IMPROVING THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS’ RECOUNT TEXT WRITING ABILITY BY USING WRITTEN QUESTIONING TECHNIQUE AT SMP AL-FALAH PESANGGRAHAN IN THE 2010/2011 ACADEMIC YEAR

Abstract

This classroom action research was intended to improve the eighth grade students’ writing ability at SMP Al-Falah Pesanggrahan in the 2010/2011 academic year. This research was started by conducting preliminary study through interview, and classroom observation. From the results of preliminary study, it was known that the eighth grade students, especially VIIIB students, still experienced difficulties in writing English in especially generating and organizing the ideas, the use of grammar and vocabulary, mechanic, and organization. To overcome those problems, the researcher offered some techniques that related to the problems. Finally, both the researcher and the English teacher agreed to apply written questioning technique because this technique was more appropriate to overcome the students’ problems in writing. This research was carried out in two cycles. Each cycle covered the stages that include planning the action, implementing the action, observing and evaluating, and reflecting the action. These activities were conducted in each cycle. The first cycle was conducted in three meetings including the writing test. The data about the students’ writing ability were collected through the writing test. Meanwhile, observation was used to monitor the teaching and learning process of writing by using checklist and field notes. The results of the students’ writing ability in the first cycle showed that the percentage of the students who got score 65 or more was 56.7%. In addition, the results of observation in cycle I revealed that only 55.4% of 37 students actively participated in the teaching and learning process of writing by using written questioning technique. The rest of the subjects (44.6% of 37 students) were passive in joining the lesson. They were reluctant to ask questions and answer the teacher’s oral questions. Besides, some students did not pay much attention to the lesson; some students tend to talk to their friends and did anything. Based on those results, the action given in the first cycle was not successful yet. Therefore, the actions were continued to the second cycle by revising the lesson plans in the first cycle by considering the students’ weaknesses and errors they made on the writing test in the first cycle. In cycle II, the English teacher gave more explanation about recount text including the text organization. In the writing exercise, the English teacher provided a topic which was easier than those in the first cycle. The results of the students’ writing ability test in the second cycle showed that 81.08% of 37 students got score 65 or more. It improved from 56.7% in cycle I to 81.08% in cycle II. Besides, there was also an improvement on the percentage of the students’ active participation in the teaching and learning process of writing by using written questioning technique. It improved from 55.4% in cycle I to 78.3% in cycle II. It means that both the students’ writing test and the students’ active participation in the teaching and learning process of writing by using written questioning technique improved in the second cycle and fulfilled the success criteria of this research. Thus, the action research was ended. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the use of written questioning technique in the teaching and learning process of writing could improve the students’ writing ability in two cycles. Then, it is suggested to the English teacher and the students to apply written questioning technique as a technique in writing. It is due to the fact that written questioning technique could improve the students’ writing ability.