THE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF THE GROUP PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE IN LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY COURSE
THE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF
THE GROUP PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE IN
LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY COURSE
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By:
Arshinta Widya Hanani
Student Number: 021214072
English Language Education Study Program
Department of Language and Arts Education
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education
Sanata Dharma University
Yogyakarta
“…Nothing seems real I’m starting to feel Lost in the haze of a dream And as I draw near The scene becomes clear Like watching my life on a screen…” Regression (Dream Theater) “…I may never find all the answers I may never understand why I may never prove What I know to be true But I know that I still have to try…” The Spirit Carries on (Dream Theater) “…This feeling inside me Finally found my life, I’m finally free No longer torn in two Living my own life by learning from you We’ll meet again my friend someday soon…” Finally Free (Dream Theater)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my Lord, Jesus Christ for His guidance and blessings so I could accomplish this thesis.
I would like to address my deep gratitude to my sponsor, Ag. Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A. I thank him for his great patience, support (‘move on, be brave’), and guidance so I could accomplish this thesis. I also thank him for permitting me to do this research in his class. I really appreciate all his great efforts to check my thesis.
I would also like to thank Laurentia Sumarnie, S.Pd for her advice and support (“things are beautiful in its time”), so I feel confident to continue the collaborative research. Without her advice I believe I could not finish this thesis.
I dedicate this thesis to Mom and Dad, who have given me their love, care, and prayer in finishing this thesis. This thesis is also dedicated to my sister, Nita, and my brothers, Rindra, Andhi, and Radit.
I would also like to thank the following people: my classmates of PBI 2002 Class B (Rinos, Ajeng, Uyak, Santi, Woro, Lisa, Rumi, Daru, and Gede). I thank them for their support and for being good friends. Finally, I thank the people whom I could not mention here.
Arshinta Widya Hanani
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
TITLE PAGE .............................................................................................. i
PAGE OF APPROVAL ............................................................................. ii
BOARD OF EXAMINERS ....................................................................... iii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ........................................ iv
DEDICATION PAGE ................................................................................ v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................... vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................... vii
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................... x
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ xi
ABSTRAK .................................................................................................... xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 1 B. PROBLEM LIMITATION ...................................................................... 3 C. PROBLEM FORMULATION ................................................................ 4 D. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 5 E. RESEARCH BENEFITS ......................................................................... 5 F. DEFINITION OF TERMS ....................................................................... 7 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW A. THEORETICAL DISCUSSION ............................................................. 9
1. Presentation .......................................................................................... 9
a. Definition of Presentation ................................................................. 10
b. Characteristics of Presentation ......................................................... 11
2. Perception ............................................................................................. 15
a. Definitions of Perception .................................................................. 16
b. Perceptual Process ............................................................................ 17
c. Factors Influencing Perception ......................................................... 19
a. Definition of Cooperative Learning ................................................. 24
b. Characteristics of Cooperative Learning .......................................... 25
c. Benefits of Cooperative Learning .................................................... 28
4. Constructivism ..................................................................................... 29
a. Characteristics of Constructivism ..................................................... 29
b. Principles of Constructivism ............................................................ 31
5. The Nature of Language Teaching Methodology ................................ 32
B. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................... 32
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. RESEARCH METHOD .......................................................................... 35 B. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS ............................................................... 35 C. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS ............................................................... 36 D. DATA GATHERING .............................................................................. 39 E. DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS A. The Implementation of Group Presentation Technique in Language Teaching Methodology Course ............................................... 41
1. Data Presentation and Analysis ............................................................ 41
2. Discussion ............................................................................................ 46
B. The Students’ Perceptions on the Group Presentation Technique Used in Language Teaching Methodology Course ................ 47
1. Data Presentation and Analysis ............................................................ 48
2. Discussion ............................................................................................ 58
C. Some Possible Suggestions that can be Drawn for the Improvement of Group Presentation Technique in Language Teaching Methodology Course ............................................... 59
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................... 62
B. SUGGESTIONS ...................................................................................... 64
1. For Students of English Language Education Study Program ............. 64
2. For Lecturers of English Language Education Study Program ............ 65
3. For Other Researchers .......................................................................... 66
REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 67
APPENDICES ............................................................................................ 69
Appendix 1 : The raw data of the observations ........................................... 70 Appendix 2 : The questionnaires result ....................................................... 87 Appendix 3 : The interview result with the lecturer of Language
Teaching Methodology course ............................................. 106 Appendix 4 : The interview result with the students ................................... 108 Appendix 5 : The observation sheet ............................................................ 119 Appendix 6 : The questionnaire .................................................................. 122 Appendix 7 : The interview questions ......................................................... 125
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: The result of the respondents’ responses both as the presenters and the audiences ..................................................... 48 Table 4.2: The results of the respondents’ responses from the presenter’s point of view ........................................................... 52 Table 4.3: The results of the respondents’ responses from the audience’s point of view ............................................................. 56
ABSTRACT
Hanani, A.W. (2007). The Students’ Perceptions on the Use of the Group
Presentation Technique in Language Teaching Methodology Course . Yogyakarta:
English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.This study investigates the students’ perceptions on the use of the group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology courses. There are three problems formulated in the problem formulation: (1) How is the implementation of group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course? (2) What are students’ perceptions on the group presentation technique used in Language Teaching Methodology course? (3) What are some possible suggestions that can be drawn from the students’ perceptions on the group presentation technique to improve its implementation?
