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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Since the year of 2004, Indonesian curriculum in teaching English has
undergone a great change. The use of student-centered, collaborative and
cooperative learning, is preferred than teacher-centered. The competence based
curriculum should be implemented in the teaching learning process with the use of
textual approach and discourse text is preferred than isolated sentences which do
not give a clear explanation of the use of language in communication. The change
of curriculum does not only mean the change of materials of teaching but also the
change of the teaching and learning system.
In the teaching and learning process, the role of English teachers in front
of the class is still significant because their position could never be replaced by
any other sophisticated machines. Teaching English is humane not mechanic
(Savignon, 1983). The success of the teaching and learning depends very much on
how the teachers could manage their class, create the enjoyable atmosphere for
their students to study in class and implement the methodical system of
instructional in class.
Teachers of English should develop their competencies in accordance with
the development of students’ need such as teaching students how to think, solve,
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not to maintain their old style of teaching. They should develop their technique
and strategies in teaching.
There should be an educational reform to meet the students’ need to face
their problems. When the educational development happens, the change or shift
towards teaching must continue. Sirotnik (1989:109) states,”… In attempting
,therefore, to sustain whatever is left that is positive in this decade of educational
reform, it must not be forgotten where the ultimate power to change is and always
has been the heads, hands, and hearts to the educators who work in our schools.
True reform must go where the action is.” From this statement then raise the
questions as how to improve the profession of teaching English, what makes the
teachers of English successful at improving instructional practice, and what kinds
of thinking and decision making underlie the teachers practice of teaching
English.
In addition, it was taken for granted that every English teacher graduated
from universities or colleges is a professional one. As it is stated by Thorn and
Way (1996).” Anybody who learns some English can teach the language,
regardless of whether or not they know anything about teaching and learning.”
Almost twenty six years ago Johnson and Johnson (1984:2) state,” we are
in the period of educational crisis, with a wide discrepancy between the
instructional methods used in schools and those verified by research as most
effective”. This statement means that there is always a gap between the theory that
should be pressed to teachers to implement in class and practices. So, as an
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respond to this problem such as conducting action research and reflective teaching
practice. “There was major benefit for both teaching and research skills in
research activity. For teachers there was faster professional development, through
basis teaching changes and decision not only on reflection but also on reliable data
collection and analysis.”( Heather Denny, 2005: 8).
Johnson(1993:2) states,” The future directions of staff development
program, teacher preparation curricula, as well as school improvement initiatives,
will be impacted by the thing teachers learn through the critical inquiry and
rigorous examination of their own practice and their school programs that action
research required.” To convince English teachers in Blora to do the action
research and to examine their own practice will provide factual steps of making
their own teaching reform. Guskey (2000: 26) also focuses on teachers as the key
to successful reform as he stated that,” the overwhelming majority of educators
are thoughtful, inquiring individuals who are inclined to solve problems and
search for answers to pressing questions. The inquiry or action research model of
professional development provided with opportunities to do just that.”
Another essential aspect of action research done by English teachers is that
stated by Oja and Pine (1989),” Teachers who engage in the process of action
research become more critical and reflective about their own practice. Teachers’
capability of being more critical is grounded in their research. Therefore, teachers
can substantive their practice in practitioner-based research.
English teachers in Blora follow the steps of action research as stated by
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and (e) re-planning. English teachers in Blora use action research and reflection to
inform their practice on the next teaching. Most of them believe that the new
practice of teaching comes from their introspection of experience or former
unsuccessful one. In order to be reflective teachers they should do their action
research then change their practice if necessary.
B. Statement of Problems
There are two statements of problem guiding this research:
1. How do English teachers in Blora describe their perception of the
teachers’ participation in classroom action research?
2. What is the English teachers’ perception about their teaching after
conducting classroom action research?
C. Purpose of the Study
Action research should be a tool for English teachers in Blora to develop them
by reflecting what they do in action research in future teaching practice. They
should do it in order to be more professional. However, not all English teachers in
Blora are willing to do the action research. Hopefully, the researcher expects that
the success of some English teachers in their teaching and learning process,
because of their experience from doing action research, could motivate the others
to do the same thing.
The purpose of this study is: (a) to describe the perception of English teachers
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describe the English teachers’ perception about their teaching after conducting
classroom action research.
Mc Niff (1997) and Summon (1995) both note the significance of action
research’s impact on the teacher empowerment. Mc Niff states that applied to the
teaching and learning environment, teacher researches an approach to improving
education through change by empowering teachers to be aware of their own
practice, to be critical of that practice and to be equipped to change it. Then Mc.
Niff also states that action research is a powerful method of bridging gap between
theory and practice education; for here teachers are encouraged to develop their
personal theories of education from their own class practice.
D. Significance of the Study
This study will be very useful not only for the teacher researchers but also for
the teachers who are on the same profession. For the teacher-researchers this
could be the priceless experiences as they progress through the training and
implementation cycles of the action research in their English classroom and also
effects on instructional practices and student’s learning experiences. Whereas for
the other teachers, it will make them understand the advantages in doing action
research in class and motivates them to do the same thing. Schlechty (1990:38)
states,” to improve (schooling), one must invest in people, support people, and
develop people.”
English teachers in Blora should collaborate to promote their teaching
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explanations to their own questions about the best way to improve teaching and
learning practices. However, it would be meaningful for them if they would began
their own reasearch in their own classrooms. The reason is that first, they would
gain their priceless experiences in doing their classroom action research, and the
second reason is that they would get their own experiences in implementing their
new strategies in their instruction.
Johnson (1993) and Freeman (1998) agree that teachers should be researchers
in their own classrooms. This study will help teachers to understand how action
research influences the process of teaching and learning. It is critical that
educators base their decisions about teaching and learning practices in
data-driven, classroom – based research findings. The students’ achievement on the
previous teaching will inform the teachers what they should do on their next
instructions. That they have to change their strategies on not in teaching have to
be decided here. Then, if the fact that they have to change their strategies, they
would make another reflection and make another plan in teaching for the
reinforcement.
In conclusion, English teachers in Blora should concern with the result of the
action research they gained so that they can reflect what they had done and made
changes in their teaching practices, if any, based on their research in order to
