CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A.

Background of the Study The globalization of English has prompted continuing debate about the role of English as a language for international communication and how people from other linguistic communities might participate in the world of English. This debate also highlights the increasing interest in learning English both for individual and whole nations. Thus, the teaching and learning of English have become an important issue in Indonesia ( Lengkanawati, 2004 ). The role of English can be found in every field. For example in education field and then in other fields, are like: technology, economy, health etc. English education in Indonesia has been taught from Kindergarten up to University level. The aim of English lesson is to develop the ability in English communication either in oral or written. There are four skills in the studying of English. They are listening, speaking, reading and writing. It is stated in the 2004 curriculum of the junior high school and senior high school, is that the student are able to communicate both in oral and written. They can understand kinds of text: description, narrative, procedure, and recount. The English Foreign Language students are also expected to have not only receptive skills (listening and reading) but also productive skills (speaking and writing).

In curriculum of KTSP 2007, our English teaching learning is focused on two cycles through four steps. The cycles are: written and spoken cycles. 1 To achieve those competences, student must be given or taught all the language skills and language components, such as: listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, grammar, diction, pronunciation, etc. Those language skills and language components must be given in an equal portion so that EFL student will have adequate or even complete abilities in English. Talking about writing, there are many problems faced by students and teacher. It was caused by some cases. And talking about the cases, there were two main causes from both teacher and students in the VIII of SMP AL-HUDA KEDIRI. The causes from the teacher namely she still used traditional technique in which she only demanded the students writing product, she only gave fewer portion for writing though writing is a complex skill, she made students write a text that must fulfill the written language rules. On the other hand, she did not give sufficient attention to teach them how to write a text in English correctly. The students were seldom taught to make a better writing by using various techniques. The techniques were used monotonous. She did not consider that writing is a complex skill in which it needs time for revising the content, grammar, and mechanics. The causes from the students namely the students writing mastery was still low. The students ability how to organize sentences was low. Consequently, their writing was incoherent. They sometimes lost their ideas and stuck. They got
1

Team, PedomanKhususPengembanganSilabusdanPenilaianBahasaInggris ( Jakarta: Depdiknas, 2008), 12.

difficulty how to start to write so they could not continue their writing. They have limiting vocabulary. It could be seen that the students did not organize their writing well. Their ideas were constructed incoherently. They often lost their ideas. As a result, they could not continue their writing. Their grammar was also low. That was why they could not also use tense in the right context. They were lack of vocabulary and their understanding of mechanic was low. They seldom read their writing after they finished writing. Consequently, the result of their writing was under average and still far from what was expected. So, it can be concluded that writing is an uninteresting subject. Writing beside conveys the content to the readers but also representation of self to them. Ivanic (1998: 181) stated that Writing is not just about conveying content but also about the representation of self. Who we are affects how we write, whatever we are writing.2 The common complaint about writing is that the class activity is boring. Very few teachers are interested in teaching writing because it is time consuming in terms of teaching preparation and evaluation. The teacher still used traditional technique in which they only demanded the students writing product. They only gave fewer portions for writing though writing is a complex skill. They did not consider that writing is a complex skill in which it needs time for revising the content, grammar, and mechanics. The students were seldom taught to make a better writing by using various techniques. The techniques were used

GaluhNurRohmah, Facing the Complexities of Writing ( Malang: UIN-Malang Press, 2008), 1.

