IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING
RECOUNT TEXT THROUGH FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
(FGD)
A THESIS
Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
By
WENNY SASMITA
Registration Number. 208321068
ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, the writer would like to thanks the almighty Allah SWT for blessing and given the ability to the writer to complete this thesis with title “Improving Students’ Achievement in Writing Recount Text Through Focus group Discussion (FGD)” as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan at English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Medan ( UNIMED ).
During the process of writing, the writer realizes that cannot accomplish without God blessing and supporting from many people. The writer would like to express her sincere gratitude to:
Prof. Dr. Ibnu Hajar Damanik, M.Si, Rector of State University of Medan. Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M.Hum., Dean of Faculty of Languages and Arts. Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M.Pd., Head of English Department, Dra.Rahmah,
M.Hum., as the Secretary of English Department and Dra. Masitowarni Siregar, M.Ed., as the Head of English Education Study Program, for their suggestions and administrative assistance during the completion of thesis. Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd., as her advisor, Drs. Willem Saragih,
M.Pd., as her Academic lecturer, and all the lecturers and administrative staff of English Department.
Drs. H. Irwan Mastoti., the headmaster of SMP Negeri 2 Tanjung Pura, Siti Nuraini, as the English teacher who had helped the writer during the research in that school and also to all the students of class VIII-4.
H. Ali Amrin Manday and Hj. Syawaliah, S.Pd., her beloved parents as the inspirations of her life, for their endless loves and day night prays and everything writer got. The writers’ brother Makhruzar, S.E., and my sisters Usumartina, S.Pd., Nia Wicita. And all of and her big family who always supported the writer to work hard to finish her study in English Department, State University of Medan.
Elfriede R. Hutabarat, Indah Sari, Yohana Faulina, Meldi Haryati, Sastrinda Azzaritia, Arras Yusrizal, Ririn, Putri as her friends and all of education extension’ 08.
There are other people whose names that couldn’t be listed. Thank you for all supports in helping the writer for finishing this thesis.
Medan, September 2012 The Writer
ABSTRACT
Sasmita, Wenny Registration Number 208321068. Improving Students’ Achievement in Writing of Recount Text Through Focus Group Discussion ( FGD ). A Thesis. Faculty of Language and Arts. State University of Medan. 2012.
This study deals with the improvement of students’ writing achievement through focus group discussion method. The objective of this study is to find out whether students’ writing
achievement will be improved through focus group discussion method. This study was conducted by using classroom action research. The subject of this research was class VIII-4 SMPN. 2 Tanjung Pura. The number of the students was 36 students which consist of 18 male students and 18 female students. The research was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consisted three meetings. The instrument for collecting the data were quantitative data (writing test ) and qualitative data ( observation sheet, interview and field note). Based on the analysis, students’ achievement kept improving in every test. In the orientation test, the means score was 59.44. In the first test of cycle I, the mean score was 75.41, and in the second test in cycle II, the mean score was 81.52. Based on the observation sheet, interview and field note, it was found that the teaching learning process ran well. The students were more active, enthusiastic in writing. In line with the data, it was found that focus group discussion method improved the students’
i
C. Instruments of Data Collecting ... 22
D. The Procedure of the Research ... 23
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ... 43
A. Conclusion ... 43
B. Suggestion ... 43
ii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 Students’ Score Semester I and II ... 3
Table 2.1 Criteria of Assessment in Writing Recount ... 13
Table 3.1 The Activities and Output In Cycle I ... 27
Table 3.2 The Activities and Output In Cycle II ... 28
Table 3.3 Scoring of Recount Writing Test ... 29
Table 4.1 Students’ Score of Orientation Test, Cycle I and Cycle II ... 32
Table 4.2 The Percentage of Students’ Recount Writing Competence ... 37
iii
LIST OF FIGURE
iv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
Appendix A Lesson Plan ... 46
Appendix B students’ Writing Scores... 66
Appendix C Observation Sheet ... 73
Appendix D Field Note ... 75
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Language is considered to be a system of communicating with other people using sounds,
symbols, and words in expressing a meaning, idea, or thought. Language has an important thing
in human activity. Everybody needs language to interact with other people. Without language,
people cannot convey feeling, thought, intention, or information to other both in written and
spoken form. Nowadays, English has become international language which is used by many
people in the world both in written and spoken form. English helps people to communicate with
other people from different culture background. In Indonesia, English has been taught since the
kindergarten level up to the university, but in fact, there are many people who cannot
comprehend English well. Therefore, to know English well, people must master four basic skills
in mastering English, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.
This study would be focused in writing skills. Writing is one of the language skills that
should be acquired in learning a language. Writing also means a process of communication that
conveys ideas and opinion in a written form which suggests that the writer and readers should
have similar understanding of what is written. The writing process is intended to provide a step
by step model for writing so that the finished piece is the best it can be ( Carol Ann Tomlinson,
2005 : 181 ).
The writer choose the topic because based on the writer’s interview and observation on
Teaching Practice Program ( PPL ), most of the students got bored and lost their interest in
writing, especially writing recount. They told that writing recount was very difficult for them to
And also why the students told that writing recount was very difficult, because the students can
not know about generic structure and language feature in writing recount. So that, the students do
not understand to arranged the simple text.
