improve the writing ability of the students grade eight in SMP N 2 Gamping through the story-mapping technique.
B. Setting of the Research
This research study was conducted in SMP N 2 Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta. There are forty eight teachers and thirteen laborers. It has 12
classrooms, 4 classrooms for each grade. There are a computer laboratory, a language laboratory, a science laboratory, and a library to support the teaching
and learning process. There are three English teachers, all graduated from English Education Department, in the school.
SMP N 2 Gamping was selected because based on the researcher observation, the students have low writing ability. It is caused by the teaching
and learning process of writing in the classroom which is lack of variation, so the students easily get bored. However, the students of this junior high school
can represent many other junior high school students in Yogyakarta, hopefully this research can give contribution to the development of the students writing
ability on a broader scope. The research was conducted in the first semester of the academic year
of 2013 2014. It was done in October to November including the observation, planning, and the implementation of the use of the story-mapping technique to
improve the writing ability of the students grade VIII in SMP N 2 Gamping. This was because based on the basic competence, recount is taught in the first
semester of the class VIII.
C. Subjects of the Research
The research involved one class of grade VIII in SMP N 2 Gamping. The English ability of the students, especially in writing was still low, and they also
did not learn to write and produce text by themselves. Meanwhile, students of junior high school grade VIII were supposed to be able to produce certain text
types. Because of their weakness in writing, the students in SMP N 2 Gamping were suitable subjects to describe how the story-mapping technique can be used
to improve their writing ability. The English teacher of grade VIII was involved in this research. She
participated in this research as a collaborator. The teacher observed the research, gave information in the thematic reconnaissance step, and gave
opinions about the implementation of the story-mapping technique in the teaching-learning process. This research also involved another collaborator,
which is a student from English Education Department to do observation and to give opinions as the English teacher does. Collaborators are important
because they give the researcher great support and it increase his ability to deepen his insights through dialogue with others.
D. Instruments of the Research
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