Research Method Research Participants

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter in this research discusses: A Research Method; B Research Participants; C Research Instruments; D Data Gathering Technique; E Data Analysis Technique; F Research Procedure.

A. Research Method

The method of this study was qualitative research, which meant that the data would be presented in explanation and description. Sprinthall 1991: 102 defined that a qualitative research methodology as a methodology used to systematically gather data and the data will be purely descriptive. The research would be a qualitative descriptive research. According to Cohen and Manion, the descriptive research is concerned with processes that are going on Cohen Manion, 2000: 169. Therefore, qualitative descriptive research was suitable in this research because the researcher wanted to provide detailed description about the implementation of reading materials design using CIRC. To be exact, this qualitative study was a survey. Survey study is defined as a process of collecting information from a group of people in order to describe some aspects or characteristics Frankael Wallen, 1993: 343. This survey study was aimed to find out the implementation of Cooperative Integrated Reading Composition CIRC method to teach reading to the fifth grade students of Kanisius Kintelan Elementary School. 27 Moreover, the survey in this research was done by teaching and implementing the reading instructional materials design using the Cooperative Integrated Reading Composition CIRC, conducting observations and interviews. The researcher would involve or participate in this survey research since in this survey study the researcher would teach and implement the CIRC by herself. Therefore, the researcher asked observer partner to observe the process of the implementation of CIRC. The observer partner would carry out the observation based on the provided observation checklists. Besides, the results of the observations also would be reported in the form of field notes.

B. Research Participants

The subjects of the research were the fifth grade students of Kanisius Kintelan Elementary School. The fifth grade students were in the semester II during the 20082009 academic year. The researcher chose the fifth grade students considering that the Cooperative Integrated Reading Compositions CIRC is a comprehensive program for teaching reading in the upper and middle elementary grades Slavin, 1995. Another reason why the researcher chose the fifth grade students because in this stage the children develop the capacity of productive work, cooperative with others and pride in doing things well Erikson, 1987: 17. Besides, the researcher chose the fifth grade students as the research participants rather than sixth grade students because the sixth grade students would focus their study for preparing the National Examination. 28

C. Research Instruments