TEACHING WRITING THROUGH MICROSOFT WORD IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS : An Experimental Study at a Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Garut.

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APPROVAL ... i

DECLARATION ... ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... iii

ABSTRACT ... v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vi

LIST OF TABLES ... x

LIST OF FIGURES ... xii

LIST OF APPENDICES ... xiv

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Background of the Research ... 1

1.2 The Research Problems ... 4

1.3 The Purpose of the Study ... 5

1.4 The Research Questions ... 6

1.5 The Hypothesis ... 6

1.6 The Scope of the Research ... 6

1.7 The significant of the Research ... 7

1.8 The Clarification of the Key Terms ... 8

CHAPTER II TEACHING WRITING THROUGH MICROSOFT WORD IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS 2.1 The Nature of Writing ... 9

2.2 The Stages of Writing ... 11

2.3 The Aspect of Writing ... 13

2.4 Teaching Writing ... 13

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vii

2.4.2.1 The Process Approach ... 16

2.4.2.2 Basic Principles of the Process Approach ... 18

2.4.2.3 Stages of Writing under the Process Approach ... 20

2.4.3 The Teacher’s Role ... 22

2.4.3.1 The Teacher as Controller ... 22

2.4.3.2 The Teacher as Director... 23

2.4.3.3 The Teacher as Manager ... 23

2.4.3.4 The Teacher as Facilitator ... 23

2.4.3.5 The Teacher as Resource ... 23

2.5 Microsoft Word in Teaching Writing ... 24

2.6 Using Microsoft Word for Writing ... 26

2.6.1 Thesaurus ... 27

2.6.2 Spelling Checker ... 28

2.6.2.1 Checking spelling as you type ... 29

2.6.2.2 Running the spelling checker... 31

2.6.2.3 Customizing the spelling checker ... 33

2.6.2.4 What spelling checker cannot do ... 36

2.6.3 Grammar Checker ... 38

2.6.3.1 Checking grammar as you type ... 39

2.6.3.2 Running the grammar checker ... 43

2.6.3.3 Customizing the grammar checker ... 45

2.6.3.4 What grammar checker cannot do ... 47

2.6.4 Track Changes ... 49

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD 3.1 The Research Method ... 53

3.2 The Research Variables ... 55

3.3 The Subject of the Research ... 56

3.3.1 The Population ... 56

3.3.2 The Sample ... 57

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3.5 Data Collection Procedure ... 59

3.5.1 The Research Preparation ... 60

3.5.2 The Research Implementation ... 62

3.5.2.1 The Library Research ... 62

3.5.2.2 Try-out Test ... 62

3.5.2.3 Pre-Test ... 63

3.5.2.4 Treatment ... 63

3.5.2.5 Post-Test ... 64

3.5.2.6 Questionnaire ... 64

3.6 Data Analysis ... 65

3.6.1 Data Preparation ... 65

3.6.2 Data Tabulation ... 68

3.6.3 Data Implementation ... 68

3.6.3.1 The Test Instrument Analysis ... 68

3.6.3.1.1 Reliability ... 68

3.6.3.1.2 Validity ... 70

3.6.3.1.3 Practically ... 72

3.6.3.2 Pre-test data analysis... 72

3.6.3.2.1 Testing the Normality of Distribution ... 73

3.6.3.2.2 Testing the Homogeneity of Variance ... 73

3.6.3.2.3 Testing the Independent- sample test ... 74

3.6.3.3 Post-test Data Analysis ... 75

3.6.3.4 Questionnaire Data Analysis ... 75

CHAPTER IV THE RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 The Research Findings ... 77

4.1.1 Test Instrument Analysis ... 78

4.1.1.1 Reliability Analysis ... 78

4.1.1.2 Validity Analysis ... 79

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4.1.2.1 Testing the Normality of Distribution ... 84

4.1.2.2 Testing the Homogeneity of Variance ... 86

4.1.2.3 Testing the Independent-sample test ... 87

4.1.3 Post-test Data Analysis ... 89

4.1.3.1 Testing the Normality of Distribution ... 92

4.1.3.2 Testing the Homogeneity of Variance ... 93

4.1.3.3 Testing the Independent-sample test ... 94

4.1.4 Data Analysis on Each Areas of Writing ... 96

4.1.4.1 The Content ... 97

4.1.4.2 The Organization ... 99

4.1.4.3 The Vocabulary ... 101

4.1.4.4 The Language Use... 103

4.1.4.5 The Mechanics ... 105

4.1.5 Questionnaire Data Analysis ... 107

4.1.5.1 The Advantages of the Use of Microsoft Word ... 110

4.1.5.2 The Disadvantages of the Use of Microsoft Word... 112

4.2 The Discussions ... 113

CHAPTER V THE CONSLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 The Conclusions ... 115

5.2 The Recommendations ... 119

BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 121

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This first chapter introduces the details of the research at the beginning of this paper. The discussion of this chapter includes the background of the research, the research problems, the purposes of the research, the research questions, the hypothesis, the scope of the research, the significant of the research, and the clarification of the key terms.