monotonous. Those facts indicate that writing is indeed, not a favorite subject. This condition also makes the students motivation to learn English low. Due to the fact, it is necessarily needed to make an attempt to improve students writing ability by applying other teaching techniques. English teacher should also be able to improve students interest and motivation to study English better by creating an interesting atmosphere that makes them enjoy the teaching-learning process and gives a bit fun. One of the teaching techniques which cover such kinds of those activities is Cluster Word. The researcher is sure that this technique can improve students writing ability of the eight year students of SMP Al-Huda Kediri It has many advantages when it is implemented in writing text: a recount text. The advantages of cluster word are as follows: it enables the student to generate the words needed in in writing a recount text. It was a way for the students to express their ideas on (they put their ideas in the cluster). The researcher chose this technique and this text type because they were easy to be carried out in teaching writing text and the student have been familiar with them so it was easy for the researcher to carry out the teaching-learning process. Cluster Word is a useful and meaningful technique for the students to give not only a brainstorming to generate the dictions needed but also one of the ways how to classify and embody the words needed in writing a recount text. Thus, it enables the students to explore their dictions. This method has been used in SMK AL-HUDA KEDIRI by pak Waluyo and the result of the method was good. He used this method in the tenth year students of SMK AL-HUDA. He used it to teach writing in a procedure text.

B. Statement of the Problem Based on the background of the study, there are some problems that are caused by both students and teacher. To overcome those problems the researcher will apply clustering because theoretically clustering enables students to generate words, ideas, and thoughts which are going to write by the students. Based on the statements above, the problem of the study that will be analyzed is: How can cluster words improve the students ability in writing a recount text at SMP Al-Huda Kediri? C. Objective of the Study 1. To find out whether cluster word can improve writing ability of the eight year students of SMP Al-Huda Kediri. 2. To find out what happens when cluster word is implemented in the writing class of the eight year of SMP Al-Huda Kediri. D. Significance of the Study Hopefully, the result of the study can give some benefits. The significance of the study: 1. For the writer himself This study gives the writer understanding toward the

implementation of clustering in teaching writing directly. Until now, the writer only knows clustering technique theoretically. By implementing clustering to improve students writing ability, it will provide useful practical experience for the writer herself.

2. For students The result of the study will help them to write better. By implementing clustering the students are able to write according the stages suggested. As a result, their writing will be much better. It means that this technique will improve students writing ability. It is also expected that the result of study will make the students interested in learning writing and more motivated in following the lesson. 3. For other English teachers This study enables to provide contribution and information for the teachers to apply another technique dealing with the teaching-learning process especially in the teaching writing and to conduct further studies related to the problem studied. By considering the result of the study they will not use monotonous method and change their orientation in teaching writing from product based to process based. 4. For other researchers The result of the study will be useful information to conduct further studies. E. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study concentrates on the discussion of the effective method in teaching writing at the second year students of SMP Al-Huda Kediri. The observation is limited in improving writing ability by using cluster word in the recount text.

F. Definition of Key Term To avoid confusion, the researcher will give the definition of some key terms, as follow: 1. Writing Recount Text is a text that is written to retell for information or entertainment.3 2. Clustering is one of varieties of pre-writing techniques that is used to encourage the students to experiment with.4 Cluster word is used to make students explore their ideas in the writing easily.

Joy Wingersky and Team, Writing Paragraph and Essay (California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1992), 1. 4 http://vocabteacher.com. Reid (1993: 5)

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of review of related literature. It discusses about the nature of writing, teaching writing, writing assessment, and recount text. A. Nature of Writing B. Teaching Writing

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter is arranged to tell a description of the research methodology. It contains of the research design, research subject, and research procedure. The research procedure consists of the steps of the real action research namely: planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. A. Research Design A classroom action research is the method which is going to be used in this research, in collaboration with the English teacher of SMP Al-Huda Kediri to improve students ability in writing a recount text. There are some definitions of action research proposed by some experts. Cohen and Manion (1985) they argue that action research is first and foremost situational, being concerned with the identification and solution of problem in a specific context.5 Kemmis (in Burns, 1983: 30) writes: Action research is a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social (including education) situation in order to improve the rationality and justice (a) their social and educational practice, (b) their understanding of these practices, and (c) the situation in which the practices are carried out. It is not most rationally empowering when undertaken by participants collaboratively, though it is often undertaken by individuals, and sometimes in cooperation with outsiders.

David Nunan, Research Method in Language Learning (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 18.

Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) argue that: The three defining characteristics of action research are that is carried out by practitioners (for out purposes, classroom teachers) rather than outside researcher; secondly, that it is collaborative; and thirdly, that is aimed at changing things. They also argue that action research is a group activity.6 From the definition above, I can be concluded that an action research in this study means the systematic study of attempts to improve the teaching and learning process in order that the English Foreign Language learners achievement is satisfactory. As a matter of fact, the students ability in writing a recount text is not satisfactory and needs improving. B. Subject of the Research This research will be done in SMP Al-Huda Kediri. The school is located at 196 Masjid Al-Huda Street, Kediri, together with other schools under the same institution (YPI Al-Huda Kediri) such as: Kindergarten School, Elementary School, Vocational High School, Islamic High School, and Islamic Boarding School. SMP Al-Huda Kediri, geographically, is located in a very strategic place. It is in the heart of Kediri town. It is not difficult to get the school by any means of transportation. This school has equipped with complete facilities which facilitate the teaching-learning process, such as language laboratory, physics and biology laboratory, library, multimedia room, OHP, LCD, computer laboratory,

Ibid

and internet room. It has 12 classes which consist of 4 seven grade classes, 4 eight grade classes, and 4 nine grade classes. The classroom action research done on one of the eight grade classes, as the subject of the study was class VIII A. The reason why the researcher chose class VIII A as the subject of the study is they still have problems in writing. The problems that students have are in: (1) generating ideas (2) arranging sentences (3) organizing sentences (4) having lack of diction and (5) making coherence. The researcher was not only as a teacher but also as an observer. In conducting this study, the researcher was assisted by one collaborator. C. Procedure of the Research This research was started by asking to the English teacher in SMP AlHuda. This was done in November 2011. During the interview, the researcher got the information that the students faced serious problems in writing. They cannot fulfill the prerequisite of a written form. There are some indications which show their poor ability in writing. For example: the students do not organize their writing well, their ideas are not coherence, they do not use tense in the right context, they lack of diction and their understanding of mechanic is low. Based on the information the researcher will use cluster word technique to overcome the problem. The procedure to handle the problem as follow:

Preliminary Study Observing the teaching of writing process in SMP Al-Huda Kediri to identify and analyze the problem in the school.

Planning Fail

Implementing

Reflecting Succeed
3.1 Research Procedure

Observing

Conclusion

D. Preliminary Study The purpose of preliminary is to get the real condition about the students problem in the teaching and learning process. To get the real condition, the researcher conducts a preliminary observation during the teaching learning process and give the students a pretest of writing in which the students are asked to write a recount text using free topic and it is done a week before the implementation of the technique. The result of the pretest will be analyzed that is about the organization, content, grammar, and mechanic. From the result the researcher will know as far as the students ability in writing.

E. Planning an Action Based on the problems mentioned in the previous chapter, the researcher uses cluster word technique to overcome students and teachers problem. To do this, the researcher would like to implement a set of activities, as follows: 1. Designing the Lesson Plan Designing the lesson plan is done to manage the teaching learning process run well. It consists of standard competencies, basic competence, indicators, instructional materials, teaching-learning activities, sources, media used, and assessment. The researcher designs the model of teaching using cluster word to discuss with the collaborator before she comes in the class to implement the action. 2. Deciding the Material and Teaching Aid Deciding an interesting material and teaching aid is very important to motivate the students in teaching-learning process. The researcher and the collaborator decide recount text as topic for students to write and a model of cluster word, whiteboard, board marker as teaching aid. 3. Preparing the Instrument Instruments used in this study are observation checklist, field notes, interview, writing test, and scoring guide. The observation checklist is used to collect the data about the students activities in writing class. Field notes are used as a mean to note all facts, dealing with the implementation of the actions which cannot be put in the observation checklist. Interview is utilized to investigate the problem that

faced by the students in writing class. Writing test is used to know how far the students prior knowledge, competence and achievement in writing. Scoring guide used to assess students writing. 4. Criteria of Success The criterion of success is utilized to assess the success of the implementation of the action. The criteria of success in writing are as follows:

Table 3.1 Criteria of Success No 1. Criteria of Success 75% students active. Instrument Observation students Field notes 2. 75% students get score Writing test Scoring guide checklist for

minimum 75.

