The fifth grade learners perceptions on the english teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid`s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.

ABSTRACT

Krisnawati, Silvia. 2008.The Fifth Grade Learners Perceptions on the English Teaching–Learning Activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

Students’ perceptions on English teaching-learning activities are important since the students’ perceptions influence students’ motivation to learn English and behavior or attitudes in English learning activities. Students’ perceptions also influence further teaching-learning strategies (Wenden and Rubin, 1987).

The study of perceptions plays an important role for an education process since by knowing the learners’ perceptions, the teacher or tutor could plan the appropriate teaching-learning activities. Therefore the researcher conducted this research. This study attempted to answer three research questions, namely (1) What are the fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta?, (2) What are the fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta?, and (3) How do the fifth grade learners’ perceptions match their needs?.

This study adopted the qualitative method as proposed by Holliday (2002) since this research gathered non-numerical data about the learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities at DombyKid’s Hope 2 and the learners’ needs in learning English. The researcher employed several class observations and also several interviews with the seventeen fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, three learners’ parents, one English tutor, and the coordinator and secretary of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 to answer the research problems.

The data of this study revealed that the needs of the learners in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 was learning English to support their school achievements and learning English through playing or fun learning. The needs for the materials were the basic English materials, such as simple and contextual vocabulary, reading, writing, etc.

There were two major data of the second research question. Firstly, the learners had positive perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 since the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 supported the learners’ achievements at school. Secondly, the learners’ had negative perceptions on the processes of English teaching-learning. The learners stated that the English teaching-learning processes at Domby Kid’s Hope 2were boring.

The last research question aimed to find out how the learners’ perceptions matched their needs. The positive perceptions were shaped because the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 matched with the learners’ expectation. The learners expected to get benefits or knowledge of English in order to support their achievements at school. The negative perceptions were shaped related to the process of English teaching-learning atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. The learners’ needs and perceptions also matched with the goal of English teaching-learning at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 and the general curriculum. The goal

was to make the children love English and brave to speak English. This goal was achieved by elaborating the school materials and other materials using creative and interesting teaching methods.

Therefore, it could be concluded that the learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2were simple and common needs of children. For the learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, it was a great opportunity for them to learn English without paying atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. This condition led the learners to shape positive perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities as long as those activities were able to fulfill their needs in learning. The learners’ perceptions partly match with the learners’ needs since Domby Kid’s Hope 2 could not fulfill the learners’ needs of fun English learning.

ABSTRAK

Krisnawati, Silvia. 2008.The Fifth Grade Learners Perceptions on the English Teaching–Learning Activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Persepsi para siswa terhadap aktivitas belajar mengajar Bahasa inggris penting karena persepsi tersebut mempengaruhi motivasi para siswa untuk belajar Bahasa Inggris dan juga mempengaruhi perilaku atau sikap siswa dalam aktivitas belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris. Persepsi siswa selanjutnya juga mempengaruhi strategi kegiatan belajar mengajar (Wenden, 1987).

Studi tentang persepsi berperan penting untuk proses pendidikan karena dengan mengetahui persepsi siswa, guru atau tutor dapat merencanakan kegiatan belajar mengajar yang sesuai. Untuk itu peneliti melakukan penelitian ini. Studi ini bertujuan untuk menjawab tiga pertanyaan, yaitu (1) Apakah kebutuhan belajar Bahasa Inggris siswa kelas lima di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta?, (2) Bagaimanakah persepsi siswa kelas lima terhadap pelaksanaan kegiatan belajar mengajar di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta, dan (3) Bagaimana persepsi mereka terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris sesuai dengan pemenuhan kebutuhan mereka?.

Studi ini ini termasuk dalam penelitian kualitatif seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Holliday (2002) karena penelitian ini mengumpulkan data yang bersifat bukan angka tentang tentang persepsi para siswa terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 dan kebutuhan siswa dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris. Peneliti menjawab tiga pertanyaan penelitian melalui melakukan beberapa observasi kelas dan juga beberapa interview dengan tujuh belas siswa kelas lima, tiga orang tua siswa, satu tutor Bahasa Inggris, koordinator dan sekretaris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2.

Data dari studi ini mengungkapkan bahwa kebutuhan para siswa dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 adalah belajar Bahasa Inggris untuk mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah dan belajar Bahasa Inggris melalui bermain atau belajar yang menyenangkan. Kebutuhan materi adalah materi dasar Bahasa Inggris, seperti kosakata sederhana dan kontekstual, membaca, menulis, dll.

Ada dua data utama untuk pertanyaan kedua. Pertama, mereka memiliki persepsi baik terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 karena kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah. Kedua, para siswa memiliki persepsi buruk berkaitan dengan proses belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris. Para siswa menyatakan bahwa proses belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 membosankan.

Pertanyaan terakhir bertujuan untuk menemukan bagaimana persepsi mereka sesuai dengan pemenuhan kebutuhan mereka. Persepsi positif terbentuk karena kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 sesuai dengan harapan para siswa. Harapan mereka adalah untuk memperoleh

keuntungan atau ilmu pengetahuan tentang Bahasa Inggris untuk mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah. Persepsi negatif muncul berkaitan dengan proses belajar mengajar di Domby Kid’s Hope 2. Kebutuhan dan persepsi siswa juga sesuai dengan tujuan umum dari kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 dan sesuai dengan kurikulum umum dikarenakan tujuan dari kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris tersebut adalah untuk membuat siswa menyukai Bahasa Inggris dan berani untuk berbicara dalam Bahasa Inggris. Tujuan ini dicapai dengan menggabungkan materi dari sekolah dan materi lain dengan menggunakan metode pengajaran yang kreatif dan menarik.

Oleh karena itu, dapat disimpulkan bahwa para siswa memiliki kebutuhan yang sederhana dan umum dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris. Bagi para siswa di Domby Kid’s Hope 2, belajar Bahasa Inggris tanpa membayar di Domby Kid’s Hope adalah kesempatan yang baik. Keadaan ini menyebabkan para siswa memiliki persepsi positif terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris selama kegiatan tersebut dapat memenuhi kebutuhan mereka dalam belajar. Persepsi para siswa tidak sepenuhnya sesuai dengan kebutuhan para siswa karena Domby Kis’s Hope 2 tidak dapat memenuhi kebutuhan siswa akan belajar Bahasa Inggris yang menyenangkan.

THE FIFTH GRADE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES ATDOMBY KID’S HOPE 2

YOGYAKARTA

A Thesis

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree

in English Language Education

By

Silvia Krisnawati Student Number: 041214101

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

THE FIFTH GRADE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES ATDOMBY KID’S HOPE 2

YOGYAKARTA

A Thesis

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree

in English Language Education

By

Silvia Krisnawati Student Number: 041214101

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

2008

ASarjana PendidikanThesis On

THE FIFTH GRADE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES ATDOMBY KID’S HOPE 2

YOGYAKARTA

Prepared and Presented by Silvia Krisnawati Student Number: 041214101

Approved by:

Dr. Retno Muljani, M. Pd. 11 September 2008

Sponsor

THE FIFTH GRADE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES ATDOMBY KID’S HOPE 2

YOGYAKARTA

By

Silvia Krisnawati Student Number: 041214101

Defended before the Board of Examiners on 24 September 2008,

and Declared Acceptable

Board of Examiners

Signature Chair person : A. Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A. ……… Secretary : Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd. ………

Member : Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd. ………

Member : V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.A. ……… Member : C. Tutyandari, S.Pd., M.Pd. ………

Yogyakarta, 24 September 2008 Faculty of Teachers Training and Education Sanata Dharma University Dean,

Drs. T. Sarkim, M.Ed., Ph.D.

