revised in the best possible way to make sure that when implemented again in the following cycle the problems can completely be solved.
2. Working With A Critical Friend
A critical friend is a respected and trusted peer who can bring objectivity to own questions or add insight into potential obstacles that
arise when conducting research in the form of critical feedback Delong et al., 2005. The researcher chose a colleague who taught same subject at
the school. The researcher valued her teaching style and she chose her to support her because of her experience as a classroom teacher in the junior
level. The writer approached her because she was not directly associated with the students in researcher‘ group and she could rely on her to assist
the researcher of teaching reading skill to junior-aged students. This was the area where the researcher felt the least comfortable
because —unlike a classroom teacher—she had no training when she
began the study. The school has a strong sense of teamwork, so the researcher received constructive comments and assistance when things
were not going smoothly. Her colleague was helpful when she was struggling to keep the students interested in reading. She offered some
good suggestions and reminded me that the students need to be engaged in what they are reading. The researcher conversations with her led the
researcher to build computer time into the study group‘s lessons, which
improved student engagements.
3. Study Participants and Local Texts Selection Process
The researcher chose to share with Grade 7 students for three reasons. Firstly, those Grade 7 students are in the middle of the junior
years and so they are low interest and ability in reading learning process. Finally, the researcher felt that Grade 7 students are not able to read
effectively in doing task or test, and these students needed extra time to consolidate their reading ability.
The participants are chosen with only one reason; they need to improve their learning ability especially reading.
The participants are really wanted to know how to do the task and the test successfully.
In the classroom, students read a passage of local text and then answer questions about what they have read. The questions are designed
to test the students‘ abilities in organization a text by answering the questions. In this study, the researcher used the content map to remind
students how to organize a text. The content map contained of students writing about how to organize a text and other things which are relevant
to learning genre-based. The researcher met the all ten students twice in a week based on time schedule in school.
Principal permission to allow the students to participate in this study was necessary. Even though the researcher is an English teacher in
school, conducting this researcher was beyond her regular duties with the
students. In the parental information letter especially in taking students‘ picture photo, the researcher emphasized that she was completing this
thesis to improve her own practice and that the anonymity of all participants would be protected. Parents were informed that each student
would be assigned during the investigation and that their names would not be used; that data would be securely filed; and that all data would be
destroyed when the thesis paper was completed. The researcher followed the ethical considerations written in
Delong et al.‘s 2005 publication, as they mirrored her school board‘s expectations. ―It is necessary to respect and protect those who participated
in the research‖ Delong et al., 2005. p. 52. Parents were able to
withdraw their sons from the study at any time; however, none elected to do so.
Cooperation with the principal and the English teacher of the students was very important. The scheduling of the sessions occurred
outside of the students‘ extracurricular classes and the researcher considered the English
teachers‘ needs when the researcher designed the schedule. It can be very hard to keep a consistent schedule in a busy
school where the students are involved in many different events. The writer accommodated the student and English
teachers‘ schedules without compromising the students‘ opportunity to learn in their regular
classrooms and in other specially planned events.
It is important to state that the researcher used only her personal planning time to conduct the students‘ lessons. The writer did not
withdraw, remove or reschedule school board time away from the school community while completing her research.
It was also essential for these students to feel good about their participation. All of the students were familiar with the researcher as their
English teacher too and perceived other classroom as a welcoming place. The sessions were held in other classroom not theirs, where the students
felt comfortable. Since all students in the school visit them during the week, the participants
did not feel like ―special class‖ students coming out for extra help. They were eager to come out for English lesson times.
Although the students were aware that they needed to improve their reading ability, they also understood that their participation would help
teach the researcher how to improve her own practice. The researcher repeatedly told the students that she was learning from them. They
understood that they were helping her to become a better teacher by letting her try out different reading texts includes Local Texts with them.
The researcher respected their privacy and she showed her appreciation of their efforts to help the teacher with this study.
4. Overview of Local Text With Scanning
