IMPROVING THE LEARNERS’ WRITING SKILL THROUGH DICTOGLOSS Improving The Learners’ Writing Skill Through Dictogloss (A Classroom Action Research at Grade IX I of SMP Negeri 3 Ungaran in the Academic Year 2011-2012).

IMPROVING THE LEARNERS’ WRITING SKILL
THROUGH DICTOGLOSS

(A Classroom Action Research at Grade IX I of SMP Negeri 3
Ungaran in the Academic Year 2011-2012)

THESIS
Submitted to Fulfill One of the Requirements for
the Completion of Graduate Degree in Language Education

By
SUGIARTI
S200090044

MAGISTER OF LANGUAGE STUDY
MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA
2012

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ABSTRACT

Sugiarti. 2012. Improving the Learners’ Writing Skill Through
Dictogloss (A Classroom Action Research at Grade IX I of SMP Negeri
3 Ungaran in the Academic Year 2011-2012).
Thesis. Surakarta. English Department of Post Graduate Program, Surakarta
Muhammadiyah University. 2012.
During the last two semesters, the learners’ writing scores were
below the passing grade. The scores of their writing pretest are low as well
which indicates their low writing skill. That’s why the condition needs
improvement. Therefore, this study is aimed at: 1. Improving the learners’
writing skill through dictogloss at grade IX I of SMP Negeri 3 Ungaran, and
2. Explaining the effectiveness of the learners’ learning when dictogloss is

implemented in the teaching of writing. The effectiveness can be observed
through the learners’ characteristics as effective learners in the writing
classroom.
The research setting is at SMP Negeri 3 Ungaran. The data sources
are the learners’ writing scores in pretest and post-tests, informants, as well
as the learners’ in the writing classroom. The qualitative data which are
collected through observation, interview and questionnaires are analyzed
with constant comparative method. The quantitative data obtained through
pretest and pos-tests are analyzed with statistic descriptive. The data are
validated through triangulation method. There are four indicators as a
reference of the success of dictogloss implementation to improve the
learners’ writing skill: (1) The improvement of the learners’ writing scores;
(2) The increase of the standard category; (3) The mean of each writing
component achieve or exceed the passing grade; and (4) The learners are
more active, participative and creative than before.
Finally, this study shows that dictogloss can improve the learners’
writing skill as indicated by the improvement of their writing scores as well
as their motivation in writing as indicated by the better changes of their
behavior in the writing classroom. The learners’ scores increase from the
level of fair (the mean = 54.14) in pretest to the level of very good (the

mean = 80.57) in the post-test of cycle 3. The learners’ learning is also
effective when dictogloss is implemented in the teaching of writing.

Key Words : Writing Skill, Dictogloss

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MOTTO

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DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to these beloved people.
1. My mother with her endless love and prayer for me.
2. My husband Mohamad Nasir, SH with his wonderful love, prayer and
support.
3. My sons Kevin Maulana Rosyidi, Raja Karomain Dzikrullah and my
future baby.
4. My colleagues at SMP Negeri 3 Ungaran who have given their support
and contribution for me, especially Siti Solichah Ari Susanti, S.Kom and
Sri Sudarmiasih, S.Pd.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Bismillahirohmanirrohim
All praise is just for the Almighty God, Allah SWT for the entire
blessing, grace, guidance and the divine of this wonderful world so the
researcher can finish this thesis. The writer would like to express her
gratitude to all of people who have given valuable contribution to this
challenging assignment. Firstly, the writer would like to thank to the
director of Post Graduate Program and the Head of Post Graduate Program
of English Department. Secondly, she would like to express her deepest
gratitude and appreciation to Prof. Dr. Joko Nurkamto, M.Pd as the first
advisor, and Drs. Maryadi, M.A as the second advisor, who have spared
their time to encourage the writer to begin and to carry out this research. By
their source of knowledge, support and guidance, the writer can finish this
research.
The appreciation is also for the headmaster of SMP Negeri 3
Ungaran who gives permission and support the writer to do the research.
The appreciation also goes to Sri Sudarmiasih, S.Pd as the collaborator for

her participation to get the data and support the writer to carry out the
research. The special thanks go to her family: husband, sons and her mother.
Thanks for your lifetime love, care, support, and prayer.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE .................................................................................................... i
APPROVAL ....................................................................................... .ii
NOTE OF THE FIRST ADVISOR ..................................................... iii
NOTE OF THE SECOND ADVISOR ............................................... iv
PRONOUNCEMENT ..........................................................................v
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................ vi
MOTTO ............................................................................................. vii
DEDICATION ................................................................................. viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................. ix-x
TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................ xi-xiv

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................xv
LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................. xvi
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................... xvii-xviii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study ............................................................. 1-8
B. Problem of the Study .................................................................... 8-9
C. Objectives of the Study ....................................................................9
D. Benefits of the Study .................................................................. 9-10

