THE PORTRAYAL OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING A GENRE-BASED APPROACH TO TEACHING WRITING:A CaseStudy ina Junior High Schoolin Bandung.

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Eka Nuryma, 2012

The Potrayal Of Pre-Service Teachers Implementing A Ganre based Approach To Teaching Writing Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia I repository.upi.edu

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

Based on 2006 curriculum, the current English teaching is a text-based

curriculum. It mandates the English teachers to teach various texts such as

descriptive, narrative, recount, even discussion. In order to convey a comprehensible

lesson, an appropriate approach is paramount to apply. Since it is a text-based

curriculum, a genre-based approach is recommended to accompany the teaching

process.

The genre-based approach has been applied in Indonesia for about seven

years. Apparently, seven years is not sufficient to conduct a perfect implementation

of Genre-Based Approach.Some research has shown that there is a problem in the

practical level. The in-service teachers are still confused about transmitting the theory

into practice. This can be seen in the mismatch between the basic concept of the

Genre-Based Approach and its application. Astaman (2010) says that the in-service

teachers that he observed only use Joint Construction of Text to construct a text.

Nevertheless, experts believe that it takes more than that (see Derewianka,1990;

Feez& Joyce, 2006). Students need to go through some steps in this stage.

In another research, Emilia (2005) mentions that in her pre-observation, the

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that this action will not provide enough chance for the students to establish sufficient

knowledge about the related topic. The activity in this step was not maximally

exploited. The teacher just gave students some vocabulary yet these words were not

used in the latter process.

In addition, Alwasilah (stated in Gustinefa, 2008:1) argues that writing is

complicated not only for students but also teachers since they acquire limited writing

skills and have short of informed knowledge. This leads to Astaman’s(2010) finding

that it is hard to find students’ writing collection because there is not any writing

process. Meanwhile, the first focus of Genre-Based Approach is how to help students

to write texts.

As the problem appears, it is important to solve it immediately. Several ways

have already been taken to help these teachers. The teachers have a place to share and

to find solution for their teaching problems in Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran

(MGMP) and Lesson Study Program. These two programs are functioned as the place

for teachers to discuss any challenges found in the class and to find the solution. The

meeting is conducted regularly. Moreover in Lesson Study, an expert is invited in

order to give more input related to teaching.

However, the in-service teacher is not the only party that needs attention.

Another attention also needs to be paid to the pre-service teachers. They are the ones

who will become the future teachers. It is important to know how qualified they are

from the first beginning of their teaching career so that if anything needs to be

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3 Under that consideration, this study aims to reveal the ability of the

pre-service teachers in executing Genre-Based Approach in the process of teaching

writing.

1.2Statement of the Problem

In line with the background of the problem above, this study attempts to

answer the following questions.

1. What understanding do the pre-service teachers have about

Genre-Based Approach to teaching writing?

2. How do the pre-service teachers apply Genre-Based Approach in

teaching writing?

1.3Aims of the Study

The research questions above have been established to reach these aims.

1. Investigate the understanding that pre-service teachers have about

Genre-Based Approach to teaching writing.

2. Portray the application of Genre-Based Approach in pre-service

teachers’ teaching of writing.

1.4Research Method

1.4.1 Research Design

This study is intended to portray the process of teaching writing using

Genre-Based Approach by the pre-service teachers. It means that a real phenomenon in its

natural setting is the main object of the study and it takes an exploration on human

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Erickson,1986; Hammersley& Atkinson, 1983; Jacob, 1988; Lincoln &Guba, 1985 in

Hatch, 2002: 6-7). In addition, the study uses a case study framework since it is

aimed to give a description of a phenomenon so that an explanation can be framed in

order to evaluate it when it is needed (Gall et.al 2003, 439).

1.4.2 Data Collection

Purposive sampling is important in selecting the participant. In order to have

some fulfilling information, the informant or the participant should meet the criteria

related to the research questions and quota is not an issue (Family Health

International, 2011 ). In this case, the participant has to be the university students

majoring English Education program who are attending teaching training program

and know about Genre-Based Approach. There are two pre-service teachers who are

having the teaching training program in one of the junior high schools in Bandung.

