16
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the description of the research method used in this study, including place and time of the research, method and design of the research, subject
of the research, researcher’s role in the research, , instrument of the research, data collecting technique, data analysing technique, trustworthiness, and criteria of
success.
A. Place and Time of the Research
The research took place in SMAN 8 Kota Tangerang Selatan, located at Jl. Cirendeu Raya No. 5, Kota Tangerang Selatan, Banten, 15419. Moreover, the
research was conducted only on Tuesday and Wednesday for approximately a month, which was started from January 6
th
until February 10
th
, 2015.
B. Method of the Research
The method used in this research was Classroom Action Research CAR. The rationale behind the application of this method is because, firstly, there were
problems in the classroom, and it should be solved. Secondly, students’ improvement was also needed to succeed the learning process. Lastly
, the teacher’s ability in teaching this subject needed improving.
The Classroom Action Research CAR procedures used in this research was Kurt Lewins design. Among several designs that could be used in classroom action
research, Lewin’s design was more comprehensible and understandable for the
researcher. Moreover, generally, Kurt Lewins design consists of cycles having four
phases per each. The phases are planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The figure below represents the cycles of Kurt Lewins design:
Figure 3.1 A Modified
Kurt Lewin’s Classroom Action Research Design
1
To make them clear about what happens in each phase, below is the explanation
about each phase:
1. Planning Phase
In the beginning, after identifying and diagnosing students’ writing problems
occurred in the class proven by interviewing the teacher, observing the class, and conducting the test, some plans related to how to solve the problems in the
classroom were made. The plans in this planning phase included designing lesson plan, determining technique, preparing materials and media, and determining
criteria of success. The organized planning was formed into lesson plan which was, then,
implemented to the students. Post-action tests were also prepared in order to know whether there were
some improvements on the students’ score achievement from each test.
2. Acting Phase
This phase was the implementation of planning phase contents. In this phase, the lesson plan made was implemented. In the first meeting, pre-action test was
conducted to know students’ writing skills before teacher indirect feedback was
implemented. Besides of that, it was also used to analyse the average number of
1
M. Djunaidi Ghony, Penelitian Tindakan Kelas, Malang: UIN-Malang Press, 2008, p. 64.
Observing Planning
Reflecting Cycle
Acting
words students could produce. Moreover, after the average number of words had been counted, then the range number of words students should be produced in the
next tests were standardised. In each cycle, three meetings were needed. The first cycle was conducted to
deliver some materials needing achieving. Then, the second meeting was used to conduct the tests. After the data had been collected, then feedback was given on
students’ paper. Lastly, the third meeting was used to revise their writing that teacher had put feedback on.
3. Observing Phase
In this phase, observation toward implementation of the action was carried out by using observation sheets and observation journals. In this phase, the data derived
from evaluation or post-action tests were also collected in order to know the changes made by the implementation of the action toward the subject of the
research.
4. Reflecting Phase
This phase was aimed to reflect the completely-done action in one cycle based on collected data. It is necessary to hold evaluation to discuss further about what
had and had not yet been achieved. Thus, the scope of reflection in this research involve analysing, synthesising, and assessing collected data. This phase, then,
determined the next plan, including what to do in the next cycle. Furthermore, when one cycle had not yet met the requirements of what to achieve, the next cycle should
be able to cover them.
C. Subject of the Research
The subject of the research was the students at XII IPA 4 class of SMA Negeri 8 Kota Tangerang Selatan, academic year 20142015. There were 14 male students
and 17 female students in the classroom.
D. Researcher’s Role in the Research
In this research, the role of researcher was not only as the researcher, but also as a lesson planner, a teacher, and a test maker collecting, analysing, and reporting
the results of the study.
E. Instruments of the Research
The instruments of this research were divided into two kinds. The first was non- test instrument including pre-interview guide, observation sheets, observation
journals, and questionnaire sheets. Then, the rest was test.
1. Pre-Interview Guide
The unstructured interview was done before implementing the CAR in order to deeply analyse the problems faced by the teachers and related to the class situation,
students’ achievement, and also students’ and teachers’ attitude toward the teaching and learning process of writing.