1.1. The Background of the Research

Not everyone is naturally able to write, especially in English. Writing is one of the English skills that can be practiced and mastered. Writing in a different language involves more than mastering its vocabulary and grammar. English learners need to focus more on the process of writing than its product (Harmer, 2001: 257). In fact, writing process is more complex than we think. White and Arndt (1991: 5 as cited in Harmer, 2001: 258) stress that writing is re-writing; that revision – seeing with new eyes – has a central role in the act of creating text. In their model, the processes of writing in an interrelated set of recursive stages include:

• Drafting

• Structuring (ordering information, experimenting with arrangement, etc.) • Reviewing (checking context, connection, assessing impact, editing)

• Focusing (that is making sure you are getting the message across you want to get across)

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2 • Generating ideas and evaluation (assessing the draft and/or subsequent

draft)

Unfortunately, they add, one of the disadvantages of getting the students to concentrate on the process of writing is that it takes time: time to brainstorm ideas or collect them in some other way; time to draft a piece of writing and then, with the teacher’s help, review it and edit it in various ways. This cannot be done in short time. However, the various stages may well involve discussion or a considerable amount of interaction between teacher and students, and between the students themselves. So, when the process of writing is handled appropriately it stretches across the whole curriculum.

Considering the difficulties above, English teachers need to choose the effective method to facilitate students’ need in improving writing skill. By this time, the development of teaching and learning English as foreign language has gone on rapidly. Many methods and strategies have been used to facilitate the English teaching and learning process. In line with the development of the teaching methodology and strategies, many experts also have invented good technology of media and tools to enhance the quality of teaching and learning English.

The use of technology in education has been applied widely in teaching and learning process. The current technology, especially the use of computer, has made teaching methodology develop along with various computer programs. This condition indirectly demands English teachers to improve their model of teaching by integrating technology into teaching and learning process.

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Computer is needed to make the process of teaching and learning easier and faster. One of the computer programs, Microsoft Word, is a tool that can be applied in the classroom to facilitate teaching and learning process. Microsoft Word can be considered as the most famous use of the computer for the language learning today, especially for the students’ writing skills.

Harmer (2001: 261) adds that there are many good reasons for using Microsoft Word for writing, as the following list shows:

• A word-processing package removes the problem of poor handwriting that some students suffer from.

• A word-processing package allows the competent user to edit his or her material at great speed and with great facility.

• Spellcheckers can ease the task of achieving correct spelling.

• If students are working in group, a computer screen can sometimes be far more visible to the whole group than a piece of a paper might be.

However, in the process, teachers should be able to maximize the use of the Microsoft Word into teaching method in order to achieve the learning objectives effectively and comprehensively. Inherently, this research is conducted to know the effectiveness of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills.

Therefore, by integrating Microsoft Word, which allows students to process, maintaining and manipulating documents, into the English teaching materials (writing), students are assumed to be able to produce better writing products.

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4 Considering the significance of Microsoft Word in teaching and learning process, the writer intends to investigate the effectiveness of utilizing this computer program in improving students’ writing skills.

1.2. The Research Problems

A few decades ago, writing teachers were mostly concerned with the final product of writing: the essay, the report, the story, and what the product should look like. Brown (1994: 320) states that the products of writing’s composition were supposed to: (a) meet certain standards of prescribed English rhetorical style, (b) reflect the accurate grammar, (c) organize the conformity with what the audience would consider to be conventional.

Considering Brown’s statement above, the writer assumes that writing text is rather difficult than it looks like. Students need to sharpen their awareness on the text’s criteria such as overall organization, vocabulary use, grammatical use, and mechanical considerations such as spelling and punctuation. As Brown (1994: 320) states on his work that a good deal of attention was placed on ‘model’ compositions that students would emulate and how well students’ final product measures up against a list of criteria, organization, vocabulary use, grammatical use, and mechanical considerations such as spelling and punctuation.

He adds, that, the use of technology: the word processing program in teaching and learning process has brought the possibility of using creative ways for teachers in making teaching materials and help students to learn English

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incisively especially in writing. The program offers the students to maintain and organize the documents (the texts) including vocabulary use, grammatical use, and mechanical considerations such as spelling and punctuation.

So, considering the various applications which are offered by the Microsoft Word and Brown’s criteria on writing product, it would be an interesting issue to be investigated to know how the Microsoft Word can influence students’ writing skills.

1.3. The Purposes of the Research

This research has the following purposes:

1. To find out whether there is a significant improvement on students’ writing skills by utilizing Microsoft Word.

2. To find out students’ response on the use of Microsoft Word in improving their writing skills.

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1.4. The Research Questions

Based on the background above, some questions are formulated as follows:

1. What is the effect of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills? 2. What are the students’ responses toward the teaching method in improving

their writing skills?

1.5. The Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a tentative answer of the research problems, until it is proved through the collected data (Arikunto, 2006: 71). Moreover, Hatch and Farhady (1982: 3) defines a hypothesis as a tentative statement about the outcome of the research. Since it is not possible to test a hypothesis directly, the hypothesis must first be turned into a null hypothesis (Ho). Thus, the null

hypothesis (Ho) proposed in this research is stated in the following sentence.

