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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the research design that was used in this study. The
description also involves method of research, place and time of research,
procedure of research, population and sample, instrumentation, and also data
analysis.

A. Method of Research

In this research, the writer used an action research method to conduct in

her research. The main problem in this research is students’ writing skill in junior
high school level. According to Nunan & Bailey (2009, p.227), they said that
“Action research is meant to lead to change and improvement in what happens in
the classroom. Action research entails more than simply providing descriptive and
interpretive accounts of the classsroom”. Hence, it is clear to conduct action
research method in this study, because the writer wants to improve
students’writing skill using sharring pairs strategy in the real classroom situation.
In other case, Nunan & Bailey (2009, p. 228) argued that “The characteristics of
action research are action research is carried out by classroom practitioners, action
research is collaborative in nature, and action research is aimed at bringing about
change”. From this explanation, it means, to conduct this method in the research,
the writer try to make clear based on the problem in his research. The writer as a
practitioner because the writer try to sharring pairs strategy to improve
students’writing skill. Then, the writer also collaborated with SMP English
teacher of SMP Negeri 1 Krangkeng. Because the SMP English teacher is a
person who knows well the real situation in the classroom and the characteristics
of the students. So, without collaborate it cannot be called action research because
the aim of action research method is to change for the students ability in Writing
skill.
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B. Place and Time of Research

This research was conducted in SMP Negeri 1 krangkeng. It is located at

Jl. Raya Krangkeng No. 35, Telp./Fax(0234) 7040563, Kode Pos 45217 –
Indramayu. The writer has reason why she chooses this school. The first reason is
because the students who are highly motivated, even though some of them might
not be. It can be seen from many awards that have been achieved by its students in
various competitions whether it have been held in Indramayu or other city. So, the
writer believes that this school is one of appropriate places to conduct the
research. The second reason is because this school has good and effective
classroom management. The third reason is because this school is very strategic
and also the location is not so far from the writer house. The last reason is because
the writer feels so familiar with the teachers, school staff, and students over there.
The students believes that feeling familiar can help the writer to do her research.

The research was conducted when the teaching learning process in the
school was running or in active teaching learning process. Because this time give
the writer chances to know more her research deeply and the situation in the
classroom research.

C. Procedures of Research

The procedures of research helped the writer to manage the schedule and
planning in her research. There are four components in one cycle for conducting
action research method. It consists of planning, action, observation, and reflection.
In this research, the writer uses the action research procedures by Kemmis &
McTaggart (as cited in Burns, 2010, p. 8). The research design consists of two
cycles. First cycle is accomplished to know how the implementation of using
sharring pairs strategy, and then after finishing the first cycle, if it may have some
problems or lacks in the result of the first cycle, the writer continue to the second
cycle to satisfy the finding research.
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The procedures of action research must do more one treatment for the
students to apply the sharring pairs strategy to conduct the research. Because the
one of characteristic from action research is to change students ability, especially
in writing skill. To be more detail about action research steps, the writer illustrates
as follow:

1. Planning
In this step, the writer planned what action has been done in
applying sharring pairs strategy. As stated by the writer in the background
of study, there are many problems in writing skill of the students in junior
high school. The students still get difficulties in writing activity to gain
information and meaning from the text they have been write , so they can
not perform their ability to share information with another and can not be
able to answer questions related the contents of material in the text. So, the
first step, the writer selected and adjusted the material with the English
teacher. After the determined the materials, the writer made lesson plan as
a guidline for teaching learning process and implementation of sharring
strategy in the classroom. Other preparation was also made by the writer to
conduct in his research such as: descriptive text as material.

