Research Method Research Participants

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the method and information on how this study was conducted. The discussion is presented into six major parts, namely research method, research participants, research instruments, data gathering technique, data analysis technique, and the research procedure.

A. Research Method

This research was descriptive research. According to Borg 1963: 202, the major purpose of descriptive research in education is to tell “what is.” Although the major function of descriptive studies in education is directed to “what is”, many surveys go further than a description. Best 1970: 116 also explains that descriptive research deals with prevailing opinion, knowledge, practices, or conditions. It is designed to estimate the degree of achievement of a large number of individuals involve educational and environmental influences. There are many types of descriptive research. This current study applied one of the types. It was survey research. According to Wiersma 1995:169, survey is the most widely used research type used to measure attitudes, opinions, or achievements. Best 1970:118 explains that the survey method gathers data from a number of cases at a particular time. Hence, it requires careful analysis and interpretation of the data gathered. Survey typically uses interview and questionnaire. Therefore, the researcher used both interview and questionnaire. As triangulation, the researches also conducted observation in this research. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

B. Research Participants

The participants of this research were the tenth grade students of SMAN 1 Depok of the 20082009 academic year who had experienced dialogue journals in their classes. The participants for the questionnaire were all students who came from two different classes, class XB and class XF. The total students of those two classes was seventy two students. However, when the research was conducted on 25 th and 26 th June 2009, the number of the students was not the same as it was planned because there were five students who were absent. Therefore, the total respondents for the questionnaire were sixty seven students. For the interview, the researcher took eight students as the interviewees; four students from class XB and four students from class XF. In choosing the eight interviewees, the researcher considered their responses in their questionnaire in order to know further because this interview was aimed to support the questionnaire result.

C. Research Instruments