The materials of teaching were taken from Smart Steps, an English textbook for first semester of the second year students of junior high school adapted from the English

curriculum of SMP 2006, School Based Curriculum. The topics which were discussed by the students in writing recount text were an unforgettable experience, an unforgettable trip, and visiting the doctor.

F. Definition of Terms

 Writing is a language skill in which a person expresses their ideas,

thoughts, expressions, and feelings which is used for communicating to the readers in the written forms by using knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, and of paragraphing arrangements.

 Guiding Questions is an activity in which the students are guided to express their ideas into the written form by giving them some questions related to the topic which is going to be written by the students, in order to minimize the mistakes made by the students and to help them organize their ideas coherently as long as they follow the questions given by the teacher.

 The conventional technique is the technique used by the teacher to teach writing without using any media.

 Content refers to substance of writing, the experience of the main idea (unity). It means that each sentence in paragraph should relate to the topic and develop controlling idea.

 Organization refers to the logical organization of the content (coherence). It contains sentences that are logically arranged and flow smoothly. Logical arrangement refers to the order of the sentences and ideas.  Vocabulary refers to the selection of words those are suitable with the

content.

 Language use refers to the use of the correct grammatical and syntactic pattern on separating, combining, and grouping ideas in words, phrases, clauses, and sentences to bring out logical relationships in paragraph writing.

 Mechanic refers to the use graphic conventional of the language (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)

 Recount text is one of the texts that recalls and reconstructs events, experiences and achievements from the past in a logical sequence (Orientation, series of events, and re-orientation).

 Orientation is one of the elements of recount text that provides the setting and introduces participants.

 Series of event is the element of recount text which tells the events chronologically. It begins from the first event, followed by the second event to the last event.

 Re-orientation is the element of recount text that concludes the events by summarizing outcomes or results. Not all recount text closed by

reorientation. It is optional.

 A text is a coherent set of symbol that transmits some kind of informative message. It consisting of single word and sentences to complete the book.

Thus, the teacher must guide the students in writing carefully in order to

brainstorm the students in expressing their ideas, their thought, their expressions, and their feelings.

Concerning the problems that the students faced when they tried to express their ideas into written form, a teacher should choose an appropriate technique in teaching recount text writing. One of the techniques which can be applied in teaching recount text writing is Guided Writing in the form of Guiding Questions. The researcher chooses guided writing in the form of guiding questions as a technique to develop the students’ ability in writing recount text because it gives the opportunity for the students to develop their own idea freely by answering the questions given by the teacher. The researcher believes that by giving them such questions as a guide, then, the students follow the questions while they are writing, they will express the idea in form of writing easily and their piece of writing will be better organized. The assumption above supports Raimes (1983: 101) who states that the guiding questions are used to allow students a little more freedom in structuring sentences. Carefully constructed questions will produce a coherent text.

Kartiningsih (1997) conducted research to explore how guided writing in the form of guiding questions can develop the students’ ability in writing. From the study, she only focused on the ability of the students of Vocational High School in writing letter, and she found that guided writing can develop the students’ ability in writing letter. She used a small group of students containing ten students as the sample of the population while the researcher is going to apply this technique in

how to write a recount text for the second year students of SMP and the sample taken was more than thirty students. The researcher chooses recount text since, based on the School Based Curriculum, one of the objectives of teaching is that the students have to be able to understand and create a recount text cohesively based on the social function and generic structure of the text. Another reason is that recount text is assumed to be appropriate with guided writing in the form of guiding questions.

From the descriptions above, the writer is going to use guided writing in the form of guiding questions to develop the students’ ability in writing recount text. He assumes that guided writing in the form of guiding questions will help the students arrange their ideas coherently. And the problems faced by the students when they do not know what they are going to write, will be solved since the questions made before writing flow coherently from the beginning to the end of the writing.

Hereby, the research is focused on the students’ recount text writing ability.

In other words, the writer conducts guided writing in the form of guiding

questions as a method in developing the students’ ability in writing recount text. Therefore, the research is entitled “Developing the Second Year Students’ Recount Text Writing Ability through Guiding Questions Technique at SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung.”

B. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background of the problem above, the writer formulated the problems as follows: Is there any significant difference of the student’s recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects after being taught by using Guiding Questions Technique?

C. Objective of the Research

Adjusted to formulation of the problem, the objective of this research was to know whether there is significant difference of the students’ recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects after being taught by using guiding questions technique or not.

D. Uses of the Research

Hopefully, the research could have the following uses:

1. Theoretically, it may support theories that guiding questions can be applied to develop the students’ recount text writing ability in terms of content, organization, vocabulary, language used, and mechanic aspects. 2. Practically, it may inform English teachers on how to teach recount text by

E. Scope of the Research

The research was conducted to the second year students of SMPN 1 Terbanggi Besar Central Lampung. Based on the School Based Curriculum (KTSP) 2006 English Curriculum, in the first semester they should have already been taught about recount text. They also had already studied grammar, vocabulary,

preposition, and transitional signals in their previous level. One of the texts that had been learned by the students is recount text. So, the researcher used guided writing in the form of guiding questions in teaching recount text writing. The students’ achievement was evaluated through the recount text writing’s aspects; content, organization, vocabulary, language use, mechanic, and recount text structures (orientation, series of events, and re-orientation). The materials of teaching were taken from Smart Steps, an English textbook for first semester of the second year students of junior high school adapted from the English

curriculum of SMP 2006, School Based Curriculum. The topics which were discussed by the students in writing recount text were an unforgettable experience, an unforgettable trip, and visiting the doctor.

F. Definition of Terms

 Writing is a language skill in which a person expresses their ideas,

thoughts, expressions, and feelings which is used for communicating to the readers in the written forms by using knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, and of paragraphing arrangements.

 Guiding Questions is an activity in which the students are guided to express their ideas into the written form by giving them some questions related to the topic which is going to be written by the students, in order to minimize the mistakes made by the students and to help them organize their ideas coherently as long as they follow the questions given by the teacher.

 The conventional technique is the technique used by the teacher to teach writing without using any media.

 Content refers to substance of writing, the experience of the main idea (unity). It means that each sentence in paragraph should relate to the topic and develop controlling idea.

 Organization refers to the logical organization of the content (coherence). It contains sentences that are logically arranged and flow smoothly. Logical arrangement refers to the order of the sentences and ideas.  Vocabulary refers to the selection of words those are suitable with the

content.

 Language use refers to the use of the correct grammatical and syntactic pattern on separating, combining, and grouping ideas in words, phrases, clauses, and sentences to bring out logical relationships in paragraph writing.

 Mechanic refers to the use graphic conventional of the language (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)

 Recount text is one of the texts that recalls and reconstructs events, experiences and achievements from the past in a logical sequence (Orientation, series of events, and re-orientation).

 Orientation is one of the elements of recount text that provides the setting and introduces participants.

 Series of event is the element of recount text which tells the events chronologically. It begins from the first event, followed by the second event to the last event.

 Re-orientation is the element of recount text that concludes the events by summarizing outcomes or results. Not all recount text closed by

reorientation. It is optional.

 A text is a coherent set of symbol that transmits some kind of informative message. It consisting of single word and sentences to complete the book.