After the writer observed the students in several meetings, the writer found some factors that
showed why this condition happened. The students did not have a good motivation to write
because the topic was not interesting. When they have limited vocabulary, it is impossible for
them to write recount. Other factors like, uninteresting method and teaching process. The
students felt that the teaching and learning process was monotonous and uninteresting. Now, in
this study, researcher will be focused in score of the students. Because the researcher want to
improve the score to the students.
The writer has done an interview and observation at SMP Negeri 2 Tanjung Pura. Based on
the writer’s interview and observation in the school, the students’ achievement in writing recount
was still low. It can be seen the students’ score semester I and semester II.
Table I.I Students’ Score Semester I and Semester II
12 IFD 55 60
The method that the teacher used in teaching writing was too complex and monotonous. The
teacher just explains without asking the students what they do not know. Students need an easy
way to make them able to understand the explanation quickly. If the method of the teacher
monotonous and uninteresting, the students will be lazy to study the subject.
If the conditions happen, it means that the teaching and learning process uninteresting and be
less effective. To change it, teacher needs a suitable method, a technique, or a strategy. The
purpose of using them is to solve the problem and to increase the students’ achievement in
Focus group discussion method the teacher can help students to improve students’
achievement in writing particularly writing recount in order that the students can write recount
well.
For this purpose, learning writing recount by using focus group discussion method may
be one of the alternatives in teaching process. In focus group discussion the students can share
with their group, and one of the students can ask with member of their group, what the title
about, and how to write this paragraph act.
Focus group discussion is very important to be applied to increase students’ achievement in
writing recount because writing recount is a writing which retells events or experiences in the
past. Thus, students’ can retell their friends or the other groups about their bad or good
experiences in the past easily. By using focus group discussion in writing recount, the students
are hoped to be able to write recount easily. Focus group discussion method is hoped to be able
to reduce boredom of the students and increase their motivation in writing recount because it can
make class more enjoyable and relaxed.
The previous researches was doing by Rizky (2010 ) shown that the effect of Focus group
Discussion on Students’ writing narrative. Base on the research analysis, it can be concluded that
there is significant effect of using Focus Group Discussion on students’ writing narrative. In
other words it can be stated that students’ achievement that are taught through Focus Group
Discussion is better than students’ achievement that are taught by using without Focus Group
Discussion in SMK Hidayah Semarang.
Based on the previous researcher above, the writer interest to apply Focus Group Discussion
in writing. But in this study the writer will apply Focus Group Discussion in writing Recount of
study to get more experience and learning with group working to analyst the generic structure
and language feature of Focus Group Discussion.
From the explanation above, the writer wants to conduct the research to see how the Focus
Group discussion can improve students’ achievement in writing, especially writing recount of
VIII year of SMP Negeri 2 Tanjung Pura.
B. The Problem of the Study
In relation to the background of the study, the problem of the study is formulated as in the
following: “Is students’ achievement in writing recount text improved through focus group
discussion method?
C. The Objective of the Study
The objective of the study is to investigate the significant improvement of students’
achievement in writing of recount text through the application of focus group discussion method.
D. The Scope of the Study
Writing seems to be a difficult task for students. It is difficult because there are some aspects
to considered, for example, vocabulary, tenses, etc. In this case, focus will be give to writing
recount.
Recount is used to tell past experience. In recount text have a generic structure, is it
orientation, events and re-orientation.
The finding of the study is expected to be useful and relevant both theoretically and
practically.
Theoretically for:
1. For English teacher: The findings of the study are useful to enrich horizons on
theories of language learning.
2. For students: The findings of the study will enhance previous theories on the second
language learning.
3. For researcher: The findings of the study can be used as the reference for those who
want to conduct a research in English teaching learning process.
Practically for:
1. For English teachers are to give information in their attempt to decide the using focus group discussion method and in improving students’ achievement in writing recount.
2. For students are to improve their writing ability, so that can enjoy themselves in learning
English in the class and to motivate the students to be better in writing recount text.
3. For researchers are to develop information and knowledge from this study,
especially writing recount.
4. For other are to increase the readers’ knowledge about focus group discussion (
CAHPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
Based on the result of the study, the conclusion are drawn as follows:
1. There is a significant improvement of students’ writing ability through focus group
discussion method. It showed by the mean of the students’ score orientation test ( 59.44 ),
test I ( 75.41 ) and test II ( 81.52 ).
2. The students felt more enjoy and interested I learning writing through focus group
discussion method. It is showed by their enthusiasm and their activity in writing in two
cycles in their respond while they were asked about the material.
3. Therefore, focus group discussion improved students’ achievement in writing recount text.
B. Suggestion
Based on the result of this study, the use of focus group discussion method could improve the
students achievement in writing. The following suggestion are offered:
1. For the writer : the writer develops and enriches the knowledge in education and language.
2. For the teacher : it’s better by using focus group discussion method in writing recount in
teaching learning process, because it’s proven that this method improved the students’
achievement in writing recount easily and creatively.
3. For the students : students improve their writing ability, so that can write well.
4. For others: can give them some data, sources through focus group discussion method in
REFERENCES
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Glass, K.T. 2005. Curriculum Design for Writing Instruction. Creating Standards- based Lesson Plans and Rubrics / Kathy Tuchman Glass: foreword by Carol Ann Tomlinson.
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