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CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Theoretical Review
1. Writing
a. Notion of Writing ........................................................ 11-12
b. Types of Classroom Writing Performance .................. 13-16
c. Principles of Teaching Writing .................................... 16-19
d. Approaches in Teaching Writing in EFL ..................... 19-27
e. Components of Evaluating Learners’ Writing ............. 27-30
2. Dictogloss in the Teaching of EFL Writing

a. Notion of Dictogloss .................................................... 30-31
b. Dictogloss Variations ................................................... 32-38
c. Dictogloss and Current Trends in Foreign Language
Education ...................................................................... 38-43
d. Dictogloss and Cooperative Learning ......................... 43-50
e. Stages of Dictogloss Procedure for Teaching Writing 50-57
f. Advantages of Dictogloss for Teaching Writing ........ 57-60
3. Effective Learning
a. Definition of Effective Learning ................................. 60-61
b. Outcomes of Effective Learning ........................................61
c. Learner Characteristics for Effective Learning ........... 61-62
d. Teaching Learning Processes for Effective Learning ... 62-65
e. Teaching Characteristics for Effective Learning ......... 65-71

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B. Previous Study ......................................................................... 71-73
C. Rationale .................................................................................. 73-75
D. Action Hypothesis .........................................................................76
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHOD

A. Research Setting ............................................................................77
B. Subjects of the Research .......................................................... 78-79
C. Type of Research ..................................................................... 79-80
D. Procedure of Action Research ................................................. 80-84
E. Technique of Collecting Data ................................................... 84-85
F. Technique of Data Analysis .................................................... 85-88
G. Validity of Data .............................................................................88
CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Introduction ............................................................................. 89-91
B. The Description of Research Implementation
1. Cycle 1
a. General Planning ...............................................................91
b. Acting ......................................................................... 92-104
c. Observing ................................................................. 104-110
d. Reflection ................................................................. 110-116
2. Cycle 2
a. General Planning .............................................................116
b. Acting ....................................................................... 117-128

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c. Observing ................................................................. 128-133
d. Reflecting ................................................................. 134-138
3. Cycle 3
a. General Planning .............................................................139
b. Acting ...................................................................... 140-150
c. Observing .................................................................. 150-156
d. Reflecting ................................................................. 167-179
C. Discussion of Research Findings
1. The Improvement of the Learners’ Writing Skill ........... 160-167
2. The Effectiveness of the Learners’ Learning .................. 167-179
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion ...................................................................................180
B. Implication and Suggestion ................................................. 181-183
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................... 184-186
VIRTUAL REFRENCES ..................................................................187
APPENDICES ........................................................................... 188-232
TABLES ................................................................................... 233-243

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 : A Framework for Planning and Reviewing the Teaching
Learning Cycle for Effective Learning ..............................64-65
Figure 2.2 : The Cycle of the Learners’ Writing Skill Improvement
Through Dictogloss Implementation ...................................... 75
Figure 3.1 : Research Schedule …………………………………………..78
Figure 3.2 : Cyclical AR Model Based on Kemmis and MC Taggart
(1988) ..................................................................................... 81

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LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1 : Lesson Plan of the First Cycle ........................................ 188-196
Appendix 2 : Lesson Plan of the Second Cycle ..................................... 197-204
Appendix 3 : Lesson Plan of the Third Cycle ....................................... 205-212
Appendix 4 : Learners’ Worksheet ....................................................... 213-214
Appendix 5 : Analytic Scoring for Writing Assessment ...................... 215-219
Appendix 6 : The Examples of the Learners’ Reconstructed Texts ...... 220-223
Appendix 7 : Learners’ Preliminary Questionnaire .............................. 224-225
Appendix 8 : Learners’ Post Questionnaire .......................................... 226-228
Appendix 9 : The Pictures of the Teaching Learning Process during the
Dictogloss Implementation in the Writing Classroom .... 229-232

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 : The Learners’ Writing Scores in Pretest .................................... 233
Table 4.2 : The Learners’ Writing Scores in Cycle 1 ................................... 234
Table 4.3 : The Learners’ Writing Scores in Cycle 2 ................................... 235
Table 4.4 : The Learners’ Writing Scores in Cycle 3 ................................... 236
Table 4.5 : The Learners’ Writing Scores and the Standard Category in
Each Cycle ................................................................................. 237
Table 4.6 : The Mean of Each Writing Component in Each Cycle .............. 238
Table 4.7 : The Scores Increase of the Writing Components in Each Cycle
..................................................................................................... 238
Table 4.8 : The Number of the Learners in Each Standard Category in
Each Cycle ................................................................................ 239
Table 4.9 : The Observation Result of the Learners’ Behavior in Each
Cycle .......................................................................................... 240
Table 4.10 : The Result of the Preliminary Questionnaire of the Learners’
Writing Difficulties ................................................................... 241
Table 4.11 : The Result of the Preliminary Questionnaire of the Sources of
the Learners’ Writing ................................................................ 241

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Table 4.12 : The Result of the Post Questionnaire of the Learners’
Writing Difficulties ................................................................... 242
Table 4.13 : The Result of the Post Questionnaire of the Sources of
the Learners’ Writing ................................................................. 243

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