2. Action
In this step, the writer carried out the entire detail action program
as planned in the writing class. The teaching activities were conducted step
by step based on the lesson plan was the writer make. The writer applied
sharring pairs strategy in teaching writing to the first grade students in
junior high school. Here, the writer came to the class with the lesson plan
that was previously approved by the supervisors and English teacher. The
writer gave the material about kind of descriptive text. Then the writer
instructed the students to read the text well and made some notes if they
have difficulties when reading activity to find meaning and information
from the text, it means related with the contents of the text. After that, the
 20

students made sharring pairs and the teaching strategy ready to begin.
Moreover, in the teaching learning process each student should be
prepared answer and questions to share their knowledge and information
they have been got after reading text, because the writer applied sharring
pairs strategy which motivated students in classroom to build community
with another students to interact and sharing information. It means, with
the strategy made students not bored and passive in the class because they
just sitting, not moving.
In this strategy, the writer also instructed the students to focus and
concertation because if the students not it make crowded and not
comfortable in applied the strategy. Every student should be to ask and
give answer, it means the strategy train the students to be more
responsibility with their ability to solve problem in learning reading. The
strategy gives students chance to share and get information in the time and
direct.

3. Observation
In this step, the writer was observed by the collaborator (English
teacher) to observe how the writer implements of sharring pairs strategy in
writing skill process in the classroom to improve students’ writing skill
The writer used observation from that has been formed by the writer to
collect the data from the result of action. The writer prepared the
observation worksheet to know how the writer can manage the condition
in the classroom when conduct the strategy and also how the writer giving
material for the students. After the collaborator observed the writer, the
result of observation will be discussed by the writer and collaborator to
know the problem faced when teaching learning process in the classroom
and also looking for a good solution to solve the problem. It was of course
made better in the next cycle.
 21

4. Reflection
In this step, the reflection was done by the writer to make
discussion with his collaborator or observer to know the changes happened
toward students, classroom atmosphere, and teacher whether the writer has
fully implemented the strategy in action or not. The writer analyzed the
students’ daily worksheets whether this strategy is successful, if not
unsuccessful the writer continued to the next cycle. Reflection made the
writer know deeply about the situation in the teaching learning process in
the classroom. It means, give the writer and the collaborator to improve
their skill in teaching reading ability because the appropriate strategy of
course gives effect for the students in the result of teaching learning
process in the classroom to be active or passive, bored or enjoyable, etc.
Based on the explanation above, the four steps about the
procedures in action research method is very helpful for the writer to
conduct this method in his research in the classroom. Those steps made the
writer more focus and can manage the research well to get the result
depend on what the writer hopes. The writer will control to apply her
research with what she had been planned. Because it make the writer get
easily to conduct his research in the classroom.
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Cycle I

Plan of action Action I

Reflection Observation I

Cycle II

Plan of action Action II

Reflection Observation II

Figure 3.1 The Procedures of Action Research by Kemmis & McTaggart

(as cited in Burns, 2010, p. 9).

D. Population and Sample

Population is a group of individual or subject which has the same

characteristic (Nunan, 1992, p. 27). In this research, the writer was conducted her
research in SMP Negeri 1 krangkeng as population. The writer chooses this school
because the located of school very strategic and not so far from the writer’s house.
Then, Sample is a subset of individuals from a given population (Nunan, 1992, p.
27 The writer chooses this class because the students very active in teaching
learning process, so the writer hopes the students can be invited to do this research
well in applying learning sharring pairs strategy in the classroom.
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E. Instrumentation

The instrument is important thing in collecting the data. The instrument in

the research is as a tool or facility that is used by the writer for collecting the data
in her research. The data that will be gained should be appropriate and proper due
to the data must correspond with what the writer expects to answer the problem in
the study. The data must be accurate and real to get better result. In this research,
the writer used action research method so the writer applied some instruments to
collect the data in her research. Like Nunan & Bailey (2009, p. 17), they said that
“ action research as a method involves systematic procedures for collecting data
and understanding their meaning in a local context”. The data of this research was
collected from observation, test, and questionnaire. Those instruments helped the
writer to collect the data to know how efficient the result of research and also to
know how the writer implements the strategy sharring pairs in the teaching
learning process in the classroom. The data gives new information and knowledge
about how the real situation in the classroom so the teacher to be more creative to
conduct appropriate strategy in teaching learning process, especially to teach
writing skill. The collective data is divided as follow:

