165 be significantly effective in developing students’ speaking skills. Other than that,
the action was found to have grown student’ collaborative learning skill quite
significantly. As students had gone through the overall learning process, they were able to achieve the best of their individual learning outcome.
166
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents a conclusion to the research. It provides a reflection on the implementation of teaching strategies based on differentiated instruction as
well as collaborative learning.
A. CONCLUSIONS
In the world of EFL, some teachers find teaching mixed-competence students in the same classroom inevitable at some situations. A lot of special
efforts are required to teach mixed-competence classes, particularly in English speaking subject due to the number of problems existing in this kind of class. This
study serves as an initiative to cope with those seemingly complex problems. Thus, this study came with two research questions: 1 Is differentiated instruction
incorporated in the action taken to solve the problems in an English speaking class of mixed-competence learners?; 2 How effective is the action in developing
learners’ speaking skills as well as promoting learners’ collaboration skill? This section summarizes the findings that contribute in the quest for the answers of the
research questions. Responding to the research questions, the participatory action research
Kemmis, et al., 2014 was carried out to help participants discover the proper action to facilitate the teaching learning activities of speaking classes with mixed-
competence learners since action research serves a means of finding effective solutions for local problem and increase work effectiveness Stringer, 2007
167 through the empowerment of the participants. Thus, this action research adopted
maximum involvement from all students as the participants in this research. In the effort to answer the first research question, all participants were
involved in a class discussion session prior to the action research commencement. The discussion session was conducted to start raising awareness among the
students regarding the problems that existed in mixed-competence classes, in which they belonged to. In the local context, those problems might well hinder
students in achieving the course goal, which was to be able to speak English for general communication purposes including conversations and oral presentations in
both formal and informal contexts. Once their awareness was raised, the students were invited to deliberate some solutions to solve those problems. It was,
however, anticipated that the students might come up with unsuitable solutions. Therefore, some concepts proven to have been successful in coping with mixed-
competence classes were offered in the negotiation process. At the end of the discussion session, the participants proposed to carry out
a set of action, which comprised the following strategies: 1 fun learning environment; 2 extensive speaking practices; 3 collaborative learning. All
participants also consented to incorporate differentiated instruction principles as the fundamental basis of the teachinglearning process conduct, which formed the
answer for the first research question. Those strategies were conjoined in a set of action expected to be effective in solving the problems of this mixed-competence
speaking class. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
168 The action research was carried out in three cycles, each of which
consisted of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The overall action formulated before was implemented throughout these three cycles of action
research, during which a series of data were collected as well. To answer the second research question regarding the effectiveness of the action in developing
speaking skill, a progress test was administered at every end of the cycle to obtain quantitative data.
The progress test results were compared to the pre-test result administered prior to the course commencement using a one-way repeated measured ANOVA.
There was a significant effect from the action, Wilks’ Lambda = .083, F 3, 6 = 22.16, p .05, multivariate partial eta squared = .92. Based on the commonly used
guidelines proposed by Cohen 1988, p.284-7, as cited in Pallant, 2011, p.263, .01=small, .06=moderate, .14=large effect,
the result suggested a very large effect. From this result, it was concluded that the action was effective in
enhancing students’ speaking achievement. To answer the second research question related to students’ improvement
in learning process, which in this case was the action effectiveness in improving students’ collaboration skill, both quantitative and qualitative data were used. The
qualitative data were obtained through researchers’ observation field notes, students’ reflective journals, and in-depth interview with students. Meanwhile, the
quantitative data were collected through pre- and post- program questionnaire. Qualitatively, despite the inconstancies in the dynamics of students learning
process, it subsequently turned out that students’ collaboration skill increased due
169 to the behaviors observed during the action research period. This result was in
accordance with their questionnaire responses. Quantitatively, their responses in the pre- and post- test were compared. A Wilcoxon signed-ranked test
demonstrated a statistically significant improvement on stu dents’ collaboration
skill between the pre-program Mdn = 3.5 and post-program Mdn = 3.78, z = - 2.55, p = 0.011, with a medium effect size r = .49. Therefore, it was evidenced
that the action taken during the research was moderately effective in promoting the participants’ collaboration skill.
The empowerment of all participants became the key of success in this research. Therefore, the action determined and taken by OMI students in
overcoming those existing problems was found to be effective in enhancing their learning process as well as speaking skills, which was confirmed in the study
results. Learning strategies rooted in differentiated instruction were effective in promo
ting learners’ collaboration and learning autonomy. Besides, those strategies g
ave significant contributions in developing students’ speaking skills. Overall, the incorporation of differentiated instruction strategies and collaborative
learning in a fun learning environment was found to be effective in improving students’ collaborative learning skill, as well as developing speaking
achievements.
B. IMPLICATIONS
The overall process of action research had contributed a major change in both the teachers and the students’ perspectives on being in a mixed-competence
170 English speaking class. Both of them probably had much fear and worries about
how the teaching learning process would go when the students did not even have similar linguistic knowledge, not to mention they had different learning
preferences and styles. This action research shed lights to those academic practitioners who teach non-streamed students in non-formal institution to have
more positive view towards teaching mixed-competence classes. That is, improving the situation taking place in such classrooms is not impossible. It is
attainable to use the resources available within the classroom to create more acceptable and positive teaching learning atmosphere, although it is among
students with great differences. Learning from this research, other teachers who handle students with
similar characteristics, both for English or non-English subjects, may do as what has been done in this research. It is also possible for teachers to adopt and adapt
the strategies implemented in this research depending on the students’ characteristics and needs. After all, teachers can be more reflective in their
teaching practices, so that they can also invite their students to be also be reflective learners.
Through this action research, additionally, students’ quality as a human
being is raised as they were empowered and emancipated in the process of their own learning.
Moreover, students’ self-actualization is promoted as their talents and potentials are realized and fulfilled. Despite their various differences, they
are viewed equally as a student with the same rights to study in a positive learning atmosphere. As in this research, it is hoped that they could promote the