Ho : There is no significant difference on the students’ writing skills

between those who are using Microsoft Word and those who are not.

1.6. The Scope of the Research

This research is largely descriptive statistics meaning that it involves measuring data using graphs, tables, and basic descriptions of numbers such as averages or means. The subject of the research consists of the second grade students of a Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Garut of academic year 2008/2009.

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There are 60 students who are divided into two groups; the control group and the experimental one. This study is limited to investigate the effectiveness of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills in which all the students will learn how to write or to produce texts. Each group gets different treatment to investigate the use of Microsoft Word in writing texts, there are: the experiment group getting the method by emphasizing the use of Microsoft Word and the control group getting the method by using their own handwriting in writing texts.

1.7. The Significance of the Research

The research will be significant for the teachers who are applying the technology, especially the Word Processor at Madrasah Tsanawiyah or Junior High School. This research was conducted in order to assign the new method of language learning by using technology to:

a. Achieve better students’ understanding in producing texts effectively and creatively.

b. Be a resource of evaluation, discussion, prediction and decision making in our language education system.

c. Give information to compare the ideal condition of teaching related to the theory and its application in different settings and contexts.

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1.8. The Clarification of the Key Terms

a. Teaching Writing refers to the teaching and learning process that emphasizing student’ writing skills in producing/composing written texts in English.

b. Microsoft Word, a computer program for writing, editing, revising, formatting, and printing text. It will be referred to the use of Microsoft Word 2000 and up in utilizing students in writing texts.

c. Students’ writing skills refers to the ability to recognize and produce the distinctive structures of a language and to use them effectively in writing texts. The emphasized writing components are: Overall organization, Content, Vocabulary, Sentence grammar (language use), Spelling and punctuation (mechanics) (Brown, 1994:320 and Jacob, et al. 1981 cited in Weigle, 2007: 116).

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter elaborates the method of the research, which has been briefly introduced in Chapter I. the discussion of this chapter covers the research method, variables, subject of the research, instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis. Furthermore, this chapter also provides the preparation, tabulation, and implementation stages in analyzing the data.

3.1 The Research Method

In line with the objective of this research, to find out the effectiveness of Word Processor in improving students’ writing skills, the design used in this research is quasi-experimental design. This design is used because the treatment is not random assignment of participants to groups (Creswell, 2008:313). It means that there is no selection in the population. In other words, a group can be experimental or control group. According to Hatch and Farhady (1982:23), this design is a realistic one conducted in social sciences in general.

The quasi-experimental design can be applied to experimental and control group with pretest and posttest in the design (Creswell, 2000:314). Based on the theory, the first design will be applied in this research. The groups are divided into experimental and control groups with pretest and posttest to identify the effectiveness of the treatment.

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54 The design used in the experimental method is a pre-test and post-test design, as follows:

Figure 3.1 The Quasi-Experimental Design Experimental

Control

From the figure 3.1, O symbol refers to the process observation or measurement, and X symbol represents the exposure of a group to an experimental variable (the treatment). In order to examine whether or not the treatment has an effect on the performance of the experimental group, the differences between O1 and O2 in the two groups are further compared.

Like a control class pretest-posttest design, this research is also engaged with control class and experimental class, in which those classes were given a pretest and a posttest. Here, the pre-test was given to capture students’ initial ability from the experimental and control classes before the treatment was delivered to the experimental class, while the post-test was given after the treatment in order to find out the significant improvement in the experimental class.

Based on the above figure 3.1, further, the research design can be simplified into the following table.

Table 3.1 Research Design

Class Category Pre-Test Treatment Post-Test

Experimental Class T1 X T2

Control Class T1 - T2

O1 X O2

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According to table 3.1, T1 refers to the pre-test given to both experimental

and control groups. Further, X refers to the treatment of using Microsoft Word given to the experimental class, while T2 refers to the post-test given to

both experimental and control classes. Finally, the result can be recognized by comparing the differences between T1 andT2.

3.2 The Research Variables

A variable is defined as an object of the research that varies (Arikunto, 2006: 116). Besides, based on Hatch and Farhady (1982: 12), a variable is defined as an attribute of a person or of an object which varies from person to person or from object to object. Furthermore, in general, variables are divided into quantitative and qualitative variables.

However, in order to assess the influence of a treatment research, variables can be defined as independent and dependent variables. According to Hatch and Farhady (1982: 15), the independent variable is the major variable that a researcher hopes to investigate, and the dependent variable is the variable that the researcher observes and measures to determine the effect of the independent variable. Also, in this research, the independent variable was known as the treatment variable. Thus, the independent variable of this research was the effectiveness of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills, and the dependent variable was the students’ writing skills.

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3.3 The Subjects of the Research

Based on Arikunto (2006: 129), the subject where the data are gained is called the source of data in a research. Further, based on the subject where the data are placed, Arikunto (2006: 129) identifies the source of data into three levels of P, which are person, place and paper. Besides, he also classifies the source of data based on the areas made as the subject of the research. In this case, those sources that many researchers usually use are population and sample.

