4 for the students to stimulate their mind to get idea, to arrange the idea they have
got in the right order and finally to make a better recount text. Picture series is also an interesting media
that can be used to attract the students’ attention and raise their motivation in teaching and learning process. This media is very
appropriate for the students of SMP Pembangunan Piyungan since this is a very simple media that can improve their motivation in learning.
Based on those reasons above, in this research the researcher takes a title “Improving Students’ Writing Ability by Using Picture Series at Grade VIII in
SMP Pembangunan Piyungan”. Hopefully, the results of this research will give meaningful benefits for education in this country.
B. Identification of the Problems
Based on the observation and interview that the researcher conducted with several students and the teacher, some problems in the teaching and learning
process in writing class are found. Some problems relating to the student were also seen during the observation. The first problem was that the students feel
unconfident and reluctant to start to write a recount text. They found it difficult to find a story or idea to write. Some of them were hesitant to begin the writing, even
to answer teacher’s question. Second, they had not known text types yet. They could not distinguish one text type from another. Some of them still did not know
generic structure of the text, so sometimes their writing was not well-organized. The third problem was that they lack in grammar comprehension. Almost
all of them still did not understand the grammar rules and they were still confused about subject and verb agreement. They also could not use punctuation correctly.
5 Moreover, their teacher had not taught them about punctuation yet and she even
gave them wrong examples in using punctuation in the class. In the teaching and learning process the students also did not pay attention to the teacher’s
explanation. They were playing around with their friends and did not take contribution in the teaching and learning process.
The other problems that related to the teacher were also revealed. The first problem was that the teacher did not conduct proper teaching and learning
method. The teacher was only explaining and giving the students assignments along the teaching and learning process. The teacher only gave assignments to the
students and collected them back. She did not check the answer or discuss it with the students in the class. She never gave feedback to their work which could be
used by the students to improve their learning, praise and motivation to the students.
The next problem was the use of input and media. The teacher did not use interesting and appropriate input and media in teaching and learning process,
although the school had good facilities such as LCD projector and speakers that could be used in teaching and learning activities. She found that searching and
making suitable material for the students from the internet were difficult. She uses a text book which is launched by the government and can be downloaded freely in
the internet entitled “When English Rings a Bell” but none of the students have the book. Sometimes she takes the material from the text book as supplementary
material. To solve this problem the teacher often uses LKS in the teaching and
6 learning process since all of the students have it. This makes the students feel
bored and are not interested in joining teaching and learning process.
C. The Limitation of the Problems
In reference to the background of the problems and identification of the problems above, the researcher found several problems all of which were
impossible for the researcher to deal with. Based on the classroom observation and interview with the English Teacher and some students, the researcher found
out that writing skill was the weakest skill of VIII Class students of SMP Pembangunan Piyungan. Thus this study focuses on improving students’ writing
skill. Because the focus of the study is in writing skill, the researcher chooses recount text to be used in this research. The reason is that based on the 2013
Curriculum recount text is one of the texts that is taught in the second semester in VIII Class of Junior High School.
The researcher decided to use a picture series as the media in this study since picture series has several benefits. First, picture series can help the students
to generate their idea. Second, picture series can lead the students to put the event in correct order. Third, picture series is one of the interesting media that can be
used in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, after some consideration and discussion with the English teacher as the collaborator, the researcher decides to
focus the study on improving students’ writing ability by using picture series in grade VIII at SMP Pembangunan Piyungan in the academic year of 20142015.
7
D. Formulation of the Problems
Based on the background, identification and limitation of the problems above, the research problem can be formulated as follows
“How can a picture series be used to improve students’ recount writing ability in grade VIII students
of SMP Pembangunan Piyungan?”
E. Objective of the Study
The objective of the research is to improve the students’ writing ability of
grade VIII of SMP Pembangunan Piyungan by applying picture series as the media in the teaching and learning process.
F. Significance of the Study
This study offers some benefits in both theoritical significance and practical significance. Theoritically it is expected that the final result of this
research is useful for enriching the research in English teaching and learning for Junior High School students, especially in writing skill, and particularly in
recount text. This research is also expected to be useful as a bibliography variation to the readers in order to give more knowledge in relation to English
teaching and learning and teaching writing: how a picture series can improve Junior High School students’ writing ability.
Practically, this research is expected to bring some benefits. For the headmaster of the junior high school, it will provide some inputs to improve the
quality of English teaching and learning in the school. For the teacher, the result of the study will give general picture about the success and effectiveness of
teacher’s method in teaching writing. For the students, this research will develop