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declare that this thesis, which I wrote, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and references, as a scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, 24 September 2008

The Writer

Silvia Krisnawati 041214101

I can do all things

through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13)

Whichhope

we have as an anchor of the soul, Both sure and stedfast, and which entereth

into that within the veil (Hebrews 6:19)

I dedicate this thesis to My Heavenly Father, My lovely parents, brother and sisters, All family, Partners and friends

ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS

Finally, I could arrive at this great opportunity to write my gratitude to everyone behind me in finishing this thesis because I could not do this alone.

The first and the most important are my adoration and thanks to Jesus Christ who knows the best for me and also who always gives the best for me. Hopefully I also glorify Him by this thesis.

I thank very much Mrs. Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd.as my sponsor who helps me a lot during the process of writing this thesis. I really thank for her guidance, patience, and support. This was really a painful but also joyful process. I would also express my gratitude to Mr. Drs. Concilianus Laos Mbato, M.A. andMr. Ant. Herujiyanto, M.A. as my Academic Advisors. Moreover, I would also thank Miss Ch. Lhaksmita Anandari, S.Pd., M.Ed. who was willing to read this thesis. I also thank Mr. Agustinus Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A., Mr. Paulus Kuswandono, S.Pd, M.Pd., Mrs. Caecillia Tutyandari, S.Pd., M.Pd., Mrs. V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M.Hum., Miss. Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd., Mrs. Laurentia Sumarnie, S.Pd., and all of the PBI lecturers and also MbakDani andMbakTari.

I thank my lovely parents, Purwanto, S.Tp and Suki Rahayu who always stand beside me and support me to achieve the best that I can do. I also thank Nia,MasWit,MbakNunik, Filbert, grandmothers and grandfathers, and all of my family.

I would also express my gratitude to the big family ofDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakartafor allowing me to conduct this research and helping me so much. I thankMasYusak, MbakIndri, MbakIsti, MbakTri,MbakHana, Ester, and all of the mentors and tutors, and especially for the learners there.

I could finish this thesis also because of the support and prayer from all of my friends. I thank very much the family ofEfata Student Fellowship, especially Asih, Tyas, Vivi, Bayu, Christo, Pikal, Robbie, Ezra, Yonas, Ester, Restu, Tri, and others whom I can not mention one by one. I also thank Dian, my roommate for

the long journey that we have together. Special thanks for my sisters in Jesus Christ: Wahyu, Nita, Tita, Nancy, Ria, Ika, Rini, Dewi,KakNina, andKakInggrit for the great moments and vision that we share together. I thank Mas Bayu and Mbak Ike who teach me a lot about life, care me, support me, and also pray for me. I also thank the big family of Komisi Pemuda GKJ Sidomulyo who also support me and pray for me. I would express my gratitude to Pak Levi, Devi, Vivi, Steven, Fenny, Mankgie and all members of PSKP 01. I would also thank Dedy for inspiring me, supporting me, and also praying for me.

My gratitude also goes to all members ofPBI 2004 for the unforgettable four-year journey. Special thanks for the Grass Roots (Tika, Novi, Riska, Indri, Albert, and Ahmet), “Everyday is Sunday” crew, PPL Stama (especially Ibam and Vina) , KKN 24 Siten, Canista, and Samirono Baru 30 (especially Kak Cindy). I thank Hana Dyah Merina, Dewi, Pius, Anas, and others who also support and pray for me.

I also thank everyone who supports me but I can not mention them one by one in this page.

Silvia Krisnawati 041214101

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ……… i

APPROVAL PAGES ……… ii

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ……… iv

DEDICATION PAGE ……… v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……… vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… viii

LIST OF TABLES ……… xiii

LIST OF FIGURE………... xiv

LIST OF CODING ……… xv

ABSTRACT………. xvii

ABSTRAK……… xix

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……… 1

A. Research Background ……… 1

B. Problem Formulation ……… 4

C. Research Objectives ……… 4

D. Problem Limitation ……… 5

E. Research Benefits ……… 5

F. Clarification of Terms ……… 6

CHAPTER II : LITERATURE REVIEW ……….... 9

A. Theoretical Description ……… 9

1. Perception ……… 9

a. Definition of Perception ……… 10

b. Perceptual Process and Teaching-Learning Activities ……… 10

c. Factors that Affect Someone’s Perception ……… 13

2. Young English Language Learners ……… 15

a. Characteristics of Young Learners ……….... 16

b. Principles of Children Language Learning ……… 20

3. Psychology and the Language Learning Process ……… 21

a. Age-Orientated Concepts and Psychology ……… 22

b. Importance of Human Drives and Urges ……… 23

c. Function of Psychology in Education ……… 24

4.Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum ……… 25

B. Theoretical Framework ……… 25

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ……… 28

A. Research Method ……… 28

B. Research Participants ……… 29

C. Research Instruments ……… 30

D. Data Gathering Techniques ……… 31

E. Data Analysis Techniques ……… 33

F. Research Procedures ……… 35

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ………. 37

A. Data Analysis ………. 37

1. Data ………. 37

a. Summary of the learners’ needs ………. 38

b. Summary of the learners’ perceptions ………. 41

c. Summary of the classroom observations ………44

d. Description of the general curriculum and the goal of the English teaching-learning activities atDomby Kid’s hope 2 ………. 47

2. Findings ………. 48

a. Fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 48

b. Fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 50

c. Suitability of the learners’ perceptions and their needs……… 51

d. Other findings ………. 52

C. Discussion ………. 53

1. Fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 53

2. Fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 56

3. Suitability of the learners’ perceptions and their needs……… 60

4. Other findings ………. 62

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSSION AND SUGESTION ………. 64

A. Conclusions ………. 64

1. Fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 64

2. Fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 65

3. Suitability of the learners’ perceptions and their needs……… 66

B. Suggestions ………. 67

1. For the curriculum designers ………. 68

2. For the English tutors ………. 68

C. Implications ………. 68

REFERENCES ………. 70

APPENDICES ………. 73

APPENDIX A: Interviews results with the learners ………. 74

APPENDIX B: Interviews results with the learners’ parents ……. 121

APPENDIX C:Observations note ………. 135

APPENDIX D: Interview results with the coordinator and secretary of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 139

APPENDIX E: Interviews results with the English tutor ………. 141

APPENDIX F:Domby Kid’s Hope 2Profile ………. 142

APPNDIX G:Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum ………. 146

APPENDIX H: The goal of the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 ……… 152

APPENDIX I: Permission letter forDomby Kid’s Hope 2 ………. 154 APPENDIX J: Permission letter for the Library of the Graduate

ProgramUSD ……….. 155

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Data summary of the learners’ needs ……… 38

Table 4.2 Data summary of the learners’ perceptions ……… 40

Table 4.3 Interview coding sample ……… 42

Table 4.4.1 Observation note data I ……… 44

Table 4.4.2 Observation note data II ……… 44

Table 4.4.3 Observation note data III ……… 45

Table 4.5 Findings of the learners’ needs ……… 47

Table 4.6 Findings of the learners’ perceptions ……… 49

Table 4.7 Suitability of the learners’ perceptions and their needs …… 50

Table 4.8 Other findings ……… 51

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1. The perceptual process (Altman et al, 1985) ……… 11

LIST OF CODING

ACHI: Learners’ achievements in learning English

BUSY: The parents busy with their works and seldom pay attention to their children

EMOT: Emotion of the learners

FACT: Factors that affect someone’s perceptions GROUP: The learners like to work in group INDE: Independent learning

INDI: Indirect learning (the capacity of children for indirect learning)

NEED: The learners’ wants desires, demands, expectations, motivations, and requirements in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2

MATCH: The English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby Kid’s Hope 2match their needs in learning English

PAREN: Involving parents

PLAY: Play and fun (children’s instinct for play and fun) PROD: Product (learning outcome)

PROC: Process (given learning situation and specific learning strategies)

PRES: Presage (a factor that includes students’ belief about knowledge and learning conception, also includes learning context such as teachers and school attributes)

READ: Reading

REPE: Repetition in learning

SELF: Self-Concept SING: Singing

SELEC: Selectivity (interest of the stimuli). SPEAK: Speaking

SUPP: The English teaching-learning at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 supports the English teaching-learning activity at school

VOCAB: Vocabulary WRITE: Writing

ABSTRACT

Krisnawati, Silvia. 2008.The Fifth Grade Learners Perceptions on the English Teaching–Learning Activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

Students’ perceptions on English teaching-learning activities are important since the students’ perceptions influence students’ motivation to learn English and behavior or attitudes in English learning activities. Students’ perceptions also influence further teaching-learning strategies (Wenden and Rubin, 1987).

