32
quantifying errors, analysis of source, and remediation. In this study, the researcher takes the first four steps only.
Considering the theory of error analysis proposed by Gass and Selinker 1994, the researcher frames several steps for dealing with error analysis in this
study. The researcher at first collects the ninth year students’ written works then read those texts carefully. The researcher identifies the errors. Then, the
researcher categorizes the errors in terms of content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics listed on the checklist proposed by Tribble 1996. For
further analysis, the researcher subcategorizes the errors. The next step is that the researcher calculates the total of errors of each classification to find the difficult
area in which the students mostly made errors. In addition, the researcher discusses those errors and provides revision. Finishing this step, the researcher
reports the result of the research and draws conclusion from the data.
33
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methodology employed by the researcher to accomplish this study. It covers the explanation of the way the researcher
conducts the research, gathers and analyzes the data. There are seven sections discussed in this chapter. They are what research method is used, research
participants, where the research takes place, research instruments and data gathering technique, data analysis technique, and research procedure.
A. Research Method
Generally, this error analysis study belongs to a qualitative research. According to Ary et al 2002, qualitative study is a study aims to get a holistic
picture and depth understanding of social phenomena in which the data is explained in the form of words, rather than a numeric analysis of data”. The study
focused on analyzing students’ errors in Report texts. The aim of this study was to answer the research questions about common errors that the students committed in
constructing Report text. In this study, the researcher adapted Content or Document Analysis.
Content or Document Analysis according to Ary et al 2002 is a study which aimed to identify the specific characteristics of visual or written recorded
materials within their contexts, such as, textbooks, letters, newspapers, films, diaries, etc. Ary et al 2002 stated, there are five purposes of Content analysis.
One of them is analyzing types of errors in students’ writings. Therefore, through
34
content analysis, the writer wanted to analyze the errors of students’ writings in Report text in order to describe the area of students’ difficulty in writing Report
texts.
B. Setting
This research was conducted in SMP N 2 Yogyakarta. The third grade students were the participants of the research. The research was done during
January in the second semester of academic year 20112012. SMP N 2 Yogyakarta is chosen for this research because it was the school
where the researcher did Program Pengalaman Lapangan PPL in seventh semester. Thus, the researcher got a big opportunity and an easy access to conduct
research there.
C. Research participants
Since Report texts are taught for the first time in the third year of Junior high school, the researcher selected the ninth grade students of SMP N 2
Yogyakarta to be the participants of this research. Here, this research was conducted to analyze the students’ Report texts. It became relevant to the basic
competence of ninth grade students of junior high school stated on Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia, number 22, 2006, which is “to
express meaning and rhetoric steps on a simple short essay to interact with the environment nearby.
35
The total participants of this study was 42 ninth year students of SMP N 2 Yogyakarta. It was from three classes: 9A, 9E, and 9F. The researcher took 14
students from each class as the research participants. There were six classes of ninth grade and each class consisted of 36
students, however, it was not possible to make use all the classes. The limited participants were taken since the English teacher commanded the researcher to
make use of three classes only to analyze the students’ documents of Report texts. The researcher had to returned the students’ Report texts soon so that the teacher
could give the marks. In the contrary, the English teacher handled to correct the writings from the three other classes. Due to the coming of National exam
preparation, there was a limited time to finish the learning material of the topic of Report texts. Therefore, the limitation of time and energy in analysing the
students’ document became the reason of selecting limited research participants. Furthermore, by taking specific participants, the researcher were able to focus on
the analysis of students’ errors in writing Report texts easily and effectively.
D. Instruments and Data Gathering Technique
In order to gain the data, the researcher employed a checklist as the instrument. The checklist was developed to help the researcher to discover the
common errors of Report texts written by the ninth grade students and specified the errors into categorization of aspects. The checklist consisted of categories of
errors which were grouped into the following: content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. In addition, each category had several subdividisions.
The checklist was developed by observing and adapting a checklist proposed by
