Submitted to the Board of Examiners in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Educational Islamic Studies (S.Pd.I) in the English and Educational Department

  

HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS

(A CAR at the Eighth Grade in M Ts Manba’us Sa’diyah

  

Bandungan in the Academic Year of 2014/2015)

A GRADUATING PAPER

Submitted to the Board of Examiners in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirement for the Degree of Educational Islamic Studies (S.Pd.I) in the

  

English and Educational Department

By:

AINUL FADZIAH

  

113 10 141

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY

STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES

SALATIGA

  

2015

  

MOTTO

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I

understand.

• - Confucious -

  DEDICATION

  This graduating paper is whole intended dedicated for: 1. My beloved mother, Maemanah and father, Suwaryadi, you are my everything.

  2. My lovely brother Ustadzun, who always motivates me.

  3. My big family who always support me.

  4. The big Family of Banyukuning Elementary School, 5.

  All of my best friends who always help, support, motivate me.

  I hope they will get the best rewards from Allah SWT. Amin.

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

  Alhamdulillahirabbil’ alamin, thanks to Allah SWT because the researcher could complete this research as one of the requirements for getting Educational Islamic Studies (S.Pd.I) in the English Education Department of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga in 2015. Peace and solution always be given to our last prophet Muhammad SAW who has guided us from the darkness to the brightness. However, this success would not be achieved without support from individual, people and institution. For all guidance, the researcher would like thanks to:

  1. Dr. Rahmat Hariyadi, M.Pd, as the Rector of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga, thanks for the time I spend for studying in IAIN Salatiga.

  2. Suwardi, M.Pd., as the Dean of Teacher Training and Education Faculty, thanks for Islamic Education that you gave to me.

  3. Noor Malihah, M.Hum, Ph.D., as the Head of English Education Department, thanks for your guidance.

  4. Hanung Triyoko, S.S, M.Hum, M.Ed, as the counselor, thanks for advice, support, suggestion, direction and guidance from the beginning until the end of this research.

  5. All of lecturers in English Education Department and all staffs who helped me to process the thesis administration.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE ............................................................................................. i

DECLARATION .......................................................................... ii

  ATTENTIVE COUNSELOR NOTES .......................................................... iii PAGE OF CERTIFICATION ....................................................................... iv MOTTO ......................................................................................................... v DEDICATION .............................................................................................. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................ ix LIST OF TABLE AND FIGURES ............................................................. xiii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ xiv

  

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1

A. Background of the Research ......................................................... 1 B. Statements of the Problems ........................................................... 7 C. Objectives of the Research ............................................................ 8 D. Benefits of the study ....................................................................... 8 E. Limitation of Terms ....................................................................... 9 F. Outline of the Graduating Paper ................................................ 10

  

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................. 12

A. Classroom Action Research ........................................................ 12

  1. The Definition of Classroom Action Research .................... 12

  2. The Characteristics of Classroom Action Research ........... 14

  3. The Principles of Classroom Action Research .................... 17

  B. Writing .......................................................................................... 19

  1. The Definition of Writing...................................................... 19

  2. The Writing Process .............................................................. 20

  3. The Purposes of Writing ....................................................... 22

  C. Project Based Learning ............................................................... 23

  1. Definition of Project Based Learning .................................. 23

  2. Criteria of Project Based Learning ........................................ 25

  3. Benefits of Project Based Learning ......................................... 28

  4. Disadvantages of Project Based Learning .............................. 30

  5. Teaching through Project Based Learning ............................ 31

  

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................... 33

A. Type of Research .......................................................................... 33 B. Time and Place Setting ................................................................ 33

  1. Time ........................................................................................ 33

  2. Place ........................................................................................ 34

  C. Research Procedure ..................................................................... 36

  D. Population and Sample ................................................................ 38

  E. Sampling Technique .................................................................... 40

  F. Technique of Data Collection ...................................................... 41

  1. Documentation ....................................................................... 41

  2. Observation ............................................................................ 42

  3. Test .......................................................................................... 43

  G. Technique of Data Analysis ........................................................ 43

  

CHAPTER IV THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH .............. 45

A. Cycle 1 ........................................................................................... 45 B. Cycle 2 ........................................................................................... 59

