general, and improving students’ outcomes. According to Peter and Robinson 1984 as cited by Baskerville 1999: 231, action research refers to a class of
research approaches, rather than a single, monolithic research method. As a class, the various forms of action research share some agreed characteristics and these
characteristics distinguish action research from other methodologies to social enquiry. It means that the research hopefully had brought good changes in the
class. New situation in the class that appreciates the difference among students was applied. The research was also intended to change the classroom paradigm
into interactive and communicative atmosphere. The research used action research because the researcher wanted to know
“how things are done” including conducting the experimental research and collecting the data. In this study the researcher offered solution to the participants
to solve the problems that have been identified. In this study the researcher analyzed and described how the situation and the implementation were going on
in the entire study not just at the beginning. The researcher improved the similarities between practical theories and
practices. The researcher also interpreted the aspects that caused changes or the improvements on the ability to communicate interactively of the participants.
B. Research Participants
The research was conducted in SMA Stella Duce Bantul Yogyakarta. The participants of the study were the twelfth grade students of SMA Stella Duce
Bantul. The students who became the participants of this research were taken PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
from one class. The class consisted of 15 students. The twelfth grade students of SMA Stella Duce Bantul needed English more than the other grades and their
expectation to interact in English was different from that of other levels such as students at elementary and secondary schools.
The researcher considered that the twelfth grade students had their critical activities to interact with others. The students were the main subjects of this
research study because the interactive materials had been adjusted to them. Through this study the researcher saw the changes that were expected in
interaction with others. The researcher wanted to know how the participants improved their ability to interact with others using the materials given.
C. Research Instruments
The researcher used field notes and observation sheets as the instruments of the research.
1. Field notes
Kemmis and McTaggart 1982: 197 explain that field notes are methods of reporting observations of and reflection about classroom problems and the
teachers’ own reaction to them. Whereas, the observation needed taking notes or recording whatever observed in order to have reliable result.
Field notes are written accounts of what the researcher hears, sees, experiences, and thinks in the course of collecting and reflecting on the data in the
qualitative research Bogdan and Biklen, 2003: 110. Field notes consist of two parts of materials. They are descriptive and reflective. The researcher’s best effort
to objectively record of details of the events was represented by descriptive part. The researcher should observe and report all the details rather than summarize or
evaluate. Bogdan and Biklen 2003: 114 explain that the reflective part contains sentences and paragraphs that reflect a more personal account of the course of the
inquiry. The researcher recorded the more subjective side of the research. It emphasizes on speculation, feelings, problems, ideas, hunches, impressions, and
prejudices. The researcher wrote everything which was important about students’ improvement.
In the research, researcher used descriptive field notes. The researcher could see the details of the events and could see the complicated situation.
Moreover, researcher could observe and record the actual events. The field notes also helped the researcher to answer the problem formulation. The data obtained
in the field notes provided description on students’ activities in the classroom, as well as their significant progress in assessing speaking ability. The field notes
were also aimed to see the factors that influenced the students and technique during the implementation.
2. Observation Check List Observational data are attractive as they afford the researcher the
opportunity to gather real data from real situation, so the researcher should enter and understand the situation that is being observed. Patton 1990: 203-5 as
quoted by Cohen 2000:305 explains that the researcher had opportunity to see what happens and takes place at the time rather than at second hand. According to
Morrison 1993:80 as quoted by Cohen 2000:305, observation enables researcher to gather data on:
a. The physical setting e.g. the physical environment and its organization; b. The human setting e.g. the organization of people, the characteristics and
make up of the group or individuals being observed, for instance gender, class, etc;
c. The interactional setting e.g. the interaction that are taking place, formal, informal, planned, unplanned, verbal, non-verbal, etc;
d. The programme setting e.g. the resources and their organization, pedagogic style, curricula and their organization.
The research was based on Morrison’s classification. In enabling the research the researcher to gather data on the program setting since it observed the
pedagogic style, the organization, the environment and the improvement of the students. Through this observation the researcher was also able to improve or
modify the techniques if it was not appropriate. Basically, the researcher used speaking rubrics to answer question of the
research. Speaking rubrics were intended as the medium to see the improvements of the students and to know the problems that they faced. Besides, the researcher
was able to know how the students improved their English speaking skill mastery during the implementation.
In the research, the researcher provided speaking rubrics that would be filled by observer. In the speaking rubrics and observation the observer was
supposed to observe the details of the student’s ability to speak in English as PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
presented in the speaking rubrics and observation. The successful indicators in speaking rubrics used in the research are as follows:
Table 3.1 Analytic Rubrics for Speaking Ability
Score 1
2 3
4 Content Minimal
completion of the task andor
responses frequently
inappropriate Partial
completion of the task,
responses mostly
appropriate yet undeveloped
Completion of the task,
responses appropriate and
adequately developed
Superior completion of
the task, responses
appropriate and with
elaboration
Comprehensibility
Barely comprehensible
responses Mostly
comprehensible responses,
requiring interpretation
on the part of the listener
Comprehensible responses,
requiring minimal
interpretation on the part of
the listener Readily
comprehensib le responses,
requiring no interpretation
on the part of the listener
Fluency Halting speech
and uneven with long pauses or
incomplete thoughts
Choppy speech andor slow
with frequent pauses, few or
no incomplete thoughts
Some hesitation but manages to
continue and complete
thoughts Continuous
speech with few pauses or
stumbling
Pronunciation Frequently
interferes with communication
Occasionally interferes with
communication Does not
interfere with communication
Enhances communicatio
n
Vocabulary Inadequate
andor inaccurate use
of vocabulary Somewhat
inadequate andor
inaccurate use of vocabulary
and too basic for this level
Adequate and accurate use of
vocabulary for this level
Rich use of vocabulary
Grammar Inadequate
andor inaccurate use
of basic language
structures Emerging use
of basic language
structures Emerging
control of basic language
structures Control of
basic language
structures
Taken from: Foreign Language Program Studies, Fairfax Country Public Schools, 2004
The researcher wrote everything that should be observed about the situation and students’ behavior. By doing so, the researcher would not miss every
progress that the students made.
D. Data Gathering Techniques
