CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter discusses the research methodology which is used in
conducting this research. It is divided into three parts namely research design,
subject and setting of the study, and procedures of the research.
A. Research Design
The research design of this research was Classroom Action
Research. According to Pelton (2010) an Action Research which is
conducted in the school setting, is a systematic approach which the goal is
to improve teaching practices. The design was used because the purpose of
the research was to improve teaching practices, specifically to improve
reading ability on Descriptive text.
Classroom Action Research design is usually done in collaborative
between the researcher and the teacher (if the researcher is already a
teacher, she/he can conduct CAR alone). The research was also done in
collaboration between the researcher and the teacher. The teacher was the
English teacher of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton, Mojo, Kediri. The
teacher as collaborator, whom involved in the process of the research. The
collaborator completed an observation sheet which is given by the
researcher.
The method of this Classroom Action Research (CAR) is
derived from the terms of Action Research itself . Based on Carr and
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method is a self-reflective spiral of cycles: planning, acting, observing
and reflecting. In line with it, Kemmis and McTaggat in Ary (2010)
suggests that an Action Research process is presented as spiral, where
the researcher reflects, plans, acts, and observes. Therefore, by
Classroom Action Research (CAR) a teacher can improve his/her
teaching practices.
In the Classroom Action Research (CAR), the researcher applied
the Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique. The researcher acted as
English teacher that implemented Numbered Heads Together (NHT)
technique in the class while observed the students’ performance in the
teaching and learning process. In observing the students’ activities, the
researcher was helped by the English teacher of the school. This research
was intended to improve students’ reading ability on Descriptive text by
using Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique.
B. Subjects and Setting of the Study
This research was conducted in the seventh grade of MTs Misriu
Al-Hasan, Kraton, Mojo, Kediri on the 7th January up to 31rd January in
the 2016/2017 academic year. There were 29 students that consist of 13
male students and 16 female students. The researcher chose this class
because she had some points that became her considerations. They are:
1.) According to the English teacher is HS. She is 33 years old with
experience around 10 years in teaching English for seven until nine grades
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reading. 2). Because reading is the basis of learning it would
be better if the problem should be found solution as early as
possible since the students still stay at the seventh grade, in
order to avoid the worse effect about it in the next grade.
C.
Procedures of the Study
In this Classroom Action Research (CAR), the
researcher had some steps in how this research was conducted.
Stringer (2007) states that the basic Action Research are: look,
think, and act. Meanwhile, according to Kemmis and
McTaggart cited in Ary ( 2010) model of Action Research are
presented as plans, acts, observes, and reflects.
In this research, the procedure of this Classroom Action
Research was adapted from Kemmis and McTaggart’s Action
Research model which the procedure of the research trough
plans, acts, observes, and reflects. The plans, acts, observes,
30 a. Preliminary Study (Reconnaissance)
To know the condition of the students at MTs Misriu Al-Hasan, the
researcher did preliminary study before doing Action Research in the
classroom. Preliminary study was done to find out the practical problems Reconnaissance
Doing observation in the seventh graders’ class
Giving pretest to know the student’s reading ability
Analysis and Finding
Many of students got difficulty in comprehending Descriptive text because, in the reading, they seemed not serious in gaining comprehension. Even, they tended to make noisy and seem less interested if they were asked to read and answer questions about the text. Reading English text and answer questions about the text individually might be easy by high ability students. But average and low ability students might get difficulty in doing it. Whereas, the amount of students that have high abilities over there are more lower than the amount of students that have average and low abilities.
The result of the pretest showed that they were 19 students got scores 30-60 (low ability), there were 6 students got scores 70 (average ability), and there were 3 students got scores 80-100 (High ability).
Planning
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in the classroom before the researcher makes a plan. If the basis of
practical problems were found, then the researcher can make a plan.
In the preliminary study, the researcher interviewed the English
teacher, did observation, and administered pretest. The researcher
interviewed the English teacher who teaches English from first grade until
ninth grade students on Saturday November 26th, 2016. It was done after
the researcher some minutes met the head master of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan
Kraton to ask permission for conducting a research. In the interview
between the researcher and the English teacher. The researcher asked some
questions to the English teacher about the school. From the interview,
the researcher knew that only one English teacher that always handles
English subject in the school. The teacher stated that she only used to
teach by using conventional method and never uses any kind of teaching
media such as LCD projector, because of the lack facility in the school.
