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learning in groups can enhance learner motivation and reduce stress and to create a positive affective classroom atmosphere.
Related to what Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan suggests in designing and conducting learning activities, the teacher has designed and
conducted the learning activities as Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan suggested and required. In Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan, learning
activities are designed to give students learning experiences that involve mental and physic interaction among students, among students and the teacher,
neighborhood, and other learning sources in order to achieve the basic competencies BSNP, 2006: 16.
Based on the direct observation, the teacher conducted some learning activities and applied some teaching techniques which meet the requirements
above. The teacher conducted the learning activities outside classroom. The place where the teacher often conducted the learning activities is in an open-aired place
called Pendopo. The teacher also conducted the learning activities in the library and the language laboratory. When the teacher conducted learning activities
outside classroom, students were usually happy and enthusiast in learning. The teacher conducted the learning activities outside classroom usually for afternoon
class or when students asked for it. The learning activity conducted outside classroom was a helpful kind of learning activity for students. It is helpful since
by having learning activities outside classroom students are not bored with their situation or atmosphere in learning.
However, what the teacher should think about for conducting learning activities outside classroom, especially in the Pendopo, is about noise. The noise
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can be both audio and visual noise. The audio noise usually came from school’s auditorium in which music class was conducting its practice session. The school’s
auditorium is located next to the Pendopo. The visual noise usually came from those who walked through the Pendopo since the Pendopo is located in the central
of school complex. In addition, the Pendopo is a short cut way to many places in the school complex.
Based on the direct observations the researcher also found that the teacher conducted the group learning activity. This kind of learning activity provides
students with informal communication and interaction among other people such as friends and the teacher itself. This learning activity may also build students’
affective sense in their learning since it facilitates students to work and learn together with other friends. This learning activity prioritizes positive cooperation
among students and put competition aside. In Cooperative Language Learning, students can be as sources for other students and it will lead them to a more active
role in their learning. When being a source for others, a student needs to be able to lead others in solving problems and in expressing their ideas. By sharing what he
or she knows about learning materials being learned, a student has played a role as an information source in learning. The group learning activity also enables
students to develop their way of thinking. When they find problems in learning, they will think about how to face and solve the problems in proper ways of
thinking together in the group.
2. The Teacher’s Reason for Conducting the Techniques
The teacher gave two general considerations for the learning activities he conducts in teaching reading class. The first consideration deals with students’
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achievement on the learning activities they have in the reading class. The next general consideration deals with supportive practical reasons in applying the
learning activities in the reading class. The first consideration covers the teacher’s reasons which deal with
students’ achievement in their learning activities. Through these reasons, the teacher attempted to enable students achieve a situation where they were able to
understand the learning materials and were ready for the final test. In other words, the teacher purposed to prepare students to be ready for the final test by applying
certain teaching techniques in the reading class. The teacher prepared student for final test with the learning activities of comprehending a text. The teacher stated
that by applying this learning strategy he wanted to prepare students to be ready for the final test in terms of material readiness and mentally readiness. The teacher
gave students assignments to discuss the learning materials they have for final test such as kinds of reading texts, a main idea of a paragraph, specific ideas of a
paragraph, and its related vocabulary. The teacher also asked students to do the assignment in similar conditions to the final test such as reading the text silently
and working individually. The teacher required students to read the text silently in the learning
activities of comprehending a text. It implies that this was a learning activity through which the teacher wanted to make students accustomed to situation of the
test in which they should read the text silently. It also implies that through this learning strategy the teacher wanted students to be mentally ready for the test.
The teacher also asked students to work and learn independently by applying the learning activities of independent learning. By applying this learning
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activity, the teacher drove students to be more active in finding the meaning of new or difficult words in the text with the help from the information provided in
the text. It was so when students found problems in understanding the content of the text; the teacher did not allow students to ask him about it. He also drove
students to solve the problems they face with the help of information provided in the text. The next reason was because the teacher prepared students for the final
test. The teacher led students to be accustomed to situation and requirement in final test in which they are not allowed to bring and to look up a dictionary, and
are not allowed to ask teachers or any body. In addition, the teacher prepared students to be emotionally and mentally
ready for final tests. In his opinion, students should be familiar with requirement and condition in which they have to depend on themselves in the final tests. When
students are accustomed to the requirement and condition, they will be able to manage themselves in doing the final tests.
In applying the learning strategies in teaching reading class, the teacher also considered how to conduct interesting and effective learning activities for
students. This consideration to conduct interesting and effective learning activities became a base for the teacher to apply certain learning strategies which are
expected to encourage students to learn and focus their attention on the learning activities. In order to make the reading class interesting and effective for students,
the teacher conducted several learning activities with certain teaching techniques which were expected to be able to encourage students to learn and focus their
attention on the learning activities. In the learning activity of introducing the lesson, the teacher explained
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students what kind of learning activities they were going to have in English reading class. Explaining to students what kind of activities they are going to have
is a common task for a teacher. Every teacher must explain what kind of learning activities students are going to have. By explaining what learning activities
students are going to have, it will help students to follow and take active parts in the learning activities because they know what kinds of activities they are going to
have in learning. To make the class interesting and effective, the teacher also conducted the
learning activity of learning outside classroom. This is a learning activity in which students do not learn in classroom as usually they have. Students learn in
classroom most of the time and it may make them feel bored. When students are bored, they cannot focus on their learning. By conducting learning activities
outside classroom, the teacher aims to avoid students’ boredom in their learning by providing students learning activities with a different situation and atmosphere
from what they usually have. In order to make the class interesting and effective for students, the teacher
also applied the learning strategy of learning in groups. As Richard and Rodgers state 2001: 193 that cooperative learning activities has been embraced as a way
of promoting communicative interaction in the classroom. What the teacher purposed through conducting cooperative learning activities is similar to what
Richard and Rodgers state above. By asking students to work in groups of two, the teacher aimed to build positive communication among students so they can
learn together and learn from others in their groups. In addition to that, the teacher had the same reason as his reason for conducting the strategy of outside classroom
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learning activity. The teacher also applied another teaching techniques and learning
activities in order to make his teaching clear and understandable for students. The teacher often translated his English explanation into Indonesian in order to avoid
students’ misunderstanding. According to the teacher, he spoke in Indonesian more than in English because there were a lot of students of grade X in SMA
Stella Duce 2 Yogyakarta who could not properly understand the teacher’s saying in English. This situation implies that a lot of students of grade X in SMA Stella
Duce 2 Yogyakarta had difficulties in understanding what the teacher means in his explanation or instruction. This condition required the teacher to translate his
explanation or instruction into Indonesian so that students could understand what the teacher means and students could learn properly.
3. Students’ Responses on the Learning Techniques
As presented in the previous sub chapter, there were three students’ general responses on the learning activities. The responses were positive response,
negative response, and undecided response. The followings are discussion on students’ responses on the learning activities in which the learning strategies are
applied.
a. Students with Positive Response
Students with positive response are students who stated that they were able to follow the learning activities in English reading class. Students with
positive response were usually those who liked the learning activities they conduct, who liked the English subject, and those who liked the way the teacher
conducts the learning activities. Students who gave positive response were also
