| dc.description.abstract | This Classroom Action Research was intended to improve the eighth grade
students’ speaking ability through story games at SMP Negeri 1 Nguling Pasuruan in
the 2011/2012 academic year. The research subjects were the students of class VIII
1 that were determined purposively by consulting to the eighth grade English teacher.
Based on the information from the teacher, this class had the lowest speaking
achievement among other six classes of class VIII. The average score of speaking
was 63.3 (fair category). It is below the mastery score level of speaking at that school
that is 70.
This classroom action research was done in two cycles in which each cycle
covered four stages of activities, namely planning the action; implementing the
action; observing and evaluating; and analyzing the data and reflecting the action.
Each cycle was conducted in two meetings. The data about the students’ speaking
achievement were collected by administering the speaking test after the actions given.
Observation was used to monitor the process of teaching speaking through story
games especially “Build a Story” game and the students’ active participation in the
classroom. The supporting data were collected by interview and documentation.
In cycle I, the results of the speaking test showed that the mean score of the
students’ achievement test was 68.9 (fair category). Then, there was only 57.1% of
the total students could achieve the target score, that was at least
≥70. In other words,
the percentage of the students’ speaking achievement that got score at least ≥70 was
below 75%. Then, based on the classroom observation it was revealed that there were
only 25 of 35 students (71.4%) who were actively involved in the teaching learning
activities in the first meeting and there were 27 of 35 students (77.1%) who were
actively involved in the teaching learning activities in the second meeting. It means
that the result of the observation in cycle I had not achieved the requirement of the
research because the result of the observation in the first meeting had not achieved
the requirement of the research that was at least 75% of the students. It showed that
this research result had not fulfilled the criteria of the success of the action.
Therefore, the actions in cycle II were conducted in order to improve the students’
speaking ability through story games, especially “Build a Story” game.
The actions were continued to the second cycle by revising some necessary
aspects. The English teacher and the researcher collaborated in determining the
members of the groups. The students were equally grouped based on the result of the
speaking test in cycle I and the observation was done by the observer during the
actions in cycle 1. Besides, the teacher gave more attention to the groups in which the
members didn’t get the same opportunities in the discussion and gave chance to the
students to ask questions whether or not they had understood the materials. Moreover,
the English teacher and the researcher tried to get more interesting stories which were
familiar for the students. Some topics were taken from some students’ past
experiences. It was hoped that the revision could make the students improve their
speaking ability.
In the second cycle, the results of speaking test showed improvement. The
mean score of the students’ speaking achievement test was 73.8 (good category). It
was higher than the mean score in cycle I that was 68.9. Then, there was
improvement of the students who could achieve the target score required, that was at
least 75. There were 27 students or 77.1% of the total students got scores at least
≥70.
Regarding the students’ active participation in the teaching learning process of
speaking, it also improved. Then, based on the classroom observation it was revealed
that there were 29 of 35 students (82.9%) who were actively involved in the teaching
learning activities in the first meeting and there were 30 of 35 students (85.7%) who
were actively involved in the teaching learning activities in the second meeting.
These results indicated that this research had fulfilled the criteria of the success of
this action research.
Based on the results, it could be concluded that the teaching of speaking
through story games especially “Build a Story” game could improve the students’
speaking ability as well as their active participation in the process of speaking
teaching learning. Then, it is suggested that the English teachers to use story games
especially “Build a Story” game as an alternative way in teaching speaking to
improve the students’ speaking ability. | en_US |
