IMPROVING STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY BY USING INQUIRY BASED LEARNING
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRADUATE SCHOOL SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2010
BASED LEARNING
(A Classroom Action Research in the VIIA Grade of SMPN 11 Kota Madiun in Academic Year of 2009-2010)
By Mila Puji Lestari S890209122
This thesis has been approved by the Consultants of Graduate School of English Education of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta, on . . . . .
Consultant 1
Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd NIP. 19610124 198702 1 001
Consultant II
Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd NIP. 19621231 198803 1 009
Approved by The Head of Graduate School of English Education of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta
Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd NIP. 19621231 198803 1 009
IMPROVING STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY BY USING INQUIRY BASED LEARNING
A Classroom Action Research in the VII/A Grade of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun in
the Academic Year of 2009/2010)
By MILA PUJI LESTARI NIM. S890209122
This Thesis has been examined by the Board of Thesis examiners of Graduate School of English Education of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta on …………..
Board of Examiners
Signature
Chairman
: Dr. Sujoko, M.A
……………………. Secretary
: Dr. Abdul Asib, M.Pd
……………………. Examiner I
: Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd
……………………. Examiner II : Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd
……………………. Surakarta, …………….2010 The Director of Graduate Degree of
Education Program Sebelas Maret
University
Prof. Drs. Suranto, M.Sc., Ph.D
NIP. 19570820 198503 100 4
The Head of Graduate School of English Education Sebelas Maret University
Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd
NIP. 19621231 198803 1009
This is to certify that I myself write this thesis, entitled “Improving Students’ Writing Ability by Using Inquiry Based Learning” (A Classroom Action Research in the VII/A Grade of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun in the Academic Year of 2009/2010)”. It is not plagiarism or made by others. Anything related to other’s works are written in quotation, the source of which is listed on bibliography.
If, it was proved that this pronouncement is wrong, I am ready to accept any academic punishment, including the withdrawal or canceling of my academic degree.
Surakarta, July 27 th , 2010
Mila Puji Lestari
MILA PUJI LESTARI. Improving Students’ Writing Ability by Using Inquiry Based Learning (A Classroom Action Research in the VIIA Grade of SMPN 11 Kota Madiun in the Academic Year of 2009-2010) . Thesis. Surakarta. English Education, Graduate School, Sebelas Maret University, 2010.
This thesis is aimed at knowing whether inquiry based learning can improve students’ writing ability or not, how it can be implemented in the class, and the strengths and weaknesses of inquiry based learning when it is implemented to teach writing. The preliminary research showed that the students had problems in writing elements: organization, contents, grammar, spelling, punctuations, and mechanics, and vocabulary. They also did not know the process of writing.
The research was done in SMP Negeri 11 Madiun from December 2009 – June 2010. The subject of the study was the students of the VII A grade of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun consisting of 33 students. It was a classroom action research. The researcher did some steps for each cycle. They were planning, action, observation, and reflection. In collecting the data, the researcher applied several techniques including observation, interview, questionnaire, and test. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistic. It compared between the scores of pre-test (before implementing inquiry based learning) and post-test (after implementing inquiry based learning), while the qualitative data were analyzed by using qualitative technique analysis which consists of four steps: data collection, data reduction, data display, and data conclusion.
In result, inquiry based learning can be implemented in teaching writing. It can be implemented effectively. The students were more highly interested and interactive in writing. Their writing improved in organization, content, grammar, spelling, punctuations, spelling, and mechanics, and vocabulary. This improvement influenced their scores from cycle to cycle, and based on the result of post-test, there was significant improvement between the students’ score in pre- test and post-test. The students also knew the process of writing. For that reason, inquiry based learning was able to stimulate students to write well. In conclusion inquiry based learning is able to improve students’ writing ability. It stimulates students to be more creative and active to express their ideas.
In short, it is recommended that the teachers use inquiry based learning in teaching writing.
Thanks to the God who had given the writer strength to accomplish the thesis entitled “Improving Students’ Writing Ability by Using Inquiry Based Learning (A Classroom Action Research in the VII/C Grade of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun in the Academic Year of 2009/2010) successfully.
The writer’s immeasurable gratitude is addressed to Prof. Drs. Suranto, M.Sc, Ph.D as the Director of Graduate School and Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd as the Head of English Education of Graduate School for their kindness in assisting and facilitating the writer to finish this hard assignment. To the honorable thesis consultants, Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd and Dr. Ngadiso, M.Pd for their valuable guidance, encouragement, suggestions, and criticisms during the process of this thesis accomplishment, so that the writer could finish this thesis smoothly.
