Research Method RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the discussion of the methodology employed in this study and clarifies the process of collecting and analyzing the survey data. The first method is to find out how a set of supplementary English instructional materials using short stories to promote the students’ values of life for the sixth grade of elementary school students is designed. The second is to present a set of supplementary English instructional materials using short stories to promote the students’ values of life for the sixth grade of elementary school students. The discussion contains the descriptions on 1 Research method, 2 Research subject and respondents, 3 Instruments, 4 Data gathering, and 5 Data analysis and procedures.

A. Research Method

In this study the writer conducted an educational research and development RD. The research was conducted to find the valid information to answer the two major questions on the problem formulation. According to Borg and Gall 1983: 772 Educational Research and Development RD is a process used to develop and validate educational products. There are ten major steps in the RD cycle used to develop the materials 1983:775. In this study the writer used five RD steps that were appropriate to get the valid information in order to answer the two questions on the problems formulation. The five steps were: first, research and information collecting which was included literature review, survey study and classroom observations. Second, planning which were included defining skills, stating objectives and determining course sequence. Third, developing preliminary form of product, this was included preparation of instructional materials, handbooks and evaluation devices. Fourth, preliminary field testing included survey research using 8 participants by distributing questionnaires, and data collecting and analyzing, and finally, main product revision which was included revision of product as suggested by preliminary field testing result. In order to employ R D strategy, the writer considered two studies for answering two problems aforementioned. The First study was library study and second one was survey study. Because this study was directed to find the data in order to design a set of instructional materials, the research information collecting were in the form of survey study. The survey studies concerned two things related to R D cycle i.e. pre-design survey, and post-design survey. The detailed explanation of both survey studies is presented below: To gain the valid data about the learners’ needs, interest and problems for materials development, and to gain the evaluation and some suggestions of the designed instructional materials, the writer conducted surveys using two instruments. They were questionnaires and interviews.

a. Survey Study

In this study, the writer used descriptive study, in the form of survey research. Sprinthall 1991 indicates that descriptive study is a research or a study which emphasizes in the description rather than other basic goal such as looking for differences between groups relationship among variables. Thus, the data obtained was presented in the form of descriptive explanation. In this case, the writer did surveys which dealt with current situation and described this current phenomenon in this chapter. Donald, Cheser, and Asghar 1991 add that descriptive study is designed to obtain information concerning current status phenomena. This study was not aimed to prove a hypothesis about phenomena. The gathered information would finally be used in decision-making. To collect the data the writer conducted two kinds of survey they are pre-design and post-design survey. 1 Pre-design Survey Pre-design survey is closely related to the first cycle of R D namely: research and information collecting. The writer did needs survey, reviewed literatures, and observed the elementary teaching-learning activities as a means of gathering relevant data and information as the input for designing a set of supplementary English instructional materials using short stories to promote the students’ values of life for the sixth grade of elementary school students. Pre-design survey had a purpose to find out the data from the qualified and appropriate participants. This pre-design survey is essential to obtain the problems, interest and opinions from the students, English teachers, and ELTI children English instructors. This survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to the sixth grade of elementary school students and by doing an informal interview with the elementary English teachers and ELTI children English instructors. This survey was conducted to find out the needs of the target learners so that the writer could design materials which are relevant to the target needs. The survey was conducted to gain information about. 1. The use of short story in today’s English materials for the sixth grade of elementary school. 2. The type of short story in today’s English materials for the sixth grade of elementary school. 3. The effectiveness of using short story in today’s English materials for the sixth grade of elementary school and what are the students’ interests, needs, lacks and wants in English materials. 4. The implementation of value of life in teaching learning process in today’s English materials including the type of values that the sixth grade of elementary school students mostly need. 2 Post-design Survey This survey was intended to accomplish the fourth and fifth cycle in R D. Post-design survey had a purpose to find out opinions, comments, critics, and suggestions on the designed materials by distributing either the designed materials or evaluative questionnaire to the participants. In this survey the writer would know whether the standard competency and basic competencies had already been formulated properly, whether the indicators had already matched the standard competency and basic competencies, whether the learning experiences were able to support the achievements of the learning indicators, and whether the four English skills had already integrated well in order to enable the students to improve their language skills and to help them to promote their values of life in the designed materials. Besides, the participants in post-design survey also evaluated the topic, the content, the language element, the task, the lay out, and arrangement of the materials. The participants’ inputs gave contribution in improving the final version of the supplementary English instructional materials using short stories to promote the student’s values of life for the sixth grade of elementary school students.

B. Research Participants