IMPROVING STUDENTS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING THROUGH ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, AND TOPIC (RAFT) STRATEGY

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1 IMPROVING STUDENTS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING THROUGH ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, AND TOPIC (RAFT) STRATEGY (A Classroom Action Research in the Seventh Grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang) A Skripsi Presented to the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers Training in a Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of S.Pd. (S1) in English Language Education By YANA RIYANTI NIM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHERS TRAINING SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY JAKARTA 2015

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5 ABSTRACT Yana Riyanti (NIM: ). IMPROVING STUDENTS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING THROUGH ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, AND TOPIC (RAFT) STRATEGY; (A Classroom Action Research in the Seventh Grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang). Skripsi of English Education at Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers Training of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Advisors Key Words : 1. Dr. Alek, M.Pd. 2. Ummi Kultsum, M.Pd. : Descriptive Writing, RAFT Strategy The objective of this research was to improve students ability in writing descriptive text by applying Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy for the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta, Jombang. The method used in this research was Classroom Action Research (CAR) that followed the model design of Kurt Lewin. The research was conducted in two cycles. Subject in this research was seventh grade students of SMP Paramarta Jombang. Data collecting procedures were observations, questionnaires, tests, and journals. The result of this research was that the implementation of RAFT strategy in learning to write descriptive text had increased. The research finding of the last cycle showed that 90% or 27 students could achieved the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) of English subject (70.0). In addition, the result of questionnaires and observations showed that the students appeared more motivated in learning English, especially for writing material. Based on the result above, it can be concluded that RAFT strategy can be used to improve students ability in writing descriptive text. iv

6 ABSTRAK Yana Riyanti (NIM: ). IMPROVING STUDENTS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING THROUGH ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, AND TOPIC (RAFT) STRATEGY; (A Classroom Action Research in the Seventh Grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang). Skripsi, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Pembimbing : 1. Dr. Alek, M.Pd. 2. Ummi Kultsum, M.Pd. Kata Kunci : Menulis Deskriptif, Strategi RAFT Penelitian in bertujuan meningkatkan kemampuan siswa dalam menulis teks deskriptif dengan menerapkan strategi RAFT untuk siswa kelas tujuh di SMP Paramarta Jombang. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK) yang mengikuti desain model dari Kurt Lewin. Penelitian in dilaksanakan dalam dua siklus. Subjek pada penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas tujuh SMP Paramarta Jombang. Prosedur pengumpulan data antara lain pengamatan, angket, tes, dan jurnal. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah bahwa penerapan strategi RAFT dalam pembelajaran menulis teks deskriptif mengalami peningkatan. Hasil penelitian pada siklus terakhir menunjukan bahwa 90% atau 27 siswa dapat mencapai kriteria ketuntasan minimal dengan nilai (70.0). Disamping itu, hasil dari angket dan pengamatan menunjukan bahwa siswa terlihat lebih termotivasi dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris, khususnya untuk materi menulis. Berdasarkan hasil di atas, dapat disimpulkan bahwa strategi RAFT dapat digunakan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan siswa dalam menulis teks deskriptif. v

7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful Praised be to Allah, Lord of the world, who has given the writer His mercies, blesses and permission to accomplish this Skripsi. Peace and salutation be upon to the prophet Muhammad, his family, his companion, and his followers. It is a valuable thing that the writer finally accomplished her Skripsi entitled Improving Students Descriptive Writing through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) Strategy (A Classroom Action Research in the Seventh Grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang). It is presented to the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers Training in a Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Strata 1 (S.Pd.) in English Language Education. First, the writer would like to express the greatest gratitude to her beloved parents; Husairi and Sumarni. Moreover, the writer also thanks to her beloved brother, Achmad Riyanto, ST., who always give support, motivation and moral encouragement to finish her study. Next, the writer would like to express her great appreciation to her advisors, Dr. Alek, M.Pd. and Ummi Kultsum M.Pd. who have patiently given their valuable guidance, motivation, suggestion and help throughout the Skripsi writing process. The writer would also like to express her gratitude to: 1. All Lectures in English Education Department for giving precious knowledge, sharing philosophy of life, and giving wonderful study experience. 2. Dr. Alek, M.Pd., the Head of Department of English Education. 3. Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum., the Secretary of Department of English Education and the researcher s academic advisor. 4. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Thib Raya, MA., the Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers Training. 5. Drs. Kusman, the principal of SMP Paramarta Jombang. 6. All of teachers in SMP Paramarta Jombang. vi

8 7. All of students in the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta, especially the class of VII A who participated in the research. 8. All of beloved friends in PBI B class in English Education Department. In addition, special thanks go to Indri Pangestuti Rahayu and Kuswatun. 9. To any other person who give contribution to the writer and cannot be mentioned one by one. The writer realizes that this Skripsi is still far from perfect. Therefore, it is a very precious thing for her to get suggestion and criticism which can make this better. Jakarta, July 2015 The Writer vii

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page COVER SURAT PERNYATAAN KARYA SENDIRI... i APPROVAL LETTER... ii ENDORSEMENT SHEET... iii ABSTRACT.... iv ABSTRAK... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS... viii LIST OF TABLES... xi LIST OF FIGURES... xii LIST OF APPENDICES... xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION... 1 A. Background of the Research... 1 B. Identification of the Problem... 5 C. Limitation of the Problem... 5 D. Research Questions... 5 E. Objectives of the Research... 6 F. Significance of the Research... 6 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK... 7 A. Writing The Definition of Writing The Writing Process... 9 B. Descriptive Text The Definition of Descriptive The Purpose of Descriptive Types of Descriptive The Linguistic Features of Descriptive viii

10 5. The Generic Structure of Descriptive Text C. Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) Strategy The Definition of RAFT Strategy Procedures of RAFT Strategy The Sample of RAFT Writing The Advantages of RAFT Strategy D. Previous Related Studies CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Place and Time of the Research B. Research Design C. Research Procedures D. Subject of the Research E. Researcher s Role in the Research F. Research Instruments G. Data Collecting Procedures H. Data Analysis Procedures I. Trustworthiness CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION A. Data Description Findings of the Preliminary Study a. Data from Observation b. The Result of Pre-Questionnaire c. The Result of Pre-Action Test Findings of the First Cycle a. Planning b. Acting c. Observing d. Reflecting Findings of the Second Cycle a. Planning ix

11 b. Acting c. Observing d. Reflecting e. The Result of Student Post-Questionnaire B. Data Interpretation Observation Data Questionnaire Data Test Data Journal Data CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion B. Suggestion BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES x

12 LIST OF TABLE Table 2.1 Purpose of Description Table 2.2 The Example of RAFT Format Table 3.1 The Schedule of the Research Table 3.2 Analytical Scoring Rubric adapted from Jacobs et al.s Table 4.1 Students Result of Pre-Questionnaire Table 4.2 The Result of Observation Checklist (1/I) Table 4.3 The Result of Observation Checklist (2/I) Table 4.4 The Students Writing Score Table 4.5 The Result of Observation Checklist (1/II) Table 4.6 The Result of Observation Checklist (2/II) Table 4.7 Students Result of Post-Questionnaire xi

13 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1 Kurt Lewin s Action Research Design Figure 4.1 The Students Achievement in Writing Product xii