And she also stated that most of the students in MTs Misriu Al-Hasan
Kraton feel that English is difficult and they are less interested to read
English taxt. Therefore, the teacher suggested the researcher to propose
another technique to teach English, especially in teaching reading.
Based on the researcher’s observation when the researcher
administered pretest on January 16th, 2017. The researcher found that girls
students were calm. They did not much talk, but directly did what has been
asked by the researcher. But, they boys students were talkative and tended
to make noisy and could not engage with the teaching and learning
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less interested to read English text. It was proved by the result of pretest
that showed most of the seventh graders got scores under the minimum
score/ KKM (75). According to the scores of pretest result, they were 19
students got scores 30-60 (low ability), there were 6 students got scores 70
(average ability), and there were 3 students got scores 80-100 (High
ability).
b. Planning
Planning is developing plan to take action or to gather data in order
to get the experience or to monitor practice (Ary, 2006). Planning could be
divided into five parts, namely socializing the research program, providing
a suitable strategy or technique, designing a lesson plan, preparing the
criteria of success, and training the collaborator teacher.
1. Socializing the Research Program
Before conducting the research in the class, the researcher met
with the head master of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. She asked
permission to the headmaster for conducting the research in the
school. After getting permission, the researcher met the English
teacher of MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. Then the researcher asked
33 2. Providing a Suitable Technique
To overcome the problem in the seventh grade students at
MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton, the researcher applied an innovative
teaching technique. The chosen technique was based on the problem
which was found through interviewed with the English teacher and
observation toward students’ activities in the teaching learning
processs. The chosen innovative teaching technique namely
Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique.
NHT is a technique which comes from Cooperative Learning
approach that makes students work cooperatively in groups. This
technique was used by Sprencer Kagan in the 1992 year, in his
teaching on an ESL/EFL reading class (Jacobs and Hall, 2002). NHT
technique can encourage all members to know and to be ready to
explain their group’s answer (s) by allowing the members to help each
other, and when students help their group mates, they help themselves
and their whole group, because the answer given by one of the
members belong to the whole group, not just to the group member
who gives it (Hall and Jacobs, 2002).
3. Designing Lesson Plans
In this step, the researcher made lesson plan to the seventh
grade students at MTs Misriu Al-Hasan Kraton. The lesson plan
consisted of identity of subject, name of the school, grade, material of
teaching, time allocation, objectives of teaching, procedures of
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In designing the lesson plan, the researcher asked some helps
from the teacher. The researcher brought the English module from the
teacher and the most materials were taken from the module. After the
researcher had finished in designing lesson plan, the researcher asked
the teacher to look and correct if there were materials that should not
be taught . The more the detail description of the lesson plan could be
seen in appendices 4 and 9.
4. Preparing Criteria of Success
Preparing criteria of success was done before the researcher
conducted the research. The criteria of success was a limitation for the
researcher to continue or to stop the research if the criteria has been
achieved. This research was sussess if all of the criterias of success
have been accived.
The first criteria was a student was called success if he or she
could pass the minimum score (KKM) that was 75. While to determine
the success of the whole students it can be seen from the formula
(Depdiknas cited in Priscanita, Susanto, and Hobri, 2013) below:
Pk = n x 100%
Note:
Pk = the percentage of the whole
students’ success
n = the amount of students’ success
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If the result of Pk is 75% or more than that, it means that the whole
students are success.
The second criteria was from the observation sheet. At least
80% of students should have good performance in the teaching and
learning process. If both of the criterias above could be achieved, it
meant that the research was successful.
5. Training the Collaborator Teacher
If the researcher is not a teacher yet ( a student), Classroom
Action Research (CAR) usually done in collaborative between the
researcher and the collaborative teacher. But if the researcher is
already a teacher, she or he can conduct CAR alone. In this research
the researcher is a student, so the research was done with collaborative
teacher.
In this research, the teacher who asked the researcher as an
English teacher who applied NHT technique in the class. But before
the researcher applied the technique, the researcher has showed about
the technique and how to apply it to the teacher. And the teacher as a
collaborative teacher who accompanied the researcher in the class
while observed and filled the observation sheet.
c.
