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CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODS
This chapter highlights the research method applied in this research covering research design, area determination method, respondents determination
method, operational definition of the key terms, data collection method, and data analysis method. The following sections explain each point in details.
3.1. Research Design
This research applied descriptive quantitative research design. According to McMillan 1992:144 descriptive quantitative research is a research which
describes a phenomenon in the form of numbers such as frequencies or percentage, averages, and sometimes variability. In this case, this research was
intended to describe the eighth grade students’ recount text writing ability at SMP Negeri 1 Tempeh Lumajang.
In order to conduct a systematic research, the procedures of the research were formulated as follows:
1. Selecting the problem of the research and determining the research design;
2. Determining the research area purposively;
3. Doing preliminary study, covering interview with the eighth grade English
teacher and documentation; 4.
Formulating the problems of the research; 5.
Determining the respondents of the research by using proportional random sampling;
6. Constructing the research instrument based on the standard competency of
writing for the eighth grade junior high school level in 2006 Institutional Based Curriculum;
7. Consulting the research instrument to the research consultants and the
eighth grade English teacher of SMP Negeri 1 Tempeh Lumajang; 8.
Collecting the data by administering writing test; 9.
Scoring the students’ writing by using inter-rater method and analytical scoring method;
10. Analyzing the results of students’ writing;
11. Classifying students’ recount text writing ability based on the
classification of score levels quantitatively; 12.
Analyzing which aspect of writing that was poorly achieved; 13.
Concluding the research result descriptively to answer the problems of the research;
14. Reporting the result of the research.
3.2. Area Determination Method
For the area determination of this research, the researcher applied purposive method. It is a method applied based on certain reasons or purposes
Arikunto, 1998:127. Therefore, this research was conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Tempeh Lumajang due to some technical reasons. Those reasons are stated as
follows: 1.
The Principal of SMP Negeri 1 Tempeh Lumajang and the eighth grade English teacher had granted permission to conduct this research at their
school; 2.
SMP Negeri 1 Tempeh Lumajang implemented 2006 Institutional Based Curriculum which covered the teaching of recount text writing for the
eighth grade students both in the first and second semester; 3.
The data about the students’ recount text writing ability through descriptive study had not been available yet in this school. From the result
of the research, the English teachers could get some information about the students’ recount text writing ability. It is hoped that the English teacher
could further help the students to overcome their problem in writing and find the best technique to teach writing.
3.3. Respondents Determination Method
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