1. Observation
The first instrument is observation. The classroom observation is
designed by the writer to gain some information which are needed by the
writer in her research. The subject of observation is an English teacher in
teaching learning process in the classroom. The aim of this observation is
to know how and evaluate the teacher’s activities and the condition of
class in teaching learning process in the classroom. The process of
teaching learning using sharring pairs strategy is to know the students’
difficulties and students’ understanding about the material was given by
the teacher. The items of observation are adapted from Brown (2001, p.
432) which is modified by the writer based on the needs. The observation
was conducted by the SMP English teacher (collaborator) in the class as
participants. In this research, the items in observation gave the effect to
 24

teaching learning process in the classroom done by the teacher to improve

student’s writing skill using sharring pairs strategy. The items of
observation in this research divided into five aspects, those are as follow:
a. Preparation.
b. Presentation.
c. Execution/Methods.
d. Personal Characteristics.
e. Teacher/Students Interaction.
The items of observation gave the writer understanding about how
to manage the class in teaching writing process after conducted the
research. The writer also more understood about how to create the
appropriate strategy in teaching learning process to make students more
active and creative in the classroom activities.

2. Test
After conducted the observation, the second instrument is test. The
writer asked the students with some questions based on the material has
been taught by the writer. Test is considered as the best way to know and
measure how well the students achieve and improve the ability about the
materials they have been learning in teaching learning process in the
classroom. The test is hold for three times and the form of test is written
test. The indicator for student’s writing test will be appropriately based on
the the text. In this research, the writer focused on student’s activities to
find the specific information from the text (scanning), to determine the
correct responses from the text, to find the meaning of words (deducing)
from the text, and to find the clarification in the text related to the
reference marker. This test will be used by the writer as guidance to
analyze how the student’s achievement of test to measure the student’s
writing skill improvement before and after the implementation of sharring
pairs strategy in teaching learning process in the classroom.
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Table 3.1 The Classification of Evaluation in writing skill ,

adapted from Harris (1969, p. 134).

No Score Level
1. 85 – 100 Excellent
2. 70 – 84 Good
3. 60 – 69 Enough
4. 50 – 59 Poor
5. < 50 Very poor

3. Questionnaire
The last instrument is questionnaire. According to Burns (2010, p.
81), she said that “there are two types of questionnaire form, they are
close-ended items and open-ended items”. In this research, the writer used
close-ended items questionnaire form to conduct in his research. In the
close-ended questionnaire, the students are required to fill out the
questionnaire by checklist based on their real condition. The typically of
close-ended items questionnaire such as yes/no, rating scales, numeric
scales, etc. In this line, the writer used rating scales questionnaire to collect
the data in her research. There are five points of rating scales in this
questionnaire those are strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and
strongly agree was computed for each question or items. The items of the
questionnaire are adapted from Hung (as cited in Chiang, 2005, pp. 268-
273) which is modified based on the writer needs. The questionnaire in
order to collect the perceptual data required for this research. The
questionnaire is designed by the writer to know how the student’s
attitudes in English reading text activities in teaching learning process in
the classroom and also to know how the student’s attitudes toward
sharring pairs strategy in teaching learning process to improve students’
writing skill in the classroom. The close-ended questionnaire is used by
the writer to get nominal percentage data based the problem in his
 26

research. The writer also explained each item carefully to make sure that
the students understood with the questionnaire. It was also accompanied
by a cover page of explanations and instructions.

F. Data Analysis

Based on how the writer gains the data, the data analysis of this study
belongs to quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Like Nunan & Baily (2009,
p. 413) affirmed that “ both quantitative and qualitative data are important in
language classroom research”. In analysis the data, the writer got the data from
observing when the teaching learning process to conduct the strategy was applied
in classroom, test after conducted the strategy to know how the result of the
students’ achievement in the material they have been learnt and questionnaire
after observation to know how the student’s attitudes in English writing and
sharring pairs strategy. It means, first, the writer analyzed the data using
qualitative data derived from teacher’s observation of implementation of sharring
pairs strategyin teaching learning process in the classroom. Second, the writer
analyzed using quantitative data derived from student’s test based on the students’
reading score per meeting or action within the cycle and also from the
questionnaire from the percentages of student’s answer of questionnaire. Those
data analysis are described as follow:

1. Observation
The first data comes from observation. The aim of this observation
is to know and evaluate how the teacher’s activities and the condition of
class in teaching learning process in the classroom. The process of
teaching learning using sharring pairs strategy is to know the students’
difficulties and students’ understanding about the material was given by
the teacher. The items of observation in this research are adapted from
Brown (2001, p. 432), which is modified by the writer based on the needs.
The observation was conducted by SMP English teacher (collaborator) in
the class as participants in this research. The items in observation gave the
 27

effect to teaching learning process in the classroom done by the teacher to

improve student’s writing skill using sharring pairs strategy. The
processing of observation data analysis the writer used descriptive
analysis. The writer knew the increasing of achievement every cycle
described the success of the teaching learning process using sharring pairs
strategy to improve student’s writing skill.