CHAPTER V CLOSURE .......................................................................... 78

A. Conclusion .................................................................................... 78 B. Suggestion ..................................................................................... 79

REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 81

APPENDIXES

  LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 List of Population .........................................................................38Table 3.2 List of Sample ...............................................................................39Table 3.3 Observation Sheet .........................................................................42Table 4.1 Checklist Observation Sheet Cycle 1 ...........................................50Table 4.2 Students’ Pre-Test and Post-Test Cycle 1 ....................................53Table 4.3 Students’ Writing skill Rubric Cycle 1 .........................................55Table 4.4 Students’ Writing’s Project Result Cycle 1 ..................................56Table 4.5 Students’ First Writing Score Percentage .....................................57Table 4.6 Checklist Observation Sheet Cycle 2 ...........................................68Table 4.7 Students’ Pre-Test and Post-Test Cycle 2 ....................................70Table 4.8 Students’ Writing Skill Rubric Cycle 2 ........................................73Table 4.9 Students

  ’ Writing’s Project Result Cycle 2 ..................................74

Table 4.10 Students’ Second Writing Score Percentage ..............................76

  LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Procedure of Classroom Action Research ...................................36

  

ABSTRACT

  Ainul Fadziah (2015). “HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL (A CAR at Th e Eight Grade of MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah Bandungan in The Academic Year 2014/2015)

  ”. A Graduating Paper. Teacher Training and Education Faculty. English and Education Department. State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN). Consultant: Hanung Triyoko, S.S., M. HUM., M. Ed This research is aimed to describe what the implementation of using the project based learning’s method in the writing class is and describe how can Project Based Learning as the planned solution to the problem in teaching writing class in the process of doing CAR help to improve students’ writing skills.

  This research was conducted in MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah Bandungan in the Academic Year 2014/2015. Twenty nine students of the eighth grade of MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah Bandungan in the Academic Year 2014/2015 were instructed through Project Based Learning Method to improve their writing skills. The methodology of this research used Classroom Action Research (CAR). There were two cycles to give the students opportunities to improve their understanding about how to reconstruct and comprehend the organization of Narrative Text well and effectively in groups through doing a project. The results show that the students’ skills improve significantly. The Pre-Test score of the Cycle 1 was 62,41 and the Post-Test score was 70,69. It showed there was an improvement 13,27%.

  The Pre-Test Score of Cycle 2 was 72,07 and the Post-Test score was 84,83. It showed an improvement 17,71%. This method used the students’ skill to rearrange the jumbled paragraph that they have read, then they tried to rewrite by their own word. This method can help students to remember the organization of narrative text, remember the chronological event of this text, and the details of the vocabulary. In the implementation of Project based Learning Method, the students could enrich their vocabularies, grammar mastery, and be confident to rearrange the text that has been read by their own words. They also showed their understanding about narrative text with good connecting information to another details. This method increased their motivations when joining the English lesson, they were more active in the learning process than before. It increased students’ cooperation with other friends. Based on the results, the researcher recommends usin g Project Based Learning Method as the solution to improve students’ writing skill.

  Keywords: Project Based Learning Method – Writing Skill.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Research Language can’t be separated from human life. Even language is often

  used by human life in every activity, so it can be said that interaction is not happened without language as the medium. The activities that human life’s doing are like gathering, playing, and giving information using language as the medium. Language is a human method to express the ideas, feelings, and ability with own pleasure.

  Brown (2007: 6) defines that language is a systematic instrument of communicating ideas or feelings by using sounds, gestures, or signs agreed.

  The primary function of language is for interaction and communication.

  Language has an important role in society as a communication tool. Language enables people to acquire information, knowledge, communicate and cooperate along with others. However, language cannot be acquired spontaneously but it needs to be learnt. Just as a baby they cannot speak as they were born, but they learn by imitating their parent and others. That’s why language needs to be learnt in order to make communication and interaction happen properly. In fact, learning a language is learning to communicate so that language learning should be directed to improve the learner's ability to communicate and its success is measured from how well the learner's use the language itself.

  English as one of the international languages in the world should be mastered by people from many countries in the world to communicate each other. They may know and understand what they speak communicatively because of English. Because of the reason, English becomes the first foreign language that is taught in Indonesia from elementary school up to college.