The writer also would like to thank to the Headmaster of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun, Endang Liliek Utami, S.Pd., M.Pd, the researcher’s collaborator in doing this research, Djumani, and the VII/A students of SMP N 11 Madiun who had helped the writer so that the writer could finish this thesis well.
The writer realized that this thesis is far from being perfect. Therefore, the writer hopes criticisms and suggestions from the reader to make this thesis better. Finally, it is hoped that this thesis will be valuable and useful for the readers who want to improve their writing abilities and want to improve their writing ability by using inquiry based learning.
Surakarta, July 16 th , 2010
TITLE PAGE ……………………………………………………………….. APPROVAL ………………………………………………………………… LEGITIMATION …………………………………………………………… PRONOUNCEMENT …………………………………………………......... ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………… ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ………………………………………….............. CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………… LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………….. LIST OF DIAGRAMS ……………………………………………………… LIST OF PICTURES ……………………………………………………….. LIST OF APPENDICES …………………………………………………….
i ii iii iv v vi vii ix x xi
xii CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study…………………………………..
B. Problem Formulation ………………………………….
C. Objectives of the Study ………………………………..
D. Benefit of the Study …………………………………… REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A. Theoretical Description
1. Writing Ability ………………………………………
2. Teaching of Writing …………………………………
3. The Nature of Inquiry Based Learning………………
4. The Nature of Effective Learning …………………...
B. Rationale ………………...…………………………….
C. Action Hypothesis …………………………………….. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. The Setting of the Research
1. The Location of the Research ………........................
2. The Time of the Research …………………………...
B. The Subject of the Research ……………………………
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
F. Techniques of Analyzing Data ……………………….. RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION
A. Research Findings …………………..............................
B. Discussion …………………………………………....... CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion ……………………………………………..
B. Implication ……………………………..........................
C. Suggestion ……………………………………………..
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………... APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………….
125 127
Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 Table 9
Table 10
Analytical scale for rating composition …………………….. The schedule of the research ………………………………... Post-test scores of cycle 1 from the 1 st and 2 nd corrector ….... Computation for passing grade in cycle 1…………………… Post-test scores of cycle 2 from the 1 st and 2 nd corrector ….... Computation for passing grade in cycle2……………………. Post-test scores of cycle 3 from the 1 st and 2 nd corrector ….... Computation for passing grade in cycle 3…………………… Comparison of post-test score from preliminary observation up to the third cycle …………………………………………. Comparison of the number of students achieving passing grade…………………………………………………………
34
48
69
70
92
93 111 111
118
118
Diagram 1 Diagram 2 Diagram 3
The students’ progress from pre-test to cycle 1 ……………… The students’ progress from pre-test to cycle1 and 2 ………… The students’ progress from pre-test to cycle1, 2, and 3………
74
94 112
Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6
Picture 7
The stages of writing process ……………………………… The process of action research …………………………….. The student’s analysis about Sule’s physical appearance….. One of the students’ products in cycle 1 …………………... One of the students’ products in cycle 2 …………………... The class situation when the students asked their friends’ hobby ………………………………………………………. One of the students’ products in cycle 3 …………………...
14
50
59
67
88
100 107
Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Appendix 7 Appendix 8 Appendix 9 Appendix 10 Appendix 11 Appendix 12 Appendix 13 Appendix 14 Appendix 15
Appendix 16
Appendix 17
Research permit letter from Sebelas Maret University…………….. Research permit letter from SMP Negeri 11 Madiun………………. Questionnaire of students’ response on writing……………………. The result of Questionnaire of students’ response on writing……… The script of interview to the students ... …………………………. The script of interview to the teacher ……………………………. Lesson Plan of cycle 1....................................................................... Blue print of cycle 1........................................................................ Lesson plan of cycle 2...................................................................... Blue print of cycle 2.......................................................................... Lesson plan of cycle 3..................................................................... Blue print of cycle 3......................................................................... Students’ scores …………………………………............................ The example of students’ products…………………………………. Interview guide questions for the collaborator and students after implementing inquiry based learning............................................... Students’ questionnaire of the implementing inquiry based learning ……………………………………………………………………. The activity pictures during the implementation inquiry based learning ………………………………………………….
127 128 129 130 131 133 135 147 148 158 159 169 170 178
181
186
190
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
The goal of studying English based on the curriculum is to develop language skill in order that the students can communicate and make discourse (spoken and written) in certain literacy. According to Well (Curriculum 2004: 3) there are four literacy levels: performative, functional, informational, and epistemic. At performative level, the students are hoped be able to read, speak, and write by using the language symbols, while at functional level, they are hoped
be able to use language in order to fulfill their daily needs such as how to read the sign. At the informational level they are hoped to be able to get and access some knowledge. Finally, at the last/epistemic level they are hoped to be able to transfer their knowledge that they get to the others by using the target language.
