Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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Figure 3.1. Balanced Model of Action Research Design Adopted from Lim 2007: 9
The CAR was conducted in two cycles see Nunan and Bailey, 2009: 227 each of which consisting of four-stage method in action research as proposed by
Kemmis and McTaggart 1988, i.e. planning developing a plan of action or
Identifying
Identifying a research problem
Sensitising
Understanding the problem through literature review andor analysis of collected data both quantitative and qualitative
Strategising
Developing an action plan
Implementing
Carrying out the action plan
Validating
Investigating if the action plan has been successful in solving the research problem through analysis of collected data both
quantitative and qualitative
Reporting
Writing the Action Research report
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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intervention, action putting the intervention in place, observation documenting and recording the effects of the intervention, and reflectionevaluating the
observations and using them as the basis for further action. The cycle is dynamic in that these four stages are interlinked and iterative, so that the research typically
results in a spiral of cycles. The cycles are described in Figure 3.2 below.
Figure 3.2. Action Research Cycle Adopted from ProDAIT 2011
In the planning stage, the lesson plans, the research instruments, and the criteria of success were prepared by the researcher and the classroom teacher.
There were 12 lesson plans prepared, six for each cycle. The instruments used in the teaching program were texts, realia, pictures, observation notes, and
observation checklists. In the action stage the researcher conducted what had been designed in the lesson plans. In the observation stage, the researcher and the
observer observe the teaching and learning process during the action stage. In the reflection stage, the researcher decided whether or not the results of the each cycle
achieved the criteria of success.
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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Furthermore, this study also implemented two research phases in action research
–the pre-action phase and the post-action phase see Lim, 2007: 8. Overall, there were three phases in this study, the pre-action phase preliminary
phase, the action phase, and the post-action phase. The implementation of these three phases will be presented in Chapter V.
3.2 Research Site and Participants
The study was undertaken in a seventh grade classroom at a State Junior High School in Kabanjahe. It is located in a small town in Karo Regency, North
Sumatra. This school has 15 classes which consist of five clasess of seventh grade, five classes of eighth grade, and five classes of ninth grade. For this study,
the researcher chose Class VII 1 which the classroom teacher voluntarily participated in this research as an observer.
There were several reasons for choosing this school as a site for this study. First, implementing the Genre Based Approach was considered as a new thing in
this school. Second, the researcher had an easy access to this school since the researcher is one of the English teachers at that school for more than 8 years.
Third, by having this access, it is hoped that the feasibility of this research was increased Emilia, 2005; Emilia et al., 2008.
The main participants of this research were the researcher as a participant- observer, a classroom teacher as the observer and a class of 28 students in Class
VII 1, aged between 12 and 15, 13 boys and 15 girls. For the , nine students from the class representing low, mid, and high achievers were selected and their texts
were analyzed. The three categories were identified by the teacher-researcher and another after the students wrote their texts in writing pre-test.
3.3 Data Collection
The techniques of collecting data in this research were focused on the purpose of the research. To fulfill the purpose of this study, the researcher used
both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The collection of both type of data collections methods is related to the triangulation of the data.
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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Triangulation was used in the study in order to avoid information bias during the research. Typically in action research, a wide variety of data were collected during
the study in order to achieve triangulation, which is highly recommended while carrying out this type of research Nunan, 1994; Cohen and Manion, 1994; Burns,
1999. The use of different data sources helps the researcher to “validate and
crosscheck findings” Patton, 1990: 244. Overall, there were five sources of data in this CAR, three qualitative and
two quantitative. Qualitative data were collected through classroom observation, samples of student
s’ texts and focus group interview. The quantitative data were gathered from students’ writing tests and questionnaire. In this way, data were
triangulated to ensure validity. Different sources gathered different types of information as shown in Table 3.1 and Table 3.2.
Table 3.1 Research Questions and Data Collecting Techniques
Research Questions Data
Collecting Technique 1
Data Collecting
Technique 2
Data Collecting
Technique 3
Data Collecting
Technique 4
1. Can the GBA help
improve students’ ability of writing descriptive
text? Classroom
Observations Video Records
Students’ Writing
Tests Samples of
Students’ Texts
Focus group Interview
2. What are
the students’ attitudes towards the
implementation of GBA in the teaching descriptive
text writing? Classroom
Observations Video Records
Question naire
Focus group Interview
Table 3.2 Data Sources
Researcher
Observation Notes Video Records
Students
Video Records Writing Tests
Samples of Texts Questionnaire
Interview
Classroom Teacher
Observation Checklists
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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3. 3.1 Classroom Observation
Regarding the research questions, classroom observation was the main data source in this study. It plays an important role in AR Koshy, 2005; Burns, 2010.
The classroom observation was chosen as it allows information to be recorded as it occurs in a particular setting and enables the actual behaviour of the teachers
and the students. Mills 2007 asserts that “observation is considered a valid and
true representation of the action”. Observation can be an effective means of identifying and reflecting on the classroom since it can take a number of forms.
The classroom observations were carried out in this present research with the objectives to identify how GBA is implemented in the teaching and learning
process. Apart from that, it also provided an insight on knowing how the students react or behave, specifically their attitude towards the implementation of GBA in
teaching writing performed by the teacher. The classroom observations in this study comprised twelve observations over four weeks. The classroom
observations were done in the second week of November to mid-December 2013. Each observation lasted for 80 minutes 2 x 40 minutes.
The data from the classroom observations were collected by using observation notes and observation checklists by looking at the implementation of
GBA in teaching and learning writing process and students’ attitude towards the implementation of the GBA. The researcher made the observation notes as soon
as after each session of the observations finished when the memory of the observations was still fresh as proposed by van Lier 1988. While the observation
checklists were filled in by the classroom teacher as the observer who observed the teacher-researcher activities during the implementation of GBA in the
teaching process. In conducting the observation, a video camera was used to gain a record of
the teaching and learning process. The reason for this activity was to avoid reactivity. Reactivity is when the participants do not behave normally because of
the presence of the researcher Alwasilah, 2009. The video camera was also used to capture the pictures of the physical environment of the classroom. One of the
advantages of video recording is that it allows the researcher to observe an activity
