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Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter discusses the components of research method of the present study including the research design, the research site, the participants, the data
collection, the data analysis, the criteria of success and the research schedule.
3.1 Research Design
This study was designed as a Classroom Action Research henceforth mentioned as CAR. CAR as an integral part of Action Research, deals with
educational research as a social practice. Action Research has been defined by Carr and Kemmis in Nunan and Bailey, 2009: 226-227 as:
a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in order to improve the rationality and justice on their own practices, their understanding of those
practices and the situations in which the practices are carried out.
Meanwhile, CAR is defined as an inquiry which is conducted systematically to inform practice in a particular situation. Through CAR, teachers discover best
practices in their own classroom situation. Thus, teachers will make decision about teaching based on empirical evidence Mettetal, 2003. A very specific
characteristics of CAR is that it is conducted in the classroom and the focus of the study is the interaction between the researcher and the participants. The researcher
involves as much as possible in the process and experience of the participants. In this study, CAR is defined as a process of investigating problems about
teaching and learning descriptive text writing by implementing GBA that is undertaken in a systematic way by a teacher-researcher who want to better
understand her own work. The teacher-researcher conducted a research study to help her improve her teaching practice and the learning of her students.
In practice, this CAR employed a mixed method research design. According to Lim 2007, a mixed methods research design is most applicable in action
research since this design involves the collection and analysis of both quantitative
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
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and qualitative data in a single study Creswell, 2005. The collection of quantitative data is critical to this study because it is a part of the triangulation.
The quantitative data helped determine the impact of the effectiveness of the GBA in the teaching of writing and in stu
dents’ writing achievements. The collection and analysis of the data were done separately and the findings were then
combined. Cohen et al. 2007 say that the CAR takes place when a single teacher
works with hisher own class as heshe feels the need to improve hisher teaching and learning experiences. This study also took advantage of the AR format which
allowed the researcher to take hisher role as a teacher in the classroom Mills, 2007, enact a specific teaching methodology, and directly observe the effects of
the teaching methodology on student attitudes towards the teaching program. The researcher was the teacher who directly taught the students and collaborated with
the students and the classroom teacher as the observer. By doing it collaboratively, it was hoped that this can bring benefits to the teacher
–researcher, classroom teacher and the students by providing them with new understandings
that could help change the status quo from both a teaching and a learning perspective Creswell, 2002. The design of the AR implemented in this study is
shown in Figure 3.1 below.
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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Figure 3.1. Balanced Model of Action Research Design Adopted from Lim 2007: 9
The CAR was conducted in two cycles see Nunan and Bailey, 2009: 227 each of which consisting of four-stage method in action research as proposed by
Kemmis and McTaggart 1988, i.e. planning developing a plan of action or
Identifying
Identifying a research problem
Sensitising
Understanding the problem through literature review andor analysis of collected data both quantitative and qualitative
Strategising
Developing an action plan
Implementing
Carrying out the action plan
Validating
Investigating if the action plan has been successful in solving the research problem through analysis of collected data both
quantitative and qualitative
Reporting
Writing the Action Research report
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
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intervention, action putting the intervention in place, observation documenting and recording the effects of the intervention, and reflectionevaluating the
observations and using them as the basis for further action. The cycle is dynamic in that these four stages are interlinked and iterative, so that the research typically
results in a spiral of cycles. The cycles are described in Figure 3.2 below.
Figure 3.2. Action Research Cycle Adopted from ProDAIT 2011
In the planning stage, the lesson plans, the research instruments, and the criteria of success were prepared by the researcher and the classroom teacher.
There were 12 lesson plans prepared, six for each cycle. The instruments used in the teaching program were texts, realia, pictures, observation notes, and
observation checklists. In the action stage the researcher conducted what had been designed in the lesson plans. In the observation stage, the researcher and the
observer observe the teaching and learning process during the action stage. In the reflection stage, the researcher decided whether or not the results of the each cycle
achieved the criteria of success.
Efrita Marthalena BR. Saragih Sumbayak, 2014 Implementation Of Genre-Based Approach In The Teaching Of Descriptive Text Writing
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
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Furthermore, this study also implemented two research phases in action research
–the pre-action phase and the post-action phase see Lim, 2007: 8. Overall, there were three phases in this study, the pre-action phase preliminary
phase, the action phase, and the post-action phase. The implementation of these three phases will be presented in Chapter V.
3.2 Research Site and Participants