In order to help the writer to answer those problems, some theories are employed. First are the definition of presentation and characteristics of an effective presentation. Second are the definition of perception, the perceptual process, and the factors influencing perception. Third are the definition, the characteristics, and the benefits of cooperative learning. Fourth is the characteristics and principles of constructivism. Fifth is the nature of Language Teaching Methodology course.
In order to answer those problems, the writer employed a survey research. The survey was done by gathering the empirical data through observing the classes, distributing questionnaires, and interviewing the lecturer and the students from class B and D of Language Teaching Methodology course.
The findings of this study showed that the implementation of group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course already fulfilled most of the characteristics of a good presentation, although there were some characteristics of a good presentation that had not been implemented by the presenters. Most of the students in class B and D have positive responses on the technique. However, there are some problems in implementing the group presentation technique. There are some possible suggestions derived from the respondents in order to improve the implementation of group presentation technique. Those are for group dynamics, facilities, and the presentation technique.
There are some suggestions that can be proposed by the writer. The suggestions are for the students of English Language Education Study Program, the lecturers of English Language Education Study Program, and for the other researchers who would like to conduct further research.
ABSTRAK
Hanani, A.W. (2007). The Students’ Perceptions on the Use of the Group
Presentation Technique in Language Teaching Methodology Course . Yogyakarta:
Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi mahasiswa mengenai penggunaan presentasi dalam kelompok dalam mata kuliah Language Teaching . Ada tiga masalah yang dirumuskan dalam perumusan masalah: (1)
Methodology
Bagaimana penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok dalam mata kuliah Language
Teaching Methodology ? (2) Bagaimana persepsi siswa-siswa terhadap
penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok dalam mata kuliah Language Teaching
Methodology ? (3) Saran-saran apa saja yang bisa disampaikan setelah mengetahui
persepsi siswa-siswa terhadap penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok untuk meningkatkan mutu teknik presentasi kelompok di kelas Language Teaching
Methodology ?
Untuk membantu menjawab masalah-masalah tersebut, penulis mencantumkan beberapa teori. Teori pertama tentang arti presentasi dan karakteristik dari teknik presentasi yang efektif. Teori kedua tentang arti persepsi, proses terbentuknya persepsi, dan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi perspsi seseorang. Teori ketiga tentang definisi, karakteristik, dan manfaat cooperative
learning . Teori keempat tentang karakteristik constructivism. Teori kelima
tentang arti Language Teaching Methodology.Untuk menjawab masalah-masalah tersebut, penelitian ini menggunakan metode survey. Survei dilakukan dengan mengumpulkan data yang diperoleh dari observasi kelas, pembagian kuesioner, serta wawancara dengan dosen serta mahasiswa-mahasiswa dari kelas B dan D dalam mata kuliah Language Teaching
Methodology .
Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok sudah memenuhi sebagian besar dari kriteria suatu presentasi yang efektif, meskipun masih ditemui beberapa karakteristik dari presentasi yang efektif yang belum digunakan. Murid-murid di kelas B dan D memiliki persepsi yang positif terhadap penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok. Akan tetapi, masih terdapat beberapa hambatan dalam penggunaan teknik presentasi kelompok. Ada beberapa saran dari para siswa untuk meningkatkan mutu teknik presentasi kelompok, yaitu dinamika kelompok, fasilitas, dan teknik presentasi.