3.4.1. The Population

Population is defined as a set (or collection) of all elements processing one or more attributes of interest (Arikunto 2006: 129). Moreover, Coolidge (2000: 24) states that population is most often a theoretical group of all possible scores with the same trait or traits. Simply, a population is the whole subject of a research.

Referring to the above definition, the population of this research was the second grade students of a Madrasah in Garut enrolled in academic year 2008/2009 spreading into four classes, VIII Putra-A, VIII Putra-B, VIII Putri-A and VIII Putri-B.

The writer conducted the research to the second grade students due to the following reasons: the writer thought that the second grade students of a Madrasah in Garut were appropriate to be engaged in this research; it is assumed that the second grade students have learned the Microsoft Word when they were in the first grade. Besides, based on writer’s experience when he conducted an English

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course there, the second grade students still had difficulties and made some mistakes in writing.

3.4.2. The Sample

Based on Arikunto (2006: 131), sample is a half or the representative of the examined population, in addition, Coolidge (2000: 24) states that sample is a smaller group of scores selected from the population of scores. Further, sample should be chosen with a certain techniques in order to get a sample that describes the real population.

Since a research needs a technique to get the sample, Setiyadi (2006) exposes two models of sampling procedure, which are probability sampling and non-probability sampling, in a quantitative research. Moreover, he states that a kind of probability sampling is cluster sample, which is defined as procedure of taking sample in a population involving some different classes that are in the same stratum. Therefore, by considering the above definitions and that the students of a Madrasah in Garut consist of four classes relatively having same characteristics, the writer chooses two classes (VIII Putri-A and VIII Putri-B) as the sample.

After samples were selected, those two classes were determined to be the experimental class and the control class. Hereafter, class VIII Putri-A became the experimental class, while class VIII Putri-B became the control class. Further, both experimental and control classes would fulfill out the pre-test and post-test. In this case, both

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58 classes have different treatment in the process of writing. The experimental class would treat by using Microsoft Word and the control class by using their handwriting and paper in writing texts.

Table 3.2 Subject of the research

Class Category Class Number of Students

Control Class VIII-A 30 Students

Experimental Class VIII-B 30 Students

Total 60 Students

3.4 The Research Instruments

The next step in this chapter is aimed at choosing and organizing the instruments. According to Arikunto (2006:149), instrument is a medium of collecting the data used when the research is delivered by using a certain method. In other words, this research must gain some information and data about the tropic of this research before the data were analyzed. Furthermore, Arikunto (2006) notes that instruments can be in the form of test, questionnaire, checklist, interview guide, documentation guide, and check-list.

For the purpose of collecting data, the instruments of this research were writing-test and questionnaires. In this case, the test was specifically categorized as an achievement test. Additionally, Arikunto (2006: 151) states that achievement test is a test used to measure the students’ achievement after those students learn something. Since this research was aimed at finding out the effectiveness of using Microsoft Word to improve students’ writing skills,

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the tests used as instrument in this research were in the form of writing test, which were divided into pre-test and post-test.

Firstly, the pre-test was designed to measure the initial ability of the students from both classes before the experimental class received the treatment of using Microsoft Word in writing texts. Secondly, the post-test was further managed after the treatment had been completed. The test used for both was in the form of free composition. Here, the writer created the worksheet himself and chose the descriptive text as the appropriate genre for the second grade students. At last, this research used questionnaires as the instrument to get more information from the respondents in term of their individual report (Arikunto, 2006: 151).

3.5 Data Collection Procedure

Collecting data is one important work in a research. Therefore, in collecting the data, this research applied some procedures. Firstly, the writer prepared the research by observing on the spot and preparing the teaching material for the instruments. Secondly, the writer searched many literary works related to the research from the library and network in order to gather the theoretical foundation supporting this research. Thirdly, the writer delivered a try-out test to the second grade students of a Madrasah in Garut. Next, the subject of this research took the pre-test. Furthermore, the experimental class received a treatment that was writing texts by utilizing Microsoft Word, yet the control class learned to write texts by using their own handwriting and paper. After receiving the treatment, the experimental

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60 and control classes were given the post-test. Finally, the experimental class would also fill out the questionnaires related to the treatment of using Microsoft Word in improving their writing skills. Briefly, the writer will explain those procedures in the following details.

3.6.1. The Research Preparation

In preparing this research, the writer observed the spot of the research. After that, the preparation was focused on the teaching material and instruments. Besides, the writer needed to arrange the time allocation of the research.

Firstly, the term ‘material’ or often ‘lesson’ is defined as a unified set of activities that cover a period of classroom time (Brown, 2001: 149). Since this research is engaged with the second grade students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah or Junior High School, the classroom time ranged from forty to eighty minutes. Moreover, for the materials, the writer was adapted with English syllabus, textbooks, and certain topics learned by the second grade students of a Madrasah in Garut. Here, the books used by students were Writing to Learn by Spaventa & Spaventa and BKS PILA Bahasa Inggris by Emed Hidayat et al. Besides, the writer also searched and added the materials from network or other sources, and he focused the material on writing skill by relating it to one or the other two of other skills.

Secondly, to accomplish every event of this research needed to be planned in a well-organized time schedule. In this case, this research

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was held for about one month from May to June 2009. Thus, the treatments’ schedule of the treatment of the research is presented below.

