Journals are tools for growth through critical reflection, for it is not enough to observe and record experiences, but equally important is the ability to make meaning
out of what is expressed Clark, 1994:355. Journals provide time for the students to connect both new information given and what they have already known into values or
further thoughts they can formulate through journals. For teachers who teach English as a Second Language ESL or as a Foreign
Language EFL, this activity helps them to understand about their students’ ability in the new language as well as their interests and needs. With increased understanding
comes the possibility of helping learners to adjust more fully to the teaching-learning situation, to the new language and for those in an ESL setting, to life in a new culture
Hiemstra, 2002. Besides, teachers can also find their students’ grammatical weaknesses through their journal writing as consideration of further learning on
grammar section.
B. Problem Formulation
Considering the previous explanation above, the researcher conducts this research to answer questions stated as follows:
1. How is a set of instructional writing materials incorporating journal writing
for the eleventh grade students of SMKN 2 Depok Sleman Yogyakarta designed?
2. What does a set of instructional writing materials incorporating journal
writing for the eleventh grade students of SMKN 2 Depok Sleman Yogyakarta look like?
C. Problem Limitation
The problems to discuss in this study are limited to designing and presenting a set of instructional writing materials incorporating journal writing for the eleventh
grade students of SMKN 2 Depok Sleman Yogyakarta. This research intends to help the students increase greater competence in writing in challenging and enjoyable way.
Besides, this research is about designing the materials and is not meant to be developed into experimental research.
Using journal supports students’ personal interaction with course materials. It helps the students to generate ideas, write predictions, and arouse curiosity about
topic to be learnt. Moreover, journal also encourages them to record thoughts and feelings in response to what they have read Vacca and Vacca, 2000:226. Therefore,
the researcher attempts to develop a set of writing materials by emphasizing the use of journal writing. Journal writing challenges the students to have frequent time to
write and express their thoughts, reactions, responses, feelings, and experiences so that they can gradually improve their writing skill through the meaningful process.
The main target of using journal writing is to help the students explore their thoughts and express them into their writing. The students will not be forced to
concern more in their grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the mechanism of writing PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
but most of all invite them to have regular writing. By doing this, it is hoped that writing will not be considered as difficult but interestingly challenging.
The materials developed in this research are intended to facilitate the students and encourage them to discuss, listen, comment, share, read, give opinion, response,
and engage them into the language. There will be also prompts to facilitate the students having themes for their writing so that the students will not be confused with
what they are going to write.
D. Research Objectives