14 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Angket untuk Siswa (Before CAR) Appendix 2: The Result of Pre-Questionnaire Appendix 3: Angket untuk Siswa (After CAR) Appendix 4: The Result of Post-Questionnaire Appendix 5: The Result of Students Writing (Pre-Action Test) Appendix 6: The Result of Students Writing (Post-Action Test 1) Appendix 7: The Result of Students Writing (Post-Action Test 2) Appendix 8: Observational Notes for Need Analysis Appendix 9: Journal Appendix 10: Writing Prompt for Pre-Action Test Appendix 11: Writing Prompt for Cycle I Test Appendix 12: Writing Prompt for Cycle II Test Appendix 13: RAFT Reading Appendix 14: An Example of Descriptive Text about Family Appendix 15: Lesson Plans Appendix 16: Lembar Observasi Siswa Appendix 17: Lembar Observasi Guru Appendix 18: The Sample of Students Descriptive Writing Appendix 19: Surat Keterangan Penelitian xiii

15 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the general account of the research which covers: Background of the Research, Identification of the Problem, Limitation of the Problem, Research Questions, and Significance of the Research. A. Background of the Research In learning English there are four skills that should be mastered by the students, they are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Those skills always become the target of the final learning objectives. To be mastered in those four language skills, a learner has to go through a long process of learning. Consequently, The person has to apply the knowledge of language that she or he gets during the process. In everyday life, most people sometimes believed that writing is a natural gift rather than a learned skill. 1 So that, they tend to avoid writing because they think their writing is not that good. Such behavior will always break someone s chance in learning writing because they already feel that they cannot. Writing, like the other skills, can be learnt through practice. What many people find writing difficult is because writing does not simply pour their ideas into some media such as paper and computer. Therefore, there is no doubt that writing is considered as the most difficult skill in learning all languages, especially English. It becomes a problem for most of students in Indonesia because the role of English in our country is as a foreign language. In the book of Methodology in Language Teaching an Anthology of Current Practice by Richards and Renandya, it states that the skills involved in writing are highly complex: not only on generating and organizing idea, but also in translating these ideas into readable text. 2 Furthermore, when the writers write, 1 John Langan, English Skills with Readings, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001), p Jack C. Richards, and Willy A. Renandya (eds.), Methodology in Language Teaching an Anthology of Current Practice, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p

16 2 they also have to pay attention to the higher level skills (planning and organizing) and the lower level skills (spelling, punctuation, word choice, etc). So, it will show if their language proficiency is weak. In other words, the job of a writer is not easy because many aspects have to be well organized in order to produce a good writing. In addition, based on School-Based Curriculum or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP), writing is one of the skills taught in seventh grade of junior high school. The teaching of writing aims at enabling students to master functional texts and monologue texts or paragraphs in the form of descriptive, and procedure. Moreover, based on Competency Standard (Standar Kompetensi) and Basic Competency (Kompetensi Dasar), the seventh grade students are expected to be able to express meaningful ideas in term of functional texts (instruction, short notice, and warning) and monologue text (descriptive and procedural text). 3 The students also have to understand the text structure and the linguistic features of each text. Descriptive text is one of the monologue texts taught in the first year of Junior High school, and the topics will be about people, things, and places. Furthermore, descriptive text has a social function which is to describe the features of a particular someone, something, or a certain place. 4 For conducting the research, the writer chose SMP Paramarta because she has taught at that school since August 2014, and SMP Paramarta is a private school and it is divided into two separated buildings; first is SMP Paramarta Reguler which is located in Jombang, and the second is SMP Paramarta Unggulan in Sawah Lama. Therefore, the writer teaches at Paramarta Reguler. When the writer teaches at that school unfortunately, there were some problems that were faced by the students in learning English. 3 Depdiknas, Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (Shool Based Curriculum) Standar Isi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMP dan Mts, (Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2006). 4 Artono Wardiman, Masduki B. Jahur, and M. Sukirman Djusma. English in Focus for Grade VII Junior High School (SMP/MTs), (Jakarta:Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2008), p. 115.

17 3 Based on the teaching learning process and information sharing with other English teachers at SMP Paramarta, the writer found some problems regarding to teaching writing. First, a big part of the students had low interest in learning English. When the teacher gave a task or homework, some students did not do it. Second, they had no idea how to make a sentence in English, especially in developing their idea. Third, their language proficiency was still poor. It was shown when the students wrote a sentence; they made many mistakes because they lack of vocabulary, and sometimes the writer found errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation in their writing. As a result, they were not motivated to write because they were lazy and afraid to do it. Concerning by the facts above, there were situation that could influence students in learning English. The school environment for instance, in SMP Paramarta, there were ±45 students in each class. On the other hand, SMP Paramarta Unggulan has 25 students or fewer students in each class. It made the teaching and learning process in SMP Paramarta more difficult for the teachers, because the number of students was bigger and the teacher might not control the class effectively. Based on the preliminary study done in VII A of SMP Paramarta, the writer found that students were difficult to compose a descriptive paragraph about their friend. It was proved by the result of the students writing in preliminary study. The mean score of the students writing was 64.5 while the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) for English subject in SMP Paramarta was 70. The KKM itself was lower than other subjects, yet it was still quite hard for the students to reach it. Moreover, in three classes taught by the writer, VII B1, VII B2 and VII A, less than 15 students in each class got more than 70 in Ulangan Akhir Semester (UAS) in the first semester. It might be caused that the seventh grade students only learnt English in simpler way in their Elementary School, and it only emphasized on the vocabulary mastery not the sentence structure. Consequently, to give students a task to write was considered as a challenge for the teacher itself.

18 4 They had to study about the sentence structure from the very first, and it could make students felt rather frustrated in learning English. In fact, the Students tried to write a paragraph but it was only copying the example. So that, in order to teach writing for the first grade of Junior High school the teacher must apply a suitable strategy where it could match with the learning objectives and it can make students learn the material easier. Moreover, in School- Based Curriculum or KTSP, the learning process was focused on the students cognitive aspect; they had to master the material taught by the teacher. Besides, the writer thought that learning environment needed something interesting to encourage students to learn more and to be enthusiast in English. Actually, when learning English, some students were enthusiast, yet some were not following the activities seriously. The teaching learning process in the class was mostly spent in guiding students to do the exercise because if they were not guided they would not do it. Moreover, students group work was sometimes taken aside because of time allocation and the teachers were faced by the fact that whether they had to pay attention to the students mastery or to catch up the material. To overcome the problem, the writer decided to apply one strategy of teaching writing that could use in class related to the teaching writing that was called Role, Audience, Format, and Topic or RAFT for short. RAFT is one of writing strategies that is believed to be able to help students understand their role as a writer, to choose the audience for their writing, to use a certain writing format and to determine what kind of topic they will take for the writing. By using RAFT strategy students have opportunity to explore many different discourse forms and to use various formats for their writing exercise. 5 RAFT is a flexible writing strategy that helps students to write. This strategy also gives opportunity for the students to experience in creative and interesting way of writing. In Indonesia, some researchers had used this strategy to solve problems in writing at junior and senior high level, and most of the result 5 Martha Rapp Ruddell, John Wiley and Sons, Teaching Content Reading & Writing fifth edition. (New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Inc, 2008), p. 304.

19 5 of the researches was remain successful. Concerning with the explanation above, the writer is interested in conducting a research about Improving Students Descriptive Writing Through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) Strategy, (A Classroom Action Research in the Seventh Grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang). B. Identification of the Problem The problems that could be identified based on the background of the study above were: 1. A big part of students in SMP Paramarta had low motivation in learning English. 2. The students felt frustrated in learning grammar. 3. The students lacked of vocabulary. 4. The students also had difficulty in developing their idea. C. Limitation of the Problem This study was limited to the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta in order to improve the students descriptive writing through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy. D. Research Questions The formulation of the study was to answer these questions: 1. How are the students descriptive writing improved through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy? 2. To what extent is the improvement level of students descriptive writing through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy?