  Putri (2013 : 2) said that learning English means learning four language skills and its components. The language skills are listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and its components are grammar, vocabulary, and sounds system. Writing is one basic skill in learning English beside listening, speaking, and reading. To write means to communicate using written language. In writing, all information is delivered through text. Writing means producing or creating a piece of text.

  Writing is regarded as the most difficult skill for foreign language learners to master because it involves several components which need to be considered while the learners are writing, such as content, organization, vocabulary, language use and punctuation (Brown, 2004:244

• –245). Writing needs an ability to organize sentences into good text. Writing also needs a lot of vocabulary mastery in order to reduce the possibility in the lack of words when they are writing sentence, paragraph, or text. It needs right language using in order the message of the writer can be received as

appropriate as the reader understand of that written form. It needs a right punctuation using in order the reader catches the purposes and meanings as suitable as the writer hope. And the last is the content. This is the most important part that the writer should master it. A good writer will make a good content of writing in order all of the messages that she or he means are accepted as appropriate as to the readers.

  In the writing learning process, students need to understand all of the factors above to make good writing. It needs more practices in writing so the students get used to write anything they can.

  Writing becomes one of the students’ difficulties in English language learning besides speaking moreover in MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah. According from the English teacher of MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah, Mrs. Yuliana, students have difficulties in creating a good content, organizing several sentences into good paragraph, and language use.

  She said that the students there are lack of the ability in creating good content. Actually, content is the most important part that should be paid attention. An integrated content that the writer creates should be understood by the readers. When the writer creates a bad content, the readers will not get the messages of the writing well.

  She said that the students there are poor in organizing several sentences into good paragraph. When they listen the word “paragraph”, their assumptions are directly changed from English is easy to be learnt up to very terrible thing to be done. They feel so afraid to arrange words into sentences, sentences into paragraph, and paragraph into text. They are worry to make a trouble on it. This fear should be missed from their thought in order they are able to become a good writer.

  She also said that the students there are sometimes use the wrong languages. The structural languages that they use are usually spaced inappropriately. When the teacher asks the students to create a narrative text, the students actually should use the simple past but they use the simple present. When they are asked to create a descriptive text, they use the simple past. These troubles are often happened in this school.

  Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) Manba’us Sa’diyah is one of the Islamic

  Junior High School which is located in the village. It makes students don’t have motivation to master the English especially in writing. Their assumption that English is difficult and writing is also, are still develop in that environment. The students become afraid in telling their ideas, trying to organizing sentences, and wrong using the language. In this school, the teacher needs an appropriate strategy to overcome this problem.

  According to Kemp (1995) cited in Rusman (2011), strategy is a learning process that has to be done by teacher and students in order the goals of learning process are able to achieve effectively and efficiently. In teaching and learning process, there are several strategies those can be practiced by the teacher. Teacher is allowed to choose which strategy is effective to be practiced in the class.

  Teachers can practice teaching and learning process through jigsaw.

  

Jigsaw method is first developed by Elliot Aronson (1975). This method has

  two additional version, Jigsaw II (Slavin, 1989) and Jigsaw III (Kagan, 1990). Essentially, it is a cooperative learning design that takes the place of a lecture. Each student within a team has a piece of the information to be learned by all students, and each student is responsible for teaching their section to the other students on the team.

  Basically, this method can be applied for the materials which are related with the reading, writing, listening, or speaking. It combines four aspects of language (Huda, 2013). However, if this method is practiced in this school, it will be ineffective strategy. It will be happened because the main point of this method is share the information to the others. To communicate with other needs good speaking, so if the students’ speaking skills are poor the strategy will be applied not as suitable as hoped.

  Teachers also can apply SQ3R method. Huda (2013) said that SQ3R

  

or Survey Question Read Recited Review is an understanding strategy which

  helps students to think of the text they are reading. SQ3R helps students to find something from the text when they read the text firstly. It helps students in understanding the text by reviewing the first meaning from title, the bold notes, or the schema, making the question from their first reading, finding the answer of the question, repeating the information they get from answering the question, and reviewing or reflecting the question they answer before. This method actually can be applied in every skill of English but if this method is practiced in teaching writing, the writer thinks this method will be ineffective, moreover if it is applied in Mts Manba’us Sa’diyah. The students’ motivations in reading text are very poor. When they are given a text, they will be bored to read it. They have no willing in reading, so they will not get information from the text. If it is happened, the writing process will be done ineffectively because there is no information which wants to be written.