2. Observation Sheets
To describe students activities in the classroom while learning discussion text, four main aspects were observed. Those aspects were related to teachers problems
when she taught discussion text. They were students preparation preparing the data needed, diligence, involvement in the learning process, and submission
punctuality. The first aspect, students preparation, considered about whether students
prepared the data needed for their writing. In the end of each meeting, students were asked to find the data related to the next topic in the next meeting. Generally, the
teacher and the writer checked their readiness in the beginning of the class. The second aspect, students diligence, was related to students effort to do their writing.
The effort could be seen when they focused and spent more time doing the tasks, rather than talking to and disturbing others. Moreover, the third aspect, students
involvement in the learning process, was related to whether they are active in the learning process. Asking question, giving ideas, or sharing experience were some
of the indicators in this aspect. The last aspect, submission punctuality, actually took important role in order to give the teacher and the writer opportunity to give
feedback. Thus, students should submit their work in the end of the class. However, in order to give them more chance, the submission could also be done outside the
class, but it was on the same day.
3. Observation Journals
Observation journals were used in order to generally capture the situation in the teaching and learning process and also to add any information which were not
included in the observation sheets. Besides of that, the journal was also used in the reflection process by the end of the cycle. Below is the blueprint of observation
journals.
Table 3.1 Blueprint of Observation Journal
Cycle Meeting
Date Activities
Findings
I I
II III
4. Questionnaire Sheets
After the implementation of CAR, questionnaire sheets were distributed to add information related students’ opinion and thoughts about the learning of writing
discussion text by applying teacher indirect feedback. Students’ response was
divided into three answers; Agree, Not Sure, and Disagree. Indicators used in this questionnaire were as follow:
Table 3.2 Specification of Questionnaire
No. Indicators
Total Items Number
Positive Negative
1 Guidance
3 2
1, 4, 5, 6, 7
No. Indicators
Total Items Number
Positive Negative
2 Help
5 8, 9, 10, 14, 15
3 Information
2 2, 3
4 Knowledge
3 11, 12, 13
Total 13
2
5. Tests
In this research, tests were conducted to measure students writing skills improvement. The tests were essay tests for each and were divided into three steps;
pre-action, post-action I, and post-action II. In pre-action test, students were asked to have freewriting, then the number of words produced would be used to
standardise the range of number of words students had to produce.
F. Data Collecting Technique
In this research, the data were collected from both qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate the improvement in teaching and learning process. Qualitative data
were collected through interview, observation, and questionnaire to capture description about the implementation of teacher indirect feedback technique. Then,
quantitative data were collected through test which was divided into two kinds; pre- test and post-test.
1. Interview
The unstructured interview was done before implementing the CAR in order to deeply analyse the problems faced by the teachers and related to the class situation,
students’ achievement, and also students’ and teachers’ attitude toward the teaching and learning process of writing.
2. Observation
During teaching and learning process in the classroom, the observation was done by using structural and open observation. Structural observation was carried
out by using observation sheets in order to notice the four aspects that needs observing. Besides of that, observation journals were also used as open observation
in order to have further information about the other aspects that were not provided in the observation sheets.
3. Questionnaire
Post- action questionnaire was conducted know students’ responses about the
implementation of teacher indirect feedback. The result of questionnaire, then, was used to help strengthen the data used in this research.
4. Test
To measure students writing skills, essay tests were conducted. They were divided into two kinds; pre-action test and post-action tests. Pre-action test was
conducted before the implementation of teacher indirect feedback. Then, post- action tests were conducted in order to measure students improvement after the
technique had been applied. In each test, students were asked to write an essay about the chosen topic. The topic had been informed before the post-action test to let them
find things they needed.
G. Data Analysing Technique
Analysing data was done to simplify data to be readable and interpretable data which, later, would be used to draw conclusion. In analysing data gained from
questionnaire sheets, the researcher tabulated the frequency of students’ responses,
to transform the data into percentage and then the data were analysed. The highest percentage could be interpreted as respondents’ tendency about the subjects, while
the lowest percentage could be interpreted as a tendency that did not describe respondents’ opinions.
2
Likert scale was used in tabulating the score as it gave a gradation about the responses, for example, Always, Often, Sometimes, Never.