Table 3.3 Schedule of Teaching

No Date

Material

Experimental Class Control Class

1 May, 4th 2009 Pre-Test Pre-Test

2 May, 6th 2009 Lesson 1 :

Text composition

Lesson 1 : Text composition

3 May, 11th 2009 Lesson 2 :

Descriptive text

Lesson 2 : Descriptive text

4 May, 13th 2009 Lesson 3 :

Recount text

Lesson 3 : Recount text

5 May, 18th 2009 Lesson 4 :

Daily activity

Lesson 4 : Daily activity

6 May, 20th 2009 Lesson 5 :

Language focus (grammar)

Lesson 5 :

Language focus (grammar)

7 May, 25th 2009 Lesson 7 :

Text revision 1 (Individual)

Lesson 7 :

Text revision 1 (Individual)

8 May, 27th 2009 Lesson 8 :

Text revision 2 (Peer)

Lesson 8 :

Text revision 2 (Peer)

9 June, 2nd 2009 Lesson 6 :

Text revision 3 (Final)

Lesson 6 :

Text revision 3 (Final)

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3.6.2. The Research Implementation 3.6.2.1. The Library research

Library research is one of the procedures in collecting data to gather the theoretical foundation that support the research. For the purpose of completing the theories related to writing skill, teaching writing, and the use of Microsoft Word in teaching writing, the writer read a number of research papers, books, journals, articles, and other literatures related to the research. To find those literatures, the writer mostly searched the data and information in the library and network.

3.6.2.2. Try-out test

Based on Heaton (1995), a good test must be valid, and practicable. Besides, Arikunto (2006: 168) states that a good instrument must achieve at least two important requirements, which are valid and reliable. For that reason, in this research, the writer tries out the instrument to another class in the same grade before the pre-test was administered.

Moreover, the writer first consulted the instrument to the supervisor of this research before the instrument was tested to the students. This try-out test was conducted in one meeting of two hours instruction (2 x 40 minutes), and this test only involved 30 students. In this research, the students were asked to compose a free text consisting at least 100 – 150 words.

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3.6.2.3. Pre-Test

According to the teaching schedule, the pre-test was the first writing test. Administered to both experimental and control classes at the beginning of the research. The pre-test was intended for gaining the data of the students’ initial writing ability. Besides, this test was administered to ensure that the students of both group had the same English background and proficiency before the experimental class received the treatment. In addition, this pre-test was carried out to find out the equivalence of experimental and control classes.

3.6.2.4. Treatment

In this research, the Microsoft Word was used for implementing the treatment in teaching writing to the experimental class, yet the control class was treated by using their own handwriting and writing in writing texts. Here, both of the experimental and control class were asked to write and revise some compositions based on the certain genre and adapted to the English syllabus of the second grade of Junior High School by using different tools to write.

The purposes of the treatment were preceded firstly by asking the students to compose a certain text based on their own ideas. The second step was changing each work to other students

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64 (peer-correction activities) in order to revise and to give comment on the work. The next step was editing the revised work by each student. Finally, those students had to collect the works to be further assessed by the writer.

3.6.2.5. Post-Test

Similar to the procedures of doing pre-test, post-test was the second writing test delivered to both experimental and control classes. At the end of the research, the writer administered post-test in order to find out the result of the treatment. The aim of this test was at finding whether or not there are some significant differences between students’ scores of the experimental and control classes after the treatment was conducted to the experimental class. In other words, the post-test was carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills to the second grade students of a Madrasah in Garut.

3.6.2.6. Questionnaire

In this research, the questionnaire was applied as the additional instrument to find out the students’ response towards the treatment of using Microsoft Word in teaching and learning to write texts and factors contributing to the success of this method in improving writing texts. This questionnaire was only

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distributed to the experimental class because this class received the treatment. Here, the questionnaire was created by using Bahasa Indonesia after the writer considered the English level of the second grade students of Junior High School. Besides, this questionnaire was delivered in the form of open-ended and close-ended questionnaires.

3.6 Data Analysis

The data gained from the first test to the questionnaires had to be calculated and analyzed in order to find out the result of the research. Since this research was basically intended to investigate the effectiveness of using Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills in a Madrasah in Garut, the data obtained from the research would be analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 and the certain statistical formula by following some certain procedures. As Arikunto (2006: 235) states that in analyzing the data, generally requires three stages: preparation, tabulation, and implementation. Briefly, the writer will explain those procedures in the following details.

3.7.1. Data Preparation

In this preparation stage, the writer made some analyses in order to check and arrange the data for the next stage. Firstly, after the writer delivered all instruments to the students, the writer checked the completeness of the students’ identity, the completeness of the data, and the students’ answer in each instrument.

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66 Further, since the main data were gained in the form of written achievement tests, the writer needed to assess the score of those writing test before he analyzed the result of those test in the next stage. Therefore, in this research, the scoring system of the students’ written works was based on ESL Composition Profile created by Jacobs et al. (1981 cited in Weigle, 2007: 116), and the scoring standard of ESL Composition Profile is described in table 3.4.