F. Implementation Sukardi states that A good implementation deals with three aspects: 1) the improvement of practice, 2) the improvement of understanding individually and collaboratively, 3) the improvement of the situation which the action takes

place.7The researcher implemented the technique in the class in two cycles and she was helped by collaborator to observe it. The schedules of each cycle in the research are as follows: Table 3.2 Schedule of Cycle
Meeting Day Date 0215 20 22 27 29 03 05 10 12 17 Month FebruaryMarch March March March March April April April April April Time

Cycle

Activity Preliminary study ( Observation and Interview) Pre-Test Introduction Prewriting Drafting Revising, Editing and Publishing Introduction Prewriting Drafting Revising, Editing, and Publishing

Tuesday I Thursday Tuesday Thursday Tuesday Thursday Tuesday Thursday Tuesday

90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes 90 minutes

II

G. Observation Observation is checked and verified, whenever possible, by repetition, or by comparison with those of other competent observer.8 The activity is observing the students during the action and making notes in observation sheets such as: the student-student interaction, the student-teacher interaction and anything they do during the teaching-learning process. The collaborator will also observe the students activities during the teaching-learning process. The collaborator is the
7

Sukardi, Prof. Ph. D. Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan Kompetensi dan Praktiknya. (Jakata: Bumi Aksara, 2004), 213. 8 John W. Best, Research in Education (New jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1981), 164.

other English teacher who will be asked to give her/him ideas, opinion, thought, and experiences actively in all steps of the classroom action research.

H. Reflection In this stage, the researcher evaluated the teaching-learning process and the result of the implementation using cluster word in teaching writing. The teachers evaluation will be discussed with her collaborator. Then, the result of the discussion will be used to decide what the researcher should do in the next cycle based on the criteria of success. The action will be stopped if the criteria of success have been fulfilled but if not, the teaching-learning activities must be continued to the following cycle.

I. Data Analysis Technique For the researcher the first step in analyzing data collected is to refer to the proposal to check the original plans for presenting data and performing the statistical analysis.9 The data analysis was used to check data collected for analyzing the criteria of success. In this case, the data analysis consisted of describing cluster word technique and explaining how it can improve students ability in writing recount text. The numerical data was taken from the students scores in writing and the verbal data was got from the observation checklist and field notes. From the result of the collected data were analyzed, the researcher matched it with criteria of

Donald Ary, Introduction to Research in Education, 339.

success. If the result is good, the researcher will stop it in the cycle. It means that the method is successful and can be used to overcome the students problem to write a recount text. But, if the result is bad, the researcher has to continue to the next cycle. In this research, the researcher used T-test formula to know the significance of improvement in writing caused by clustering strategy. The formula to analyze data from the test is as follows:

P= Total students who get score 75 minimally X 100% Total students in the class

The aspect of assessment in writing that used by the researcher covered development content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanic. It was shown in the scoring rubric. The scoring rubric for the test was adapted from Hartfiel and it was presented below. Table 3.3 Scoring Rubric
ESL COMPOSITION PROFILE Score CONTENT Level 30-27 26-22 Criteria EXCELLEN T TO VERY GOOD: knowledgeable. Substantive. Thorough developmentof thesis. Relevant to assigned topic. GOOD TO AVERAGE: some knowledge of subject. Adequate range. Limited development of thesis. Mostly relevant to topic, but lacks detail. FAIR TO GOOD: limited knowledge of subject. Little substance. Inadequate development o topic. VERY POOR: does not show knowledge of subject. Nonsubstantive. Not pertinent. Or not enough to evaluate EXCELLENT TO VERY GOOD: fluent expression. Ideas clearly stated/supported. Succinct. Well-organized. Logical sequencing. Cohesive. GOOD TO AVERAGE: somewhat choppy. Loosely organized