20 6 E. Objectives of the Research The study had a general objective to evaluate the English teaching and learning process especially in improving writing skill at SMP Paramarta. The other objectives were: 1. To find out the improvement of students descriptive through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy at the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta. 2. To find out what level Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy improves students descriptive writing at the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta. F. Significance of the Research By doing this research, the writer expects to give valuable contributions to: 1. The students First, the result of this research can be helpful for the students who learn English especially in writing descriptive text. By knowing R.A.F.T strategy for improving writing ability, the students are more motivated to express their ideas and develop their creativity in writing. 2. The English teacher The result of this research can be helpful for the teacher to improve her teaching in classes and to overcome the problems that have been faced in writing descriptive texts. 3. The other researchers This research has purpose to stimulate other people or researchers to replicate for further investigation about this certain issue. 4. The school This research is expected to improve the school quality in education, especially in teaching and learning English.

21 CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK In this chapter, the writer tries to give clear description of theoretical framework which covers about writing, descriptive text, and Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy for writing skill. A. Writing 1. The Definition of Writing Writing is one of activities that we regularly do in our life since we had learnt to write early in the school. When we were young we started to make scratches in a piece of paper then by the time we grew older our hand-writing is improved so was the ability to make more meaningful writing. On the other hand, in the book of Gateways to Academic Writing by Alan Meyers, the word writing comes from a verb; it means an activity or a process. 1 That is a simple way to describe writing yet there are a lot of definitions many experts proposed about it. Still in the same source, he also explains that one of ways to produce language is through writing; the concept is merely the same as speaking. 2 It is possible to add or correct after we said something but the difference is when we write we have more time to think about the intended object and to revise the unfinished work. Moreover, it will be more difficult if we learn to write in other languages; many aspects such as grammar, diction, etc in order to deliver the whole meaning to the reader. Meyers also adds that Writing is partly talent, but it is mostly a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice. 3 In line with Meyers, Langan in his book English Skills has the same opinion about writing as a skill; it can be learnt through practice, yet many people believed that writing is more likely a natural 1 Alan Meyers, Gateways to Academic Writing: Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Essays, (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005), p Ibid., 3 Ibid., p. 2. 7

22 8 gift rather than skill. 4 So, we can say that even great writers with an amazing writing skill had spent their time through practice because practice makes perfect. Moreover, he also states another definition that explains writing is a process of discovery. 5 The writer has gone through a long way to produce a good writing, and sometimes it involves a series of steps. In other words, to have a flawless writing we have to organize our idea, put it on a paper, and then revise it. They are all the processes of writing which writer has to follow. On the other hand, Raimes states that writing is a part of communication and it also helps students to learn. She explains it in three reasons: First, writing can foster students understanding about grammatical structures, vocabulary and idiom that teacher have been taught. Second, students have a chance to explore their language knowledge while they are writing, and they are brave enough to make a mistake. Third, students will engage in a new language when they write, and they use their eye, hand, and brain to express the idea in learning process. 6 It can be concluded that writing gives some benefits in linguistic competence for students who explore their writing through practice. Moreover, Flynn and Stainthrop argue that Writing is such a complex activity that it makes considerable demands upon our limited processing capacity. 7 In order to form a good, logic and meaningful sentences, a writer has to work out their feels and senses. Perhaps, it might not be easy for everyone to do so. Another writing definition from Sale, he defines that Writing considered as a mechanical skill. 8 What he means by mechanical is performance of a process which involves a series of sets, repeatable steps that can be listed so it turns easier to understand. Anyone who does those activities will have an instinct that in doing a job in this case is writing without have much effort. In other word, if someone 4 John Langan, English Skills, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001), p Ibid., p Ann Raimes, Techinques in Teaching Writing, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1983), p Naomi Fylnn and Rhone Stainthroph, The Learning and Teaching of Reading and Writing, (West Sussex: Whurr Publishers, 2006), p Roger Sale, On Writing, (Toronto: Random House Book, 1970), p. 15.

23 9 practices to write everyday they are trying to make it as a habit. Habit is something we do regularly and we do something we love. Furthermore, Sale adds that The first writing is usually copying, and in the early stages in writing is the same as handwriting skill. 9 He explains that children start to learn from letters, to spell the word and then to tell some words. Therefore, students tend to copy a writing example instead of making their own writing in the first time they learn to write in school. Moreover, at the same time, their teacher does not scold them whenever they make the same writing format. Indeed, learning to write is done through a long process, and to have a good writing someone has to practice; it does not have instant way. So, we have to keep in mind that a genius is once an amateur. 2. The Writing Process Meyers in his book Gateways to Academic Writing states that Writing well comes from working through a process of writing. When we read a book, it is the finished product of many hours of composing and revising. We did not see the draft making, and so on. 10 Writing process can be seen as a four main stages: planning, drafting, revising and editing. 11 In making a good piece of writing, ideally it has to be done in some stages but it might be varied for everyone. a. Planning Planning or pre-writing is considered as a basic for kinds of writing, reading, thinking and learning. 12 It is also viewed as an activity that encourages people to write. This stage will stimulate us to generate and gather information for writing and this stage can be done through these following activities: Brainstorming, Clustering, Free Writing, Wh-questions and etc. 13 In short, in the 9 Ibid., p Meyers, op. cit., p Jack C. Richard and Willy A. Renandya (eds.), Methodology in Language Teaching an Anthology of Current Practice, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p Martha Rapp Ruddell, John Wiley and Sons, Teaching Content Reading & Writing (5 th ed). (New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Inc, 2008), p Renandya, op. cit., p. 316.

24 10 planning stage, every writer can have different prewriting strategy before producing a fine writing. b. Drafting At this stage, the writer focuses on the fluency of writing but does not think about grammatical accuracy or the neatness of the draft. Spivey describes drafting as a process in which writer constructs knowledge, transforms that knowledge through organizing, selecting, and connecting ideas and then develops it in a written text. 14 Consequently, students will think about some ideas that will be useful to finish his or her work. The drafting may relate to the topic or the writers purpose at the beginning. c. Revising Revising is not simply checking for language errors. Hence, it is done to improve the content and the organization of ideas so that the writer s purpose is made clearer to the reader. For instance, students revise when they are given a feedback by their teacher or friends for their writing. It means that different people tend to have different opinion about something and it is commonly found in writing. Another reason is to make students more motivate in producing a good writing. d. Editing At this stage, language errors, such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, sentence structure and accuracy should be fixed in order to prepare the final draft for evaluation. The mistakes might be found during self rechecking or analyzing peer s work. In editing, there is usually a rubric to recognize errors and mistakes in writing and it is useful to identify what kind of errors we or our friend made. Moreover, in editing process, it makes students see the connection between their own work and the exercise in order to create clear and unambiguous communication. 14 Sons, op. cit., p. 296.

25 11 B. Descriptive Text 1. The Definition of Descriptive Descriptive or description is one of ways to tell about something by giving more details so we can visualize what it actually looks, what its taste, and etc through our senses. Descriptive is usually used by writers to create lively object, scene, and place in their work as they give readers more experience while reading it. Hence, the readers will be easier to explore their imagination if the writing is described in a well vivid description. In line with the writer s opinion about description, it has been defined by philosophers as a mode of perception, or a means of knowing. 15 It gives the writer to record sensory details, to reflect on an experience and think about its advantage. Furthermore, in a book Students Writer it states that Description adds an important dimension to our lives because it moves our emotional and expands our experience by taking us to places we might not otherwise know much about. 16 Sometimes, we did not notice that we always find descriptions in our everyday lives. For instance, in mass media, we can easily read an article or news that describes about popular issues or when we had a bad experience and we tell about it to our friends in much detail, they will feel it too. But, if we slightly talked about our vacation to someone, perhaps he or she would not get the whole picture. 2. The Purpose of Descriptive We use descriptive in various kind of writing, such as college paper, job application, report, or other documents. On the other hand, in different scope, in research, business, and technical writing for example, writers use description to help readers understand the material qualities and fundamental structure of physical objects, organism, and phenomena. And, in expressive writing such as 15 Betty Mattix Dietsh, Reasoning & Writing Well a Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003), p Barbara Fine Clouse, The Student Writer, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002), p. 142.