Terdapat beberapa saran yang dapat diberikan oleh penulis. Saran-saran tersebut ditujukan kepada para mahasiswa Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, dosen- dosen Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, serta untuk peneliti yang ingin melaksanakan penelitian lebih lanjut.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This study investigates the students’ perceptions on the implementation of
group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course. This chapter presents background of the study, problem limitation, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of terms.
A. BACKGROUND
Traditionally, teaching-learning process is teacher-centered (English Teaching Forum 1991: 31). It means that teacher is the only person who has to explain the material. In other words, the students’ understanding on the material depends solely on the teacher explanation. The students will only become listeners. The students are also lack of interactions between the other students.
Nowadays, most lecturers apply teaching-learning technique which emphasizes on increasing students’ autonomy. It means that the students are required to become self-reliant learners and be more responsible for their own learning. Besides, the students are also expected to be more cooperative with their friends. In other words, most lecturers nowadays apply teaching-learning techniques which emphasize not only the academic achievement, but also how the students are able to cooperate with one another to achieve certain purpose.
One of the teaching-learning techniques that can be used to increase the students’ interactions between the other students and the students’ autonomy in learning is group presentation technique. Group presentation is defined as a presentation conducted by a group which presents a method in language teaching and then simulates the method. It is applied in Language Teaching Methodology (KPE 264) courses, one of the compulsory courses taught in English Language Education Study Program in Sanata Dharma University. This course aims to equip the students with knowledge of well-established language teaching approaches and methods and be able to apply the knowledge (Panduan Akademik, 2002).
Group presentation technique used in the Language Teaching Methodology course is expected to help the students become independent learners. Based on the result of an interview, one of the lecturers of Language Teaching Methodology course in Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta has two motivations in applying group presentation technique. First is that group presentation technique can develop the students’ speaking skill. Students of English Language Education Study Program are trained to be teachers. Group presentation is aimed to train their speaking skill since as teachers, they have to be able to explain things clearly and through presentation they can exercise their explaining skills. The second motivation is that through group presentation, the students can develop their social skill. Social skill in this study refers to how the students help one another to understand the lesson and how the students learn to respect others’ opinion. The students are also expected to be autonomous learners. It means that the students’ understanding does not depend solely on the teacher’s explanation. Moreover, group presentation can increase the students’ leadership skill and be responsible for their friends’ understanding of the lesson.
However, the students might perceive the use of group presentation technique in various ways. Students might find that group presentations technique will train them to be self – reliant learners. However, some of them might find that they could not master the material well because the presenters (their own friends) could not explain the topic well.
Altman, Valenzi, and Hodgetts (1985: 86) state that need is one of the important factors which can affect someone to have perception towards something. The students as the samples on this study may need to know the knowledge of Language Teaching Methodology. Some other students need the group presentation technique only for fulfilling the lecturer’s requirements. The different situation may lead the students to have different perceptions. Altman et al (1985: 80) state that motivation also affect someone in having his/her perception. In this study, the students might be motivated to learn the methods of language teaching because the students have positive perceptions on the implementation of group presentation technique. The students’ motivation in learning the methods of language teaching will affect the students’ achievement.
This study is then aimed to find out how the implementation of group presentation technique used in the Language Teaching Methodology course is, to reveal and dig out the students’ perceptions on group presentations technique used in Language Teaching Methodology class, and to present suggestions which can contribute to the improvement of the implementation of group presentation technique in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University.
B. PROBLEM LIMITATION
The use of group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course may lead the students to have various perceptions on the technique since the use of group presentation gives various experiences to the students. This research will be focused on three things, namely the implementation of group presentation in Language Teaching Methodology class, the students’ perceptions on group presentation used in Language Teaching Methodology class, and finding out and presenting some suggestions for the improvement of the implementation of group presentation technique in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University.
The researcher chose the Language Teaching Methodology course because this course uses group presentation technique. Group presentation is a presentation conducted by a group which presents the theoretical review of a method in language teaching and then simulates the method discussed in the course references (Course Guidelines for presentation in Language Teaching Methodology course).
