CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL REVIEW
A. Learning
1. Definition of Learning
Many experts explain learning and factors influencing it. For examples, family factor, psychological, method of teaching, and the others. Some of the definitions of learning have been stated as the following.
According to Hamalik (1983:21), learning is defined as the form of growth or change of individuals which is stated by new behaviour as the result of experience and practice. He adds that the sample of behaviour are: changing from unknowing to knowing, appearing some new understanding, changing in attitude, skill, emotional and etc. While, Sukewi (1994:1) states that learning is a change in behaviour because of acquairment as the result of practice and experience with environment. Slameto (1995:2) states that learning is an effort which is done by someone to get a new change of behaviour on the whole as the result of their experience in interaction with their environment.
performance by the series of activities for example by reading, investigating, listening, and imitating. Moreover, Sumadi Suryabarata (1981: 283) states that learning is a change which means getting a new ability and happens because of the aware of the aware effort.
Brown (2008:8) stated that there are seven components in definition of learning, those are:
1. Learning is acquiring or getting
2. Learning is retention of information or skill
3. Retention implies storage system, memory, cognitive organization 4. Learning involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon events
outside and inside the organism
5. Learning is relatively permanent, but subject to forgetting
6. Learning involves some forms of practice, perhaps reinforce practice 7. Learning is a change in behaviour.
Learning will carry out a change to students. The change does not only relate to the knowledge improvement, but also form as aptitude, skill, attitude, meaning, pride, interest, and the character adapting. Learning may be defined as the process by which behavior originates or is altered through training or experience (Omrod, 1999).
thoughclearly these have social value that most people would be unwise to ignore. It does require in varying degrees, and in varying times and circumstances activities like practice, reflection, interaction with the environment (in the broadest sense), and social interaction. The latter, in particular, can be greatly facilitated by the range of new technologies for communication and collaboration now available to us. It does not always probably even most of the time happen consciously though I think that those who strive for a more conscious approach to learning throughout their lives whether at work or otherwise tend to be more successful in pretty much whatever way they define success. Based on Rajendra Karnik Surat learning is process through which the student is encouraged to ask questions on various aspects of life and the teacher should get replies from him only by asking various, related questions on the topic and these could be bookish as well of practical life.
Kerrisha Gayle (2009:78) stated that learning is a process of Mental, Physical and Spiritual development. Development is advancing and growth. Development is proof that learning has taken place. One has to apply him or herself to a given situation and or context in order for learning to occur.
2. Factors Influences Learning
Tim Pengembangan MKDK IKIP (1989: 149) mentions factor influencing the success of learning in general are internal and external factor. Internal factors come from the learner him/her self and external factors come from outside the leaner.
a. Internal Factor
The internal factors comprise physiological condition and psychological condition. Those are explained below:
1) Physiological Condition
It is very influential on learning activities, for example a learner with good health usually achieves higher degree of success than a wearied one. Children who get good enough nutrition are usually more successful than those who do not.
2) Psychological Condition
Some psychological factors, which are influential or learning process and achievement, are explained below:
a) Intelligence
It is very influential on the success of failure of one‟s
efforts in learning something, for example students with high IQ are usually more successful than the one with lower IQ.
b) Talent
success. c) Interest
According to Highlard quoted by Slameto (1995: 57), the meaning of interest is persisting tendency to pay attention and enjoy some activities and contents. Interest has a big influence to the learning process because if the lesson learnt is not appropriate with the students‟ interest, they will not study well. Lesson
material attracting students‟ interest will be easier to be learnt and remembered because interest supports the learning activities. d) Motivation
It is psychological condition, which result from needs and usually activate behavior aimed at fulfilling the needs. It implies that every human being should have some motivation including a student who studies language. It is because motivation is basic requirement to master language.
e) Emotion
Unstable emotion like easily depressed will decrease the possibility to achieve success. Casing and freedom will facilitate learning.
f) Cognitive Ability
b. External Factors
External factors come from outside the learners; they are setting and instrumental factors.
1) Setting Factors
There are two settings in external factors; they are natural setting and social setting. Natural setting is a natural condition, which affects the success of learning, for instance weather, temperature, humidity, and also other phenomena. Learning process is usually more effective under fresh air.
Social setting, this factor includes family and other social situation such as traffic, factories, and so on. A comfortable social setting usually facilitates learning activities.
