Improving Seventh Graders’ Reading Ability on Descriptive Text By Using Numbered Heads Together (NHT) Technique at MTs Misriu Al -Hasan Kraton - Institutional Repository of IAIN Tulungagung

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter discusses the research methodology which is used in conducting this research. It is divided into three parts namely research design, subject and setting of the study, and procedures of the research.

A. Research Design

The research design of this research was Classroom Action Research. According to Pelton (2010) an Action Research which is conducted in the school setting, is a systematic approach which the goal is to improve teaching practices. The design was used because the purpose of the research was to improve teaching practices, specifically to improve reading ability on Descriptive text.

Classroom Action Research design is usually done in collaborative between the researcher and the teacher (if the researcher is already a teacher, she/he can conduct CAR alone). The research was also done in collaboration between the researcher and the teacher. The teacher was the English teacher of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton, Mojo, Kediri. The teacher as collaborator, whom involved in the process of the research. The collaborator completed an observation sheet which is given by the researcher.

The method of this Classroom Action Research (CAR) is derived from the terms of Action Research itself . Based on Carr and Kemmis (2004), in terms of method to conduct an Action Research , the

28

method is a self-reflective spiral of cycles: planning, acting, observing and reflecting. In line with it, Kemmis and McTaggat in Ary (2010) suggests that an Action Research process is presented as spiral, where the researcher reflects, plans, acts, and observes. Therefore, by Classroom Action Research (CAR) a teacher can improve his/her teaching practices.

In the Classroom Action Research (CAR), the researcher applied the Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique. The researcher acted as English teacher that implemented Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique in the class while observed the students’ performance in the teaching and learning process. In observing the students’ activities, the researcher was helped by the English teacher of the school. This research was intended to improve students’ reading ability on Descriptive text by using Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique.

B. Subjects and Setting of the Study

This research was conducted in the seventh grade of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan, Kraton, Mojo, Kediri on the 7th January up to 31rd January in the 2016/2017 academic year. There were 29 students that consist of 13 male students and 16 female students. The researcher chose this class because she had some points that became her considerations. They are: 1.) According to the English teacher is HS. She is 33 years old with experience around 10 years in teaching English for seven until nine grades at the school. Most of the students in the school are less interested in

29

reading. 2). Because reading is the basis of learning it would

be better if the problem should be found solution as early as

possible since the students still stay at the seventh grade, in

order to avoid the worse effect about it in the next grade.

C.

Procedures of the Study

In this Classroom Action Research (CAR), the

researcher had some steps in how this research was conducted.

Stringer (2007) states that the basic Action Research are: look,

think, and act. Meanwhile, according to Kemmis and

McTaggart cited in Ary ( 2010) model of Action Research are

presented as plans, acts, observes, and reflects.

In this research, the procedure of this Classroom Action

Research was adapted from Kemmis and McTaggart’s Action

Research model which the procedure of the research trough

plans, acts, observes, and reflects. The plans, acts, observes,

and reflects is usually called as cycle ( see figure 3.1).

30 a. Preliminary Study (Reconnaissance)

To know the condition of the students at MTs Misriu Al-Hasan, the researcher did preliminary study before doing Action Research in the classroom. Preliminary study was done to find out the practical problems

Reconnaissance

 Doing observation in the seventh graders’ class

 Giving pretest to know the student’s reading ability

Analysis and Finding

 Many of students got difficulty in comprehending Descriptive text because, in the reading, they seemed not serious in gaining comprehension. Even, they tended to make noisy and seem less interested if they were asked to read and answer questions about the text. Reading English text and answer questions about the text individually might be easy by high ability students. But average and low ability students might get difficulty in doing it. Whereas, the amount of students that have high abilities over there are more lower than the amount of students that have average and low abilities.

 The result of the pretest showed that they were 19 students got scores 30-60 (low ability), there were 6 students got scores 70 (average ability), and there were 3 students got scores 80-100 (High ability).

Planning Preparing lesson plan, fields note, observation sheet, and the criteria of success. Implementing Applying NHT teachnique in teaching reading on Descriptive text Observing Observe using the instruments of collecting data. Reflecting Analyze the process and the result of the teaching and learning process. Stop Failed Revise d Succes Figure 3.1:

31

in the classroom before the researcher makes a plan. If the basis of practical problems were found, then the researcher can make a plan.

In the preliminary study, the researcher interviewed the English teacher, did observation, and administered pretest. The researcher interviewed the English teacher who teaches English from first grade until ninth grade students on Saturday November 26th, 2016. It was done after the researcher some minutes met the head master of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton to ask permission for conducting a research. In the interview between the researcher and the English teacher. The researcher asked some questions to the English teacher about the school. From the interview, the researcher knew that only one English teacher that always handles English subject in the school. The teacher stated that she only used to teach by using conventional method and never uses any kind of teaching media such as LCD projector, because of the lack facility in the school. And she also stated that most of the students in MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton feel that English is difficult and they are less interested to read English taxt. Therefore, the teacher suggested the researcher to propose another technique to teach English, especially in teaching reading.