Table 3.4 ESL Composition Profile

Aspects of

Writing Score Level Criteria

Content

30-27 Excellent to

very good

Knowledgeable substantive thorough development of thesis relevant to assigned topic

26-22 Good to

average

Some knowledge of subject adequate range limited development of thesis mostly relevant to topic, but lack of detail.

21-17 Fair to poor Limited knowledge of subject little substance inadequate development of topic

16-13 Very poor

Does not show knowledge of subject non-substantive not pertinent not enough to evaluate

Organization

20-18 Excellent to

very good

Fluent expression ideas clearly

stated/supported succinct well-organized logical sequencing cohesive

17-14 Good to

average

Somewhat choppy loosely organized but main idea stand out limited support logical but incomplete sequencing

13-10 Fair to poor Not fluent ideas confused or disconnected lack logical sequencing and development

9-7 Very poor Does not communicate no organization

not enough to evaluate

Vocabulary

20-18 Excellent to

very good

Sophisticated range effective word/idiom choice and usage word from mastery appropriate register

17-14 Good to

average

Adequate range occasional error of word/idiom form, choice and usage but meaning not obscured

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13-10

Fair to poor

Limited range frequent error of word/idiom form, choice and usage meaning confused or obscured

9-7 Very poor

Essentially translation little knowledge of English vocabulary, idiom, word form not enough to evaluate

Language Use

25-22 Excellent to

very good

Effective complex construction few of errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, and preposition

21-18 Good to

average

Effective but simple construction minor problems in complex construction several of errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, and preposition but meaning seldom obscured

17-11 Fair to poor

Major problems in simple/complex construction frequent errors of negation , agreement, tense, number, word

order/function, articles, pronouns, and preposition and/or fragment, runs-on, deletion, meaning confused or obscured

10-5 Very poor

Virtually no mastery of sentence

construction rules dominated by errors does not communicate not enough to evaluate

Mechanics

5 Excellent to

very good

Affective demonstrates mastery of convention few error of spelling,

punctuation, capitalization and paragraphing

4 Good to

average

Occasional error of spelling, punctuation, capitalization and paragraphing but meaning seldom obscured

3 Fair to poor

Frequent error of spelling, punctuation, capitalization and paragraphing poor handwriting meaning confused or obscured

2 Very poor

No mastery of convention dominated of by error of spelling, punctuation, capitalization and paragraphing handwriting illegible not enough to evaluate

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3.7.2. Data Tabulation

In this second stage, after the writer described and classified the scoring standard of the writing test based on the ESL Composition Profile created by Jacobs et al. (1981 cited in Weigle, 2007: 116), the writer and two other judges firstly scored the students’ writing tests. Furthermore, the scoring standard involves content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics.

3.7.3. The Data Implementation

3.7.3.1. The Test Instrument Analysis

As Hatch and Farhady (1982: 243) states that there are three basic characteristics of test involve reliability, validity, and practically. Thus, in this research, the writer first tried out the instrument to another class in the same grade before the pre-test was administered. This try out test was carried out in order to measure the reliability, validity, and practically of the instrument. To gain the result of the try-out test, those three characteristics will be analyzed in the following details by using the certain statistical formula.

3.7.3.1.1 Reliability Analysis

Reliability is a crucial characteristic of a good test. A test must be reliable as a measuring instrument before the test is administered in a research. Based on Hatch and Farhady (1982: 244), reliability is the excellence to which a test

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produces consistent result when administered under similar condition. For that purpose, in administering the try-out test, the students should do the test within specified time period, and they were not allowed to take the test at home.

Since the main instrument of this research was in the form of essay test, firstly, the writer assessed students’ composition by using the analytic scales in ESL (Jacob et al., 1981 cited in Weigle, 2007: 116). Furthermore, the writer analyzed the instrument reliability by using Alpha Cronbach formula (Arikunto, 2006: 196), and the procedures are:

a. Determining the variance of item ( )

= −

Where

= Sumof square of item, = Sumof square of subject,

= Number of sample

b. Determining the variance of total score ( ) = ∑ − − ∑ −

c. Determining the instrument reliability ( ) with the Alpha formula;

r = 1 −∑

Where

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70 d. Checking the finding with the criteria of reliability.

Table 3.5 Criteria of Reliability

Criteria Category

0.00 – 0.199 0.20 – 0.399 0.40 – 0.599 0.60 – 0.799 0.80 – 1.000

Very Low Low Moderate

High Very High

(Riduwan, 2005 cited in Sintiani, 2006: 31)

3.7.3.1.2 Validity

Validity is also one of the crucial characteristics that a good test must have. Based on Heaton (1995: 159), the validity of a test is the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure. Therefore, in this research, the instruments would be valid if those instruments were able to measure the students writing ability.

Furthermore, Hatch and Farhady (1982) classifies three basic types of validity: content validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity. Since the main instrument of this research was in the form of written achievement test, the content validity was used for analyzing the instrument validity. Based on Hatch and Farhady (1982: 251), a content validity is defined as the extent to which the test measures a representative sample of the subject matter content.