2) Instrumental Factors
The presence and function of those factors are planned on the basis of the expected learning outcomes. The instrumental factor comprises:
a) Curriculum
A clear, good, and resolute school curriculum will facilitate the students‟ learning activities. On the other hand, frequent
changes in school curriculum usually run students‟ learning
b) Program
A program with clear goal, activities, and schedule will make students understand well what they have to do and what they have to achieve.
c) Facilities
Condition of school building, include ventilation, light, and students seat also influence the success of learning activities. Moreover, the good condition will indirectly facilitate the learning process.
d) Teachers
Professional teachers with good skill and discipline will make the teaching and learning process effective and efficient, since they are able to organize well and explain the material clearly.
Personality variable has contribution for student‟s learning as well.
Personal variable that influences student‟s learning consists of four
factors, those are: a. Egocentric factor
It is one‟s view of self and it relevance to language learning. This
factor includes self-esteem and inhibition. b. Transactional factor
and aggression.
c. Motivational factors students who are interested in their preffered own learning pattern are likely to be successful.
d. A sketch of community language learning
e. It is as an instance of an affectively based on teaching method.
Based on Slameto (2003:65), in external factor comes from out all aspect of learner. Family, the situation and condition of the family can establish their future education and how they will learn. The good family will support the students‟ success in obtaining their learning. School, those are include the teaching method, personality, aptitude, curriculum, relationship between student, discipline of the school, teaching aid, schedule, the value standart, learning method, quality of knowledge affect the learning process quality. Society, the social setting and condition also support the student‟s achievement.
Another factors comes from Sociological. The sociological strand represents elements related to how individuals learn in association with other people: (a) alone or with peers, (b) an authoritative adult or with a collegial colleague, and (c) learning in a variety of ways or in routine patterns. For example, a number of people need to work alone when tackling a new and difficult subject, while others learn best when working with colleagues (learning alone or with peers element).
1998:56).
The educational implications of these four variables are important to fully comprehend and employ because they provide direction and structure for effective teaching strategies, especially for low-achieving students.
1. Global and analytic. When learning new and challenging topics,
people tend to have one of two processing styles-global or analytic. Certain learning-style elements cluster to form these two processing styles in the following ways. Global learners prefer to work in an environment with soft lighting and informal seating. People with this processing style need breaks, snacking, mobility, and sound. Analytic learners prefer to work in an environment with bright light and formal seating. They work best with few or no interruptions, in a quiet environment, and little or no snacking. The majority of young children are global processors.
2. Age. Learning styles change with age. Some learning styles are
developmental and many people's styles alter as they grow older. These style elements are: sociological, motivation, responsibility, and internal vs. external structure. Children tend to prefer to work with peers instead of alone and prefer an authoritative versus a collegial teacher. For many people auditory and visual perceptual elements strengthen with age.
from each other. The perceptual strengths of males are often visual, tactile, and kinesthetic. They tend to need more mobility than females, and function better in an informal environment. Frequently, males are peer-motivated and nonconforming. On the other hand, females tend to be more auditory, need quiet while studying, work best in a formal setting, and need less mobility. Often they are more conforming, authority-oriented, and parent- and self-motivated than males.
4. High- versus low-academic achievement. High and low achieving
students learn in statistically different ways from one another. In other words, the teaching strategies that are successful for one group will not produce similar outcomes in the other group.
According to the ideas above can be concluded that learning has factors to influence students‟ ability. Factors influencing the success of learning are internal and external factors. Both factors build up student‟s
style in their learning so that they can accept knowledge and information by using their learning style.
B. Learning Style
1. Definition of Learning Style
is a simply different approach or way of learning. Every human being learns something in different ways and styles. We may choose one, which is comfortable or not. It is important that we become aware of our learning styles so that we can use our learning styles to suit the particular learning that can undertake and improve our learning. According to Kolbs (1984:89) that Learning styles are various approaches or ways of learning. They involve educating methods, particular to an individual that are presumed to allow that individual to learn best. Most people prefer an identifiable method of interacting with, taking in, and processing stimuli or information.Based on this concept, the idea of individualized "learning styles" originated in the 1970s, and acquired "enormous popularity".
Rita Dunn in De Porter and Hernacki ﴾2009:110﴿ the expert of
learning style stated that many variables or factors in learning which impressed or influenced students to find the way of learning.
Whittington and Ravens (1995:9) define learning style as a "predominant and preferred manner in which individuals take in, retain, process, internalize, and recall information and can represent both inherited characteristics and environmental influences”.