C. PROBLEM FORMULATION
From the problem limitation, the problems can be formulated as follows:
1. How is the implementation of group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course?
2. What are students’ perceptions on the group presentation technique used in Language Teaching Methodology course?
3. What are some possible suggestions that can be drawn from the students’ perceptions on the group presentation technique to improve its implementation?
D. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this research are as follows:
1. To know the implementation of the group presentation technique used in the Language Teaching Methodology course.
2. To know and dig out students’ perceptions on the group presentation technique used in the Language Teaching Methodology course.
3. To draw some possible suggestions for the improvement of the implementation of group presentation technique in Language Teaching Methodology course in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University.
E. RESEARCH BENEFITS
The findings of the research hopefully will be beneficial for the students, the lecturers, and English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta.
1. Students of English Language Education Study Program The research finding hopefully will make the students know how to make a successful group presentation. A successful group presentation can be achieved through the implementation of some characteristics of a good presentation as mentioned in Chapter 2. The research finding will also make the students know the benefits of their group presentation. Through group presentation technique, the students experience cooperation between members of their group. The students also experience learning the material autonomously. Hopefully by knowing the benefits of their group presentation technique, the students will have positive perception on the technique. By having positive perception, the students’ motivation to learn the material through group presentation may increase. The implementation of group presentation technique hopefully becomes more useful and more interesting for the students. Furthermore, the students will realize that they cannot only increase their academic achievement, but also develop their teaching skill and social skill through group presentation technique.
2. Lecturers of English Language Education Study Program The research finding hopefully will make the lecturers consider the students’ perceptions on certain teaching technique used by the lecturers. The students’ perceptions on the teaching technique implemented by the lecturer can be used to improve the teaching-learning activity.
3. English Language Education The research finding hopefully will be beneficial for English Language
Education in general, especially for English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University. In group presentation technique, the students are required to be self-reliant and independent problem solver. It means that the students do not depend solely on the lecturer’s explanation, but more on their friends’ explanation and their own effort to master the material. Through group presentation technique, the students have more chance to practice their English ability and teaching skill. By providing the students with more opportunities in practicing the teaching skill, hopefully English Language Education Study Program will have qualified graduate.
Through this study, it is expected that English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University also pays attention to the suggestions given by the students for the improvement of the quality of the teaching technique used in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University. It is also expected that the implementation of the group presentation technique will develop the teaching materials used in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University.
F. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
1. Perception In this study, perception is defined as “The process by which an organism receives or extracts certain information about the environment” (Forgus, 1966).
In other words, perception in this study refers to how the students perceive on receiving group presentation technique as the teaching-learning technique.
2. Group Presentations (Course Guidelines for presentation) In this study, group presentation is defined as a presentation conducted by a group which explains a method in language teaching and then simulate the method. Group presentation is divided into two parts. The first part is the theoretical review. In the theoretical review, the members of the group have to explain the method. The second part is the method simulation. In the method simulation, the group who has presented the theoretical review should simulate how the method works. The members of the group should assign one of the
3. Language Teaching Methodology (KPE 264) Based on “Panduan Akademik 2002”, Language Teaching Methodology is one of the compulsory courses taught in English Education Study Program in
Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta. In this study Language Teaching Methodology refers to a course which has a goal to assist the students to have adequate knowledge of well-established language teaching approaches and methods and to help the students be able to apply the knowledge.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW The theoretical review is divided into two parts. The first part is the
theoretical discussion. The theoretical discussion is divided into five subtitles: (1) The definition of presentation and some characteristics of presentation. (2) Definitions of perception, the perceptual process, and factors influencing someone in having his or her perception. (3) Definition of cooperative learning, characteristics of cooperative learning, and benefits of cooperative learning. (4) Characteristics and principles of constructivism. (5) The nature of Language Teaching Methodology. The second part is the theoretical framework.
A. THEORETICAL DISCUSSION
In the theoretical discussion, the writer presents five points. First is the definition and the characteristics of presentation, second is the definition of perception, the perceptual process, and factors influencing someone in having his or her perception, third is the definition, the characteristics, and benefits of cooperative learning, fourth is the characteristics of constructivism model, and fifth is the discussion of the nature of Language Teaching Methodology course.