The study of perceptions plays an important role for an education process since by knowing the learners’ perceptions, the teacher or tutor could plan the appropriate teaching-learning activities. Therefore the researcher conducted this research. This study attempted to answer three research questions, namely (1) What are the fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta?, (2) What are the fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta?, and (3) How do the fifth grade learners’ perceptions match their needs?.

This study adopted the qualitative method as proposed by Holliday (2002) since this research gathered non-numerical data about the learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities at DombyKid’s Hope 2 and the learners’ needs in learning English. The researcher employed several class observations and also several interviews with the seventeen fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, three learners’ parents, one English tutor, and the coordinator and secretary of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 to answer the research problems.

The data of this study revealed that the needs of the learners in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 was learning English to support their school achievements and learning English through playing or fun learning. The needs for the materials were the basic English materials, such as simple and contextual vocabulary, reading, writing, etc.

There were two major data of the second research question. Firstly, the learners had positive perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 since the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 supported the learners’ achievements at school. Secondly, the learners’ had negative perceptions on the processes of English teaching-learning. The learners stated that the English teaching-learning processes at Domby Kid’s Hope 2were boring.

The last research question aimed to find out how the learners’ perceptions matched their needs. The positive perceptions were shaped because the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 matched with the learners’ expectation. The learners expected to get benefits or knowledge of English in order to support their achievements at school. The negative perceptions were shaped related to the process of English teaching-learning atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. The learners’ needs and perceptions also matched with the goal of English teaching-learning at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 and the general curriculum. The goal

was to make the children love English and brave to speak English. This goal was achieved by elaborating the school materials and other materials using creative and interesting teaching methods.

Therefore, it could be concluded that the learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2were simple and common needs of children. For the learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, it was a great opportunity for them to learn English without paying atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. This condition led the learners to shape positive perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities as long as those activities were able to fulfill their needs in learning. The learners’ perceptions partly match with the learners’ needs since Domby Kid’s Hope 2 could not fulfill the learners’ needs of fun English learning.

ABSTRAK

Krisnawati, Silvia. 2008.The Fifth Grade Learners Perceptions on the English Teaching–Learning Activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Persepsi para siswa terhadap aktivitas belajar mengajar Bahasa inggris penting karena persepsi tersebut mempengaruhi motivasi para siswa untuk belajar Bahasa Inggris dan juga mempengaruhi perilaku atau sikap siswa dalam aktivitas belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris. Persepsi siswa selanjutnya juga mempengaruhi strategi kegiatan belajar mengajar (Wenden, 1987).

Studi tentang persepsi berperan penting untuk proses pendidikan karena dengan mengetahui persepsi siswa, guru atau tutor dapat merencanakan kegiatan belajar mengajar yang sesuai. Untuk itu peneliti melakukan penelitian ini. Studi ini bertujuan untuk menjawab tiga pertanyaan, yaitu (1) Apakah kebutuhan belajar Bahasa Inggris siswa kelas lima di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta?, (2) Bagaimanakah persepsi siswa kelas lima terhadap pelaksanaan kegiatan belajar mengajar di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta, dan (3) Bagaimana persepsi mereka terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris sesuai dengan pemenuhan kebutuhan mereka?.

Studi ini ini termasuk dalam penelitian kualitatif seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Holliday (2002) karena penelitian ini mengumpulkan data yang bersifat bukan angka tentang tentang persepsi para siswa terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 dan kebutuhan siswa dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris. Peneliti menjawab tiga pertanyaan penelitian melalui melakukan beberapa observasi kelas dan juga beberapa interview dengan tujuh belas siswa kelas lima, tiga orang tua siswa, satu tutor Bahasa Inggris, koordinator dan sekretaris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2.

Data dari studi ini mengungkapkan bahwa kebutuhan para siswa dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 adalah belajar Bahasa Inggris untuk mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah dan belajar Bahasa Inggris melalui bermain atau belajar yang menyenangkan. Kebutuhan materi adalah materi dasar Bahasa Inggris, seperti kosakata sederhana dan kontekstual, membaca, menulis, dll.

Ada dua data utama untuk pertanyaan kedua. Pertama, mereka memiliki persepsi baik terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 karena kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah. Kedua, para siswa memiliki persepsi buruk berkaitan dengan proses belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris. Para siswa menyatakan bahwa proses belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 membosankan.

Pertanyaan terakhir bertujuan untuk menemukan bagaimana persepsi mereka sesuai dengan pemenuhan kebutuhan mereka. Persepsi positif terbentuk karena kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 sesuai dengan harapan para siswa. Harapan mereka adalah untuk memperoleh

keuntungan atau ilmu pengetahuan tentang Bahasa Inggris untuk mendukung prestasi mereka di sekolah. Persepsi negatif muncul berkaitan dengan proses belajar mengajar di Domby Kid’s Hope 2. Kebutuhan dan persepsi siswa juga sesuai dengan tujuan umum dari kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris di Domby Kid’s Hope 2 dan sesuai dengan kurikulum umum dikarenakan tujuan dari kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris tersebut adalah untuk membuat siswa menyukai Bahasa Inggris dan berani untuk berbicara dalam Bahasa Inggris. Tujuan ini dicapai dengan menggabungkan materi dari sekolah dan materi lain dengan menggunakan metode pengajaran yang kreatif dan menarik.

Oleh karena itu, dapat disimpulkan bahwa para siswa memiliki kebutuhan yang sederhana dan umum dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris. Bagi para siswa di Domby Kid’s Hope 2, belajar Bahasa Inggris tanpa membayar di Domby Kid’s Hope adalah kesempatan yang baik. Keadaan ini menyebabkan para siswa memiliki persepsi positif terhadap kegiatan belajar mengajar Bahasa Inggris selama kegiatan tersebut dapat memenuhi kebutuhan mereka dalam belajar. Persepsi para siswa tidak sepenuhnya sesuai dengan kebutuhan para siswa karena Domby Kis’s Hope 2 tidak dapat memenuhi kebutuhan siswa akan belajar Bahasa Inggris yang menyenangkan.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the introduction of this study. This chapter is divided into seven sections, namely, the research background, problem formulation, research objectives, scope and limitation, research contribution, and clarification of terms.

A. Research Background

The kind and amount of learning achieved by any learner in any area of learning are affected by many factors. Some of these factors come from the learner himself, others depend on the condition under which and the situations in which the learning takes place (Crow and Crow, 1956). One factor which comes from the learner himself is perception. Perception is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning or sense to their environment (Robbins, 1997). Perception plays an important role in learning process since it influences someone’s behavior or attitudes and motivation to learn (Szilagyi and Wallace, 1980). People’s behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.