Multiple instrumentation was deployed in order to gain complete data. The

instruments were questionnaire, document analysis, classroom observation, and

interview. Questionnaire was deployed to fulfill the needed data related to the

understanding of pre-service teachers about Genre-Based Approach to teaching

writing. Document analysis sought the information from the lesson plans that were

used in the teaching process as a prior picture on how the Genre-Based Approach was

illustrated in the teaching process.

Classroom observation intended to check the implementation of Genre-Based

Approach in teaching writing that covered the data to answer research question

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5 was the last instrument that helped to clarify any incomprehensible matters in the

previous data collecting process. The interview process was recorded.

1.4.3 Data Analysis

Data gained from observation and interview were transcribed first. After that,

all of the data were analyzed based on the framework of Genre-Based Approach.

1.5Clarification of Main Terms

1. Genre-Based Approach : an approach to language teaching issued by

Derewianka (1990). It consists of four stages;

Building Knowledge of the Field, Modeling

of Text, Joint Construction of the Text, and

Independent Construction.

2. Pre-Service Teacher : students of education program who take a

teaching training program at schools in order

to gain actual experience of their future

professional working field.

1.6Organization of the Paper

This paper is divided into five parts. The first one is introduction which

displays the background, formulation of the problem, objectives of this paper, and

how to collect the data. Chapter two mainly discusses the theories to analyze the issue

brought in this paper. Chapter three, research method, talks about the methods to

analyze the issue including research design and data collection. Chapter four

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obtained. Chapter five gives conclusions and suggestions towards the findings and the

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides a complete explanation about how the study is

conducted. The explanation will begin with the method used to achieve the goal of

the study. Afterwards, site and respondent are explained and followed by data

collection techniques. All instruments employed to gain the related data are

explored here. Then, data analysis procedure is discussed lastly.

3.1Research Design

This study is a qualitative study since the first intention of this study is to

portray the phenomenon of pre-service teachers’ teaching performance in their

natural setting (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994 in Creswell, 1998; Creswell,1998: 14).

Creswell strengthens this idea by explaining that a qualitative study is an inquiry

process that explores social or human problem (see also Fraenkel and Wallen,

1990). Aside from the needs to describe the pre-service teachers’ teaching

writing process, this study also emerges to figure out the problems that are faced

by them.

The focus of the study is a specific part of a phenomena and it is known as

a case (Gall, et al. , 2003: 435). That opinion impacts on the needs of deploying a

case study approach to accompany the inquiry process. A case study seeks

in-depth information of a phenomena through multiple sources as an attempt to

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&McLeod, 2006: 4; Best, 1981: 108). This supported this study in which it

portrayed the teaching process using Genre-Based Approach.

Case study is also exploited when the boundary between the phenomena is

not clear and as there is a lack possible control given to the variables involved that

mostly happen to educational setting research ( Laws & McLeod, 2006: 4, Yin,

1984 in Laws & McLeod, 2006: 5,). This infers case study focusing on process

that involves interaction between factors influencing the growth or change of a

variable (Merriam, 1988 in Laws & McLeod, 2006: 4; Best, 1981: 108; Laws &

Mc Leod, 2006: 4). Its focus results in a thick description of the case.

This design is suitable to accompany the investigation of the problem

since the intention of the study is to portray the process of teaching writing using

Genre-Based Approach. Moreover, the variable of this study which are teacher’s

teaching performance is something that cannot be controlled and also by

portraying the process, in depth analysis can be done to reveal the problem

encountered so that the solution can be taken immediately.

3.2Site and Respondent

The data was taken in one of junior high schools in Bandung. The

selection of this school was taken because of a well-known credibility of the

school. It can be assumed that the pre-service teachers who perform their teaching

practice here possibly get a supportive field to learn. There were two pre-service

teachers who were voluntarily observed. They were both male experiencing in

private teaching for more than a year. They were both good in academic proven

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30 understanding about English teaching. They were called as Respondent 1 and

Respondent 2.

3.3 Data Collection Techniques

Multiple sources of information are usually applied in a qualitative study.