1. Presentation
In the following discussion, the writer presents the definition of presentation and the characteristics of presentation.
a. Definition of Presentation
The writer will present some definitions of presentation. According to Mackey (1965: 228), presentation is communicating something to somebody. It means that presentation is a means of communication to convey a message from one person to another. Cassie and Constantine (1977:121) state that presentation is speaking in public (1977: 121). There are two elements in a presentation, they are the presenter and the audience. A presenter is someone who is responsible for presenting something to the audience. The presenter is also responsible for making the audience understand what he or she is presenting. In a presentation the situation is presenter – dominated. (Petrequin, 1968: 15). Cassie and Constantine add that giving a lecture is included into a type of oral presentation.
Related with Cassie and Constantine’s statement, Burden and Byrd (1999: 91) state that a lecture is an instructional strategy – a method for delivering instruction that is intended to help students to achieve a learning objective (1999: 85) – in which the teacher gives an oral presentation of facts and principles, with the students frequently being responsible for note-taking. In a lecture, the classroom activity is teacher-directed and the teacher presents the material to the students. It is not always the teacher who can explain the topic. The teacher may ask the students to explain the topic. When the students replace the teacher’s role in explaining the topic, it can be defined as student’s presentation technique. In this study, the student’s presentation is conducted in groups. It can be defined as group presentation technique.
In the following discussion, the writer will present the elements of presentation and some characteristics of presentation.
b. Characteristics of Presentation
A presentation must have two elements, they are the presenter and the audience. There are some criteria of a presenter in a presentation. According to Petrequin (1968: 21), the presenter must be prepared to show as well as talk to gain students’ attention. It means that the presenter must have enough and good preparation for the topic to be presented. The presenter must also be able to direct audience’ attention to what he or she presents. The presenter is responsible for making the audience understand what he or she is presenting. The job of the speaker is to perform the task with clarity and efficiency so that the listeners benefit from the experience (Petrequin, 1968: 17). Thus, the presenter must be clear in presenting the topic. Unclear explanation in a presentation may lead the audience to have wrong understanding of the topic.
A presenter can be called as the speaker of a presentation. Hasling (1988: 13) states that a speaker must use sufficient volume of voice so that the audience is able to hear the speaker’s voice. Hasling adds that the speaker should have a positive attitude toward the subject matter and toward the audience. What is meant by positive attitude is that a speaker has to respect the audience and presents the subject matter clearly and enthusiastic. It is important for a speaker to develop and maintain a positive attitude toward what the speaker is doing in order to have a good feeling before, during, and after the presentation. Besides the voice and the attitude, a presenter should also be confident in front of the audience.
In a student’s presentation technique, the audiences are the students who are not presenting the subject matter. Petrequin (1968: 15) states that the students’ (the audiences) role is watching, hearing, and noting what happens during the presentation. The audiences may also give response to the subject matter which is being presented. The response may be in forms of questions or suggestion, or critiques.
Rosenshine (1987), cited by Burden and Byrd (1999: 88) writes five suggestions of how to present an effective presentation.
1) Organize the material First is to organize the material. It means that the material which is going to be presented should be well-organized. A well – organized material will help the presenter master what he or she is presenting. The presenter may brainstorm his or her idea so that the material can be explained in detail. The presenter may start the topic with general idea down to the specific idea, so that the audience can follow the flow of the material which is being presented.
2) State the lesson goal Second is to state the lesson goal. In student’s presentation technique, the presenter should state first the goal of his or her presentation. By stating the goal of his or her presentation, the presenter will help the audience to have clear idea
3) Provide step-by step presentation Third is to provide step-by-step presentation. The presenter should begin the presentation with an opening or introduction, content, and closing or summary of what has been presented. In the introduction part, the presenter usually does the opening by greeting and mentioning the topic of the subject matter. After introducing the topic, the presenter starts to elaborate the topic. The presenter usually closes the presentation by summarizing what has been presented. 4) Focus on one thought at a time
Fourth is to focus on one thought at a time. It means that the presenter should focus on the point which is being presented. The presenter may also check the audience understanding before continuing to the next point. 5) Model behaviors by going through the directions
Fifth is to model behaviors by going through the directions. The presenter is the focus of the audience’s attention. Thus, a presenter must show proper behavior. Rosenshine and Stevens (1986), cited by Burden and Byrd (1999: 92) add that teaching behaviors (clarity, enthusiasm, smooth transition) are important for a presentation. In student’s presentation technique, the presenter should show the teaching behavior that can motivate the audience to learn the material.