26 12 personal essays and narratives, autobiographies, and poems, the writers will guide the emotional responses of reader. It can be assumed that each kind of descriptive writings has different purposes and a suitable descriptive detail can strengthen the main idea. Therefore, successful description has a purpose: giving details to the thesis or the point of the description so the reader will catch the message. 17 However, another source divides several purposes of description, and it can be seen as follows: Table 2.1 Think Like a Writer: Purposes for Description 18 Purpose Description To entertain An amusing description of a teenager s bedroom To express feelings A description of your favorite outdoor retreat so your reader understands why you enjoy it so much To relate experience A description of your childhood home to convey a sense of the poverty you grew up in To Inform (for a reader unfamiliar A description of a newborn calf for with the subject) To inform (to create a fresh appreciation for the familiar) To persuade (to convince the reader that some music videos degrade women) a reader who has never seen one A description of an apple to help the reader rediscover the joys of this simple fruit A description of a degrading music video 3. Types of Descriptive There are two types of descriptive: Objective descriptive and Subjective descriptive. Both types of descriptive serve important purposes. Writers often combine them in their writing or they only tend to choose one. Subjective descriptive is when the writers use their personal feelings and reactions by using expressive language as they describe in order to create certain feelings of the 17 Dietsh, op. cit., p Op. cit., p. 143.

27 13 reader. 19 On the other hand, objective descriptive is describing something objectively, accurately, and as thoroughly as possible as the writers report what they see, hear, and so on. 20 It means that the description uses impartial and impersonal tone and it is also literal, factual, and fair kinds of writing. In scientific and business writing, must description is based on unbiased, objective observation. Moreover, most journalist and historians try to remain objective by serving facts, not opinion. 4. The Linguistic Features of Descriptive a. Using Proper Noun In order to put a descriptive writing with concrete details and figures of speech, we might have to put a number of proper nouns or the names of particular persons, places, and things. Including proper nouns that readers recognize easily can make what we are describing more familiar to them. In other words, it makes our writing more believable. b. Using Effective Verbs Not only important for narration, but effective verb can also add much to a piece of description. Writers use verbs to make descriptions more specific, accurate, and interesting. We can choose chiseled to picture of the wind s action than made does. In other words, the right word we use can make our descriptive writer more appealing. 21 c. Using Concrete Nouns and Adjectives In descriptive, it is important to make the details of our writing as concrete as possible. For example, if we are describing our friends, do not just say that He s not a neat dresser or that his Wardrobe could be improved. The function of concrete nouns and adjectives is to make the readers to come to the same conclusion. Moreover, it is also used when we want to describe objects and places. p Ibid., p Santi V. Buscemi, A Reader for Developing Writers, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002), 21 Ibid., pp

28 14 d. Using Figures of Speech Figures of speech are the expressions that convey a meaning beyond their literal sense. And it has its benefit as one of the best ways to make our writing clear and vivid. Writers really depend on figures of speech when they need to explain or clarify abstract, complex, and unfamiliar ideas. Metaphor, simile, and personification can be used to compare an aspect of the person or thing being described to something with which readers are already familiar. In addition, figures of speech make it possible for writers to dramatize or make vivid feelings, concepts, or ideas that would remain abstract and difficult to understand. 22 In short, to write a good descriptive writing, as a writer we should consider those linguistic features in descriptive. Introduction Description 5. The Generic Structure of Descriptive Text The schematic or generic structure of descriptive text consists of: Introduction and Description. Introduction is the part of the paragraph that identifies phenomenon to be described. Description is the part of the paragraph that describes parts, qualities, and characteristics. For example: My name is Kevin. My parents names are Mr. and Mrs. Steward. I have two elder sisters. Their names are Jessica and Hanna. We like travelling. The place that we often visit is Bali. Almost every holiday, we go to my grandfather s house in Bali. He has a restaurant near Kuta Beach. The restaurant faces directly to the beach so that the people in the restaurant can see the sunset. The tourists like to visit my grandfather s restaurant. 23 The language features usually found in a descriptive text are: 1. The text is written using Simple Present Tense 2. Comparative degree 3. Article a and the 4. Preposition 22 Ibid., pp Artono Wardiman, Masduki B. Jahur, and M. Sukirman Djusma, English in Focus for Garde VII Junior High School (SMP/MTs), (Jakarta: Pusat Perbukuan Depdiknas, 2008), p. 94.

29 15 C. Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) Strategy 1. The Definition of Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) Strategy This strategy is developed by Carol Santa in 1988 and it has a purpose To increase the quality of students writing by personalizing the task and transforming students perception of both the writing topic and writing event. 24 RAFT is an acronym for the following: R Role of the writer (Who are you?) A Audience for the writer (To whom are you writing?) F Format of the writing (What form will your writing take?) T Topic of the writing (What are you writing about?) According to Fisher and Frey, RAFT provides a scaffold for students as they explore their writing based on various roles, audiences, formats and topics. 25 As Buehl states, a RAFT activity gives a writing assignment with imagination, creativity, and motivation. The strategy involves writing from a viewpoint other than that of a student, to an audience other than the teacher, an in a form other than a standard assignment or written answer to questions. 26 The more often students write, the more proficient they become as writers. RAFT is a writing strategy that helps students understand their role as a writer and how to effectively communicate their ideas clearly so that the reader can easily understand everything written. 27 Based on the definitions proposed by some experts, it can be concluded that RAFT strategy gives a refreshment for the students while they are assigned to write because it provides a new, creative, and interesting way to develop and communicate their writing. Additionally, RAFT helps students focus on the audience they will address, the varied formats for writing, and the topic they will be writing about. By using this strategy, teachers 24 Sons, op. cit., p Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom, (Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2007). p, Doug Buehl, Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, (New York: International Reading Association, 2013), p Cathy Allen Simon, Using the RAFT Writing Strategy, ( retrieved on December, 15 th 2014.