In order to analyze the content validity of this instrument, the writer used the formula of determining the

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discrimination power proposed by Arikunto (2006) and was helped by using Microsoft Excel 2007, and the procedures are as follows;

a. Determining the high and the low scores;

b. Taking 27% of the highest score and the lowest score; c. Preparing the table in order to calculate easily;

\ Table 3.6

Calculation Form of the Lowest and Highest Score

Highest Score Lowest Score

!̅ = … = … = …

d. Calculating the discrimination power by using the t test formula;

t = −̅# −̅

$_%##&_%#

' ()

Where

stotal = $ # #&

e. Determining the degree of freedom (df);

Df = + − 2 at the level of significant = 5% f. Comparing the derived t (-_{./ 0120}) to the critical t (-_3/40); g. Reporting the finding: if the t (-_{./ 0120}) > t (-_3/40)

meaning that the discrimination is significant; the instrument is considered as a valid instrument.

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3.7.3.1.3 Practicality Analysis

After the reliability and validity of the instrument were investigated, the practicality of the instrument should also be analyzed. As Heaton (1995: 167) states that a test must be practicable. In addition, Hatch and Farhady (1982: 254) states that some practical consideration as follows: the test should be easy to administer, the test should be as inexpensive as possible, the test should be easily scored, and the score should be easy to interpret. For the purpose of practicality, the writer conducted the try-out test by considering those rules.

3.7.3.2 Pre-Test Data Analysis

Pre-test was the first writing test delivered to the experimental and control groups in order to find out the data of the students’ initial writing ability. Since this research engaged two classes of participants, the experimental design and procedure were statistically analyzed by the formula of Independent-Sample t test for calculating data.

According to Coolidge (2000: 143), to use the t test appropriately, there are several specific assumptions that must be met as follows: the participants must be different in each group (independent group), the dependent variable values come from a population of values that is normally distributed, and the variances of the two groups about the respective means will be equal or approximately equal

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(homogenous). For that purpose, the writer will be analyzed those assumptions can be noticed in the following details.

3.7.3.2.1 Testing the Normality of Distribution

The aim of testing the normality of distribution is for finding out whether or not the samples are from a population of values that is normally distributed. In this research Chi Square formula is used in testing the normality of distribution, and the procedures are as follows:

a. Stating the hypotheses in sentence and setting the level of significance at 0.05 (two-tailed test of significance)

67 : The scores of the experimental and control

groups are not normally distributed b. Calculating the normality of distribution;

c. Comparing 8_{./ 0120} to 8_3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05 for testing the hypothesis and reporting the findings: “67 is rejected if 8_{./ 0120} < 8_3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05.

3.7.3.2.2 Testing the Homogeneity of Variance

After the result of testing normality of distribution was found, the writer must also test the homogeneity of variance. The procedures are as follows:

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74 a. Stating the hypotheses in sentence and setting the level of

significance at 0.05 (two-tailed test of significance)

67 : The scores of the experimental and control

groups are not homogenous. b. Calculating the homogeneity of variance;

c. Comparing 9_{./ 0120} to 9_3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05 for testing the hypothesis and reporting the findings: “67 is rejected if 9_{./ 0120} < 9_3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05.

3.7.3.2.3 Testing the Independent-Sample t Test

If the data of this research were proved as normal and homogenous data, the next step was to test the hypothesis of the research. For that purpose, the writer decided to use the independent-samples t test.

a. Stating the hypotheses in sentence and setting the level of significance at 0.05 (two-tailed test of significance)

67 : There is no significant difference between the pre-test means for experimental group and control group.

b. Calculating the Independent-Samples t Test;

c. Comparing the -_{./ 0120} to the - _3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05 for testing the hypothesis and

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reporting the findings: “67 is rejected if -_{./ 0120} > -_3/40 with the level of significance at 0.05”.

3.7.3.3 Post-Test Data Analysis

Post-test was delivered in order to find out whether or not there is significant difference between students’ scores of the experimental and control classes after the treatment was conducted to the experimental class. Since this test was similar to pre-test, the procedures of analyzing data of the post-test were also similar to the procedures of analyzing data of the pre-test.

3.7.3.4 Questionnaire Data Analysis

The questionnaire was analyzed to get a clearer evidence of the effectiveness of using Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills in a Madrasah in Garut and to find out the students’ responses towards the use of Microsoft Word in writing class. After the students took the post-test, they were given list of simple questions to be answered based on the students’ opinions. In this research, the questionnaire was in the form of open-ended and close-ended questionnaire which consist of 10 questions.

For that purpose, the questionnaire consisted of these three aspects:

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76 1. Do the students think that Microsoft Word is helpful to

them?

2. If Microsoft Word is helpful in their writing, why do the students think this method is helpful to them (in term of the advantages of this method)?

3. What are significant factors contributing to the success of writing that uses Microsoft Word in improving their writing skills?

