Validity and Reliability RESEARCH METHODS

48 X = ∑� � X : mean ∑x : total score N : total students

F. Validity and Reliability

As stated by Anderson et al. 1994, in Burns, 1999: 162, there are five criteria to fulfill the validity of an action research. Those are democratic validity, outcome validity, process validity, catalytic validity, and dialogic validity. In this study, all of them were used to indicate the validity of this study. The explanations of them are given below: 1. Democratic validity Here the researcher is being democratic, receiving others’ opinion in order to make the research better. The researcher worked together with other parties in developing the research. The researcher held a discussion with the English teacher regarding to the findings she got from her own observation. The researcher asked for suggestions of the matters the English teacher thought needed to be modified, added, or omitted. The researcher also consulted the supervisor for improvement of the content, the actions, as well as the writing of the thesis itself. 2. Outcome validity It is related to the notion of action leading t o outcomes that are ―successful within the research context. The actions of research were able to solve more than one 49 problem in teaching-learning process, for example ones which are related with writing skills, motivation and involvement. 3. Process validity It is related to the steps of research method that raise questions about the process of conducting the research. The steps of an action research are first reconnaissance, continued with planning of the actions, the implementation of the actions, and finally the reflection of what has and has not being achieved from the actions. The researcher did the reconnaissance by doing observations to the teaching and learning activities and interviewing the teacher. She planned the actions by collaborating with the teacher. For the action and reflection, she collected the data by doing observation, interviewing the students and the English teacher, and doing writing tests. From the findings of the data, the researcher could analyze whether the actions performed succeeded in improving the students. 4. Catalytic Validity The validity is related to how the research is being useful for every participant of the research. For the English teacher, she gets more knowledge on how to teach writing in a fun way and for the students, they will be more motivated to learn English especially writing as it can be conducted in a fun way. The actions performed were also to show the students that learning English is not actually something torturing. The researcher wanted to prove them that they actually can learn through playing. 50 5. Dialogic validity The results of the research will not be kept by the researcher herself. Instead, after the completion of the thesis, the researcher will share it either to gain suggestion or to share the researcher’s knowledge about the study. Before, the researcher had had discussions with the fellow students of English Education Department for gaining suggestions to improve the substance of the study. Any criticisms, ideas and suggestions for the improvement of this thesis are greatly appreciated. On the other hand, to test the trustworthiness of the research, Burns 1999: 164 proposes 3 triangulation techniques, and three of them were used in this research study. The techniques are: a. Time triangulation The data were collected from more than one cycle. The first cycle was used for improving the situations with the actions. The second cycle was used for improving the cases that were successfully improved during the first cycle. b. Investigator triangulation More than one observer were involved during the research to avoid researcher being biased and to give chance for discussions in finding the solutions for the problems. The researcher took the role as the teacher during the research, and the teacher herself were observing the class. The researcher did some discussions with the teacher after the teaching and learning process related to which matters that had and had not worked well, and the solutions that considered appropriate. c. Theoretical triangulation 51 The data were not analyzed only from one viewpoint. As stated, the researcher would act as the teacher of the class while the teacher’s job was to observe the class during the lessons. The researcher collected the information from the teacher’s observation and her own observation through vignettes and interviewing the students. The data were collected into one.

G. Research Procedure