Based on the researcher’s observation when the researcher administered pretest on January 16th, 2017. The researcher found that girls students were calm. They did not much talk, but directly did what has been asked by the researcher. But, they boys students were talkative and tended to make noisy and could not engage with the teaching and learning process. The researcher also found that the most students over there were

32

less interested to read English text. It was proved by the result of pretest that showed most of the seventh graders got scores under the minimum score/ KKM (75). According to the scores of pretest result, they were 19 students got scores 30-60 (low ability), there were 6 students got scores 70 (average ability), and there were 3 students got scores 80-100 (High ability).

b. Planning

Planning is developing plan to take action or to gather data in order to get the experience or to monitor practice (Ary, 2006). Planning could be divided into five parts, namely socializing the research program, providing a suitable strategy or technique, designing a lesson plan, preparing the criteria of success, and training the collaborator teacher.

1. Socializing the Research Program

Before conducting the research in the class, the researcher met with the head master of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. She asked permission to the headmaster for conducting the research in the school. After getting permission, the researcher met the English teacher of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. Then the researcher asked permission to the English teacher to conduct research in her class.

33 2. Providing a Suitable Technique

To overcome the problem in the seventh grade students at MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton, the researcher applied an innovative teaching technique. The chosen technique was based on the problem which was found through interviewed with the English teacher and observation toward students’ activities in the teaching learning processs. The chosen innovative teaching technique namely Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique.

NHT is a technique which comes from Cooperative Learning approach that makes students work cooperatively in groups. This technique was used by Sprencer Kagan in the 1992 year, in his teaching on an ESL/EFL reading class (Jacobs and Hall, 2002). NHT technique can encourage all members to know and to be ready to explain their group’s answer (s) by allowing the members to help each other, and when students help their group mates, they help themselves and their whole group, because the answer given by one of the members belong to the whole group, not just to the group member who gives it (Hall and Jacobs, 2002).

3. Designing Lesson Plans

In this step, the researcher made lesson plan to the seventh grade students at MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. The lesson plan consisted of identity of subject, name of the school, grade, material of teaching, time allocation, objectives of teaching, procedures of teaching and learning which is applied the developed technique, etc.

34

In designing the lesson plan, the researcher asked some helps from the teacher. The researcher brought the English module from the teacher and the most materials were taken from the module. After the researcher had finished in designing lesson plan, the researcher asked the teacher to look and correct if there were materials that should not be taught . The more the detail description of the lesson plan could be seen in appendices 4 and 9.

4. Preparing Criteria of Success

Preparing criteria of success was done before the researcher conducted the research. The criteria of success was a limitation for the researcher to continue or to stop the research if the criteria has been achieved. This research was sussess if all of the criterias of success have been accived.

The first criteria was a student was called success if he or she could pass the minimum score (KKM) that was 75. While to determine the success of the whole students it can be seen from the formula (Depdiknas cited in Priscanita, Susanto, and Hobri, 2013) below:

Pk = n x 100%

Note:

Pk = the percentage of the whole students’ success

n = the amount of students’ success N = the amount of students in the N

35

If the result of Pk is 75% or more than that, it means that the whole students are success.

The second criteria was from the observation sheet. At least 80% of students should have good performance in the teaching and learning process. If both of the criterias above could be achieved, it meant that the research was successful.

5. Training the Collaborator Teacher

If the researcher is not a teacher yet ( a student), Classroom Action Research (CAR) usually done in collaborative between the researcher and the collaborative teacher. But if the researcher is already a teacher, she or he can conduct CAR alone. In this research the researcher is a student, so the research was done with collaborative teacher.

In this research, the teacher who asked the researcher as an English teacher who applied NHT technique in the class. But before the researcher applied the technique, the researcher has showed about the technique and how to apply it to the teacher. And the teacher as a collaborative teacher who accompanied the researcher in the class while observed and filled the observation sheet.

c.

Implementing

The implementing or acting stage in this research was the realization of what have been planned previously such as what material

36

that must be taught, which the technique used, and what are the steps in doing the technique, etc.

Acting in this cycle 1 was begun on January 17th_{, 2017} (8:20-9:30). In this time, the researcher started to teach the class. Before the researcher begun to ask students to discuss, the researcher introduced and explained about the technique that was going to be used in the class, the technique was Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique. Second, the researcher would like to make 9 groups. Then the researcher asked the students to count from number 1 until 9. It was begun from a students that was sat on front chair in the right side. Next, a student with number 1 was asked to sit down nearly with other students that also got number 1. A student with number 2 was asked to sit down nearly with other students that also got number 2 and so on. So, in each groups consisted around 3 until 4 students. After that, the researcher gave number 1 until 4 to each members in each groups.

