IMPROVING TENSE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE XI APk 3 STUDENTS THROUGH DIALOGUE TEXTS WITH THINK-PAIR-SHARE TECHNIQUE AT SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 1 GENTENG BANYUWANGI

Abstract

This Classroom Action Research was intended to improve tense achievement of theXI APk.3 students through dialogue texts with Think-Pair-Share Technique at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Gentengin the 2011/2012 academic year. Based on the preliminary study in the form of interview with the English teacher of SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Genteng Banyuwangi, it was revealed that the students of grade XI of that school, especially class of XI APk 3 still had problems in comprehending the English materials, especially grammar. It was found that the students’ scores of English subject from daily tests were still low in which the students’ score were less than the standard minimum scores of the English subject that was 65. Based on the informal interview, she stated that tense was a part of grammar that was extremely difficult for her students. Some of tenses that often made them confused were simple present tense, present continuous tense, simple past tense, and present perfect tense. They still got difficulties in using those tenses. The students could not differentiate the usage of verbs in each of tense. Another problem that arises in that school was that the way of the English teacher in teaching grammar, especially tenses. The teacher still taught tense by the conventional method that was the lecturing method. They explained about the sentence patterns then followed by some examples, and end by giving exercises that were usually given in the form of separate sentences. Therefore, this conventional method often made the students difficult to apply the patterns in real communication both in the written and spoken forms. The data collection methods used tense achievement test and the observation in the form of checklist to get the primary data. The data were analyzed statistically and non-statistically. The action was implemented in two cycles in order to achieve the objectives of this classroom action research. The first cycle was done in three meetings including the test. The result of the tense achievement test in the first cycle had not achieved the criteria of success of the research that was 70% of the students got 65 or higher in the tense achievement test. The percentage of the students who got score ≥ 65 was only 20 students or 58.8% of 34students. In addition, the results of the classroom observation showed that 44.1% in meeting 1 and 52.8% in meeting 2 of the students were active during the teaching learning process. It showed that there was improvement of the students’ active participation from meeting 1 to meeting 2, but it had not achieved the objective of the research that was 70% of the students who were active in the tense teaching learning process. Based on the results of the first cycle above, the second cycle was necessary to be conducted. Some revision had been made to solve the problems found in the first cycle. The tense achievement test and classroom observation in the second cycle showed an improvement. In the tense achievement test result, the percentage of the students who got score ≥ 65 in the tense achievement test was 25 students, or 73.5% of34students. Furthermore, in the classroom observation, the students’ active participation showed that 73.5% in meeting 1 and 82.4% in meeting 2 of the students were actively participated in the teaching learning process. Thus, the result of the observation in meeting 1 and meeting 2 had achieved the objective of the research. Based on those results, it can be concluded that the actions in the second cycle were successful because the results of tense achievement test and classroom observation achieved the objectives of the research. Finally, it can be summarized that the use of dialogue texts with Think-PairShare technique could improve tense achievement of the XI APk. 3 students and their active participation in the tense teaching learning process at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Genteng Banyuwangi in the 2011/2012 academic year.