According to Cassie and Constantine (1977: 121), there are four parts of a good presentation; they are preparation, beginning, body, and peroration.
1) Preparation First part of the presentation is the preparation. In preparing a planning of the presentation. There are two steps in preparation part. The first step is to collect as complete as possible all the material needed. Complete material is important because the presenter will have enough preparation for answering audience’s questions. The second step is to expand ideas by determining the aim of the presentation. Presentation may be aimed for informing, persuading, or entertaining. 2) Beginning
Second part of a presentation is the beginning. As stated by Cassie and Constantine (1977: 123) that the most important part of a presentation is the beginning. The beginning of a presentation will determine the next step of the presentation. In the beginning of the presentation, the presenter should grasp the audience’s attention on what the presenter will present. Cassie and Constantine add that the beginning of a presentation may be in forms of a question or a statement which relates to the audience or to the main topic of the subject matter.
3) The body Third part of a presentation is the body. The body must contain the arguments and main ideas. As a presenter, he/she must be able to develop the main idea and have enough and accurate arguments to be presented. The presenter must master the content of the subject matter he /she is presenting. The body of a presentation may consist of some sections. The presenter must give clear cut at the end of every section. The presenter should notice when he/she has already come to the end of every section and give summary of it (Cassie and Constantine, 1977: 125).
4) Peroration The fourth part of a presentation is the peroration. Peroration means the conclusion of a speech, summing up the points, and enforcing the arguments
(Cassie and Constantine, 1977:125). In the peroration part, the presenter should present the conclusion of the subject matter which has been presented. The conclusion must be clear and show the cumulative meaning so that the audience will leave the room without confusion or still have a big question mark of what has been concluded by the presenter.
Based on the characteristics of a good presentation from some experts presented above, it can be concluded that a good presentation should provide presenter, audience, organization of the material, statement of the lesson goal, step-by step presentation, focus on one thought at a time, and model behaviors by going through the directions. Furthermore, a good presentation should consist of preparation, beginning, the body, and peroration.
In order to support this study, the writer will present the theory of perception since one of this research aims is to dig out the students’ perception on students’ presentation technique.
2. Perception
Since this study is aimed to know students’ perception on the student’s presentation technique, thus the writer presents the discussion of some definitions of perception according to some experts, the perceptual process, and factors which can influence someone in having his or her perception.
a. Definitions of Perception The definition of perception can be derived from some sources. .
According to Kreitner and Kinicki (1992: 26), perception is a mental and cognitive process that enables us to interpret and understand our surroundings. It means that perception may exist as our responses to our surrounding. Another definition of perception is stated by Leontiev (1981: 31). Leontiev defines perception as the process in which the existence of the objects and phenomena is reflected in a person’s consciousness. The process happens with the help of the person’s sensory organs, namely: eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin. Leontiev’s statement means that a person may perceive objects, surroundings, and events or occurrence around him or her consciously by the help of sensory organs.
Haire (1956), cited by Leontiev (1981: 31) states that perception is a process in which the individual recognizes information, fits the information, and compares the information with the previous one which is stored in the person’s memory. Haire’s statement means that a person, after receiving the stimuli, will identify the stimuli. He or she then will recall his or her memory whether he or she has already received the same stimuli or not. If he or she has already received the stimuli before, he or she will recognize the stimuli. The stimuli may be in form of information. The person then matches the information, and compares the information with the previous information. Gibson, Ivancevich, and Donnelly (1973: 216) state that perception is an activity which employs us in everyday of our lives. The perception is a set of factors which influence the motivational state of people in organization. The definition of perception stated by Gibson et. al means that perception influences a person’s motivation in his or her surroundings. Another point of view about perception comes from Forgus (1966: 1). Forgus defines perception as the process of information extraction. It means that perception is the process where the information is filtered or selected. Altman, Valenzi, and Hodgetts (1985: 85) add that perception is the way stimuli are selected and grouped by a person in such a way that the stimuli can be meaningfully interpreted (see figure 1). Furthermore, Altman et. al state that perception is how a person views reality. The way a person views the reality depends on how the information that is available organized.