Hence, there were some instruments used to collect the required data. The most

common methods of data collection are observation, interviewing and document

analysis (Fraenkel and Wallen, 1993: 384). Observation and document analysis

were primarily exploited to answer question number two on how the teaching

process is carried out. Questionnaire was used to answer question number one

about the understanding of Genre-Based Approach conceptand interview was

intended to clarify unclear data from the other sources. The explanation of each

method can be seen as follows:

3.3.1 Questionnaire

Since the first research question is aimed to reveal pre-service teachers’

understanding about Genre-Based Approach concept, it is best to use this

instrument because questionnaire can be geared to find out what people know,

feel, did and think (McNamara, 2011 ) and understanding is about something that

people know.Basically, the aim of this first research question can also be fulfilled

by conducting an interview but questionnaire can give more space and time to

think of the response well.

As a result, a list of 4 open-ended questions was given out in Bahasa

Indonesia. This consideration was taken in order to ease the respondents to

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the understanding of Genre-Based Approach (see Appendix A). The first question

was about definition of Genre-Based Approach. The second and the third

questions were in relation to the stages in Genre-Based Approach and their

definition. Question number four was about kinds of activity that are possible to

be done in each stage.

3.3.2 Document Analysis

Documents analyzed were lesson plans used by the pre-service teachers.

The documents analysis is important since it can be a complementary source of

other utilized methods such as observation and interview (Guba & Lincoln in

Alwasilah, 2009:156). Analyzing lesson plans helps to read beyond context

because document is a natural data resource that is revealed from a context and

explains itself. In this study, lesson plans can be a determinant whether what was

written had been implemented or not. If something is unmatched, there is a chance

to have a clarification in interview session so it can enrich the finding.

3.3.3 Classroom Observation

The next data collection technique was classroom observation. This

technique was utilized to answer research question number two about the

execution of Genre-Based Approach in the classroom. An observation provides

the researcher a complete illustration of a phenomenon compared to data gained

from an interview or documents (Gall.et.al., 2003: 267). Moreover, observation

was used to verify data obtained from other methods. There apparently six

meetings to be observed. Each respondent taught descriptive text in three

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32 It is recommended that a researcher decides a position to act in the

observation. In this study, the position taken is as a complete observer. Raymond

Gold in Fraenkel and Wallen (1993) justifies that there should not be any

involvement from a complete observer in the activity being observed. The

observation was accompanied by a field note. The field note was formed in two

columns, descriptive and reflective. Descriptive column brings the actual activity

that happens while the reflective section is a spot to express observer’s thoughts

about what is in the descriptive part. Aside from a written field note, Gall et.all

(2003) mention that sometimes a field note should contain a visual detail. As a

response to this, video-taping was made to cover it.

3.3.4 Interview

The last stage of the data collecting process was conducting an interview.

The purpose of the interview is to gather unique information that cannot be caught

by observation or to obtain interpretation that is done before by the person

interviewed (Patton in Fraenkel and Wallen, 1993: 385; Stake, 2010: 95) If there

is mismatch between activities stated in the lesson plan and the ones carried out

by the pre-service teachers, an interview is beneficial to have a clarification.

Besides, the interview was also directed to evoke the problem faced by the

pre-service teachers as they implement the Genre-Based Approach into their

teaching writing process. This was a semi-structured interview since most of the

questions were arouse from the data collected from the three previous techniques.

The interview was recorded. The questions are categorized into concept of

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process, writing habit, attitude towards Genre-Based Approach, and the barrier

encountered along the process of teaching.

3.4 Data Analysis

After gaining the data from questionnaire, classroom observation,

document analysis and interview, the data was interpreted to be then analyzed.

The procedure of each process is explained below:

3.4.1 Questionnaire

Each answer gained from the questionnaire was validated with the theory

of Genre-Based Approach. The final result of it was used as a pre-assumption on

how well the teaching learning process can be carried out by the pre-service

teachers. The result has a linear comparison with the pre-assumption. If the result

is disappointing, it shows that pre-service teachers have limited knowledge of

Genre-Based Approach so the pre-assumption is also negative therefore the

implementation of it in teaching and learning process is not maximum and vice

versa.

