IMPROVING THE NINTH YEAR STUDENTS’ STRUCTURE MASTERY ON DEGREES OF COMPARISON BY USING GAMES AT MTSN ARJASA JEMBER

Abstract

Structure is one of the language components that plays a salient role in learning English since by mastering this component the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing will improve. Based on the preliminary study at MTsN Arjasa Jember, it was found that the Ninth year students faced difficulties in learning structure, especially on degrees of comparison. There was only 32% of the students got 60 in the test conducted by the English teacher, whereas the standard score requirement was 65. The students were also considered inactive since they did not participate actively during the English teaching and learning process. Game was the solution undertaken to solve the problem in learning degrees of comparison. It can help the students to learn structure easily as it is fun and interesting. Some previous results approved that games were helpful to stimulate the students’ interest in learning structure. Games in this research were limited to Tick Tick Tick, Tug of Words, Count the Beads, and The Picture Games. The Classroom Action Research (CAR) with cycle model was applied in this study. The actions were carried out to improve the ninth year students’ structure mastery of degrees of comparison by using games at MTsN Arjasa Jember. The research was conducted in two cycles, in which each cycle covered four main sequence stages, namely the planning of the action, the implementing of the action, the classroom observation and evaluation, and the data analysis and reflection. Then, each cycle was conducted in three meetings. Structure test as the primary data of the students’ structure mastery of degrees of comparison was administered in the third meeting. Then, the supporting data were gathered from interview and documentation. The result of the students’ structure test of degrees of comparison in cycle 1 showed that the percentage of the students who got score at least 70 was 64 %. It was considered unsuccessful since the criterion of the successful action was 70 %. Meanwhile, the average results of the observation showed that 70 % of the students did the first indicator of the observation that was raising their hands to answer the teacher’s questions, 72 % of the students did the second indicator that was doing the instruction given by the teacher, 82 % of the students did the third indicator that was actively participated in group activity in playing games, and 96 % of the students did the fourth indicator that was actively participated in individual activity during the game. The results of the structure test in cycle 1 showed that the second cycle was needed to be conducted, although the average results of the observation had achieved the criteria of the successful action. The result of the students’ structure test of degrees of comparison in cycle 2 showed improvement. The percentage of the students who got score 70 or more was 80 %. It means that the action in cycle two was successful. Moreover, the results of the observation checklist showed that the action was consistent since the average percentage of the students who did the first indicator of the observation was 74 %; the second indicator was 82 %; the third indicator was 88 %; and the fourth indicator was 98 %. Thus, the actions in cycle two had met the standard requirement of process and product evaluation that was 70 %. Regarding the research results above, it could be concluded that games could improve the students’ structure mastery of degrees of comparison. Therefore, it is suggested that the English teacher use games as an alternative technique in teaching structure particularly on degrees of comparison.