30 16 encourage students to write creatively, to consider a topic from multiple perspectives, and to have the ability to write for different audiences. Applying RAFT is relatively easy once students understand the fundamental elements of writing. a. Role: One critical element that students must understand is about all writing reflects perspectives or point of view, and there is no writing without bias. This idea affects students to be mature and they also realize the significance of perspective in writing. Because students need to be familiar with the different roles they can act as writers. b. Audience: it can be one of the most fun and challenging elements of writing. Students can learn some critical lessons about writing as a medium for communication by writing on similar topics but to varying audiences. Otherwise, students might be assigned a topic and a single audience to address and then compare their writing to see how each approached that particular audience. Another possibility is to present a topic and ask if writing varies according to audience and format. How might students present an issue if they were texting a friend, twittering or blogging, or writing a formal letter to the president? c. Format: As students learn and become practiced with various writing formats, they are putting more tools in communications toolbox. Students are often eager to learn various formats for writing and seek alternatives to basic narrative writing. Varying format offers opportunities for creative writing and avenues for expressions that might not surface if students are limited to basic essay writing. d. Topic: Selection of writing topic often presents the greatest struggle in contentarea writing. Teachers usually have some specific essential questions for students to address. When considering topics, it is useful to think in terms of what kind of questions students should address; the students have to consider the conceptual ways in which that essential point can be approached. This can be determined through different topic prompts. Moreover, giving writers the

31 17 opportunity to think through specific writing prompts, they might like to pursue in an effective way to engage them in writing about central issues for class. 28 One adaptation to RAFT is by adding S to make the acronym RAFT(S). The S refers to Strong Verb and suggests students to show how strongly they feel about particular topic, whether they are bothered, angry, curious, confused, or relieved, for example. Because there are the times when students strong feeling about a topic may be important for the presentation, yet there are times when this might be unnecessary. However, it is an interesting adaptation to consider. 29 Table 2.2 The Examples of RAFT Format 30 Role Audience Format Topic Camilla s mother Doctors Friendly letter Please help my daughter Bob His mother Send food Students Principal Invitation Come to my party Television actors Television audience Public service commercial The importance of keeping beaches clean 2. Procedures of RAFT Strategy In teaching writing, especially when using a certain strategy, the teacher must understand and comprehend the procedures of its strategy. Some experts give their points of view of applying RAFT strategy. According to Buehl, using RAFT strategy can be done as follows: a. Analyze the important idea or information that you want students to learn from a story, a textbook passage, or other appropriate text. 28 Kurtis S. Meredith and Jeannie L. Steele, Classrooms of Wonder and Wisdom: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking for the 21st Century, (California: Corwin Press, 2011), pp Ibid., p Julie Jacobson, Kelly Johnson, and Diane Lapp., Effective Instruction for English Language Learners, (New York: The Guilford Press, 2011), p. 60.

32 18 b. Brainstorming possible roles that students could assume in their writing. Then, decide who the audience will be for this communication and determine the format for the writing. c. After students complete the reading assignment, write RAFT on the chalkboard and list the role, audience, format, and topic for their writing. Students can be assigned with the same role for the writing or several different roles which they can choose. d. Give sample of authentic examples for a specific RAFT project for students to consult as they plan their writing. 31 Similarly to Buehl, Sejnost also explains some steps in using RAFT strategy in classroom. They are: a. First introduce the elements of the RAFT strategy to the students. b. R = role of the writer (Who is the writer? What role does he or she plays?) c. A = audience for the writer (To whom are you writing? Who will read you writing?) d. F = format of the writing (What form will your writing take?) e. T = topic of the writing (What will you be writing about?) f. Next, together with the students, determine the important ideas, concept, or information from the reading assignment in order to determine the topic of the assignment. g. Then, with students, brainstorm possible roles class members could assume in their writing. This will determine the role for the assignment. h. Now, ask the students to determine the audience for this writing. i. Finally, decide the format writing will take. 32 Based on the procedures above, the writer concludes that the point of applying RAFT in classroom is that the teacher has to give a reading passage in order to introduce the students of elements in that strategy. After students understand, they can determine the Role, Audience, Format and Topic of their own writing, indeed, with the teacher s help. 31 Buehl, op. cit., p Roberta Sejnost and Sharon Thiese, Building Content Literacy: Strategies for the Adolescent Learner, (California: Thousand Oaks, 2010), p. 85.

33 19 3. The Sample of RAFT writing To know further about the implementation of RAFT strategy in writing, here is a sample of writing task from When Writing Workshop Isn t Working book. Details: Imagine you are a turkey (Role) writing to a farmer (Audience) in the form of a letter (Format) and you are begging the farmer to choose some other turkey for Thanksgiving dinner (Topic). Below is a sample RAFT using the details listed above. November 20, 2002 Dear Farmer Bob: I understand you are about to choose a turkey for this year s feast. Well, you can pass right by my coop. I have been really sick---chicken pox! Those chickens came to visit us last week to brag about being safe for awhile this month, and before you know it, I got sick. You certainly do not want your family to catch this disease, so choose another turkey. I think Sam in coop 5 looks healthy and fat this year. I am losing weight daily, so I could never feed you and your wife and kids. Maybe next year... Your friend, Turkey 33 From the example above we know that the writer uses his or her imagination to write this letter. He or she has a role as a turkey. As we know, turkey is an animal, and animal cannot write. Therefore, in this writing the turkey is able to write a letter to the farmer Bob informing that he was sick to be a meal for year s feast, and he suggested the farmer to choose another turkey that looks healthy and bigger than him. We can see that the writer used his or her imagination to create a scared, yet a cunning turkey. Actually, the letter is quite fun to read, and to create such writing, it depends on the writer s skill to use imagination because the concept of RAFT is to provide a creative and motivated way to write. 33 Mark Overmeyer, When Writing Workshop Isn t Working, (Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, 2005), pp

34 20 4. The Advantages of RAFT Strategy When using a certain strategy, the teacher has to know the advantages of the strategy before implementing it in the class. There are some advantages of RAFT strategy that teacher should know, as follows: a. Students give more thoughtful and often more extensive written responses as they demonstrate their learning. b. Students are more active in processing information rather than simply answer to questions. c. Students are given a clear structure for their writing; they know what point to assume, and they are provided with an organizational scheme. Furthermore, the purpose of the writing is outlined clearly. d. Students are more motivated to do a writing assignment because the task involves them personally and allows for more creative responses to learning the material. e. Students are encouraged to reread to examine a text from perspectives other than their own and to gain insights on concepts and ideas that may not have occurred them during the initial reading of an assignment. f. RAFT is a strategy that can be used to teach all content areas, including science, social studies, and math. 34 Based on the advantages of RAFT above, the writer concludes that RAFT strategy can make the learners develops their idea and imagination when they write and turn them to be more creative writer. Moreover, they can explore their role as a writer, determine their audience, use certain format, and write something based on a given topic. On the other hand, RAFT strategy is used not only in teaching literature but also for other content areas such as science, social studies, and math so all teachers can use this strategy to build a new refreshing learning atmosphere. 34 Buehl, op. cit., p. 176.

35 21 D. Previous Related Studies The first journal is The Effect of RAFT Strategy Toward Students Writing Achievement in the Eight Grade of SMP N 2 Lengayang conducted by Yutrima Nengsih from English Department of STKIP PGRI West Sumatra. 35 The research had an aim to know the effect of RAFT Strategy combined with Interactive Writing Strategy to improve students ability in writing. The research design used in this journal was experimental study where there were two classes (VIII E and VIII D) used as the experimental class and the control, class and the treatment given to those classes were 8 times. The result of the research was there was a significant improvement from RAFT strategy; it was proved by the t- calculated (4.55) was higher that t-table (2.00). The difference between this research and the writer research was the research design, so it would affect the number of students, the treatment given in the class, and the analyzing of the research. Therefore, the aim of the study was either to improve the students ability in writing. The second is R.A.F.T as a Strategy for Teaching Writing Functional Text to Junior High School Students this journal was written by Teza Peby Alisa and Rusdi Noor Rosa from English Department of State University of Padang. 36 The aim of the research is to motivate the students to write, and to give some benefits to the teacher in teaching writing skill. The result of the research is RAFT strategy could improve students motivation in learning writing, and they could organize idea easier when they wrote functional text. The research design used by the researchers are not identified because they only explained the preparation and the steps (pre-activity, whilst, and post-activity) in teaching using RAFT strategy. The focus of the research is to improve students ability in writing functional text, and it is different from the writer who focused on improving students descriptive writing skill. 35 Yutrima Nengsih, The Effect of RAFT Strategy Toward Students Writing Achievement in the Eight Grade of SMP N 2 Lengayang, e-journal English Department of STKIP PGRI West Sumatra, Retrieved from 36 Teza Peby Alisa, and Rusdi Noor Rosa, R.A.F.T as a Strategy for Teaching Writing Functional Text to Junior High School Students, Jurnal English Department of State University of Padang, (Vol 1, 2013). Retrieved from