In this case the students of Junior high school are expected to reach the second level or functional level. They are expected to communicate or participate in creation of text in spoken or written in their daily life. In short, the students of Junior High School are expected to learn daily expression to accompany their action when they are joining the class or interacting with their teachers and friends outside the class.
The purpose of teaching English for Junior High School is to develop communicative competence in spoken and written to reach literacy level that can
be realized through four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The students of Junior High School are expected to create many kinds of interactional be realized through four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The students of Junior High School are expected to create many kinds of interactional
In relation to learning English, there are four skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing that must be mastered by language learners. Writing is placed on the last stage among them. It shows that the language learners must be familiar with the first three skills. Richard (2002: 303) states that there is no doubt that writing is the most difficult skill for L2 learners to master. It needs many skills of language, such as structures, word orders, transferring ideas, etc. It is not spontaneous and needs along process. The students need training many times and hard effort for the ability to write is not a talent one is born with (Oshima, 1997: xii).
Writing is a personal act in which writers take ideas or prompt and transform them into “self-initiated topics” (O’Malley, 1996: 136). In other words, in writing, a writer communicates his/her ideas by considering known and unknown readers who will get their ideas and meaning in form of the written text. In addition, the writer not only pays attention to the content of writing, but also the readers who will read the text. It is stated by Oshima (1998: 2) that whenever a writer writes, he/she must consider the audiences or the people who will read what he/she has written. Knowing the audiences will help the writer to communicate clearly and effectively.
Writing is indeed difficult. It not only transfers information to the readers, but also needs complex ways and strategies in transferring it. This is done in order Writing is indeed difficult. It not only transfers information to the readers, but also needs complex ways and strategies in transferring it. This is done in order
The students of SMP Negeri 11 Madiun face some problems in selecting appropriate vocabulary, organizing information, generating ideas, making grammatical sentences, and punctuation, spelling, and mechanics in writing. Based on the observation conducted, it is found that the students’ writing ability is still low or far from what is expected. Some of them write essay, with ungrammatical sentences, their ideas move away from the topic and sometimes there are not supporting details. They also have difficulties in using modifiers, word choices, and punctuations. From the result of the students’ writing, their average score is 58.55. This score is computed from the average score of each element of writing. The worst average score is grammar that is only 54.12. The average score of organization is 56.47 and followed by vocabulary 60.59 and content which is 61.18. The last element is mechanics which has the average score
65.00. From the writing score there are only 26.47 % or 9 students who get writing score above 65. It means they can fulfill the passing grade of writing. While the others 25 students or 73.53% get score under 65. It means that they still fail in writing English. The students’ scores show that most difficult element in writing is grammar. Then, it is followed by organization, vocabulary, content and punctuation.
interview is conducted to know students’ opinion about writing skill. When they are asked about writing, most of them answer that writing is difficult. They get difficulties in using right grammars, making good paragraphs, vocabularies, content, and also punctuations. It can be seen from the following students’ answer:
“Tidak begitu suka, karna bahasanya beda dengan Bahasa Indonesia, dibolak-balik”. ”Susah, karna ada tensesnya, harus pake Verb 1, atau Verb 2”. ”Sulit bu, tidak tahu, bagaimana harus memulainya”. ”Sangat sulit bu, harus ada ide pokok dan pendukungnya. Pokoke sulit”. ”Grammarnya itu lo bu, jamak atau tunggal, pokoke ribet.Banyak
aturannya” “Contoh-contoh dan penjelasannya bu kurang banyak!”
”Mengarang pakai Bahasa Indonesia aja sulit bu, apalagi Bahasa Inggris”.
It means that students still regarded writing as a difficult task. Most of them find difficulties in making grammatical sentences, word orders, and also choosing appropriate words. Some of them don’t know the correct spelling of the words they use in their writing. When the teacher gives the task back and asks them to revise based on the clues given they still don’t know what must be corrected. They never read their writing. It means that they never revise what they have written. Writing is not only a product but also a process. It means that a piece of writing is never complete, that is always possible to review and revise, and review and revise again (Oshima, 1999: 3).
The result of questionnaire shows that 17 students feel that writing is very difficult while nine students feel writing is difficult, five students feel writing is The result of questionnaire shows that 17 students feel that writing is very difficult while nine students feel writing is difficult, five students feel writing is
The interview is also conducted to the previous teacher in order to know the students’ writing ability. He says that the students’ writing ability is low as he says:
“Berdasarkan pengalaman selama ini, kemampuan mengarang anak-anak kelas VIIA rendah. Meskipun saya sudah menerangkan berkali-kali susunannya, grammar maupun kosa kata yang diperlukan mereka selalu saja masih salah. Alasannya lupa dan lupa”.