Learning style refers to the "way in which each learner begins to concentrate on, process, and retain new and difficult information" (Dunn, Griggs, Olsen, & Beasley, 1995:353).
stated that learning style are a learner‟s natural, preffered ways of
absorbing, processing, and retaining new information. Learning style are not ordinarily the same as abilities, though „multiple intelegences‟ and field independence (Witkin and Goodenough, 1981:71)
Rita Dunn in Silberman (2006:234) the expert of learning styles stated that: “Many variables or factors in learning, which impressed or
influenced students‟ to find the way of learning. The factors can deliver
from their physical, emotional, sociology, and environment. Some students for example respond strongly to visual forms of information, like pictures, diagrams, schematics;other get more from verbal forms, written and spoken explanation. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively, others function more instropectively and individualy.”
The first step has to be taken by teacher is aware that every student has different learning style in the way of accepting and processing the information. By knowing the diferences of students learning style, teacher should choose the suitable method to suit the students‟ activity. De porter
and Hernacki (1999: 110) state there are two main categories about how students learn, namely how student accept and take the information easily (by knowning their modality of learning) and how students process new information easily. Learning style is combination of how students able to absorb, take in, arrange, and process the information.
which commands a direction to catch easily the information then saving it well. Teachers should be aware that every student has different learning style in the way of accepting and processing the information. To know student‟s learning style, the teachers should know types of learning style
so that they are able to teach the students well.
2. Types of Learning Style
Students learn in many different ways. In many cases, students' learning style preferences show how well students learn material in different situations. The learning style which is used in this research is based on Knowles in Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms Jack C. Richards and Charles Lockhart: 60.
In some of the views learners hold about language learning and language teaching can be related to differences of what is refferd to as cognitive style or learning style. Cognitive style have been defined as characteristic cognitive and physicological behaviors that “serve as realtively
stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environtment” (Keefe 1979; cited in Willing 1988: 40).
Knowles (1982:60) suggest that differences of this kind reflect the cognitive styles of four different types of learners; who are characterized by the following learning styles.
a. Concrete learning style
of taking in and processing information. They are interested in information that has immediate value. They are curious, spontaneous, and willing to take risks. They like variety and a constant change of pace. They dislike routine learning and written work, and prefer verbal or visual experiences. They like to be entertained, and like to be phsically involved in learning. These learners tend to like games, pictures, films, video, using cassettes, talking in pairs, and practicing English outside class.Characteristics of the Concrete Learner, often relies on instinct and intuition.Doesn't mind taking risks, optimistic, loves a stimulating environment, can be easily inspired, but sometimes is too impulsive, leads and welcomes change, new realizations often come through sudden insights, uses hands and gestures while talking , because words alone do not convey adequate meaning.
It was found that differences in cognitive style affected learners‟
preferences for particular approches to learning. For example, concrete learner tended to choose the following:
In class, I like to learn by games.
In class, I like to learn by pictures, films, video.
I like to learn English by working in pairs.
b. Analytical learning style
to failure. These learners liked studying grammar, studying English books and reading newspapers, studying alone, finding their own mistakes, and working on problems set by the teacher.Analytic learners like facts and they like learning things in sequential steps.Analytic learners feel the need to understand the specific goal before they can get into a project. Go ahead and ask for clear goals.
Learners with analytical learning style, however, reported the following preferences:
I like to study grammar.
At home, I like to learn by studying English books.
I like the teacher to let me find my mistakes.
c. Communicative learning style
Learners with a communicative learning style prefer a social approach to learning. They need personal feedback and interaction, and learn well from discussion and group activities. They thrive in a democratically run class. These students like to learn watching, listening to native speakers, talking to friends in English and watching television in English, using English out of class in store, trains, and so on, learning new words by hearing them, and learning by conversations.
Learners favoring a communicative style preffered the following: I like to learn by watching, listening, to Australians.
I like to learn by talking to friends in English.
At home, I like to learn by watching TV in English.
Learners with an authority-oriented learning style are said to be responsible and dependable. They like and need structure and squential progression. They relate well to a traditional classroom. They preffer the teacher as an authority figure. They like to have clear instructions and to know exactly what they are doing; they are not comfortable with consensus-building discussion. These learners prefered the teacher to explain everything, liked to have their own textbook, to write everything in a notebook, to study grammar, learn by reading, and learn new words by seeing them.Authority-oriented learners reported these preferences: I like the teacher to explain everything to us.
I want to write everything in my notebook.
