70
ANI SUSANA, 2012
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
|
repository.upi.edu
A case study is chosen because the phenomena being observed is so complex that a variety of different kinds of data is needed in order to gain a full
picture Wray et al., 1988:188. The phenomenon was complex since, related to the research questions, the students’ problems in writing, especially EFL writing
and also writing for exam, might be varied. Therefore, it needed a variety of different kinds of data to gain a complete picture. In this case, the researcher used
triangulation of data collection methods involving classroom observation, interviews with the teacher and the students, and documentation of students’ texts.
Verschuren 2003, cited in Dornyei, 2011: 152 says that although case studies are typically discussed under the label of qualitative research because a
single case cannot be representative of a population, actual case studies often include quantitave data collection instruments as well as questionnaires. Thus, the
case study is not a specific technique but rather a method of collecting and organizing data so as to maximize our understanding of the unitary character of
the social being or object studied. Besides, it was a case study since it was carried out in “a small scale, a
single case” Stake, 1985: 278, cited in Emilia, 2005. It “focused on one particular instance of educational experience or practice” Freebody, 2003: 81,
employed “multiple data collections and analytic procedures” Freebody, 2003: 83.
3.3 Setting
The research was undertaken at an EAP course in a language center of a
71
ANI SUSANA, 2012
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
|
repository.upi.edu
state university in Bandung. The EAP course has two programs: TOEFL and IELTS training, but in this research, the IELTS training program was preferred
since IELTS has been a high stake test covering four language skills. The research site was chosen for several reasons. Firstly, this research site
has been conducting EAP courses focusing on the IELTS Academic Module for pre-departure students of the Directorate of Higher Education for several terms. It
is more reliable to conduct the research here than in an institution that has just opened a new EAP course focusing on the IELTS academic module.
Secondly, having been a teaching member in this language center for almost five years, the researcher hoped to get access easily to the research site, and thus
to increase feasibility of the study. The researcher’s familiarity with the situation in the research site was expected to lead to a more natural conduct of research, in
the context that normally occurs. In addition, this research site is easy to reach by the researcher. Moleong
2005:128 states that the limitation of geographies and practice such as time, cost and energy should be considered in determining the research site.
3.4 Participants
The population of this research consisted of the three-month IELTS training program students covering four classes and each class comprised 25 students on
average. Based on their performance during the lessons and the result of their practice tests, it was assumed that there was no significant difference in terms of
students’ achievement. The four classes’ mean scores of twelve practice tests were
72
ANI SUSANA, 2012
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
|
repository.upi.edu
quite similar. Besides, based on the preliminary study, it was shown that the students faced similar problems in completing Writing tasks. Therefore, the
researcher used one class as population. As to the sample, this research used purposive sampling in that participants were not chosen randomly as individuals.
With the help of the Writing teacher, who knew the students’ achievement well, the students were chosen as representatives of three groups, namely: above
average, average, and below average achievers based on their average IELTS scores for academic writing from the writing practice tests. Above average group
consisted of three students whose average score for writing was more than 5.5, average group consisted of three students whose average score for writing was
between 5 and 5.5, and the last, below average group comprised three students whose average score for writing was below 5.
All participants were between 30-38 years of age, four males and five males. They were originally from the Javanese ethnic group, having Bahasa Jawa as
their mother tongue. Bahasa Indonesia is their second language and English is thus their foreign language.
Six students involved in this study had taken English courses but none of them had taken any EAP course or the real IELTS test. All participants enrolled
this EAP focusing on IELTS training since they intended to take a PhD program in universities in Australia and England, and they were granted by the Directorate
of Higher Education for taking this course. All participants had studied English in Indonesia for more than six years at
junior and high school levels and are now university teaching members having
73
ANI SUSANA, 2012
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
|
repository.upi.edu
different majors. Their majors include Computer Science, Biology Education, Anthropology, Research and Education, Management, Hard Science Education,
Education Technology, Electrical Engineering, and Agricultural Engineering.
3.5 Data Collection