It is a long process for students to fulfill the expectation, since there are many factual problems faced in writing classroom. The teacher only asks the students to write a certain topic without any correct guidance. He doesn’t give the right step/process in writing such as planning, drafting, generating ideas, editing, etc. He is only product oriented. He doesn’t use varied strategies and deep explanation about a text. He doesn’t compare the text given to other type in order to make the students deeply understand the material. He just gives the model of text, after they analyze it from the content to know their comprehension, he gives new title which is in line with the topic and then asks them to make a new text by imitating it, as what he said in the interview:
“Biasanya anak saya beri judul yang masih sesuai dengan topiknya, lalu mereka saya suruh mengarang dengan mencontoh teks yang saya berikan. Mereka hanya mengganti beberapa kata yang beda, seperti nama, alamat dll”.
They come from low input, for SMP Negeri 11 cannot choose better students because the registration system has been stated by the government. The students also have low awareness about the importance of English. It is understandable for most of them come from the family which doesn’t have educational background. Most of their parents are manual laborers, pedicab drivers, house maids, farm hand, etc.
Dealing with the problem arising in the class room, the writer wants to solve the problem by using inquiry based learning. It is a general process that has been done by human being in order to find the truth (Trianto, 2007:135). Gulo (in Trianto, 2007: 135) states that inquiry is series of teaching and learning processes that involve all students’ ability maximally to search something logically, critically, and systematically. He explains more deeply that inquiry is derived from questions, hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and the last is making conclusion. The inquiry process is started by delivering questions/problems. The teacher delivers some questions to students to lead them to get the problem presented. An inquiry based learning oriented teacher seldom tells but often questions. This is so because by asking questions, the teacher assists the students in using his mind (Sund, 1993: 110). After delivering the questions, he/she leads the students to find the answers. The next step is collecting the answers and the last is making conclusion based on the answers. In other words, inquiry is a method that leads the students to fulfill their curiosity or understanding by using all their own skills and abilities through questions. Trough inquiry, the teaching Dealing with the problem arising in the class room, the writer wants to solve the problem by using inquiry based learning. It is a general process that has been done by human being in order to find the truth (Trianto, 2007:135). Gulo (in Trianto, 2007: 135) states that inquiry is series of teaching and learning processes that involve all students’ ability maximally to search something logically, critically, and systematically. He explains more deeply that inquiry is derived from questions, hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and the last is making conclusion. The inquiry process is started by delivering questions/problems. The teacher delivers some questions to students to lead them to get the problem presented. An inquiry based learning oriented teacher seldom tells but often questions. This is so because by asking questions, the teacher assists the students in using his mind (Sund, 1993: 110). After delivering the questions, he/she leads the students to find the answers. The next step is collecting the answers and the last is making conclusion based on the answers. In other words, inquiry is a method that leads the students to fulfill their curiosity or understanding by using all their own skills and abilities through questions. Trough inquiry, the teaching
In this case the teacher will help the students maximally in order to make them understandable in writing descriptive text by using inquiry based learning. He/she will stimulate the students to understand descriptive text and be able to produce it. He/she will help them by using questions during writing process to generate and come up their ideas. He/she will manage the class and the learning process as well as possible by guiding them to find definition of descriptive text them selves and conduct them well without letting them to solve the problem individually in order to get right and better understanding. He will be a good manager and facilitator to encourage the students who have low ability to get the same chance with the students who have high ability.
In this study, the writer tries to apply inquiry based learning during the writing process because hopefully it can lead students to have new experience of writing activity and give them understanding that writing is a mean of communication. The writer also hopes the students will get better understanding of descriptive text. It is indicated by increasing their scores more than the passing grade. The writer hopes 75% students can pass the passing grade (65).
Based on the background of the study above, the statements of the problem are:
1. Can inquiry based learning improve the students’ writing ability at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun?
2. How effective is inquiry based learning to the teaching and learning process at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of inquiry based learning to the teaching and learning process at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun?
C. Objectives of the Study
Generally, this study is proposed to improve the students’ writing ability of class VIIA SMPN 11 Kota Madiun. Particularly, based on the problem formulation above, the objectives of the study are:
1. To know whether inquiry based learning can improve students’ writing ability at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun.
