Theoretical Framework REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

37 implementation of cue cards was one of teaching techniques which was used to solve the problem faced by the students in speaking English. Kurt Lewin 1953 as cited in Hopkins 1993 describes classroom action research as “a spiraling cyclical activities that consisted in analysis, fact finding, conceptualization, planning execution and more fact-finding or evaluation ” p. 45. In further, Lewin’s idea is developed by Stephen Kemmis 1988, whose are steps are generally understood as “an action-reflection cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting ” as cited Hopkins, 1993, p.48. The continuation of the cycles shows that there is a change in thinking and a change in action. The following figure is the summary of Stephen Kemmis’ approach to classroom action research shown by Hopkins 1993, p. 48. Figure 3.1 The Stephen Kemmis’s Approach to Classroom Action Research Hopkins, 1993, p. 48 38 The classroom action research done in SMK Negeri 2 Depok was conducted based on the framework proposed by Stephen Kemmis. There were three cycles, in which there were four stages in every cycle. In the planning stages, the researcher analyzed the problems faced by the teacher and students in teaching and learning process. The data were gathered from the observation and interview. Based on the observation and interview, the students had difficulties to improve their speaking skill. The students were not accustomed to speaking in English. They were not confident and felt afraid of making mistakes. They had limited vocabulary and did not have enough time to practice speaking. To solve the problem, the researcher offered a solution by using cue cards as the teaching media. In this step, the researcher designed cue cards based on the topic that would be learned by the students in X Kimia Industri of SMK Negeri 2 Depok. The researcher also designed the lesson plans as the guidelines to implement cue cards in the classroom. The second stage in Kemmis’ framework is acting. The acting stage included the implementation of cue cards as the solutions to the problem faced by the students in X Kimia Industri of SMK Negeri 2 Depok. Cue cards would be combined with some teaching techniques to attract the students to have meaningful speaking activities. The third stage is observing. The observing stage cannot be separated from the acting stage. The acting and observing stages in this research were carried out simultaneously. The observing step included the data gathering. The researcher observed every single event which happened in the class by using observation checklists and field notes. To support data gathered from 39 observation checklist and field notes, the researcher also distributed the questionnaire and conducted the interview a few hours after finishing the acting stage. The last stage in this classroom action research was reflecting. The reflection was dealing with the results of the implementation of cue cards in the class. The results of the reflection in this stage would be the foundation for the researcher to conclude whether the cue cards could really help the students improve their speaking skill or not. Then, the researcher concluded whether the researcher needed to do the next cycle or ended the cycle. If the researcher needed to do the next cycle, the result of reflection helped the researcher decide what should be improved in the next cycle.

B. Research Setting

This research was conducted from August 29 th , 2014 until September 26 th , 2014 in X Kimia Industri KI class of SMK Negeri 2 Depok Sleman Yogyakarta in the first semester of the 20142015 academic year. This research was conducted in five meetings in which one meeting lasted for ninety minutes.

C. Research Participants

The participants of the research were the students in X Kimia Industri of SMK Negeri 2 Depok in the 20142015 academic year. The numbers of the students were 32 students. All of them would participate in the research. Based on the observation and interview done by the researcher in July-August 2014, the 40 students in this class had difficulties in speaking English. They did not know what they had to say in a daily conversation.

D. Instruments and Data Gathering Technique

In this research, the researcher used a number of instruments to gather the data. The instruments would be divided into two types. They were the research instruments used before the implementation and the research instruments used during the implementation.

1. The Research Instruments Used before the Implementation

There were some instruments which were used before the implementation of cue cards in the teaching and learning activities in the classroom. The instruments used before the implementation consisted of field notes, semi-structured focus group interview and speaking test. Each instrument used before the implementation of cue cards is described as follows.

a. Field Notes

According to Kemmis and McTaggart 1982 , field notes are “the methods of reporting observations of and reflections about classroom problems and the teacher’s own reaction to them” p. 197. Before the implementation of cue cards, the researcher observed the speaking ability of the students in X Kimia Industri SMK Negeri 2 Depok by using field notes. Field notes helped the researcher to make self-reflection on the problems found in the classroom.

b. Semi-structured Focus Group Interview

Before the implementation of cue cards, the researcher conducted focus group interview. Focus group interview was used to confirm a clear illustration of