3
In
2
Nana Sudjana, Penilaian Hasil Proses Belajar Mengajar, Bandung: PT. Remaja Rosdakarya, 2009, p. 128.
3
Sugiono, Metode Penelitian Pendidikan, Bandung: Alfabeta, 2010, p. 135.
this research, the researcher modified the scale by using Agree, Not Sure, and Disagree to know students’ responses toward the implementation of teacher indirect
feedback.
Table 3.3 Likert Rating Score, Adapted from Sugiono
4
Positive responses Negative Responses
Agree 3
1
Not Sure 2
2
Disagree 1
3
Besides of that, in analysing the data from observation sheets, the researcher firstly tabulated the score for each aspect by using the rubric below:
Table 3.4 Rubric of Observation Sheets
No Aspects
Sub-Aspects Score Assessment Criteria
1 Diligence
3 Seriously doing the task
2 Seriously doing the task if
supervised 1
Not seriously doing the task
2 Involvement
in learning process
Response to teacher’s
explanation 3
Actively paying attention to teacher’s explanation
2 Not really actively paying attention
teacher’s explanation, sometimes 1
Not paying attention to teacher’s explanation
Involvement in group
3 Actively involved in group
discussion 2
Not really actively involved in group discussion, sometimes
4
Ibid.
No Aspects
Sub-Aspects Score Assessment Criteria
2 Involvement
in learning process
Involvement in group
1 Not actively involved in group
discussion Interaction
with the teacher
3 Often or Actively interact
2 Sometimes
1 Never
3 Preparation
3 Bring the framework and has met
the criteria 2
Bring the framework but has not met the criteria
1 Do not bring the framework
4 Submission
Punctuality 3
On timeOn the day 2
On the next day 1
On the next two days or more
Separately, data gained from observation and questionnaire were tabulated, formed into percentage, and then analysed. Below is the formula to form the data
into percentage:
5
� ��� � � = � � �
��� � � �
After the data had been formed into percentage, they were, then, analysed and interpreted according to the following table:
Table 3.5 Score Interpretation Criteria, Adapted from Riduwan and Sunarto
6
Percentage Interval Description
81 - 100 Very Good
61 - 80 Good
5
Riduwan and Sunarto, Pengantar Statistika untuk Penelitian Pendidikan, Sosial, Ekonomi, Komunikasi dan Bisnis, Bandung: Alfabeta, 2013, p. 23.
6
Ibid.
Percentage Interval Description
41 - 60 Enough
21 - 40 Bad
0 - 20 Very Bad
Moreover, students tests writing ability, analytical scoring rubric adapted from J. B. Heaton was used. There are five aspects in the analytical scoring rubric, i.e.,
content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. The table below is the analytical scoring rubric:
Table 3.6 Analytical Scoring Rubric
7
Aspects Score
Judgement
Content 30
–27 knowledgeable, substantive 26
–22 some knowledge of subject, adequate range 21
–17 limited knowledge of subject, little substance 16
–13 does not show knowledge of subject, non-substantive
Organization 20
–18 fluent expression, ideas clearly stated 17
–14 somewhat choppy, but main ideas stand out 13
–10 non-fluent, ideas confused or disconnected 9
–7 does not communicate, no organization
Vocabulary 20
–18 sophisticated range, effective word choice and usage 17
–14 adequate range, occasional errors, but meaning not
obscured 13
–10 limited range, frequent errors 9
–7 little knowledge of English vocabulary
Language Use
25 –22 effective complex construction
21 –19 effective but simple construction
17 –11 major problems in simplecomplex construction
10 –5
virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules
7
J. B. Heaton, Writing English Language Tests, UK: Longman, 1988, p. 146.
Aspects Score
Judgement
Mechanics 5
demonstrates mastery of conventions 4
occasional errors of spelling, punctuation 3
frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization 2
dominated by errors of spelling, punctuation, etc.
In tabulating the score, each aspect in the rubric was counted. Then, to get the mean of students writing score in each test, the formula below was used:
8
Mx = Σx
N Notes:
Mx = mean
�x = individual score
N = number of students
To know the class percentage that could pass the minimum mastery criteria, the formula used was:
9
� = � � Notes:
P = the class percentage
F = total percentage score
N = number of students
H. Trustworthiness
