Identification of problem Planning

3.4.1 Identification of problem

The ‘general idea’ is an essential statement, which links an idea to action Elliot, 1991:72. Here, the researcher observes the students’ ability in their descriptive production. Meanwhile, the process of English teaching and learning seems boring and not motivating the students. Based on the problem, the writer then suggested a kind of solution by using STAD technique in order to improve the students’ skill and understanding of descriptive text structure and make them feel involved in the teaching and learning process. In this research, the writer identified some problems who faced by the students in writing descriptive text, there were the students’ problem in mastered grammar especially the structural sentence in simple present tense and the students’ weakness in spelling words and their fluency when they read the text.

3.4.2 Planning

In this step, the writer explained about what, why, when, where, whom, and how action is done. Planning is done to give a solution for the identified problems. In this research, the writer used STAD Student Teams-Achievement Division technique in teaching descriptive text. STAD Student Teams- Achievement Division is one of the simplest and most flexible of the cooperative learning method, having been used in second grade up to twelve grades and in such diverse subject area as math, language art, social studies, and science. In the cooperative learning techniques, students are assigned to four or five members in groups, with each mirroring the others to make up the class in terms of ability, background, and gender. In order to improve the students’ skill in writing descriptive text, the writer used STAD. It is hoped that by STAD technique, the students can improve their skill in writing descriptive text. The writer did her research in an institution that she has been chosen before. The institution was State Junior High School 1 at Kesesi Pekalongan especially in VIII E class in academic year of 20082009. The writer conducted her action research on December 9 th until 16 th , 2008. The writer divided the activity into five 5 activities and was done in seven meetings. The first meeting was pre-questionnaire, the second meeting was pre-test, the third and the fourth were first cycle, the fifth and the six were the second cycle. The last meeting was post-test. It was also for giving a questionnaire.

3.4.3 Action