Since perception refers to the acquisition of specific knowledge about objects or events at any particular moment, it occurs whenever stimuli activate the senses. If someone believes that stimuli will bring his needs, this believes will cause him to have positive perception toward the stimuli. This positive perception

also occurs when someone has a big expectation toward the stimuli. The differences in someone’s needs and expectations when experiencing something cause the differences of perceptions from one person to another (Bootzin, 1983).

Students’ perceptions on English teaching-learning activities are important since the perceptions influence their motivation to learn English and behavior or attitudes in English learning activities. Moreover, students’ perceptions also influence further teaching-learning strategies (Wenden and Rubin, 1987). After knowing students’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities, teachers could plan more appropriate English teaching-learning activities.

Perception is significantly influenced by needs and desires (Gibson et al, 1985). The term needs is not as simple as it might appear, and hence, the term is sometimes used to refer to wants, desires, demands, expectation, motivations, lacks, constraints, and requirements (Brindley as cited by Richards, 2001). In many cases, learners’ language needs may be relatively easy to determine, particularly if learners learn language for specific purposes. In other cases, learners’ needs may not be direct and not easy to be determined.

The researcher chooses Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta to conduct this research. Domby Kid’s Hope 2 is one of the Children Development Programs in Yogyakarta which is held under the support of Yayasan Pelita Bangsa Yogyakarta. Based on the profile of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 issued in February, 2008,Yayasan Pelita Bangsa Yogyakarta is an organization which concerns with educational and social field. The purpose ofDomby Kid’s Hope 2 is to develop children in a rural community holistically to enable them to become great leaders

in the future. To develop children holistically, Domby Kid’s Hope 2 concerns in the four main major developments, they are intellectual, physical, socio-emotional, and spiritual (Domby Kid’s Hope 2profile, 2008). English class is one of the course subjects which is carried out to support the goal of Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta.

The subjects of this research are the fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta who are approximately eleven years old. According to Piaget as cited by Watson and Lindgren (1973), the fifth grade learners belong to the formal operations stage, and they are able to handle abstract relationship, deal with hypothetical situations, understand and use probability, and deal with other complex problems involving logic and reasoning. It means that children at this stage have the ability to think more or less as adult including to form perceptions.

Since students’ perceptions also influence further teaching-learning strategies (Wenden and Rubin, 1987), it is important to know the students’ perceptions on the English teaching learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta. The English teaching-learning process there has been conducted since May 2007 without carefully considering the students’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities. Moreover, they have not had the definite English curriculum yet. The students’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities can be one supporting factor to construct an appropriate English curriculum for them.

By conducting this research, the researcher understands the students’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s

Hope 2. The perceptions are related to the fulfillment of the learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta. The needs here refer to the learners’ wants, desires, demands, expectation, motivations, lacks, constraints, and requirements in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 (Brindley as cited by Richards, 2001). By understanding the learners’ perceptions, the researcher will be able to help the English tutors atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta to give some suggestions for improving the English teaching atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

B. Problem Formulation

The problems of the research are formulated as follows.

1. What are the fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta?

2. What are the fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta?

3. How do the fifth grade learners’ perceptions match their needs?

C. Research Objectives

This research attempts to discover the following aspects.

1. The fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.

2. The fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta.

D. Problem Limitation

The focus of the study is the fifth grade learners’ perceptions on the English teaching learning atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta. Their perceptions will bematched with the fulfillment of their needs in learning English in order to enhance the effectiveness of the English instruction atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

The subjects are the fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta.

E. Research Benefits

The research contributions are described as follows.

1. For the English tutors at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 and other Children Development Programs

The tutors will know the students’ perceptions on the English class so that they can review their teaching learning activities that have been carried out. They can improve the teaching learning activities to be more effective after knowing the students perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities. By knowing the fifth grade learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta, the English tutors also will be able to construct appropriate English curriculum.

2. For the learners

The learners can learn more effectively if the English teaching-learning activities match their needs

3. Other researchers

Other researchers who intend to conduct similar research can use this research as one of their references.

F. Clarification of Terms

There are some terms which will be used throughout the study. They are as follows.

1. Perception

Perception is defined as an individual’s process of organizing and interpreting impressions of the environment so that the impressions will be meaningful (Robbins, 1997). Gibson, et al (1997) define perception as a mental activity of organizing information from environment so that it makes sense. Moreover, Altman and Hodgetts (1985) define perception as a person’s way of selecting and grouping stimuli, so that the stimuli can be interpreted meaningfully. Perception is also defined as a conscious mental and cognitive process that enables people to interpret and understand their surrounding (Kreitner and Kinicki, 1992). In this study, perception refers to the students’ process of organizing and interpreting impressions or information about the English teaching-learning activities so that the impressions and information will be meaningful.

2. Teaching-learning Activities

The term teaching is used to refer to the activities carried out by materials developers or teachers to facilitate the learning of the language (Tomlinson,

1998). Krashen (1981) states that learning is seen as a conscious process while acquisition proceeds unconsciously. In this study, the term teaching-learning activities are defined as the activities carried out by the tutors to facilitate learners to master the English acquisition in the English class at Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta.

3. Perception on teaching-learning activities

Biggs as cited by Astutiningsih (2006) states that perception on learning deals with belief about knowledge which influences students’ approaches to learning.

In this study, the perception on teaching-learning activities is defined as individual’s process of organizing and interpreting impressions of the activities carried out by the tutors to facilitate learners to precede English acquisition atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta.

4. Needs in learning English

Needs refers to wants, desires, demands, expectation, motivations, lacks, constraints, and requirements (Brindley, 1984). Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary (2002) defines needs as a basic necessities or requirements. In this study, needs in learning English is defined as the learners’ wants, desires, demands, expectation, motivation, and requirements in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta synchronized with the needs of learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2from other relevant parties (English tutor and learners’ parents).

5. Fifth grade learners

According to Piaget (as cited by Berk, 1989), the fifth grade learners who are approximately eleven years old belong to the formal operations, Children in this stage are able to handle abstract relationship, deal with hypothetical situations, understand and use probability, and deal with other complex problems involving logic and reasoning. In this study, the fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta are students coming from various schools in Yogyakarta, especially those located around Terban and Cokrokusuman Yogyakarta.

6. Domby Kid’s Hope 2

Domby Kid’s Hope 2 is one of the Children Development Programs in Yogyakarta. Domby Kid’s Hope 2 started the program in February, 2002 under the support of Yayasan Pelita Bangsa Yogyakarta. The targets of Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s program are the children from low economic class. They open programs for pre-school up to high school levels (children of 3 – 19 years old). The goal of the program is developing the intellectual, physical, socio-emotional, and spiritual of the children (Domby Kid’s Hope 2profile, 2008).

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses the theoretical description and the theoretical framework. The theoretical description discusses some theories related to the study, while the theoretical framework discusses major relevant theories which help the researcher to answer the research problems.

A. Theoretical Description

The theoretical description consists of four parts: (1) Perception, (2) Young Learners, (3) Psychology and the Language Learning Process, and (4) Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum. Theory of perception is discussed because the focus of this study is related to the learners’ perception. The subjects of this study are young children, so the next discussion in this part is about young learners. Since this study deals with psychology, theories of psychology and language learning process are also discussed to help the researcher answer the research questions. The last discussion, then, is aboutDomby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum.

1. Perception

This part presents the theory of perception including the definition of perception, perceptual process and teaching-learning activities, and the factors that affect someone’s perception.

a. Definition of Perception

According to Borger and Seaborne (1966), perception is an awareness of environment, through which a person processes incoming sensory data in a certain way to arrive at useful impression of his surrounding. Mozkowitz and Orgel (1969) argue that perception is a global response to a stimulus or a set of stimuli. Moreover, Kreitner and Kinicki (1992) add that perception is mental and cognitive processes that enable people to interpret and understand the surroundings. Perception is also defined as processes of interpreting messages of our senses to provide order and meaning to the environment (Johns, 1996).

