THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY IN IMPROVING STUDENTS MOTIV A TION OF THE 2 nd GRADE OF STUDENTS OF SMA NEGERI

1 KEBUMEN OF 2009/2010 ACADEMIC YEAR

A Thesis Proposal Written by: Barkah Tri Anggono NIM 05202244074

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPERTEMENT LANGUAGES AND ARTS FACULTY YOGYAKARTA STATE UNIVERSITY JUNE 2009
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Problem A language is a systematic means of communication by the use of sounds or conventional symbols. It is the code we all use to express ourselves and communicate to others. It is a system for communicating ideas and feelings using sounds, gestures, signs or marks. A language is the written and spoken methods of combining words to create meaning used by a particular group of people. For various historical and economic reasons, English has become the dominant language of the world in the twenty-first century. English is the language of science, air traffic control, and tourism, the Internet and to a very large extent of trade and export. So that is why improving the quality in teaching English is very important to prepare the learners of English as a Foreign Language can be competitive as the human resource in their life. There are infinite procedures teachers use to achieve desired effects from their students, but there are general patterns these motivational tools follow. In order for teachers to communicate with their students, they must identify with their needs on an individual basis (Gawel, 1997). It is important to think about motivation as the essence of language teaching because of the stark realities of learning English. The condition which happens in class is the students feel afraid of English as one of their subject. It is because they feel that English is very difficult to learn. So that, most students do not have enough motivation to learn and to get involve in the activity of learning. Because of these adverse conditions, the students have to have extraordinary motivation in order to succeed at learning English. In teaching learning process, students motivation is very essential. Students motivation in learning English can be a good modal for enhancing the teachers objectives in their class. Because of the importance of motivation, the teacher should be more creative in order to enhancing students motivation in the class. It is necessary to

apply an affective learning technique remembering learning strategy is one of the important tools which bring the significant role in the learning process. B. Identification of the Problem According to Prayitno (1989: 94) there are some aspects on teaching which can influence students learning motivation. They are teacher, student, material, media, method, and evaluation. Based on the Prayitno statement above, method brings also the significant influence in the success of the process of teaching learning, especially in terms of improving students motivation in the class. So that, the effective strategy should be applied by the teacher in achieving class objectives. There are some strategies in learning. According to Johnson & Johnson (1991), there are four types of learning. They are Competitive Learning, Individualistic Learning, Collaborative Learning and Cooperative Learning . 1). Competitive Learning Competitive learning exists when one student goal is achieved; all other students fail to reach that goal. (Johnson & Johnson,1991). Competitive learning can be interpersonal (between individuals), where rows are most important or intergroup (between groups), where a group setting is appropriate. Competitive learning can also be a cooperative activity when the students formulate their own term and rules of the contest, giving them ownership of the activity (Johnson & Johnson,1991). 2). Individualistic Learning This type of learning exists when the learning or achievement of one student is independent and separate from the achievements of the other students in the class (Johnson&Johnson,1991). Individual learning implies that knowledge and cognitive skill are assets that teacher can transfer to the learner (Saloman & Perkins, 1998). This learning can be described as teacher-centered; that is, the teacher provides the major source of information, assistance, criticism and feedback. Students work alone and are not expected to be interrupted by other students. In this regard, students may be seated as far from each other as space permits. 3). Collaborative Learning Collaborative learning takes place when students cooperate to construct a consensus to an open-ended activity. Collaborative learning shares many of the same traits as cooperative learning. It differs from cooperative learning by being more students centered than teacher centered. Collaborative learning provides a vehicle for social constructivism, where students are in control of their own learning and ultimately, the outcome of their learning. Cooperative learning is more concerned with a specific outcome based on teacher facilitation and knowledge transition (Panitz, 1996). Collaborative learning is best suited

to an arrangement of groups, where students can freely interact with each other and construct their ideas together. 3). Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning occurs when students work collaboratively towards a common goal (Panitz, 1996). Achievements are positively correlated with the other cooperating students. Students work together in small clusters or groups. C. Limitation of the Problem The problem of this study is limited to the effectiveness of cooperative learning as a strategy in English learning to increase students motivation for 2nd grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Kebumen of 2007/2008 Academic Year. D. Formulation of the Problem From the identification and limitation above, the problem of this research is Is the any significant difference between learning motivation of students who are taught using cooperative learning and those who are taught without it? E. Objectives of the Research The objective of this research is to find out whether there is any significant difference between learning motivation of students who are taught by applying Cooperative Learning and those who are taught without it. F. Significance of the Research 1). For the teacher, it can be useful information about the effectiveness of applying the Cooperative Learning strategy in the class. 2). The school can see how far Cooperative Learning influences the process of English learning in improving students motivation. 3). The significance for English Education Department of Yogyakarta State University is enriching and enlarging the knowledge of English Education practitioners in making policies and arranging curriculum or lecturers method in teaching.