2. To know the effectiveness of inquiry based learning to the teaching and
learning process at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun
3. To know the advantages and disadvantages of inquiry based learning to the teaching and learning process at class VIIA SMP Negeri 11 Madiun
It is hoped that the study will be useful for:
1. Students
a. They will be motivated to write
b. Their English writing skill will improve
c. They will be aware of the importance of writing as means of communication
2. Teacher
a. It encourages the teacher to develop his/her creativity to improve teaching and learning process
b. It improves the teacher’s capability to conduct teaching learning activity appropriately
3. School
a. It increases students’ achievement.
b. It develops learning strategies which stimulate students’ creativity
4. Researcher It will be starting point in using inquiry based learning to improve students’ writing ability.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A. Theoretical Description
1. Writing Ability
a. The Meaning of Writing
Learning language means learning to communicate with each other, to interact with them, to understand them, to talk to them, to read what they have written, or to write to them. One way to communicate is through writing. Writing is the act of forming symbols. The symbols have to be arranged, according to certain convention, to form words, and words have to be arranged to form sentences, and sentences to be arranged to form paragraph/text in particular order and linked together in certain ways (Byrne, 1997: 1). In writing, the writer is able to create his/her ideas, and transform them to the readers. It is stated by Grabe and Kaplan (1998: 17) that writing requires composing skills which transform information or transform the language itself. Lyon in O’Malley and Pierce (1996: 136) also states writing is a personal act in which writers take ideas or prompt and transform them into “self-initiated topics”. In other words, writing is an activity in which the writer shares his/her ideas to the other by using graphic symbols. Transferring ideas to others is not easy work, more over in writing, where the writer has no knowledge of the readers’ background. In addition, the writer not only pays attention to the content of writing, but also the readers who will read the text.
but also needs complex ways and strategies in transferring it such as choosing and arranging words, designing text, etc. This is done in order not to make misperception and misunderstanding between the readers and writer his/herself. It is stated by Hedge (2003: 302) that writing is the result of employing strategies to manage the composing process, in which one is gradually developing a text. It involves a number of activities: setting goals, generating ideas, organizing information, selecting appropriate language, making a draft, reading and reviewing it, then revising and editing. It is a complex process which is neither easy or nor spontaneous for many second language writers. Bell and Burnaby in Nunan (1998: 36) point out that writing is an extremely complex cognitive activity in which the writer is required to demonstrate control of number of variables simultaneously. At the sentence level these include control of content, format, sentence structure, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and letter formation. Beyond the sentence, the writer must be able to structure and integrate information into cohesive and coherent paragraphs and texts.
b. Micro and Macro Skills of Writing
In order to be able to do such things in writing, learners need to acquire micro and macro skills of writing. Brown (2004: 220) states that micro skills are related to imitative and intensive types of writing task whereas macro skills are related to responsive and extensive writing. The descriptions are as follows: In order to be able to do such things in writing, learners need to acquire micro and macro skills of writing. Brown (2004: 220) states that micro skills are related to imitative and intensive types of writing task whereas macro skills are related to responsive and extensive writing. The descriptions are as follows:
b) Produce writing at an efficient rate of speed to suit the purpose.
c) Produce an acceptable core or words and use appropriate word order.
d) Use acceptable grammatical system (e.g. tense, agreement,
pluralization), patterns, and rules.
e) Express a particular meaning in different grammatical form.
f) Use cohesive devices in written discourse.
2) Macro skills
a) Use the rhetorical forms and conventions of written discourse.
b) Appropriately accomplish the communicative functions of written texts according to form and purpose.
c) Convey links and connections between events, and communicate such relations as main idea, supporting idea, new information, given information, generalization, and exemplification.
d) Distinguish between literal and implied meaning when writing.
e) Correctly convey culturally specific references in the context of the written text.
f) Develop and use a battery of writing strategies, such as accurately assessing the audience’s interpretation, using prewriting device, writing with fluency in the first draft, using paraphrases and synonyms, soliciting peer and instructor feedback, and using feedback for revising and editing.
In writing, students will rely on at least four types of knowledge as stated by Hillocks in O’Malley (1996: 136), they are:
1) Knowledge of content. In expressing it, the students conduct a memory search and call on prior knowledge and experience.
2) Procedural knowledge to organize the content, to group ideas, and to sequence the ideas in ways that match the purposes of the writing.
3) Knowledge of conventions of writing. The students must know the discourse structures, syntactic form, and conventions of writing.
4) Procedural knowledge to apply the three other types of knowledge in composing written product. This is the basis for composition. The students not only master the grammars but also master the procedures that combine three types of knowledge just indicated in composing written piece that responds to the original purposes.
writer should requires the range of knowledge, to produce a good written text. Additionally, Nunan (1998: 373) states successful writing involves:
1) Mastering the mechanics of letter formation.
2) Mastering and obeying conventions of spelling.
3) Using the grammatical system to convey one’s intended meaning.
4) Organizing content at the level of the paragraph and the complete text to reflect given/new information and topic/comment structures.
5) Polishing and revising one’s initial effort.