  A teacher needs to use a proper strategy to help her students have good understanding on new text that they learned. Teacher also needs to motivate students and create the most effective way to stimulate them, so they will be interested in practicing their writing. On the other hand, the teacher should use certain strategy to stimulate students to practice their writing, because good strategy will support them in achieving good skill including English skill. Teacher have to teach the material by using good method, good technique and organize teaching-learning process as good as possible, so teaching-learning process can run well. It can make student master English skill, especially in writing skill successfully, because one of the teaching failures is caused by unsuitable method

  There are many teaching strategy that can be applied in the learning process. Good strategy in the learning helps student understand the lesson, moreover in the writing class. Practice is needed. As Tyler (1949 : 63) said as Yam (2010) cited that learning takes place through the active behavior of the student, it is what he does that he learns, not what the teacher does. Students will get their ability in learning process when they practice and do it.

  Project Based Learning is a learning strategy which focuses on

  students’ project. Students are fully involved in the learning process. They practice to get information or knowledge through the project that they make.

  Through this involvement, students are hoped in requiring all of the information they need on their own. So, they can master it.

  From the reason above, Project Based Learning’s Model is hoped becoming good strategy to improve students’ writing skill in MTs Manba’us Sa’diyah in the eighth grade, in the academic year of 2014 / 2015.

B. Statements of the Problem

  Statements of the Problem in this research are : a.

  How is the implementation of the Project Based Learning’s method use in the writing class of the eighth grade of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Manba’us Sa’diyah in the academic year 2014/2015? b. How can Project Based Learning as the planned solution to the problem in teaching writing class in the process of doing CAR help improve students’ writing skills in the eighth grade students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Manba’us Sa’diyah in the academic year 2014/2015?

C. Objectives of the Research

  Considering the above problems, the objectives of this research are described as follows :

1. To describe what the implementation of using the project based learning’s method in the writing class is.

  2. To describe how can Project Based Learning as the planned solution to the problem in teaching writing class in the process of doing CAR help to improve students’ writing skills.

D. Benefits of the Research

  This research is expected to give useful information and contribution for the students, educators, English teachers and English academicians to know more about Project Based learning as an appropriate model and strategy to teach writing.

  1. Theoretically Giving some contribution to enlarge and enrich the English language teaching methodologies especially the knowledge about

  Project Based Learning’s Model in teaching writing.

  2. Practically; a.

  The writer This research can be used as starting point in improving the writers’ teaching experience and it is hoped can contribute to help the writer to find out more about the best strategy to teach writing. b.

  The students This research can increase students’ activeness to write and awareness to responsible on their writing skill. It is hoped that the students will be more motivated to write English well.

  c.

  The English Teachers This research can give an objective description to the teacher on how to teach writing to the students using Project Based

  Model. It is hoped that teachers can develop language teaching methods and improve the quality of teaching learning process.

  d.

  The Other Researchers Give more information about Project Based Learning

  Model for the next researchers who will conduct with the similar problem of writing ability improvement.

E. Limitation of the Terms

  To get clear description and avoid errors in interpreting the title, the writer give limitation of the terms are :

1. Improve

  Improve mean to make better in quality or to make more productive to become better (Webster, 1994: 487). It is also described as the process of becoming or making to the better (Oxford Dictionary, 2003:216)

  2. Student Student is a person who attends a university, college or school for study; anyone making a serious study of a subject (Merriam, 1981:983)

  3. Writing Skills Writing is a process that occurs a period of time in thinking to create an initial draft or outline ( Harris, 1993 : 10 ). Writing skill is one of the four basic English skill beside listening, speaking, and reading.

  4. CAR (Classroom Action Research) Classroom Action Research refers to an acuracy towards learning activity in which it appears intentionally and occurs together in a class.