There are other definitions of perception. According to Stenberg (1988), perception is the way human perceives the world. Hornby (1995) defines perception as the way of seeing, understanding, or interpreting something. Altman et al (1985) state that perception is the way stimuli are selected and grouped by a person in such a way that the stimuli can be meaningfully interpreted.

b. Perceptual Process and Teaching-Learning Activities

In order to form perception, three steps are needed. The steps consist of having awareness or attention to the incoming stimulus, recognizing and interpreting the incoming stimuli into some messages, and translating or deciding the appropriate action or behavior to respond the message.

The following is the diagram that shows how the perceptual process happens.

Figure 1. The perceptual process (Altman et al, 1985)

From the perceptual process shown in Figure 1, it is seen that perception comes from the stimuli. The stimuli then are selected in the brain. The selected stimuli will result in the form of information. The information will be organized and interpreted by the brain. After interpreting the information, the brain then translates the information into meaning. The results of the meaningful information of the translation are then called perception. Furthermore, perception will create behavior responses. If someone has positive perception of something, he will create positive behavior toward that thing as the behavioral responses follow the perception, organization and interpretation of stimuli. For students, if they have positive perception of the English teaching-learning activity, they will create positive behavior toward that activity.

Biggs as cited by Atutiningsih (2006) states that perception on learning deal with belief about knowledge which influences students’ approaches to learning. It means that perception on learning deal with concepts as stimuli which come from environment, therefore, there is a system that relates the concepts with the environment, and it is called interactive system (Biggs as cited by Astutiningsih, 2006). It is called interactive because the concepts as the stimuli interact with the environment. This system has three components. Those components are presage, process, and product or learning outcome.

stimuli

sensors’ selection of stimuli

perception, organization, and interpretation of stimuli

behavioral response

Presage is a factor that includes students’ belief about knowledge and learning conception. Presage also includes learning context, such as teachers and school attributes. The examples of presage according to Biggs and Dart & Clarke as cited by Astutiningsih (2006) are educational practices, students’ preparations, approaches to learning, and changes to assessment product.

Process is a factor that includes students’ perceptions of a given learning situation and specific learning strategies that they, consequently, adopt for learning tasks whereas learning strategies are factors that influence the process of learning (Biggs as cited by Astutiningsih, 2006). An example of process is the process of how students learn target materials during English teaching-learning activities.

Product or learning outcome is influenced by implementation of certain teaching-learning strategies. Students’ perceptions on English learning are influenced by the implementation of English teaching-learning activities (Perry, 1981).

More specifically, Champbell (2001) spelled out the three components in five elements of language teaching-learning activities implementation that shape students’ perceptions. Those are (1) how the teacher teaches the students, (2) what the teacher wants the students to learn, (3) how the students learn in class, (4) what the students learn, and (5) what the purposes of learning the language are.

Those five elements are affecting the students’ perceptions of the teaching-learning activities. Based on the perceptual process diagram on page 12, perception can be described as the factors which influence the creation of

someone’s behavior. If the students have positive perception concerning those five elements, they will also create positive behavior toward the teaching-learning activities.

c. Factors that Affect Someone’s Perception

In organizations theory, Gibson et al (1985) provide a perceptual process in the form of diagram. The diagram describes six factors influencing someone’s perception. They are stereotyping, selectivity, self-concept, situation, needs, and emotions.

1) Stereotype

The first factor is stereotyping. Stereotype is a set of beliefs about the characteristics of people in a particular group that is generalized to all members of the group (Gibson et al, 1985). In teaching-learning activity, stereotype might occur. For example, stereotype with age as the basis. Most of the stereotypes are the wrong perceptions because it is formed not because of the fact that happens in our environment. It is supported by Gibson et al (1985) who state that stereotyping can result in implementing improper programs.

2) Selectivity

The second factor is selectivity. It is impossible for us to catch all the stimuli that exist in our environment. Only certain stimuli are taken and then processed in our brain. It is caused by our interest of those stimuli. We shape perception based on something that we want to choose. It is supported by Gibson et al (1985) that people tend to ignore information or cues that might make them

feel discomfort. People will take the stimuli that they want but most of the stimuli that they take are the positive one for them. In the English teaching-learning activity, people regard activities as important activities and have positive perceptions on the activities if they are interested in the activities.

3) Self-Concept

The third factor is self-concept. According to Gibson et al (1985), the way people see themselves in the form of self-concept will affect their perceptions about something in their environment. People perceive only the things that are consistent with their motives and goals and interpret their experiences to make them compatible with their present self-concept. For example, someone who always sees something optimistically will also see everything around her optimistically. If the fifth grade learners atDomby Kid’s Hope 2know their self-concepts, their perceptions of the teaching-learning activities in learning English will be more accurate because their self-concepts affect their perceptions on the English teaching-learning activity.

4) Situation

The press of time will literally force the manager to overlook some details, to rush certain activities and to ignore certain stimuli such as request from other managers or from superiors (Gibson et al, 1985). People make certain decision about certain thing without further understanding on their perception toward the problem. In the English teaching-learning activities, the students will shape perceptions on it with further understanding about the meaning of this activity because they observe and do this activity deeply in a certain situation.

5) Needs

Perception is significantly influenced by needs and desires (Gibson et al, 1985). People will learn what they want to learn, eat what they want to eat, see what they want to see, and they will do everything they want to do. Students also have certain needs in learning English. Needs here refer to the students’ wants, desires, demands, expectations, motivations, and requirements in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2(Brindley as cited by Richards, 2001).

6) Emotion

Emotion can influence someone in forming perception. Gibson et al (1985) support this through their statement that strong emotions often distort perception. Perception is formed through experiencing a particular thing. When someone feels that he gets benefit of something, he will shape positive perception in his mind. On the other hand, a person will form negative perception when he finds that something is not beneficial for him.

2. Young English Language Learners

The students of the fifth grade of elementary school are the subjects of this study. The students of the fifth grade are regarded as young learners. Therefore, this part discusses the theory of young learners. The discussion of young learners consists of three parts. Those parts are the characteristics of young English language learners, and the principles of children language learning.

a. Characteristics of Young English Language Learners

Young children do not enter the language classroom without any basic skills. They have a well-established set of instincts, skills, and characteristics which help them to learn another language (Halliwell, 1992). All of the qualities of the children an help them to learn in the foreign language classroom.

1) Children’s ability to grasp meaning

According to Halliwell (1992), children have the ability to understand utterances or sentences although they have not understood the meaning of the individual words yet. Children grasp the meaning of the utterances from the intonation, gesture, facial expressions, actions, and circumstances. Children start to understand the language by understanding the message in this way. Children also use this ability in their school world. When they learn a new language at school, they interpret the new sounds, new words, and new structures by using the ability of grasping the general meaning from the intonation, gesture, facial expressions, actions, and circumstances. They do not know exactly the meaning of every single word to know the overall meaning of the utterances.

2) Children’s creative use of limited language resources

In addition of the ability to grasp meaning, children also have great skills in producing meaningful language from very limited resources. Halliwell (1992) states that the children’s ability to produce meaningful language from very limited resources also help them to deal with a new language. For example when they do not know the word or the grammatical structure of the foreign language, they will produce only their mother tongue in a foreign accent. It actually occurs in the

language classroom without being managed. It occurs naturally when the learners need to communicate in the unpredictable occasions which make them find some way of expressing themselves.

3) Children’s capacity for indirect learning

According to Halliwell (1992), children have the capacity for indirect learning. This capacity can be an advantage for the teacher and also the children in a language class. Children usually concentrate to guess phrases. After passing long processes of guessing, children will have confirmed words and structures they only half knew at the beginning. Guessing is actually a good way of learning phrases and structures, but it is indirect because the focus is not on the language but more on the task.