21-17 16-13 ORGANIZATION 20-18

17-14

13-10 9-7 VOCABULARY 20-18

17-14 13-10 9-7

LANGUAGE USE

25-22

21-18

17-11

10-5

MECHANICS

but main ideas stand out. Limited support. Logical but incomplete sequencing. FAIR TO POOR: non-fluent. Ideas confused or disconnected. Lacks logical sequencing and development. VERY POOR: does not communicate. No organization. Or not enough to evaluate. EXCELLENT TO VERY GOOD: sophisticated range. Effective word/idiom, choice, and usage. Word from mastery. Appropriate register GOOD TO AVERAGE: adequate range. Occasional errors of word/idiom form, choice, and usage, but meaning not obscured. FAIR TO POOR: limited range. Frequent errors of word/idiom form, choice, usage. Meaning confused or obscured. VERY POOR: essentially translation. Little knowledge of English vocabulary, idioms, word form. Or not enough to evaluate. EXCELLENT TO VERY GOOD: effective complex construction. Few errors agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, prepositions. GOOD TO AVERAGE: effective but simple construction. Minor problem in complex construction. Several errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, prepositions, but meaning seldom obscured. FAIR TO POOR: major problems, in simple/complex constructions. Frequent errors of negation, agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, prepositions and/or fragment, run-ons, deletions. Meaning confused or obscured. VERY POOR: virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules. Dominated by errors. Does not communicate. Or not enough to evaluate. EXCELLENT TO VERY GOOD: demonstrates mastery of conventions. Few errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing GOOD TO AVERAGE: occasional errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing but meaning not obscured FAIR TO POOR: frequent errors o spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing. Poor handwriting. Meaning confused or obscured VERY POOR: no mastery of convention. Dominated by errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing. Handwriting illegible. Or not enough to evaluate

Furthermore, to obtain more valid score, the students work were scored using inter-rater. It means that the students works are scored by both the research and the collaborator. So there are two sets of score results from the researcher and the collaborator which are used to state the significance of cluster word in writing

a recount text wheter the students improvement occurs or not. Before doing the assessment, the researcher did training to rater for achieving the reliability of score given based on the criteria given. The criteria of reliability of acceptable difference decided by researcher can be shown in the table below Table 3.4 the Rating Scale of Acceptable Difference
No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Aspect Content Organization Vocabulary Language Use mechanics Degree of Acceptable Difference The maximal range that will be received if the range is 5 The maximal range that will be received if the range is 4 The maximal range that will be received if the range is 3 The maximal range that will be received if the range is 3 The maximal range that will be received if the range is 2

CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS

In this chapter, the researcher would like to present research finding to answer for the initial problem which has been mentioned in the first chapter. The aims of the research are to prove whether the implementation of word cluster can improve students writing ability and to describe what happens when cluster word is implemented in the writing class of the eighth year students of SMP Al Huda Kediri. A. Finding from Cycle 1 This phase established to solve the problem of class researched in preliminary study. This cycle consisted of four elements; planning an action based on the preliminary study, implementing of the action, observing the implementation including the findings on the students writing achievement progress and the students involvement in the writing activities during the teaching and learning process in cycle 1, and doing reflection of the result. 1. Planning Cycle 1 In this part, the researcher designed word cluster strategy, lesson plan and prepared media (a model of cluster word and a model of recount text) and research instruments (field notes and observation checklist). It was done to guide the implementation of action in the class.

2. Implementing of the Action The implementation of the action was done in four meetings from 22 of March to 03 of April. The activities in the implementation of the action included giving general concept of recount text clearly, training cluster word, and applying cluster word strategy in writing process; prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Based on statement above, the researcher asked to the students to create cluster word individually stimulated by leading question and picture in prewriting. After