2. Test
The second data comes from the result of test. The data used by the
writer to examine what part of English difficult to be achieved by students,
so the writer understand and know how sharring pairs strategy improves
students’writing skill. Test is considered as the best way to know and
measure how well the students achieve and improve the ability about the
materials they have been learning in teaching learning process in the
classroom. The indicator for student’s writing test will be appropriately
based on the the text. In this research, the writer focused on student’s
activities to find the specific information from the text (scanning), to
determine the correct responses from the text, to find the meaning of
words (deducing) from the text, and to find the clarification in the text
related to the reference marker. This test will be used by the writer as
guidance to analyze how the student’s achievement of test to measure the
student’s writing skill improvement before and after the implementation of
sharring pairs strategy in teaching learning process in the classroom.
The data processing from test used descriptive statistics. Like
Nunan & Bailey (2009, p. 373) they said that “there are three main
measures of central tendency in the descriptive statistics. Those are the
mean, the median, and the mode”. The first is the mean, the mean is the
mathematical average. The writer uses mean to know the average of
student’s score in test and also to know the students’ achievement in
writing skill using shrarring pairs strategy. The actual formula of mean
looks like this:
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̅
X = ∑X
n
Explanation:
̅: The average of students’ score
X
∑ X: Total student’ score
n: The number of students
Second is the median, the median is the middle score in a data set.
In other definition, the mean is the score which is at the center of the
distribution. The median is used by the writer to measure of central
tendency when the number of score is small and/or when the data are
obtained by ordinal measurement. If an odd number of scores in the data
set, the medial will be the score that is right in the middle. If and even
number of scores in the data set, the median is the “midpoint between the
two middle scores”. The last is the mode, the mode is the most frequently
obtained score in a data set. The mode is used by the writer to measure of
most frequently score from test in his research. To find the mode, arrange
the scores from highest to lowest and look to see which score was obtained
most often.
The writer got score from the two cycles conducted in the research.
The three main measures of central tendency in the descriptive statistics
very important for the writer to make analysis, for example the mean of
students’ scores from first cycle will be compared with the mean of second
cycle. It is to know how far the progress of students in this research after
the get treatment using sharring pairs strategy in teaching learning process
in the classroom to improve student’s writing skill and also the writer
knows how this strategy improve or not students’ writing skill based on
the student’s score in the test.

3. Questionnaire
The last data comes from the questionnaire. In this research, the
writer used close-ended questionnaire form. In the close-ended
 29

quistionnaire, the students are required to fill out the questionnaire by

checklist based on their real condition. The typically of close-ended items
questionnaire such as yes/no, rating scales, numeric scales, etc. In this line,
the writer used rating scales questionnaire to collect the data. There are
five points of rating scales in this questionnaire, those are strongly
disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree was computed for
each question or items. The questionnaire in order to collect the perceptual
data required for this research. The questionnaire is designed by the writer
to know how the student’s attitudes in English reading text activities in
teaching learning process in the classroom and also to know how the
student’s attitudes toward sharring pairs strategy in teaching learning
process to improve students’ writing skill in the classsroom. The close-
ended questionnaire is used by the writer to get nominal percentage data
based the problem in his research. It means, to explain the real conditions
and responses of the students about their reading activities and applying
sharring pairs strategy in teaching learning process to improve students’
writing skill in the classroom. The items of the questionnaire are adapted
from Hung (as cited in Chiang, 2005, pp. 268-273), which is modified
based on the writer needs. The data processing from questionnaire used
descriptive statistics. The result was known from the percentage of
student’s answer of questionnaire from the first cycle and the second
cycle.