This data gathering process was taken place in Mechanical Engineering Study Program, Vocational College, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.They studied in a
comfortable room complete by AC and Wi-Fi connection. They came from different school and different level of proficiency. There is no placement test. It was done on
February- May. Action research was conducted in three cycles which covered 3 lesson units.
D. The Instruments of Collecting Data
The strategy of collecting data in this research divided into two, first, qualitative data gathering and quantitative data gathering. The instruments were the observation
and interview, meanwhile, quantitative data gathering were the questionnaire and test. Observation was done dealing with the real situation of teaching learning
process. “Observation is the process of gathering open-ended, firsthand information
by observing people and places at a research site” Creswell 2012:213. In this study, the researcher conducted observation to the target learners who were also the
participants of the study. By doing so, the researcher was able to record actual information. Observation is conducted to get the real situation of mechanical
engineering students when they are learning reading. The observation is done before treatment and also while doing the treatment. The researcher prepared the observation
sheet before conducting the observation. It was used to record what is going during the class. It was also aimed to gets any information needed during the observation in
the classroom.
The other is interview. The researcher also as teacher interviewed from pre- research and at the end of each cycle. Pre-research was made in order to recognize
the real problem which faced by the students especially reading. At the end of each cycle, the interview was made to gain students reflection from the activities in the
cycle. Interviewing is a technique that primarily used to gain and understanding of the underlying reasons. In this research the researcher used the free-guided interview. It
is an interview which is developed to gain detail information. Creswell 2012 states the advantage of interview, “they provide useful
information when you cannot directly observe participants, and they permit participants to describe detailed personal information” p. 218. The interview in this
research is useful to explore the participants’ answers which could not be gained through the questionnaire. In the interview the participant could express their
experiences, feeling and reflection in using The Hot Potatoes. Second, the strategies of collecting data were questionnaire and test.
Questionnaire is one of instrument to get empirical data for need analysis. “Questionnaires are documents that ask the same questions of all individuals in the
sample” Gall, Borg Gall 2003, p. 222. In questionnaire, it is the participants who control the data collection process.
This research used the closed-ended and open-ended questions. Creswell 2012 explains that closed-ended questions are useful to support theories and
concepts. On the other hand, the open-ended questions allow the researcher to find out the reason and comments on the closed-ended questions. The questionnaires were
distributed to the students as the participants.
Test was used to get the data result on learning process of reading. The tests were the pre-test, cycle I test, cycle II test and cycle III test. The tests were given in
the written paper test. The pre-test was given before implementing Hot Potatoes exercises in reading. On the other hand, the test in every cycle was used to recognize
the improvement. The test was held at the end of meeting in each cycle. According to Borg 2007 there are five validity criteria in evaluating the
credibility and trustworthiness of action research studies. They are outcome validity, process validity, democratic validity, catalytic validity and dialogue validity.
Outcome validity involves the extent to which actions occur that lead to a resolution of the problem under study or to the completion of a research cycle that result in
action. Borg 2007: 609 gives definition of these five validities as I cited below:
Process validity addresses the adequacy of the process of reserxh ausch as data collection analysis and interpretation, and whether trangulation of
data sources and methods was used to quard against bias. Democratic validity indicates the extent to which the reserch is done in collaboration
with all parties. Catalytic validity examines the degree to which the action research energizes the paticipants. While the research promotes a
reflective dialoque among all the participants in the reserach.
In this study, the researcher uses the process validity. The classroom action research will be credibility and trustworthiness when the adequate of process and can
be used correctly using different phases of research like the way the data collection, analysis and interpretation and whether triangulation of data sources and methods
have been used to guard against bias.
E. Technique of Collecting Data
In this classroom action research, the researcher collected the data using qualitative and quantitative method. Mason and Bramble 1997: 42 say that action
research is designed to uncover effective ways of dealing real world problems. Action research is not confined to a particular methodology or paradigm. The action research
may utilize qualitative or quantitative methodology or mixture of both. The technique of collecting data by using qualitative method may consist of the
observation, interview. The quantitative techniques were the questionnaire and test. The questionnaire was a need-analysis questionnaire. It consisted of closed-
ended questions. The students were asked as shown in table. The aim of the questionnaire was to find out the real problem in reading competence.
Indonesian translation was written under each statement to help students interpret the context more easily and clearly. All questionnaires were conducted in
class so that teacher could give a clear explanation to students and clarify all questions raised. The questionnaires were used to know the students needs and the
response on the application of the cycles in order to help them to improve their reading competence. The questionnaire contained some items. The questioneire
consisted of reading competence, the need of reading skills and the use of technology in reading. The students who became participants in interview, their names were
shadowed in order to keep their privacy. Here is the blueprint of the questionnaire.