6) Selecting an appropriate style for one’s audiences.
Based on the definitions above it can be concluded that writing ability is a way to communicate or share ideas by using paragraph or text. To produce good paragraphs or texts, the writer must pay attention to contents, vocabularies, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and also organization of them.
c. Process of Writing
Hedge (2003: 302) states the writing involves a number of activities: setting goals, generating ideas, organizing information, selecting appropriate language, making a draft, reading, and reviewing it, then revising and editing. It is
a complex process which is neither easy nor spontaneous for many second language writers. Andrew and Gina state that the writing process is a creative act of construction that seems to begin with nothing-a blank page and ends with a coherent structure that expresses feelings, emotions, attitudes, prejudices, values- the full range of human experience. The writing process is often compared to building a physical structure; both of them have beginnings, middles, and ends.
process: prewriting, planning, writing and revising draft, and writing the final copy to hand in.
Based on the definitions above, it can be concluded that there are three stages in the process of writing, they are:
1) Prewriting (beginning): it consists of motivation, and setting goals.
2) Writing (middle): It consists of generating ideas, organizing
information, selecting appropriate language, and making draft.
3) Post writing (end): It consists of reading, reviewing/revising, and editing.
In relation to this study, the more complete and detailed of process of writing stages used are based on the concept proposed by Tribble (1996: 39) which can be seen on the figure below:
PREWRITING
COMPOSING/ DRAFTING
REVISING
EDITING
PUBLISHING PUBLISHING
be realized in the classroom activity. The more detail description or writing process as follows:
1) Prewriting Pre-writing, the first stage in the writing process, begins long before the writer puts thoughts into writing. The experiences, observations, and interactions that students have prior to entering the classroom have an impact upon what they will write and how they will write it. Within the classroom, pre-writing consists of some activities that help the learners to generate ideas (Oshima, 1999: 3).
Teacher-planned pre-writing activities, such as the samples that follow, give students a place to start and make them become aware of places from which to get ideas in the future. Students who have a place to start with will be more motivated to continue developing their ideas and their own writing voices.
To initiate thinking and generate possible writing topics, it is important -for students to explore ideas for writing topics using a variety of pre-writing strategies, such as the following:
a) Brainstorming To brainstorm means to think, to mediate, to concentrate, and to come up a) Brainstorming To brainstorm means to think, to mediate, to concentrate, and to come up
b) Free writing The word free writing does not mean write any topic that learners please. It is an activity in which writer writes freely about topic because he/she looks for specific focus (Oshima, 1999: 6). It means writer writes freely and continually on the topic chosen or have been assigned as a way of getting started. The purpose of it is generating ideas without worrying about grammar, punctuation, logical order, patterns development, consistency, or anything else. Free writing means letting imagination run freely, and record the associations and connections that made by brain automatically. - Interviewing a person knowledgeable about the topic.
c) Listing Listing is another way to generate ideas in which the writer thinks about the topic and quickly makes a list of whatever words or phrases come into the writer’s mind. The purpose is to produce as many ideas as possible in a short time, and the goal is to find a specific focus for the topic (Oshima, 1999:4). Listing is also effective way to compare or contrast.
d) Clustering Clustering is a type of free association listing. It begins with core word, a word that acts as a mental stimulus to make the writer comes up with related term. It shows the relationship between ideas and progression or sequence of ideas d) Clustering Clustering is a type of free association listing. It begins with core word, a word that acts as a mental stimulus to make the writer comes up with related term. It shows the relationship between ideas and progression or sequence of ideas
2) Writing After pre writing, learners begin to generate ideas and put a structure on their writing. They put them together without worrying about grammar, punctuations, or spellings. This is the first rough draft does not have to be “perfect”. The goal of this stage is expressing main ideas clearly and developing the content with many specific details. As mentioned before that writing is a continuous process of discovery, the writer can think of new ideas that may not be on brainstorming list or in outline. He/she can add new ideas or delete some original ones in this process (Oshima, 1999: 11).
3) Revising Revising means changing, rearranging, deleting, or adding in order to improve the content. The writer can check it over for content, and organization, including unity, coherence, and logic (Oshima, 1999: 11). For the first revision, it does not revise the grammar, sentence structures, spelling, or punctuation. It focuses on the content and organization. After that, the learners rewrite for second 3) Revising Revising means changing, rearranging, deleting, or adding in order to improve the content. The writer can check it over for content, and organization, including unity, coherence, and logic (Oshima, 1999: 11). For the first revision, it does not revise the grammar, sentence structures, spelling, or punctuation. It focuses on the content and organization. After that, the learners rewrite for second
4) Editing The next stage is editing. In this stage, the teacher checks grammar, punctuations, sentence structures, and spelling. After correcting, the learners apply those all of the correctness in to their second writing (Oshima, 1999: 12)
5) Publishing The last stage in writing is publishing. The learners may publish their writing by sticking it on the wall magazine or on their file that stacked on the wall around their classroom in order it can be seen and studied by others for comparing and improving.