Since children have good capacity in indirect learning, Halliwell (1992) also states that they will be interested to do real task in the language classroom. Real tasks here mean the meaningful and interesting things to do which are not just language exercises. It is good to provide the children with an occasion for real language use, and let their subconscious mind work on the processing of language while their conscious mind is focused on the task. Games are also appropriate to be used for real using and processing of language. In this way, game is an effective opportunity for indirect learning.

4) Children’s instinct for play and fun

Children have the capacity for finding and making fun. Halliwell (1992) states that children are very good in imagination and creativity. The activity given to the children to learn something with fun and play give positive impact for the

children since they already have the sense of fun and play. Then they will engage with the real use of language.

5) Role of imagination

According to Halliwell (1992), children are really keen in imagination and fantasy. It becomes important to create language teaching-learning for children which promote imagination and fantasy. For children, imagination and fantasy are included to reality. The act of fantasying, of imagining, is very mush an authentic part of being a child. If the educators accept the role of the imagination in children’s lives, they can see that it provides another powerful stimulus for real language use.

6) Instinct for interaction and talk

Halliwell (1992) states that the most important instinct and character of children that must be considered in language classroom is their instinct for interaction and talk. This children capacity is the advantage for the primary language classrooms. It is one of the most powerful motivators for using the language. Children need to talk. They can learn about the language, but the only way to learn to use it is to use it.

In addition of what have been explained above, there are also some important characteristics of young English language learners that may be useful for educators to keep in mind which are given by Coltrane (2003). Those important characteristics are:

1) Young children’s first language is not yet fully developed

As Chomsky (1969) demonstrated, children are still acquiring the structures of their first language. For children younger than 5, many aspects of their first language have not yet fully developed. So while older learners have the foundation of a fully developed first language when they begin acquiring a new language, younger English language learners are working toward two big jobs at the same time. The big jobs are the full development of their native language and the acquisition of English.

2) Children need to develop their native language(s) along with English Educators must consider that young English language learners communicate with their parents, extended families, and community members is their native language. According to Chomsky (1969), in order to develop their native language skills fully, young English language learners need support in both their native language and English. Ideally, those who work with young English language learners should be able to speak the native language(s) of the children. Children should be provided with opportunities for meaningful interaction in both languages, including verbal interaction and engagement with printed materials such as books and other media. In as many ways as possible, programs for young English language learners should support the children’s native languages.

Lindfors (1980) also identify four areas of continuing language growth through the elementary school years. The four areas are: (1) language structure, the ongoing expansion and refinement of semantics and syntax (and to a lesser degree, phonology), (2) language use-the increasing ability to use language more

effectively to serve a variety of functions in diverse communication situations, (3) metalanguage, the growing ability to talk about language in a conscious way, as a particular kind of code, (4) language as an independent symbol system-the increasing independence of language from contextual support.

Lindfors (1980) states that children do not learn the structure of language and then learn how to use language to serve their communication purpose. Rather, they learn language always within the context of real communication, by using particular language structures to serve particular purposes, and by listening to and interacting with others who do the same.

b. Principles of Children Language Learning

The children ability to learn a language is different from adult’s ability. The children have their own principles in learning English. Hudelson as cited by Widiyandari (2005) states four basic principles of children language learning, they are learning by doing, learning in social context, learning with experimenting and using the language, and learning through social interaction.

The first principle is learning by doing. Widiyandari (2005) wrote in her thesis that Piaget in Hudelson (1991) argues that children in primary or elementary school settings generally are learning by doing. This means that the children have to be actively involved in the learning process.

The second principle is learning in social context. Vygotsky’s work (1978) related to language learning postulates that children learn in social context, in groups where some groups’ members know more than others.

The third principle is learning by experimenting and using the language. It means that learners need to be given chances to use the language as much as they can. While using the language, children will make mistakes. Making mistakes is natural and inevitable part in language learning.

The last principle is learning through social interaction. Language acquisition occurs through social interaction and through having to use it with others in authentic communication setting.

Coltrane (2003) also describes learning condition which supports young learners to learn English. According to him, learning English which involves parents will give benefits to the learning because parents are the children’s primary teachers. Parents of young English language learners should be given frequent opportunities to provide input into their children’s education.

3. Psychology and the Language Learning Process

Psychology is concerned with every phase of human development, behavior, interrelationship (Crow and Crow, 1956). The process of foreign language acquisition involves comprehensive activities which have the basic concepts of psychology, for example human behavior, systematic structural activity, etc (Leontiev, 1981). The following discussion explains some basic concepts of psychology and the language learning process.

a. Age-Orientated Concepts and Psychology

According to Leontiev (1981), there are three periods of age development of learners. Those are: the earliest-school age (at the age of seven up to eleven or twelve), the middle-school age or growing up period (at the age of eleven or twelve up to fifteen), and the upper-school age or adolescence (at the age of fifteen up to eighteen).

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory (as cited by Berk, 1989) divides the children’s cognitive development into four stages. The first stage is sensorimotor. This stage is found on the children at the age 0-2 years old. The second stage is preoperational. This stage is found on the children at the age 2-7 years old. The third stage is concrete operational. This stage is found on the children at the age 7-11 years old. The fourth stage is formal operational. This stage is found on the children at the age 11-16 years old.

Age as a psychological concept is a period characterized by a whole complex of mutually interdependent features in the performance of various activities. These mutually interdependent features are personal distinctive, unfolding modalities of mental process, and specific attitudes to the object of the activity, to activity itself, to oneself, to other people, etc (Leontiev, 1981).

The foreign language teachers have to deal with the characteristic features of the students. This discussion focused on the middle-school period. According to Leontiev (1981), the middle-school period is a period of rapid socialization of the learner’s personality. His communication span widens, and society’s opinion of his personality and activity grows more significant for him. Some

characteristics of the learners in this period are they see themselves reflected in other people, think more about themselves, compare himself and their behaviors with other people and their behaviors, and select a model which they try hard to imitate. At this stage a pupil grows aware of his personality and a common conflict is the clash between this growing personal self-awareness and the way adults still treat him as a child.

Leontiev (1981) also states that the members of the middle-school period looking for involvement, interests, and obsession. These involvements, interests, and obsession are particularly achieved from evident and permanent hobbies. However, will and persistence at this period are very selective. This will and persistence depend on the person guiding motives and interests. In other simple words, a schoolchild at this stage is able to do what he wants to do.

b. Importance of Human Drives and Urges

Leontiev (1981) states that needs, drives, or urges are the roots of those inner dynamic potentialities that motivate human behavior. These urges are satisfied by the child or young person as he lives and develops in his school, home, and community. The ways in which child can be satisfied are conditioned by environmental influences. Everyone is born with potential dynamic impulses which serve as motivating forces throughout life, his thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and explicit behavior are influenced by them (Leontiev, 1981). Moreover, Leontiev states that social recognition plays an important role in the direction taken by overt behavior that is stimulated by inner urges. Whether the behavior is

motivated through inner drives or by social forces, there is always an impulse toward action. Overt behavior usually reflects the total of influences that affect the individual at one time. In general, individuals are motivated to satisfy organic needs, to achieve constructive purpose or goal, or to gain social prestige.

c. Function of Psychology in Education

Psychology is interpreted as a study of human behavior. It is exerting great influence upon education (Crow and Crow, 1956). Crow and Crow state that education can be regarded as a process, that is the continuing experiences that are engage in by the learner as he develops his innate potentialities. Education as a product represents the developed skills, knowledge, and attitudes that results from the learner’s participation in learning process. The educational implications of psychology developed principles of growth and development. This development has brought about a close union between psychology and education. Consequently, a significant area of psychology study has to do with learning and the outcomes of learning. This particular area generally referred to as educational psychology.

4. Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum

As a children development program which works in the field of education, Domby Kid’s Hope 2has its curriculum as the guideline of the teaching-learning activities. Some elements of the July 2007 – June 2008 curriculum are activity, indicator, outcome, output, and program. The curriculum at Domby Kid’s Hope 2

is categorized based on the students’ age ranges. The curriculum issued byDomby Kid’s Hope 2aims to develop the children holistically.

According to the Domby Kid’s Hope 2 coordinator, Domby Kid’s Hope 2 started the English teaching-learning activity in Domby Kid’s Hope 2 in May 2007. The first English tutor developed the goal of English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 in June 2007 because Domby Kid’s Hope 2 had not had English curriculum yet. The goal of the English teaching-learning activities generally is to make the learners like English and brave to speak in English. The English tutors at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 have freedom in choosing appropriate and innovative approach or method to teach based on the goal. Since they have not had definite curriculum, they need help to make definite and appropriate curriculum to support the general curriculum of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 and also to support the goal of English teaching learning activities in Domby Kid’s Hope 2.

B. Theoretical Framework

This study is conducted based on some theoretical concepts and principles. The first concept is related to perception as an individual’s process of organizing and interpreting impressions of the environment so that the impressions will be meaningful (Robbins, 1997). Therefore, the Domby Kid’s Hope 2 learners’ perceptions can be defined as mental processes within the learners to organize and interpret impressions of the activities carried out by the tutors to facilitate them to learn English. In relation to teaching-learning activities atDomby Kid’s Hope 2,

the researcher will attempt to observe and analyze the learners’ perceptual process (Altman et al, 1985) which can stimulate their behavior responses.

Referring to Biggs’ opinion as cited by Astutiningsih (2006) that perception on learning deals with belief about knowledge which influences students’ approaches to learning, the researcher will observe the learners’ approach to English learning at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. Understanding their perceptual process and approach to learning will help the researcher to understand the factors that affect the learners’ perceptions.

Factors which affect the learners’ perceptions (Gibson et al, 1985) will also be discussed. This part is needed to help the researcher to find out the factors that affect the perceptions of the fifth grade learners on the English teaching-learning activity.

The discussion of young English language learners (Halliwell, 1992) is also needed since this study deals with the activity of English language learning carried out for young learners. The understanding of the characteristics of young English language learners is needed by the researcher to understand the subjects of this study. The subjects of this study are the fifth grade learners atDomby Kid’s Hope 2who belong to young English language learners. These characteristics help the researcher to understand the subjects, their answers, and statements related to their perceptions and learning needs.

The principles of children language learning states by Hudelson as cited by Widiyandari (2005) is discussed as the theory to analyze the English teaching-learning condition at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta. By analyzing and

comparing the theory and the real conditions of teaching learning, the researcher will be able to understand the learners better since their perceptions are affected by the stimuli around them.

The researcher needs the theory of psychology to determine the learners’ needs, perceptions, and the suitability of their needs and their perceptions. The discussion of psychology and the language learning process is needed because the process of foreign language acquisition involves comprehensive activities which have the basic concepts of psychology. It is important to understand the theory of psychology to understand learning and vice versa.

Because the stimuli which shape the learners’ perceptions are the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2, the researcher also discussesDomby Kid’s Hope 2’s curriculum. AlthoughDomby Kid’s Hope 2 has not had definite English curriculum yet, the guideline of the goal of English teaching-learning at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 issued in June 2007 and the general curriculum of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 help the researcher to match the learners’ needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2, the learners’ perceptions, and the goal of Domby Kid’s Hope 2 in conducting the English teaching learning activities.

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents detailed information about the research methodology used to answer the three questions stated in chapter I. The discussion involves the research method, research participants and setting, research instruments, data gathering techniques, data analysis techniques, and research procedures.

A. Research Method

The researcher applied the qualitative approach to carry out the study. A qualitative approach is described as an approach which is used to gather data systematically, but the data is purely descriptive, and therefore not numerical (Sprinthall et al, 1991). Similarly, Best and Kahn (1981) describes qualitative approaches as approaches in which the descriptions of the observations are not ordinarily expressed in quantitative terms. This study belongs to the qualitative approach since it gathered purely descriptive data about the learners’ needs in learning English and the learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

Particularly, this research aimed to find out the learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, the learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby kid’s Hope 2 related to the fulfillment of their needs in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. In carrying out the study, the researcher adopted progressive qualitative research which is

defined by Holliday (2002) as a research method by which people aim to construct the social world through their interpretation of the social world. According to the features of progressive qualitative research stated by Holliday (2002), this study belongs to progressive qualitative research because of the following characteristics. Firstly, in conducting the research, the researcher became the part of this study by participating in the research setting. Secondly, the investigation to get the data in this study was conducted through reflexive, self-critical, and creative dialogues with the learners, parents, English tutor and also the staffs at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. Finally, this study aimed to reveal hidden realities and initiate discussion of the learners’ needs in learning English at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 and the learners’ perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

B. Research Participants

The participants of the research were seventeen fifth grade learners who actively attended the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta. To support the data, the researcher also interviewed three learners’ parents, the first Domby Kid’s Hope 2 English tutor and the coordinator and the secretary ofDomby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta.

This research was conducted at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta which is located in Terban-Cokrokusuman and in the learners’ houses.

C. Research Instruments

In this study, two instruments were used to collect the data. They were described in the following parts.

1. Interview

The first instrument used in this study was interview. According to Ary et al (2002), two basic types of questions are used in an interview according to the nature of the response desired from the respondents. They are open-ended and closed questions. Open-open-ended questions permit a free response from the respondents to answer rather than restricting the response to a choice from among stated alternatives. In a closed question interview, the interviewer reads the question and presents the respondents with various alternative response options.

To answer the first and second research questions, the researcher employed the unstructured or interview which used open-ended questions. The participants were free to give their answers. When the researcher dealt with the learners, the researcher used simple and creative language to make the learners to understand and then answer the questions.

To answer the last research question, the researcher interviewed the staffs and English tutor at Domby Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta to get the data of the goal of English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 Yogyakarta since they have not had a fixed curriculum for the English teaching-learning activities. These interviews also employed unstructured or opened form.

2. Observation

According to Fraenkel and Wallen (1993), observation is used in order to know how people act or how things look. In order to understand the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby Kid’s Hope 2, the researcher conducted three observations. The researcher observed the learners’ responses during the English teaching-learning activities to understand their real behaviors and activities in class.

D. Data Gathering Techniques

As stated before, this study employed two research instruments. The instruments were interviews and observations. The researcher conducted the interviews outside the teaching learning activity. It could be before or after the teaching learning activity or made special occasion with the participants. These interviews were conducted with seventeen fifth grade learners at Domby Kid’s Hope 2 who actively engaged in the English teaching-learning activities there. The interviews with the learners were conducted individually or in group. The first interview was conducted on Tuesday, 3 June 2008 with four learners. The second, third, and fourth interviews were conducted on Wednesday, 4 June 2008 with three learners at different time. The fifth interview was conducted on Saturday, 7 June 2008 with one learner. The sixth interview was conducted on Monday, 9 June 2008 with three learners and the seventh interview was also conducted on Monday, 9 June 2008 with two learners. The eighth interview was

conducted on Tuesday, 10 June 2008 with four learners. The interviews were carried out to collect data to answer the first and second research problems.

The researcher conducted three interviews with the learners’ parents who were willing to be interviewed. The first and second interviews with two parents were on Tuesday, 3 June 2008. The third interview was conducted on Monday, 7 June 2008. These interviews were carried out to address the first research problem.