After knowing some definitions of perception, in the following discussion the writer will discuss how perception arise in someone’s mind.
b. The Perceptual Process
As stated by Altman et. al (1985: 85) perception is the way stimuli are selected and grouped by a person in such a way that the stimuli can be meaningfully interpreted. Below is the diagram showing how the perceptual process happens. sensors’ perception, organization, behavioral stimuli selection of and interpretation of response stimuli stimuli
Figure 1 (Altman et. al, 1985: 86)
The existence of perception begins from the stimuli. Warga (1983: 207) defines stimuli as forms of physical energy that strikes our sensory receptors. The physical energy is usually in forms of light, heat, and pressure. Sensory receptors are the organs of our body (ears, nose, skin, eyes) whose duty is to convey messages to the brain. Before the message is being interpreted, the stimuli are selected in the brain. The selected stimuli will result in the form of information. The information will be organized and interpreted by the brain. The interpretation of the information is called sensation (the translation of external energy). After interpreting the information, the brain then translates the information into meanings. The result of the meaningful translation of the information is called perception. An example of this is when a person sees a smoked-jug, he or she might interpret the jug contains either hot water or cold water. The person’s seeing of the smoke is called the sensation. If the person decides to touch the jug, thus the person translated the sensation into perception of a jug containing cold water. The example above shows that sensation and perception is different. People tend to consider sensation and perception the same. Sensation is the translation of external energy, while perception is the sensation’s meaningful translation. The interpretation process results in behavior response. Since behavioral response is not included in this study; thus, the next discussions will not present the behavioral response.
From the perceptual process discussed above, it is clearly seen that perception comes from the stimuli. The stimuli then are selected in the brain. The selected stimuli will result in the form of information. The information will be organized and interpreted by the brain. After interpreting the information, the brain then translates the information into meanings. The result of the meaningful translation of the information is then called perception. Furthermore, perception will create behavior response. Perception may arise from some factors. Thus, in the following discussion, the writer will present some factors which can affect someone’s perception on something.
c. Factors Influencing Perception
There are four important factors which can affect someone to have perception towards something (Altman et al, 1985: 86), they are: 1) Selection of stimuli
Each person selects certain stimuli and may be different from one person to another. The different selection of stimuli may be because of each person has different interests towards something.
Orang-orang cenderung mengabaikan informasi atau petunjuk yang menyebabkan mereka merasa kurang nyaman .
(Winardi, 1992: 47) (People tend to ignore information which makes them feel less comfortable.)
For example, a girl is listening to music. Meanwhile, she is surrounded by so much noise, such as baby’s crying, neighbor’s lawnmower machine, and noise of starting car machine. She may ignore all of the noise since she feels that it is more interesting to hear the music.
2) Organization of stimuli The selected stimuli should be organized in order to be meaningful.
Altman, et al (1985: 87) state that the perceptual organization of information can help us categorize sensory inputs. The categorization will make the complexity of the information become simpler until a person can interpret the stimuli as meaningful information.
3) The situation Each person has different expectation towards a situation happened around him or her. The expectation towards a situation may affect what he or she perceived (Altman et. al, 1985:89). Altman et. al add that familiarity with the situation and a person’s past experience also affect what he or she perceived.
Student’s expectation of the situation happened during the group presentation technique may influence their perceptions towards the technique. The students’ past experiences on the use of the technique will also influence students’ perceptions towards the technique. If the students had a bad experience on the use of group presentation technique before, the students will have negative perception towards the technique. On the contrary, if the students’ expectation towards the situation happened during the group presentation technique is fulfilled, then the students will have positive perception towards the technique.
Mendesaknya waktu, sikap orang-orang, dengan siapa seseorang bekerja, akan mempengaruhi ketepatan persepsi.
(Winardi, 1992: 48) (Time constraint, people’s attitude and with whom someone will interact will influence the accuracy of perception.)
4) Self – concept The next factor which influences someone’s perception is self – concept.
Altman et. al (1985: 90) define self – concept as the way someone perceives his or herself. The way we feel and see ourselves will affect our perception of our surroundings. Altman et. al add that self – concept is very important because it will determine what a person perceives and do. For example, a student who feels that he or she is an independent person, will enjoy and like to be in the environment which requires his or her independence, as in the use of group presentation technique which also requires the student’s independence in learning the material without explanation from the teacher. The students’ self–concepts can shape their like or dislike towards the use of student’s presentation technique.