Improving the Eighth Grade Students’ Descriptive Paragraph Writing Ability by Cooperative Learning Strategy using Think- Pair-Share Technique at SMP Bustanul Makmur Genteng

Abstract

This classroom action research was intended to improve the eighth grade student’s descriptive paragraph writing ability at SMP Bustanul Makmur Genteng. This research was started by conducting an interview with the English teacher of the eighth grade students of SMP Bustanul Makmur Genteng on 24 th August 2009. Based on the preliminary, it was found that the students of class VIIIA faced difficulties in writing. It was revealed that class VIIIA only 45% of all students in that class who got 70 points or more Besides, the students were not actively involved in the teaching learning process of writing. Think-Pair-Share (TPS) as one model of cooperative learning strategy was chosen as a technique in the teaching learning process of writing under the reasons that through this technique, the students had time to think and formulate their ideas and allowed to share those ideas with their partners and then with all of the friends in the whole class. This classroom action research was done collaboratively with the English teacher covering planning of the action, implementation of the action, observation and evaluation, and analysis and reflection. This research was carried out in two cycles and each cycle consisted of three meetings included the test. The subject of this research was class VIII A of SMP Bustanul Makmur Genteng that consists of 41 students, in the second semester 2009/2010 academic year. The research target were 75% students got score at least 70 and 75% students actively involved in the teaching and learning writing ability through TPS technique. Based on the result of observation, it was found that 24 students or 59% of 41students actively participated in the teaching learning process of writing through TPS in Cycle 1 Meeting 1. Then, 26 students or 63% of 41 students were active in the teaching learning process of writing through TPS in Cycle 1 Meeting 2. Meanwhile, there were 22 students or 53.66% of 41 students who got score 70 or more. This result above showed that action I Cycle 1 did not