IMPROVING GRADE 8C STUDENTS’ RECOUNT TEXT WRITING ACHIEVEMENT BY USING WEBBING TECHNIQUE AT SMP NEGERI 7 JEMBER

Abstract

This Classroom Action Research was intended to improve the grade 8C students’ recount text writing achievement by using Webbing technique at SMP Negeri 7 Jember in the 2011/2012 academic year. This research subject was determined purposively, because their writing achievement score was the lowest among the five existing classes which has below the standard mastery of English of the school that is 70. It was known from the result of the preliminary study by using interview, classroom observation, and students’ previous writing score. Besides, they also still faced difficulties in the areas of tenses or structure masteries, vocabulary, mechanical skills, organization, and the content of the text. As the result, they faced difficulties in composing writing in English. Finally, both of the researcher and the English teacher agreed to apply webbing technique because this learning technique was suitable to solve the students’ problems in writing. This research was carried out in two cycles. Each cycle covered the stages that include planning the action, implementation of the action, classroom observation and evaluation, and analysis and the reflection of the action. These activities were conducted in each cycle. The first cycle was conducted in three meetings including the writing test. The data of the students’ writing achievement were collected through the writing test. Meanwhile, observation was used to monitor the teaching learning process of writing by using checklist. The result of the students’ writing achievement in the first cycle showed that the mean score was 68.32 and the percentage of the students who got score ≥70 was 48.84%. In addition, the results of observation in cycle 1 were only 51.16% out of 43 students were actively participated in the teaching learning process of writing recount text by using webbing technique. Besides, there were 21 students or 48.84% out of 43 students were passive in the teaching learning process. Based on those results, it could be concluded that the action done in first cycle was not successful yet. Therefore, the actions continued to the second cycle by revising the lesson plans in the first cycle considering the students’ weaknesses and errors they made in the writing test in the first cycle. In cycle 2, the researcher gave more explanations about webbing technique, recount text, and past tense. Besides, the researcher gave them opportunities to ask the problem they had faced. The result of the students’ writing in cycle 2 showed that 77.5% out of 40 students got score ≥ 70. It improved from 48.84% in cycle 1 to 77.5% in cycle 2. Besides, there was also an improvement of the percentage of the students’ active participation in the teaching learning process recount text writing achievement by using webbing technique. It improved from 48.84% in cycle 1 to 69.77% in cycle 2. It means that both the students’ writing test and the students’ active participation in the teaching learning process of writing by using webbing technique improved in the second cycle and fulfilled the success criteria of this research. Thus, the action research was ended. Based on the result above, it can be concluded that the use of webbing technique in the teaching learning process of recount text writing could improve the students’ writing achievement in two cycles. It is suggested to the English teacher and the students to apply webbing technique as an alternative technique in teaching or practicing writing. It is due to the fact that webbing technique could improve the students’ recount text writing achievement. At last, for the future researcher, this research could be use as references to conduct further research dealing with the same or different aspects of English skills, research area, or research design in other school to develop the quality of teaching learning process of writing.