3.4.2 Document Analysis

Genre-Based Approach actually does not require certain types of lesson

plan. The lesson plan used in this study was analyzed based on the lesson plan

elements suggested by Brown (2001). Brown’s framework was considered

fulfilling and simple for preparing a good lesson plan. There were five elements to

be analysed:

1. Stating goal that explain what is to accomplish by the students at the

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34 2. Explicitly state the objective that is what students have to gain from

the lesson

3. Provide interesting materials and equipment that can help students

master the objective

4. Having a clear procedure. It means that the lesson plan has a

scaffolding process and varied learning activities

5. Conduct an evaluation that is related to the learning process and

objectives

Besides from its elements, the lesson plan was also evaluateded based on

the framework being studied along with the process of contrasting it with the

observation process.

3.4.3 Classroom Observation

The data gained from observation was transcribed first using discourse

analysis tool. The teacher’s talk was signed as T while student’s as S. Each

activity was categorized based on each stage of Genre-Based Approach. For

example, Respondent 1 asked the students to analysed a picture on how the shape

of the face, the nose, etc.

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The process happened in the observation was interpreted and analysed to

find out how the pre-service teacher delivered the lesson and what were he

delivered. Related theory was embedded to justify the analysis.

3.4.4 Interview

The record of interview process was transcribed first to be then

categorized into the related category from which the question was generated. The

questions could be categorized into five groups. They are the concept of

Genre-Based Approach, clarification on the activity found in the previous data collecting

process, writing habit, attitude towards Genre-Based Approach, and the barrier

found along the process of teaching. For example, clarification on how far

teachers’ involvement in the writing process in Independent Construction of the

Text since respondents did not involve much in that step.

I : what about the teacher in joint construction?

R2 : the teacher only corrects. if the students ask, the teacher should answer, should direct, giving feedback

The statements from the respondents were interpreted to find the answer

for unclear data. The theory of Genre-Based Approach was embedded to

accompany the analysis.

3.5 Concluding Remarks

This chapter has presented research methodology used in the study

consisted of research method, site and respondents, data collection, and data

analysis. A complex process needs to be taken so that the aim of this study: 1)

figuring out pre-service teachers’ understanding of Genre-Based Approach and 2)

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92

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

This chapter presents the conclusions drawn from the result of the study

and some suggestions are attached for future similar studies.

5.1 Conclusions

This study is aimed to answer two major points: 1) What understanding

the pre-service teachers have about Genre-Based Approach to teach writing, 2)

How pre-service teachers implement Genre-Based Approach to teach writing. In

relation to the first point, the data gained through questionnaire and interview

showed that there was a deficiency of understanding about Genre-Based

Approach concept. It was proven by so many incomplete and misleading

explanations given by the pre-service teachers. This situation could be caused by

the lack of effort made by pre-service teachers to search more information about

the approach. The other cause could be the lack of support from the teacher

colleague at school.

In relation to the second point, it could be reported that the

implementation of Genre-Based Approach to teach writing was still problematic.

Some mismatch between the correct concept according to genre theorists and its

implementation occurred in every stage of this approach. The mismatch indeed

happened between the correct concepts according to the genre theorists with its

application. There was also contradiction between what pre-service teachers

perceived with the way they executed it. Clearly, the mismatch happened because

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caused by the inseriousness of the pre-service teacher in making the lesson plan as

their guide in teaching.

5.2 Suggestions

It cannot be neglected that this study had some limitations not only in

terms of the study but also the result of the study. Although the nature of

qualitative does not make number as an issue, the study can go deeper with more

number of respondents. This study only involved two pre-service teachers. It is

recommended that the next studies observe more than two pre-service so that the

gained data can be more varied. The study can also be done with different level of

students and different genre such as narrative or discussion. Presumably, the

implementation is more variative.

The fact that the study revealed low understanding and poor

implementation of Genre-Based Approach shows that an immediate action should

be taken. It is suggested for the pre-service teachers to pursue a longer teaching

training program and to attend school observation more. It is also considered

urgent to give more workshop or seminar to those who are majoring English

Education program. In consequence, they have early understanding about the

approach and can prepare themselves in practical level as the teaching training

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