3.3 Variable and Hypotheses
In statistics and testing, a variable is a property whereby the members of a set of group differ from one another for examples, the level of interest each creates, the
amount of teaching time each method is used for and how difficult each method is used. This part also focuses on the hypotheses of the research.
3.3.1 Variable
Brown 1989: 7-8 states that “variable is something that may vary, or differ.”
According to the statement, variable is something that may make two things or two actions different or various in some ways. A variable is essentially what we
can observe or quantity of the human characteristics or abilities involved. Best 1981: 59 also states that “variables are the conditions or
characteristics that the experimenter manipulates, controls, or observe.” According to Wiersma 1987: 25, “a variable is characteristic that takes on
different values or conditions for different individual.”
The main variables in the research are usually the dependent and independent variable. So, the variables of this study were:
3.3.1.1 Independent Variable “Independent variable is the factor that is measured, manipulated, or selected by
the experimenter to determine its relationship to an observed phenomenon” Tuckman, 1978: 58-58. The independent variable was introduced on both
groups. Independent variable is stimulus variable or input. Based on the definition, the independent variable was the use of BBC Nature video and Flash
Card in teaching Descriptive text.
3.3.1.2 Dependent Variable “Dependent variable is the factor that is observed and measured to determine the
effect of the independent variable, that is, the factor that appears, disappears, or varies as the experimenter introduces, removes, or varies the independent
variable” Tuckman: 1978: 59. Dependent variable is a response variable or output. Based on the definition, the dependent variable of this study was the
students‟ ability in writing descriptive text.
3.3.2 Hypotheses