After the students have sat down with their group mates, the researcher asked the students to observe a monkey picture on page 46. Second, the researcher asked to the students: ‘’ could you describe the special character of this monkey by using English language?’’. Most of the students said that they could not do it. After that, the researcher said that if they want to be able to describe animal, person, place, or thing they should understand well about Descriptive text. Then, the researcher wrote down the definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that is used by Descriptive text. After that, the researcher asked the students to

37

write them in their book notes and explained about them after everybody has finished writing. In the researcher’s explanation, the researcher also asked about the difference of generic structure between Descriptive text and Procedural text. And no one remembered that, whereas their teacher has been explained about Procedural text.

Meanwhile, to invite the students to present their understanding about the material, the researcher tried to ask the students about the definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that is used by Descriptive text and there were some girl students that could answer.

In the second meeting, on 23rd January 2017 (10:40-12 a.m.), before beginning discussion the researcher asked the students to sit down with the their groups bas on the groups that were made from previous meeting. After they were sitting with their group mates. Thee researcher asked the students to observe rabbit picture on page 47. Then, the researcher asked the student ‘’ Could you describe the picture by using English language?’’ There was no one braved to answer the question. Because there was no one can do it, the researcher asked the students to learn more about text organization/ generic structure and language features of Descriptive text on page 48. To invite the students to present their understanding about the material, the researcher gave a text under the title ‘’School Bazaar’’ which was completed with some written questions to each students in groups. Then, the researcher gave time to students to read and think. After they finished reading, the researcher asked the

38

students to ‘’put their heads together’’ to show their answers, to discuss, and to teach each other. Next, the researcher called number 1-4 and students with that number answer simultaneously on white board. The last, the researcher gave feedback toward the answers.

In the third meeting as the end of cycle 1, on 24th January 2017 (10:40-12 a.m.), the researcher reviewed the material that have been explained before. Then the researcher gave cycle 1 test in the end of cycle 1. The test consisted of 10 questions in the form of multiple choices. It was done to know the improvement of students reading ability by using NHT technique.

d. Observing

Observations enable researchers to record important details that become the basis to formulating descriptions from which stake holding groups produce their accounts (Stringer, 2007). Thus, observation takes an important role in gathering data. Because in Action Research , observation as one kind of instruments that is often used by researchers.

The focus of the observation is the students’ performance in teaching learning process. Observing is doing when the researcher implements the technique in the class room. The objectives of observing now the result of the implementation of the technique and to find out the improvement of the weakness.

To observe the students’ performance in the process of teaching and learning when the researcher implemented NHT technique in the class

39

the researcher made an observation sheet to make the observer became more easy in observing. The researcher also made field note format to help observe students and to help the researcher in reflecting the action that has been applied.

The obsecrvation of this cycle 1 was done on January 23th 2017 and the description of the students’ performance could be seen in observation sheet, see appendix 8.

e. Reflecting

Reflection is stage where the researcher analyzes large amounts of data to reduce the quantity of information and to obtain a clearer understanding of what is happening and how it is happening for each stakeholder in relation to the problem or issue being investigated (Stringer, 2007). It is is done after observation. The purpose of this phase is to reflect the result of the observing phase. Through this phase the researcher can find out whether the research problem has been solved or not and whether there is a new problem appears during the acting phase or not. Beside that, the researcher can make a decision whether the Action Research would continue to the next cycle or stop.

34

In designing the lesson plan, the researcher asked some helps from the teacher. The researcher brought the English module from the teacher and the most materials were taken from the module. After the researcher had finished in designing lesson plan, the researcher asked the teacher to look and correct if there were materials that should not be taught . The more the detail description of the lesson plan could be seen in appendices 4 and 9.

4. Preparing Criteria of Success

Preparing criteria of success was done before the researcher conducted the research. The criteria of success was a limitation for the researcher to continue or to stop the research if the criteria has been achieved. This research was sussess if all of the criterias of success have been accived.

The first criteria was a student was called success if he or she could pass the minimum score (KKM) that was 75. While to determine the success of the whole students it can be seen from the formula (Depdiknas cited in Priscanita, Susanto, and Hobri, 2013) below:

Pk = n x 100%

Note:

Pk = the percentage of the whole

students’ success

n = the amount of students’ success N = the amount of students in the N

35

If the result of Pk is 75% or more than that, it means that the whole students are success.

The second criteria was from the observation sheet. At least 80% of students should have good performance in the teaching and learning process. If both of the criterias above could be achieved, it meant that the research was successful.