36 22 The third is journal of The Effect of RAFT Strategy and Anxiety upon Writing Competency of the Seventh Grade Students of SMP Negeri 3 Mengwi in Academic Year 2013/2014, an experimental study conducted by Ni Made Elis Parilasanti, I Wayan Surnajaya, Asril Marjohan from Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Denpasar. The research had an aim to investigate the effect of RAFT strategy and anxiety upon writing competency. The result showed that (a) there was significant difference in writing competency between students taught by RAFT strategy and those taught by conventional strategy, (b) there was an interactional effect between the implementation of RAFT strategy and the students anxiety, (c) there was significant different in the writing competency between the students with high anxiety, taught by RAFT strategy and those who are taught by conventional technique, (d) there was significant difference in the writing competency between the students low anxiety, taught by implementing RAFT strategy and those who are taught by conventional strategy. 37 Therefore, this research has different focus if it is compared with the writer research. The writer did not implement an experimental study but classroom action research, and there were two variables used in this research. 37 Ni Made Elis Parilasanti, I Wayan Surnajaya, Asril Marjohan, The Effect of RAFT Strategy and Anxiety upon Writing Competency of the Seventh Grade Students of SMP Negeri 3 Mengwi in Academic Year 2013/2014. e-journal Program Pascasarjana Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris (vol. 2, 2014). Retrieved from

37 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodology used in examining the teaching of writing descriptive text through RAFT strategy. This chapter concerns with Place and Time of the Study, Research Design, Research Procedures, Subject of the Research, Research Instrument, Data Collecting Procedures, and Data Analysis Procedures. A. Place and Time of the Research 1. Place of the Research This research was conducted at SMP Paramarta Jombang which is located at Jl. Raya Jombang, Gg. Taqwa No.70 Jombang Ciputat, Kota Tangerang Selatan. This school was chosen because the writer has taught in that school since August Time of the Research This research was carried out from February 7 th, until March 7 th, The writer did preliminary study on February, 7 th and 14 th Then, the writer started making the instruments after the preliminary study. The first cycle was done on February, 21 st and 26 th Meanwhile, the writer conducted the second cycle on March 5 th and 7 th. Table 3.1 The Schedule of the Research Month and Week No. Activities February March Pre-Observation X 2. Pre-Questionnaire X 3. Pre-Action Test X 4. Cycle I X X 5. Cycle 2 X 23

38 24 Month and Week No. Activities February March Post-Action Test X 7. Post-Questionnaire X 8. Report X X B. Research Design The writer used Classroom Action Research (CAR) as the method of the research. This kind of research has systematic procedures done by teachers (or other individuals in an educational setting) to gather information about, and to improve the ways educational setting involved teaching and students learning. 1 Moreover, there are several conceptions of action research defined by some experts. For instance, Hopkins suggests that the combination of action and research can be used as a personal attempt to understand, improve, and reform practice. 2 Another expert, Corey defines action research as a process in which problems are studied scientifically by practitioners so that they can evaluate, improve, direct decision-marking, and practice. 3 Also Kemmis and McTaggart argue that to do action research is the practitioners have to plan, act, observe, reflect more carefully and more systematically than what they do in their everyday life. 4 Based on the definitions above, it can be concluded that action research or classroom action research is a method that is used to improve the quality of teaching and learning condition in a class scientifically throughout systematic processes. The processes are planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. 1 John W. Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research in Education fourth edition, (New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2012), p Louise Cohen, Lawrence Manion, and Keith Morisson, Research Methods in Education. (6 th ed), (New York: Routledge, 2007), p Ibid,. 4 Ibid,.

39 25 Additionally, there are several major characteristics of action research listed by Kember as following: Concerned with social practice; Aimed towards improvement; A cyclical process; Pursued by systematic enquiry; A reflective process; Participative; Determined by the practitioners. 5 Related to the processes of action research, the writer used design proposed by Kurt Lewin. There are four phases in conduction CAR according to Kurt Lewin s design, the figure can be seen below: PLANNING ACTING CYCLE REFLECTING OBSERVING Figure 3.1 Kurt Lewin s Action Research Design Referring to Kurt Lewin s action research design, the writer made the research procedure of classroom action research which is to be implemented in the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta. C. Research Procedures As it can be seen in Figure 3.1 above, there are four phases that needed to be done by the practitioner in one cycle of action research, and the cycle can be repeated in the next cycle in order to show an evidence of any improvement done 5 David Kember, Action Learning & Action Research: Improving the Quality of Teaching and Learning, (New York: Routledge, 2000), p. 24.

40 26 by the subject of the research. Therefore, before the writer did an action in planning phase, preliminary study is done first. According to Analytic Quality Glossary, preliminary study is an initial exploration of issues related to a proposed quality review or evaluation. 6 It has an aim to identify and analyze students problem in learning writing that needed to be solved. In conducting this study, the writer carried out several activities, the activities were: (a) observing the students condition during teaching and learning writing, (b) giving questionnaire to the students in terms of learning English, and (c) assigning students to write a descriptive paragraph in order to identify and analyze students problem in writing that kind of text. After carrying out the preliminary study, the writer continued to the next phase. To give more understanding, the four phases are: 1. Planning Phase After identifying the students problem through preliminary study, the writer prepared all things related to the implementation of action research in class. The preparation consisted of choosing the suitable material and media, designing the lesson plan, preparing observation sheet, and developing evaluation for students based on the writing result. The lesson plan designed by the writer was based on the syllabus where she made four lesson plans for two cycles. Then, the writer chose material taken from seventh grade of junior high school English text book, English in Focus, written by Artono Wardiman, Masduki B. Jahur, and M. Sukirman Djusma and published by Pusat Perbukuan Depdiknas in For RAFT writing prompt, the writer adapted a prompt from the internet. Then, the writer made observation sheets to record the students participation and the teacher s performance when the teaching and learning writing process happened in the class. Furthermore, in doing evaluation, if the students got 70.0 score for their writing it means they would pass the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal 6 Lee Harvey, Analytic Quality Glossary: Quality Research International, ( retrieved on April 20 th, 2015.

41 27 (KKM). The purpose of the writing test in the cycles was to know whether there are some improvements on the students writing achievement from each cycle. 2. Acting Phase In this phase, the writer started to implement what she already planned at the beginning. Firstly, the writer explained about the generic structures and linguistic features of descriptive text. Secondly, the students had to identify and analyze the generic structures and the linguistic features of descriptive text. Thirdly, the writer explained about Role, Audience, Format and Topic strategy concept. Fourthly, the writer who acted as a teacher started to give the explanation of RAFT applied in writing especially in the descriptive paragraph. After explaining RAFT concept, the writer asked the students to identify RAFT elements in several short descriptive texts. The last was the students were assigned to produce their own writing by using RAFT writing prompt; in the first meeting, the students were assigned to make their own prompt, and in the next meeting the topic was determined by the teacher based on the material that they have learnt. 3. Observing Phase After doing the acting phase, the writer observed all activities happened in the class. It included classroom situation and condition, the students participation and responses, and the teacher s performance during teaching and learning process in the class. While doing the observation, the writer used observation checklist as a guideline to observe students participation. After taking notes of students activities, the writer also collected the data derived from the writing test after the implementation of RAFT strategy. It was done to give additional evidence that there was an improvement of the students descriptive writing ability. In the other word, the important aspects of observing phase are sources of the data, instruments used in collecting the data, and technique in collecting the data. 4. Reflecting Phase The writer evaluated the teaching and learning process, and analyzed the students writing achievement after RAFT strategy was implemented in the class.