ImplementingThe implementing or acting stage in this research was the
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that must be taught, which the technique used, and what are the steps in
doing the technique, etc.
Acting in this cycle 1 was begun on January 17th, 2017
(8:20-9:30). In this time, the researcher started to teach the class. Before the
researcher begun to ask students to discuss, the researcher introduced and
explained about the technique that was going to be used in the class, the
technique was Numbered Heads Together (NHT) technique. Second, the
researcher would like to make 9 groups. Then the researcher asked the
students to count from number 1 until 9. It was begun from a students that
was sat on front chair in the right side. Next, a student with number 1 was
asked to sit down nearly with other students that also got number 1. A
student with number 2 was asked to sit down nearly with other students
that also got number 2 and so on. So, in each groups consisted around 3
until 4 students. After that, the researcher gave number 1 until 4 to each
members in each groups.
After the students have sat down with their group mates, the
researcher asked the students to observe a monkey picture on page 46.
Second, the researcher asked to the students: ‘’ could you describe the
special character of this monkey by using English language?’’. Most of the
students said that they could not do it. After that, the researcher said that if
they want to be able to describe animal, person, place, or thing they should
understand well about Descriptive text. Then, the researcher wrote down
the definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that
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write them in their book notes and explained about them after everybody
has finished writing. In the researcher’s explanation, the researcher also
asked about the difference of generic structure between Descriptive text
and Procedural text. And no one remembered that, whereas their teacher
has been explained about Procedural text.
Meanwhile, to invite the students to present their understanding
about the material, the researcher tried to ask the students about the
definition, the social function, the generic structure, and the tense that is
used by Descriptive text and there were some girl students that could
answer.
In the second meeting, on 23rd January 2017 (10:40-12 a.m.),
before beginning discussion the researcher asked the students to sit down
with the their groups bas on the groups that were made from previous
meeting. After they were sitting with their group mates. Thee researcher
asked the students to observe rabbit picture on page 47. Then, the
researcher asked the student ‘’ Could you describe the picture by using
English language?’’ There was no one braved to answer the question.
Because there was no one can do it, the researcher asked the students to
learn more about text organization/ generic structure and language
features of Descriptive text on page 48. To invite the students to present
their understanding about the material, the researcher gave a text under the
title ‘’School Bazaar’’ which was completed with some written questions
to each students in groups. Then, the researcher gave time to students to
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students to ‘’put their heads together’’ to show their answers, to discuss,
and to teach each other. Next, the researcher called number 1-4 and
students with that number answer simultaneously on white board. The
last, the researcher gave feedback toward the answers.
In the third meeting as the end of cycle 1, on 24th January 2017
(10:40-12 a.m.), the researcher reviewed the material that have been
explained before. Then the researcher gave cycle 1 test in the end of cycle
1. The test consisted of 10 questions in the form of multiple choices. It was
done to know the improvement of students reading ability by using NHT
technique.
d. Observing
Observations enable researchers to record important details that
become the basis to formulating descriptions from which stake holding
groups produce their accounts (Stringer, 2007). Thus, observation takes an
important role in gathering data. Because in Action Research , observation
as one kind of instruments that is often used by researchers.
The focus of the observation is the students’ performance in
teaching learning process. Observing is doing when the researcher
implements the technique in the class room. The objectives of observing
now the result of the implementation of the technique and to find out the
improvement of the weakness.
To observe the students’ performance in the process of teaching
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the researcher made an observation sheet to make the observer became
more easy in observing. The researcher also made field note format to help
observe students and to help the researcher in reflecting the action that has
been applied.
The obsecrvation of this cycle 1 was done on January 23th 2017
and the description of the students’ performance could be seen in
observation sheet, see appendix 8.
e. Reflecting
Reflection is stage where the researcher analyzes large amounts of
data to reduce the quantity of information and to obtain a clearer
understanding of what is happening and how it is happening for each
stakeholder in relation to the problem or issue being investigated (Stringer,
2007). It is is done after observation. The purpose of this phase is to reflect
the result of the observing phase. Through this phase the researcher can
find out whether the research problem has been solved or not and whether
there is a new problem appears during the acting phase or not. Beside that,
the researcher can make a decision whether the Action Research would