  The activity is given by a teacher or with a guidance from the teacher and done by the students (Arikunto, 2007:3)

F. Outline of the Graduating Paper

  This graduating paper consists of five chapters. Chapter one is an Introduction. It contains Background of the Research, Statements of the Problems, Objectives of the Research, Limitation of the Terms, Benefits of the Research, and the last is the Outline of the Graduating Paper; which contains of general frameworks for each chapter for this graduating paper. Chapter two is Theoretical Framework. This chapter discovers the theories which are used by the researcher, they are: Classroom Action Research, Writing, and Project Based Learning. Chapter three is Research Methodology. It deals with Research Methodology, Type of the Research, Time and Place Setting, Procedure of the Research, Sample and Population, Sampling Technique, Technique of Data Collection, Technique of Data Analysis. Chapter four presents the Implementation of Research. The writer presents the data and the result of pre-test, post-test, and writing project from the class which is taught by Project Based Learning. Chapter five is Closure. It contains Conclusion and Suggestion. The last part is References and Appendixes

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK In this chapter, the writer is going to explain briefly the theoretical

  framework which includes the explanation of classroom action research, writing, and project based learning.

A. Classroom Action Research

  1. The Definition of Classroom Action Research Classroom action research is an action research, which has specific aim and correlation with class. Marguerite and friends (2010: 40) say in their books that Action research generally includes a three - step process:

  a. Identification of the problem(s) through careful observation and reflection.

  b. Planning and taking appropriate action (the study)

  c. Using the findings to determine if teaching and learning have improved or if further changes are needed Arikunto (2006: 3) gives three components in classroom action research, they are: a.

  Research An activity to observe the object by use of ways and methodologies to get the useful data or information to improve the quality of thing and that is necessary for researcher.

  b. Action A movement activity to action with specific purpose, in the form of activity cycle network for the student.

  c. Classroom A group of students, they got a lesson from a teacher in the same time. Then Arikunto concludes that classroom action research means monitoring toward teaching learning process in the form of an action, which is deliberated on action and occur in the class.

  Action research deals with social practice. Education is a social practice. In most cases, it involves the direct interaction of teacher and groups of students. Classroom is a complex arena, secondary schools are full of intrigue and conspiracy. Trying to reach understanding of issues concerned with teaching and learning, therefore, implies getting to grips with a work range of human issues such as the attitude of students, the politics within departments and the ethos an environment of the institution. Elliot (1982) cited in Richard (1989) states that action research might be defined as the study of a social situation with a view to improving the quality of action within it.

  Gwynn (2004) states that classroom action research is a method of finding out what works best in your own classroom so that you can improve student learning. Every teaching situation is unique in terms of content, level, student skills and learning styles, teacher skills and teaching styles, and many other factors. To maximize student learning, a teacher must find out what works best in a particular situation.

  The aim of action research is to feed practical judgment in concrete situations, and the validity of the theories or hypothesis. It is not generate depends so much on scientific test of truth as their usefulness in helping people to act more intelligently and skillfully. In recent years, action research has been applied to problem involving curriculum development, and in service education, particularly within the field of self-evaluation (Arikunto, 2006: 57).

2. The Characteristic of Classroom Action Research

  Syamsuddin and Damaianti (2007: 197) outlined the following characteristics of classroom action research: a. It examines problem which are deemed problematic by researcher in teaching learning process. b. The researcher can give treatment which planned action to solve the problems and improve the quality, so the subject can get the implication.

  c. The steps of research in the form of cycle.

  d. Such reflective thinking from researcher both after and before research.

  e. Contextual situational, which related to diagnosing and solving the problem.

  f. Classroom action research used collaborative approach.

  g. Participatory, which each team member accompany in the research.

  h. Self-evaluative, which the researcher evaluate by self continually to improve the performance. i. The procedure of research is on-the-spot which designed to handle the real problem in that area. j. The result applied immediately, long-range in perspective, measuring up to supple and adaptive.

  Kemmis and Mc Taggart (1988) argue that the three defining characteristics of action research are: a.

  It is carried out by practitioners (classroom teachers) rather than outside researchers; b.

  It is collaborative; and c. It aims at changing things.