42 28 Furthermore, if the cycle has not been successful, the writer would revise and do another cycle to make sure that there was positive changing of students descriptive writing skill. D. Subject of the Research The subject of the research was VII A students of SMP Paramarta in academic year 2014/2015. The class consists of 41 students. Therefore, there were only 30 students taken as the subject of the research because some of the students did not come to the class when the writer conducted the research. Few students were only taking one of the writing tests so the data were not complete. Moreover, the class was chosen based on the observation and the fact that this class descriptive writing skill needed to be improved. Therefore, the finding of any classroom action research could not be generalized to other groups of students even though they might be at the same school. E. Researcher s Role in the Research In this research, the writer was as an active participant who had role not only as a planner but also as a teacher when taking action such as making a lesson plan and giving assessment. Therefore, the writer needed an observer to observe her performance when she taught writing using RAFT strategy and to check the students participation during teaching and learning process in the class. F. Research Instruments The writer used two kinds of instruments to collect the data in Classroom Action Research. The instruments divided into two types: test and non-test. The test consisted of 1 pre-action test and 2 post-action tests, while the non-test consisted of observation sheet, questionnaire, and journal. 1. Observation This kind of instrument was used to collect the data of the students activities in teaching and learning process, while the writer was doing the research

43 29 in the classroom. To record the students activities, the writer already determined or listed the phase of activities for the students in each meeting, and the writer also gave a sign to the students who did the certain activities. The activities monitored by the writer were during pre, whilst, and post activities. For additional information found by the writer, she would make some notes related to the real condition in the class. Moreover, result of the data will be considered in taking the following cycle if it is necessary. 2. Questionnaire Questionnaire was given to the students in two sessions; before and after implementation of Classroom Action Research (CAR), and it aimed to know their responses toward teaching and learning writing using RAFT strategy. Furthermore, the writer used yes/no question as the design of questionnaire. Each questionnaire consisted of ten questions which covered of three categories; the students response toward teaching-learning process, the result of students writing activity, and the solutions of the problems in writing. 3. Test The students followed two kinds of test; Pre-action test and Post-action test. Pre-action test was given before the implementation of RAFT strategy given to the students. Post-action test was the test given when the teacher already implemented RAFT strategy in teaching descriptive writing. In this test, the students had to identify RAFT elements in some descriptive text, and they had to write a descriptive text based on RAFT that they determined. The aim of giving those tests was also to show supporting evidence that the students understanding about RAFT strategy would improve their ability in writing. 4. Journal The writer used journal to obtain more data, and she wrote what happened in the class during teaching and learning process in specific details. Specific details mean what activities occurred in the beginning, during, and in the last session of each meeting. This journal attempts to know students response, improvement, and problems, so the writer could make notes in order to know the improvement of students descriptive writing using RAFT strategy.

44 30 G. Data Collecting Procedures There were two techniques used in collecting data for the Classroom Action Research study; they were observation, questionnaire, test, and journal. The explanation of the procedures used in this research can be seen below. 1. Observation Sheet and Checklist for Students Participation In this research, the writer had an observation in 7-A class, which consist of 41 students. Some students were enthusiast in learning English. The students were given a chance to read descriptive paragraph as the implementation of RAFT strategy in the text, and then the writer asked them to identify the Role, Audience, Format, and Topic aspects in the paragraph by using their own words. The last was the students were assigned to write a story based on the RAFT writing prompt given by the teacher. To get the data about the students participation in the class, the writer used observation sheet. There were two kinds of observation sheets used in the research: observation checklist and observation notes. 2. Writing and RAFT Questionnaire The questionnaire was given to the seventh grade students of SMP Paramarta Jombang. The writer used pre-questionnaire in order to know students responses toward their teaching and learning process before implementing RAFT strategy for writing skill. On the other hand, post-questionnaire was given to measure the improving students descriptive writing through RAFT strategy. 3. Writing Test In this research, the test aimed to show the result of students writing by using RAFT strategy in writing descriptive paragraph. The writer would also compare the mean of Pre-action and Post-action score in order to know how students improvement was. In calculating students score, the writer used a certain formula to get the mean score of each test and also the improvement of students descriptive writing per cycle. 4. Teacher s Journal In this research, the role of the writer was not only as a researcher but also as an English teacher at that school. To write the journal, the writer already made the form so the information written there are based on the observation done during

45 31 teaching and learning process within two cycles. Moreover, the information gained in the class was the factual description of condition and situation in the class. H. Data Analysis Procedures In analyzing the data, all of the data that were collected by using observation notes/checklist, questionnaire, test, and journal were analyzed. In analyzing them, the writer used the following steps: 1. Classifying the data The data from observation are gathered, evaluated, and then classified based on the topic of the research problems. 2. Describing the data After the data were classified, the writer described the data as follows: a. The data from observation was described by using descriptive form. b. The data from questionnaire was described by using table. c. The data from the test was described by table and calculation. 3. Finding In answering the first problem statement the writer used the qualitative method. The qualitative method is a method used to analyze the data through word using descriptive analysis. This qualitative method is gathered by using the observation. It means, after having observation in the classroom the writer analyzes the data by making description from the result. In answering the second problem statement the writer used quantitative method. The data got from the questionnaire and tests were analyzed using a certain formula. To get the mean of students descriptive writing score within one cycle, the formula used is: 7 Mx = 1997), p Anas Sudijono, Pengantar Statistik Pendidikan, (Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada,

46 32 Explanation: M : Mean X : Individual score N : Number of students Next, to know the students who passed KKM 70.0, the writer used this formula: 8 P = 100% Explanation: P : The class percentage F : Total percentage score N : Number of students Next step, the writer identified the improvement of students descriptive writing from pre-test up to post-test 1 in cycle I and post-test 2 in cycle II. The formula used by the writer is: 9 Explanation: P : Percentage of students writing improvement y : Pre-test result y1 : Post-test result 1 Explanation: P : Percentage of students writing improvement y : Pre-test result y2 : Post-test result 2 8 Ibid., 9 David E. Meltzer, The Relationship between Mathematics Preparation and Conceptual Learning Gains in Physics: A Possible Hidden Variable in Diagnostic Pretest Scores, (Iowa: Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2008), p. 68.