d. Types of Writing
Before writing, the English learners need clear specification of the purpose in order to plan and compose a piece of writing. O’Malley (1996: 137) states that there are three kinds of writing based on the purpose. First is expository or informative writing . The purpose of it is to share knowledge and give information, direction or ideas. This type includes describing events or experiences, analyzing concepts, speculating on causes and effects, and a biography about well known person, or someone from the writer’s life. Second is expressive or narrative writing it is a personal or imaginative expression in which the writer produces
may includes creative speculations and interpretations. This type is often used for entertainment, pleasure, or as fun in writing. It can be in the form of poems, and short plays. Third is persuasive writing in which the writer tries to influence others and initiate action or change. This type is often based on background information, fact, and examples to support the view expressed. In this type, the writer uses high level cognitive skill such as analysis, and evaluation to argue a particular point of view in convincing way. It can be in the form of evaluation of a book, a consumer product, or controversial issue or problem.
In general, classifications of types of writing are based on the purposes, the generic structures, and the language features (http//understandingtext.blogspot. Com). In this case, the discussion will be focused on some types of text related to the teaching learning process at SMP. Based on Standar Kompetensi Lulusan (2006:8), there are fives types of text that students must master. They are descriptive, report, narrative, recount, and procedure. 1)
Descriptive Descriptive text is designed to describe a particular person, place, or thing.
Its structures are: identification and description, while the language features are as follows:
a) Focuses on specific participant.
b) Uses simple present tense.
c) Uses detailed noun phrases to inform subject.
d) Uses adjectives for describing, numbering, classifying, etc.
f) Uses figurative language. 2)
Report Report is a text which describes the way things are, as a result of systematic
observation. It can be a range of phenomena, natural, cultural, and social environment. The generic structures of it are; general classification, and description. While its language features are:
a) Focuses on generic participant
b) Uses simple present tense
c) Uses specific languages
d) Uses relating and action verbs 3)
Procedure Procedure text is designed to describe how something is made or done
through sequence of steps or actions. The generic structures of it are; goal, material (if any), and steps. The language features are:
a) Uses imperative verbs
b) Uses action verbs
c) Uses connectives to arrange the activities
d) Uses adverbials to show time, place, and accurate step
4) Narrative Narrative text is designed to amuse, entertain, and deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways. It deals with problematic events which 4) Narrative Narrative text is designed to amuse, entertain, and deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways. It deals with problematic events which
a) Focuses on specific participant
b) Uses past tense
c) Uses time connectives and conjunctions such as; then, before that, soon, etc
d) Uses saying verbs such as; said, told, promised etc
5) Recount
A recount is designed to describe a series of events. The focus of a recount is on events rather than on character development and plot, as in narrative (Nunan, 1999: 284). He also states that recount can be:
a) Personal: it retells events in which the writer has been personally involved, e.g. an excursion
b) Factual: it records details of an incident/event, e.g., news report or historical account.
c) Imaginative: it retells events from an imaginary point of view, e.g., “How radium was discovered”
Therefore, it can be concluded that recount text can be presented in the form of journal, diary, biography, trip report, etc. The generic structures are orientation, series of events, and reorientation. The language features are:
a) Focuses on the participant
b) Uses past tense b) Uses past tense
d) Uses adverbs and adverb phrases to show places, time, and way. For example yesterday, at my house, slowly, etc.
Narrative and recount in some ways are similar. Both are telling something in the past so narrative and recount usually apply past tense. The ways narrative and recount told are in chronological order using time or place. Commonly narrative text is found in story book: myth, fable, folklore, etc while recount text is found in biography.
The thing that makes narrative and recount different is the structure in which they are constructed. Narrative uses conflicts among the participants whether natural conflict, social conflict or psychological conflict. In some ways narrative text combines all these conflicts. In the contrary, we do not find these conflicts inside recount text. Recount applies series of event as the basic structure
2. The Teaching of Writing
a. Approaches to Teaching Writing
The writing activities should be structured in ways that help students learn to produce cohesive and coherent discourse on their way to become self-sponsors of their own writings. According to Raimes in http://www. nadasisiland.com/ghaith.writing.html#nature as quoted by Ghaith, there are several approaches to teaching writing.
