Improving the Eighth Grade Students’ Learning Engagement by Using Numbered Head Together Technique

Abstract

This classroom action research was intended to improve the eighth grade students’ learning engagement by using Numbered Head Together technique at SMP Negeri 9 Jember. Based on the preliminary study, there were 7 classes of the eighth-grade students. It was found that the most problematic case in the class was about the students’ learning engagement in teaching and learning process. The teacher said that he taught the students by using lecturing technique and question and answer technique. Nevertheless, that technique seemed to be effective to be implemented during teaching and learning process because it made the students passive, unenthusiastic, and bored in learning English. From the interview, the teacher suggested the researcher to conduct a research on VIII B class because they lacked of participation and showed minimum engagement in the classroom. From 31 students, there were 38.7% students categorized as fully engaged (A), 25.9% students categorized as fairly engaged (B), 19.3% students categorized as slightly engaged (C), and 16.1% students categorized as disengaged (D). In short, the engagement in the VIII B was needed to be improved.