5. Training the Collaborator Teacher

If the researcher is not a teacher yet ( a student), Classroom Action Research (CAR) usually done in collaborative between the researcher and the collaborative teacher. But if the researcher is already a teacher, she or he can conduct CAR alone. In this research the researcher is a student, so the research was done with collaborative teacher.

In this research, the teacher who asked the researcher as an English teacher who applied NHT technique in the class. But before the researcher applied the technique, the researcher has showed about the technique and how to apply it to the teacher. And the teacher as a collaborative teacher who accompanied the researcher in the class while observed and filled the observation sheet.

c.

Implementing

The implementing or acting stage in this research was the realization of what have been planned previously such as what material

36

that must be taught, which the technique used, and what are the steps in doing the technique, etc.

Acting in this cycle 1 was begun on January 17th_{, 2017} (8:20-9:30). In this time, the researcher started to teach the class. Before the researcher begun to ask students to discuss, the researcher introduced and explained about the technique that was going to be used in the class, the technique was Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique. Second, the researcher would like to make 9 groups. Then the researcher asked the students to count from number 1 until 9. It was begun from a students that was sat on front chair in the right side. Next, a student with number 1 was asked to sit down nearly with other students that also got number 1. A student with number 2 was asked to sit down nearly with other students that also got number 2 and so on. So, in each groups consisted around 3 until 4 students. After that, the researcher gave number 1 until 4 to each members in each groups.

After the students have sat down with their group mates, the researcher asked the students to observe a monkey picture on page 46. Second, the researcher asked to the students: ‘’ could you describe the special character of this monkey by using English language?’’. Most of the students said that they could not do it. After that, the researcher said that if they want to be able to describe animal, person, place, or thing they should understand well about Descriptive text. Then, the researcher wrote down the definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that is used by Descriptive text. After that, the researcher asked the students to

37

write them in their book notes and explained about them after everybody has finished writing. In the researcher’s explanation, the researcher also asked about the difference of generic structure between Descriptive text and Procedural text. And no one remembered that, whereas their teacher has been explained about Procedural text.

Meanwhile, to invite the students to present their understanding about the material, the researcher tried to ask the students about the definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that is used by Descriptive text and there were some girl students that could answer.

In the second meeting, on 23rd January 2017 (10:40-12 a.m.), before beginning discussion the researcher asked the students to sit down with the their groups bas on the groups that were made from previous meeting. After they were sitting with their group mates. Thee researcher asked the students to observe rabbit picture on page 47. Then, the researcher asked the student ‘’ Could you describe the picture by using

English language?’’ There was no one braved to answer the question. Because there was no one can do it, the researcher asked the students to learn more about text organization/ generic structure and language features of Descriptive text on page 48. To invite the students to present their understanding about the material, the researcher gave a text under the

title ‘’School Bazaar’’ which was completed with some written questions

to each students in groups. Then, the researcher gave time to students to read and think. After they finished reading, the researcher asked the

38

students to ‘’put their heads together’’ to show their answers, to discuss, and to teach each other. Next, the researcher called number 1-4 and students with that number answer simultaneously on white board. The last, the researcher gave feedback toward the answers.

In the third meeting as the end of cycle 1, on 24th January 2017 (10:40-12 a.m.), the researcher reviewed the material that have been explained before. Then the researcher gave cycle 1 test in the end of cycle 1. The test consisted of 10 questions in the form of multiple choices. It was done to know the improvement of students reading ability by using NHT technique.

d. Observing

Observations enable researchers to record important details that become the basis to formulating descriptions from which stake holding groups produce their accounts (Stringer, 2007). Thus, observation takes an important role in gathering data. Because in Action Research , observation as one kind of instruments that is often used by researchers.

The focus of the observation is the students’ performance in teaching learning process. Observing is doing when the researcher implements the technique in the class room. The objectives of observing now the result of the implementation of the technique and to find out the improvement of the weakness.

To observe the students’ performance in the process of teaching

39

the researcher made an observation sheet to make the observer became more easy in observing. The researcher also made field note format to help observe students and to help the researcher in reflecting the action that has been applied.

The obsecrvation of this cycle 1 was done on January 23th 2017 and the description of the students’ performance could be seen in observation sheet, see appendix 8.

e. Reflecting

Reflection is stage where the researcher analyzes large amounts of data to reduce the quantity of information and to obtain a clearer understanding of what is happening and how it is happening for each stakeholder in relation to the problem or issue being investigated (Stringer, 2007). It is is done after observation. The purpose of this phase is to reflect the result of the observing phase. Through this phase the researcher can find out whether the research problem has been solved or not and whether there is a new problem appears during the acting phase or not. Beside that, the researcher can make a decision whether the Action Research would continue to the next cycle or stop.