  Especially, they stress that the momentum for carrying out an action research is to change the system. This assertion is different from Cohen and Manion (1985) when they identify collaboration as an important feature of action research ( Hien, 2009 :99)

  Relatively different, Borgia and Schuler (1996) cited in Hien (2009) describe components of action research as the “Five C’s”:  Commitment: Time commitment should be carefully considered by participants of action research since it takes them time to get acquaintance with other participants, think about change, try new approach, collect data, interpret results, etc.

   Collaboration: In an action research all participants are equal to each others in terms of giving ideas, suggestions or anything that leads to success of the change.

   Concern: In the research process, participants will build up a group of “critical friends” who trust each other and the value of the project.

   Consideration: As it is mentioned above, reflective practice is a mindful review of a professional research like action research. It demands concentration and careful consideration as one seeks patterns and relationships that will create meaning within the investigation.

   Change: For humans, especially teachers, change is continuing and it is a significant element in remaining their effectiveness.

3. The Principles of Classroom Action Research

  According to Hopkins (1993: 57-61), there are six principles of classroom action research by teacher as follows: a. The teacher’s primary job is to teach, and any research method should not interfere with or disrupt the teaching commitment.

  b. The method of data collection must not be too demanding on the teacher’s time.

  c. The methodology employed must be reliable enough to allow teachers to formulate hypotheses confidently and develop strategies applicable to their classroom.

  d. The research problem under taken by the teacher should be one to which he or she is committed.

  e. The need for teacher researchers to pay close attention to the ethical procedures surrounding the work.

  f. That as far as possible classroom researc h should adopt a “classroom exceeding‟ perspective. This is that all members of a school community actively build and share a common vision of their main purpose.

  In accordance with the principles that classroom action research has to concentrate on the matters happened in the class. A class is one unity of the concerning elements and to reach the specific aim. The components from a class are the students, teacher which is teaching, lesson item, medium of used, result of the study, environmental of the study, and the management that conducted by head of the school. The object of perceived in classroom action research does not have always when process of the study underway because class is not room, but it is a group of students (Arikunto, 2006: 24).

  According to Aqib (2006: 18) classroom action research is one of the strategic ways for the teacher to improve the educationally service which must be carried out in the context of study in the class and improvement of the school program quality on the whole. The aims of the classroom action research are to improve and to increase the process of the study in the class to be carried out continuous. These aims are close relationship with the teacher in fulfilling their professional mission ofeducation.

  Related with components of the study, classroom action research have some benefits, they are: a. Innovation of the study.

  b. Development of the curriculum in the school and class level.

  c. Improvement of the teacher professionalism.

B. Writing 1. The Definition of Writing

  Writing is one basic skill in learning English beside listening, speaking, and reading. To write means to communicate using written language. In writing, all information is delivered through text. Writing means producing or creating a piece of text. Harmer (2001: 249) states, language production means that students should use all and any languages at their disposal to achieve a communicative purpose rather than be restricted to specific practice points. Writing is more difficult rather than other language skills because it needs well knowledge and hard thinking when they produce words, sentences and paragraphs with a good grammatical.

  Harmer (2001: 255) said: Written text has a number of conventions which separate it out from speaking. Apart from differences in grammar and vocabulary, there are issues of letter, word, and text formation, manifested by handwriting, spelling, and layout and punctuation.

  It means that good content of writing only is not enough. A writer must also have sufficient language components like grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling to facilitate him/her in expressing his/her ideas, experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The writing should be organized well, in order to be easily read and understood by the readers.

  In other word, writing is first and foremost an intellectual activity. Writing is also a social process. It puts one min d (the writer’s) in touch with other minds (those of the audience) and creates a community (Beene, 1992: 67). Like reading and reasoning, writing is a recursive process: it involves overlapping and repetition (Beene and Kopple, 1992: 68). To write is put down the graphic symbols that represent a language one understands, so that other can read these graphic symbols if they know the language and the graphic representation. But, writing is the partial representation of units of language expression (Lado, 1964: 143).

  From the explanation above, it can conclude that writing is the way or the process to express or to represent writer’s knowledge into a textual medium by following linguistic rules.

2. The Writing Process.

  Writing, particularly academic ones, is not easy. It takes study and practice to develop this skill. For both native speakers and new learners of English, it is important to note that writing is a process, not a product (Oshima, 1991: 3). There are four components of a writing process: inventing, drafting, revising, and editing (Beene and Kopple, 1992: 71).

  a.