The data were analyzed quantitatively by using the formula of percentage and considering the criteria of percentage as follow:

: = 9 × 100_> Where

P = Percentage N = Response F = Frequency 100 = Constant

Table 3.7 Criteria of Percentage Categories

No Percentage of Respondent Criteria

1 1 – 25% Small number of students

2 25 – 49% Nearly half of the students

3 50% Half of the students

4 51 – 75% More than half of the students

5 76 – 99% Almost all of the students

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CHAPTER V

THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In this research, this chapter is the last chapter dealing with the conclusion of the whole research result, which has been briefly discussed in the previous chapters. Besides, this last chapter elaborates some suggestion related to teaching writing by using Microsoft Word for the readers and other researchers. Further, the data and the discussion of the research have become the foundation to draw up this final chapter.

5.1 The Conclusions

From beginning to the end, this paper had opened up a research of the effectiveness of Microsoft Word in improving students’ writing skills at a MAdrasah in Garut. Besides, this research was aimed at finding out students’ perception toward the use of Microsoft Word in the writing class.

In this section, the conclusions present the overall descriptions of the research result gained through an experimental research and interpreted in the form of data analysis. The following explanation is a set of those conclusions.

1. There is significant difference between the class that used Microsoft Word in improving their writing skills and the one that did not use this method.

From the research findings and data analysis, the researcher found that the use of Microsoft Word in writing class applied to the experimental class was generally effective than using handwriting and paper applied to the control class in improving students’ writing skills.

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116 The facts showed that this result was proved statistically by the independent-sample t test calculation in post-test scores, which gave the

evidence that the is higher than the with the level of significant

at 0.05 (8.73 >2.042). It means that the null hypothesis was rejected. In addition, there was a significant difference between the post-test means for experimental class and control class. Furthermore, based on the students’ writing product, their writing skills of the experimental class significantly improved better than that of the control class.

2. Students have some good positive perception towards the use of Microsoft Word in improving their writing skills

Based on the result analysis of the questionnaire, there were students’ positive responses towards the use of Microsoft Word in writing class. Further, the results of questionnaire are concluded in the following details.

a. The use of Microsoft Word in writing class is helpful in teaching writing to the second grade students of MTs. Darul Arqam Muhammadiyah Garut.

From the research, almost the entire students agreed that using Microsoft Word in writing class was useful and enjoyable to them in improving their in writing skills than the conventional method, by using their own handwriting.

However, there were many students who still found difficulty when those students revised their works (and/or their friends’ works) by using

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Microsoft Word because they cannot follow the instruction given by the teacher at the first time.

b. Some advantages are found in learning writing, in which the teacher who applied the use of Microsoft Word in writing class.

As a result, the use of Microsoft Word in writing class motivates students to write more correctly, makes them realize their strengths and weaknesses in writing texts. It makes them more aware and sensitive in writing. It also improves their English vocabulary that supports them to enrich their option to choose the right words to express their ideas in writing texts.

Individual revision and proofreading (peer correction) can be a mean to share knowledge for one student and other students. These kinds of activities make them accustomed to taking and giving comments and corrections from other peers. The trust that they built up among the students makes them more confident in writing texts; they are not afraid to make mistakes and it can improve their critical thinking during the process of writing.

Besides, the use of Microsoft Word in writing class brings a different atmosphere to be more interesting and enjoyable. Further, the use of Microsoft Word in writing class makes the writing process easier and faster.

c. Some significant factors contribute to the success of teaching writing that uses Microsoft Word in writing class.

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118 The first significant factor is the internal factor, which is characterized by emotional involvement from the inside of the students themselves. This internal factor involves the students’ motivation to read and revise their own works and their friends’ works; their knowledge and skill in writing; how many practice that the students have done in writing; and also the students’ physical condition.

Furthermore, the second is the external factor, which involves good communication and interaction with other peer; enjoyable writing situation; good and correct comments and corrections from other peers; topics of discussion that the students like; and how many practices in English conversation and speaking with other peers. Besides, teacher’s factor and media used and also their ability in using the media in teaching learning process can influence the teaching writing using the Microsoft Word.

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5.2 The Recommendations

During the process of conducting this research, the researcher had tried to perform all of the efforts to gain maximum result. The researcher admits that this research is still far from being perfect, and it still requires some improvements. Therefore, the researcher has some suggestions for the readers, English teachers, and other researchers who are deeply interested in learning writing using Microsoft Word.

1. For English teachers

Since the use of Microsoft Word is used during the writing process, it can be dry and the students feel bored of the activity. Therefore, the teacher should be more attractive and creative in selecting the topics and materials for teaching and learning process.

In this case, the use of Microsoft Word is recommended for the teachers who are familiar and able to operate the program so that it can reduce students’ difficulty in the process of writing, revising or even in peer correction activities. Otherwise, the students will be trapped and confuse to follow the instructions in operating the Microsoft word and do not focus on how to make a good writing.

Moreover, the teacher should also consider the internal and external factors. These factors can influence students’ learning process and contribute to the success of teaching writing that uses Microsoft Word. Thus, the teacher should plan a well-organized time management and well preparation before conducting the lesson in order to achieve the effective teaching and learning process.

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120 2. For other researchers

Since this research was conducted in a relatively short time, for further research, the researcher suggests that he had better conduct a related research by allocating more time. Besides, since this research used a quasi-experimental design, which made this research lack of absolute data, he suggests that the other researcher construct a true experimental design in order to avoid the problems in processing the data.

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