This approach stresses on grammar, syntax, and mechanics. The controlled- to-free approach in is sequential: students are first given sentence exercises, then paragraphs to copy or manipulate grammatically by changing questions to statements, present to past, or plural to singular. They might also change words to clauses or combine sentences. With these controlled compositions, it is relatively easy to for students write and yet avoid errors, which makes error correction easy. Students are allowed to try some free composition after they have reached an intermediate level of proficiency. It emphasizes accuracy rather than fluency or originality. 2)
The Free-Writing Approach This approach stresses writing quantity rather than quality. Teachers who
use this approach assign vast amounts of free writing on given topics with only minimal correction. The emphasis in this approach is on content and fluency rather than on accuracy and form. Once ideas are down on the page, grammatical accuracy and organization follow. Thus, teachers may begin their classes by asking students to write freely on any topic without worrying about grammar and spelling for five or ten minutes. The teacher does not correct these pieces of free writing. They simply read them and may comment on the ideas the writer expressed. Alternatively, some students may volunteer to read their own writing aloud to the class. Concern for “audience” and “content” are seen as important in this approach.
Instead of accuracy of grammar or fluency of content, the Paragraph- Pattern-Approach stresses on organization. Students copy paragraphs and imitate model passages. They put scrambled sentences into paragraph order. They identify general and specific statements and choose to invent an appropriate topic sentence or insert or delete sentences. This approach is based on the principle that in different cultures people construct and organize communication with each other in different ways.
4) The Grammar-Syntax-Organization Approach This approach stresses on simultaneous work on more than one composition feature. Teachers who follow this approach maintain that writing can not be seen as composed of separate skills which are learned sequentially. Therefore, student should be trained to pay attention to organization while they also work on the necessary grammar and syntax. This approach links the purpose of writing to the forms that are needed to convey message. 5)
The Communicative Approach This approach stresses the purpose of writing and the audience for it.
Student writers are encouraged to behave like writers in real life. 6)
The Process Approach In this approach, students are trained to generate ideas for writing, think of
the purpose and audience, and write multiple drafts in order to present written products that communicate their own ideas. Teachers who use this approach give students time to try ideas and feedback on the content of what they write in their
discover new ideas and new language forms to express them. Tribble (1996: 37) says that process approach is approach in which stresses on a cycle of writing activities which guide learners from generating ideas and collecting data until finishing the text. Nunan (1999: 272) states that process approach focuses on the steps involved in drafting and redrafting a piece of work. It focuses less on a perfect final product than on the development of successive drafts of a text. Here, the writers are engaged to get their ideas into a paper without worrying too much about formal correctness in the initial stages. Then, they share their works with others, getting feedback on their ideas, revising until finishing final product.
Besides what is mentioned above, there is inquiry based learning method that can be used in teaching writing. It is a kind of contextual approach components in which the students will create composing through some questions (Nurhadi, 2003: 31). The teachers’ role is facilitators who help students to generate their ideas by using questions as stimulus. In inquiry based learning students are hoped to discover new knowledge themselves by using questions that delivered by teachers not from drilling data.
To discover new knowledge such as a kind of text and its components by using inquiry based learning, students must pass some steps as presented by Sudjana in Trianto (2007: 142), he states that there are five steps in inquiry they are: presenting problem to be solved, formulating hypothesis, collecting information and data needed, making conclusion, and applying the conclusion.
1) The Definition of Assessment.
Assessment is popular and has many functions in teaching and learning process. It plays an important role in determining each student learning problem and progress, and end product after a period time. It is needed by teacher to measure how far his/her program runs and to know how far is his/her students reach his/her program. It is used as evaluator instrument for him/her as O’Malley and Pierce say (1996: 3) that assessment is needed by administrators, teachers, staff developers, students, and parents to assist in determining appropriate program placements and instructional activities as well as in monitoring students progress, while Brown (2001:.4) states that assessment is on going process that encompasses a much wider domain, whereas tests are subset of assessment which measure a person ability. Based on the definitions above that assessment is very crucial in teaching and learning process. It has many functions such as to plan an accurate program, instruction, and know the students progress/responds during joining the program.
Accurate and effective assessment is essential to ensure that English language learners gain access to instructional program that meet their needs, so it cannot be separated from learning process. It is stated by Brown (2001: 420) that assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning cycle. He explains more detail the relationship between them as follows: a)
Periodic assessment, both formal and informal, can increase motivation as they serve as milestones of student progress.
c) Assessments encourage retention of information through the feedback they give on learner’s’ competence.
d) Assessments can provide a sense of periodic closure to various units and modules of curriculum.
e)
Assessments can encourage students’ self-evaluation of their progress.
f) Assessments can promote students autonomy as they confirm areas of strength and areas needing further work.
g)
Assessments can aid in evaluating teaching effectiveness. Assessments help teachers more to do their assignment in teaching and