   Inventing

  Inventing is the crafting before write a first draft. Inventing, a prewriting stage, includes choosing a topic or issue, discovering about the topic, narrowing and shaping ideas into a plan, and framing a generalization that sets forth perspective on topic and suggest how the text will present perspective and ideas.

  b.

   Drafting

  Drafting includes proposing a thesis statement, deciding on tone, and outlining ideas- everything involved in actually writing first draft.

  c.

   Revising

  Revising includes rethinking the content, organization, and level of formality of text. Revising is the key to success because the process of rewriting gives a chance to writer in improving their written.

  d.

   Editing

  Editing includes check revised draft for misspellings, grammatical confusion, or incoherence and putting text in a suitable format for audience.

  Ron White and Arndt (1991) cited in Harmer (2001) are keen to stress that writing is re-writing; that re-vision

• – seeing with new eyes – has a central role to play in the act of creating text. In their model, process of writing is an interrelated set of recursive stages which includes : a.

   Drafting

  Drafting means outlining the general information which wants to be written. This is the first part in writing.

  b.

   Structuring

  Structuring means ordering the information and experimenting with arrangements. In this part, the writer arranges the outline which is written in the draft before into good text.

  c.

   Reviewing

  Reviewing means the step to get checking the context, connections, assessing the impact, and editing.

  d.

   Focusing

  Focusing is making sure you are getting the message across you want get across.

  e.

   Generating Ideas and Evaluation

  It is a part for assessing the draft or subsequent it. When the errors are done, the writer should making revision or improvement.

3. The Purposes of Writing

  The goal of written language is to convey information accurately, effectively, and appropriately; and to do this written language has to be more explicit than spoken discourse ( Richards, 1990: 101). In another purpose writing is to persuade an already knowledgeable audience that can interpret factual information in a way that shows the information is now part of academic experience (Beene and Kopple, 1992: 72).According Oshima and Hogue (1991: 3), the purpose of a piece of writing determines the rhetorical form chosen for it. A persuasive essay will be organized in one way and an expository essay in another way.

C. Project Based Learning 1. Definition of Project Based Learning

  According to Krajcik&Blumenfeld (2006) Markham, Larmer, &Ravitz (2003) cited in Lee, Blackwell, Drake,& Moran, (2014)project based learning is an inquiry-based instructional approach that offers one avenue to reform. It reflects a learner-centered environment that concentrates on students’ use of disciplinary concepts, tools, experiences and technologies to answer questions and solve real-world problems.

  On the journal entitled “A Review of Research on Project-Based

  Learning

  ”, Thomas (2000) definesproject based learning (PBL) as a model that organizes learning around projects.It means that learning process is focused on the concepts and principles, involving the students in the problem-solving investigation, and other tasks which give students opportunity to construct their own knowledge, and then achieve the goal to produce the real project.

  He also agrees with the definition found in PBL handbooks for teachers (Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt, 1997; Thomas, Mergendoller, &Michaelson, 1999), that projects are complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; give students the opportunity to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or presentations.

  Jason Schwalm and Karen SmuckTylek on their journal (2009) cites that PBL is an approach to instruction that emphasizes “authentic learning tasks grounded in the personal interests of learners” (Grant, 2009:1). The Buck Institute for Education calls PBL as

  “a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks” (Markham, 2003:4). However it is defined that PBL presents students with real-world, multidisciplinary problems that demand critical thinking, engagement, and collaboration.

  On the other definition, PBL is defined as a teaching approach that has significant potential to transform teaching from a dull and mundane process of passive learning to one where students actively engage with the material, resulting in deeper learning and significant other outcomes (Yam& Rossini : 2010).

  From the definition above, the writer concludes that project based learning is a model of teaching learning process which focuses on the students’ project. Students become the center of all activities during learning process. They begin the learning from the question or problem which sends them to find information with their own. They should find the solution of the problem and the goal should they achieve is a real product.

2. Criteria of Project Based Learning

  According to the Training of 2013 Curriculum which published by BPSDMPK and PMP 2013 and Center for Youth Development and Education-Boston (Muliawati, 2010 : 10) cited by Widyantini (2014)the criteria of project based learningare :