The interview with the first Domby Kid’s Hope 2 English teacher was conducted on Wednesday, 11 June 2008. This interview aimed to get the information of the goal of the English teaching-learning activities since she constructed the goal of English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. The interview with the coordinator and the secretary was conducted at the same day to clarify and get more information about the goal of the English teaching-learning activities at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. The data from these interviews help the researcher to answer the third research problem.

To complete the data, the researcher also conducted three observations in three different classes. The first observation was on Monday, 9 June 2008. The second was on Tuesday, 10 June 2008, and the last was on Monday, 16 June 2008. The results from these observations support the data to answer the second research problem.

E. Data Analysis Techniques

In order to address the first and second research questions, the researcher analyzed the statements of the learners and their parents’ statements concerning their economic background and the diversity of their formal schools background. The data from the observations also helped the researcher to clarify and to crosscheck the results of the interviews. By referring to the theoretical framework, all of the data was analyzed to discover the answers for the first and second research problems.

After discovering the answers of the first and second research questions, the researcher analyzed whether their perceptions matched the goal of English teaching-learning activities and the general curriculum ofDomby Kid’s Hope 2or not. The needs of the learners were synchronized with the goal of the English teaching-learning activities carried out atDomby Kid’s Hope 2. Inductively, their perceptions matched when the needs of the learners in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2also matched with the goal the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. The steps in data analysis are described completely in the following paragraphs.

In order to address the three research problems, the researcher adopted the steps of data analysis and interpretation suggested by Creswell (2003). The first step was conducted when the researcher transcribed the results of the interviews and observations. The results of the interviews were complete and sufficient to answer the needs of the learners in learning English atDomby Kid’s Hope 2 and their perceptions on the English teaching-learning activities carried out at Domby

Kid’s Hope 2Yogyakarta. The results of the observations also supported the data from the interviews. From the observations, the researcher was able to notice the real condition of the teaching-learning activities. Moreover, from the observations, the researcher was also able to understand the responses of the learners during the teaching-learning activities.

The second step was reading through all the data. This process aimed to obtain the general sense of the information and to reflect on its overall meaning. The researcher read through all the data that had been written in the form of tables to get the overall meaning of the data written in the tables.

Afterwards, the researcher continued with the coding process. The researcher had to code the data into categories because according to Nusyirwan (2008), the data taken from the observations and interviews should be classified with a special classification to make the data manageable. The researcher took all the data from the interviews and observations into categories and labeled the categories with terms stated in the list of coding.

The fourth step was using the coding process to generate a description of the setting, or people as well as categories or themes for analysis. Actually, this step is useful for case studies, ethnographies, and narrative research projects (Creswell, 2003). However, the researcher only generated categories or themes for analysis such as the categories of indirect learning, needs, factors, etc. The setting and the research participants were not described again in this step because they had been known by the researcher from the information gathered from interviews with the staffs and tutors.

The fifth step was representing the description and themes from the coding process in the qualitative narrative. Creswell (2003) states that many qualitative researchers also use visuals, figures, or tables as the addition to the discussions. The researcher also used tables which contained all the data of the interviews and observations coding and the summary of the result based on the categories.

The last step was making an interpretation or meaning of the data. According to Creswell (2003), this step could involve the researcher’s personal interpretation based on the individual understanding that the researcher brings to the study from the researcher’s own culture, history, and experience. The researcher also interpreted the data of this research using mindful and careful interpretation and also analyzed the data based on the theories of perception, young learners, psychology and the language leaning process, and Domby Kid’s Hope 2’s Curriculum stated in the theoretical framework in Chapter II.

F. Research Procedures

The procedures in conducting this research are described as follows. 1. Getting permission to conduct the research atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

2. Conducting interviews with the learners, the parents of three learners, the first English tutor, and the Coordinator and the Secretary of Domby Kid’s Hope 2.

3. Observing the fifth grade English teaching-learning activity atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

5. Coding the data.

6. Analyzing the data of the interviews and the observations based on the steps using mindful and careful interpretation and also using some relevant and supporting theories defined in chapter II.

7. Analyzing the general curriculum and the goal of English teaching-learning activities atDomby Kid’s Hope 2.

8. Discussing the analysis of the data.

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

This chapter consists of three major sections: (1) data analysis, (2) findings, and (3) discussion. The first section presents how the data were analyzed. The second section presents the research findings which answer the research questions. And the third section discusses the research findings. All of the sections are important to show the working of the study as well as to see the process of meaning making and interpretation from the available data.

A. Data Analysis

The important thing that the researcher had to do after gathering the data was working with all of the data. To make the analysis process easier, the researcher employed the step proposed by Creswell (2003) as discussed in chapter III.

The data that should be analyzed in this study were mainly taken from the interviews and observations. The researcher analyzed the data step by step. The following part describes the data gathered by the researcher.

1. Data

The steps that the researcher did with the data of the interviews were transcribing the interview, putting the data into tables, and then coding the data.

The researcher coded the data of the interviews to obtain a general sense of the information and to reflect on its overall meaning.

a. Summary of the learners’ needs

Before the researcher presents the way of analyzing the data, the following is the summary of the interview data presented in the form of table to make the process of analyzing easier. The following table contains the highlighted data from each learner which answer the research problems. Table 4.1 is the table of data summary of the learners’ needs to address to the first research problem. The data of the learners’ needs were also completed by the data gathered from the learners’ parents and the English tutor at Domby Kid’s Hope 2. The data are presented inBahasaIndonesia to maintain the authenticity of the data.

Table 4.1 Data summary of the learners’ needs Needs

Names

Supporting school achievements

Playing Singing Materials

According to the learners Vella

Eva

Karena bisa menjelaskan materi di sekolah

Permainan bisik-bisikkan pakai Bahasa Inggri, serius tapi ada permainannya.

bermain menyanyi Yang pelajaran kata-kata, membaca,

Friska Dio Vella, Dio, Friska, Eva Danny Devi Vika Pipit Andreas Danu Karena bisa menjelaskan materi yang di sekolah. Materinya yang ada di sekolah

Maunya materinya ya yang kayak di sekolah itu, biar bisa membantu nilai di sekolah Yang bisa Bantu nilai Materine ada yang sama sekolah ada yang beda, untuk melengkapi yang di sekolah Materinya sama kayak di sekolah tapi nggak terlalu persis Kayak sekolah agar mudah dipahami

Sama kayak di

Belajar sambil ada bermainnya Bermain bersama Tebak-tebakkan. Soalnya bisa diajak main, yang nggak mikir terus Mainan yang sambil belajar Yang santai Ada permainannya dikit biar nggak bosen Permainan Bermain, menyanyi Menyanyi Suka nyanyi Yang nyanyi-nyanyi menulis Membaca, menulis Kosakata juga, trus tentang bicara tentang Bahasa Inggris Yang kosakata Kalimat sederhana yang bisa dipakai buat bicara Bahasa Inggris, kosakata Nama benda di sekeliling kita, sapaan sederhana Kata-kata yang di sekitar kita, sapaan Tanya nama,

Hugo Arjun Charla Hastin Gifan Leon Diah According to the learners’ parents Vella’s mother sekolah Ada nyambungnya dengan sekolah Materinya sama kayak di sekolah biar ada yang keluar di sekolah Yang kayak di sekolahan

Yang sama persis kayak di sekolah

Yang belum diajarin di sekolah Yang kayak di sekolah Kalo bisa duluan diajarin di Domby materinya cerita Permainan, diberi penjelasan Pengennya maen terus Pake permainan Ada permainan, yang lebih menyenangkan Bermain Mainan Tebak-tebakan Ada lagu-lagu Bernyanyi bersama Nyanyi Nyanyi Kadang nyanyi-nyanyi Bahasa Inggris nirukan kakaknya yang di Domby. rambu-rambu lalu lintas Sapaan, nama-nama Kalimat sederhana, nama-nama

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