47 33 On the other hand, in analyzing the data obtained from the students descriptive writing paragraph, the writer used analytical scoring rubric adapted from Jacobs et al.s scoring profile. In the Jacob et al. Scale, scripts are rated on five aspects of writing: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. 10 Therefore, the writer modified the aspects and the weight of each aspect. The analytical score rubric adapted by the writer as follows: Content (C) 20% - Topic - Detailed Table 3.2 Analytical Scoring Rubric adapted from Jacobs et al.s Aspect Score Performance Description Weighting The topic is complete and clear and the details are relating to the topic The topic is complete and clear but the details are almost relating to the topic The topic is complete and clear but the details are not relating to the topic The topic is not clear and the details are not relating to the topic x20 Organization (O) 20% - Identification - Description Grammar (G) 20% - Use present tense - Agreement Vocabulary (V) 20% Identification is complete and descriptions are arranged with proper connectives Identification is almost complete and descriptions are arranged with almost proper connectives Identification is not complete and descriptions are arranged with few misuse of connectives Identification is not complete and descriptions are arranged with misuse of connectives Very few grammatical or agreement inaccuracies few grammatical or agreement inaccuracies but not affect on meaning Numerous grammatical or agreement inaccuracies Frequent grammatical or agreement 1 inaccuracies 4 Effective choice and words and word forms x20 x ), p Sarah Cushing Weigle, Assessing Writing, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

48 34 Aspects Score Performance Description Weighting Few misuse of vocabularies, word - Diction 3 forms, but not change the meaning. x20 2 Limited range confusing words and word form 1 Very poor knowledge of words, word forms and not understandable Mechanic (M) It uses correct spelling, punctuation and 4 20% capitalization - Spelling It has occasional errors of spelling, 3 - Punctuation punctuation and capitalization - Capitalization It has frequent of spelling, punctuation x20 2 and capitalization 1 It is dominated by errors spelling, punctuation and capitalization I. Trustworthiness To establish credibility or confidence in the 'truth' of the findings and confirmability or the degree of neutrality that the findings were based on the subject of the research and not from the researcher s bias, motivation, and interest, so that the writer used these techniques: a. Triangulation It defines as an investigation to produce understanding involves using several data sources. Some see triangulation as a method for corroborating findings and as a test for validity. The verification of findings can be done by (1) referring to several sources of information (including literature), (2) using some methods of data collection, and often (3) acquiring observations from several inquirers. 11 In other words, to prove the research done was credible, the writer has to consider several findings got from data collecting in the reserach in order to make a conclusion. b. Peer Debriefing Peer debriefing involves meetings with a peer who does not have interest (someone who is not a participant in the setting where the study is being conducted) in which the peer can question the methods, emerging conclusions, 11 retrieved on May 28 th 2015.

49 35 biases and so on of the inquirer. 12 This technique is meant to keep the researcher honest by having someone else independently point out the implications of what he or she is doing. If a researcher can provide evidence of having done this and show the reader how the report was modified through the influence of the peer, the conclusions will be more believable. In this research, the writer discussed the result of the cyles with Syifa Fauziah, S.Pd who also taught English of the seventh grade and acted as the observer. Even though she only knew some of the students in VII A, she helped the researcher identifying several students achievement in English because she had taught them last time. Moreover, the writer also discussed with Evi Puspita, S.Pd who was the VII A s homerome teacher. It was done to compare the students daily performance and their performance in English especially during the research. 12 Ibid,.

50 CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION This chapter presents the research finding and discussion based on the analysis of the collected data from the implementation of RAFT strategy in improving students descriptive writing in to cycles. The research finding and discussion present on the basis of the result in cycle I and cycle II. A. Data Description 1. Findings of the Preliminary Study a. Data from Observation before Implementing CAR Based on the observation during teaching and learning English in VII A in the second semester started from January 2015 especially in descriptive writing material, it was found that the students were difficult to write a sentence even though the teacher already taught them simple present tense. In teaching descriptive text, the writer started by giving them the definition of descriptive text and some vocabularies related to physical appearance. Then, the writer gave an example of descriptive text about someone s appearance. After that, the writer described someone by writing on the white board and the students were asked to write their own sentences. In this exercise, the students only learned how to make sentence or translated from Indonesian to English, and vice versa. Consequently, they did not know what they actually wrote. This strategy could not improve students ability in writing descriptive text. Sometimes, the students were frustrated of grammar so they did not want to do the exercise and they also did not have any idea how to develop their idea when they wrote descriptive text. Furthermore, some of students in the class had low motivation following the lesson. To overcome this problem, the writer planned to use Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy to improve students descriptive writing because the purpose of this strategy was to create a learning atmosphere in more engaging and creative way. 36

51 37 b. The Result of Pre-Questionnaire Pre-Questionnaire is included in the preliminary study and it has an aim to know students response toward English lesson especially writing in general. The questionnaire was given to the students on Saturday, February 7 th There are 10 questions covered in three types of question. The description of the pre-questionnaire as follow: First are two questions about students response toward teaching-learning process. Second are three questions about the result of students writing activity. Third are five questions about the solution of the problems in writing. From 41 students, there were only 32 students who came to the class. No. Table 4.1 Students Result of Pre-Questionnaire The Result of Students Answer Students Answer Yes % No % 1. Students were motivated in the teaching learning process % 3 10% 2. Students understood to the teacher s explanation % % 3. Students were satisfied with their English score % % 4. Students asked the teacher if they did not understand the material % % 5. The teacher gave an exercise to improve students writing ability % 1 3.3% 6. Students could write easily. 9 30% 21 70% 7. Students could answer the teacher s question about writing material % 15 50% 8. The strategy used by the teacher could help students in generating ideas easily % 1 3.3% 9. The teacher implemented a suitable strategy to solve % 0 0% difficulties in writing. 10. Students ability in writing was good % %

52 38 From the result of the pre-questionnaire, 90% or 27 students were motivated in teaching and learning process, yet the condition in the class was actually quite different. If the students were motivated, they would follow the class activities without spending the time by chatting with their friend and doing something that did not related to the learning process. Moreover, 83.3% or 25 students did not understand what the teacher actually explained in the class. It could be caused by two factors; the teacher could not explain it clearly, so it made the students confused or the students did not pay attention during the explanation. Based on the writer s experience as English teacher in that school, most of students would ask the page of the LKS or textbook even though the teacher already repeated several times. Then, 22 students or 73.3% were not satisfied with their English score; it was true, because a big number of the students always got low score in daily exam, UTS and UAS. Therefore, the students were quite brave; they were not shy to ask a question to the teacher when they did not understand and it was proved by 86.7% or 26 students who answered yes. Furthermore, 29 students or 96.7% agreed by the fact that their teacher often gave them writing exercise to improve their writing skill. Because of that, 21 students or 70% students felt that writing using English was not easy, and they found many problems related to it. Related to the teaching and learning process in the class, sometimes the teacher asked some questions to the students, in this questionnaire, there were 15 students or 50% who able to answer teacher s question. Before implementing RAFT strategy, the students already felt that they could generate idea easily; there were 29 students or 96.7% who agreed with the statement. On the other hand, when they were asked to write for the pre-action test, they did not know what they were going to write and they had to be guided by the teacher. Moreover, there were 30 students or 100% who taught that the teacher already applied suitable technique in teaching writing. Therefore, the students did not think their writing was good; it was proved by 29 students or 96.7% who said so.

53 39 c. The Result of Pre-Action test To know the students descriptive writing score before implementing RAFT strategy, the writer did a pre-action test during preliminary study in VII A on Saturday, February 7 th The number of students in the class was 41 students, five students were absent and there were only 30 students who collected their writing. In this pre-action test, the students were assigned to write descriptive paragraph about their chair mate consisting of five sentences or 50 words. To get the result of the pre-action test, the writer calculated the mean of the pre-action test score such following: Mx = Mx = Mx = 64.5 Next, to know the students who passed the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) the writer used the following formula: P = 100% P = 100% P = 43.3% Based on the result of the pre-action test, the data showed that the mean score of the test was From 30 students who submitted their writing, there were 13 students or 43.3% who passed the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) meanwhile the other 17 students or 56.7% got the score below the criterion which is Then, the score of the rest of students was unknown. From the calculating and analyzing, it could be concluded that VII A students of SMP Paramarta was still low.

54 40 2. Findings of the First Cycle a. Planning The first phase in Classroom Action Research was planning. The writer planned what she would do by herself. Planning phase is designed after the preliminary study before. The writer prepared all things concerning on the implementation of RAFT strategy to improve students descriptive writing skill. It covered by designing lesson plan, setting the criteria of success, and preparing the materials and the instruments. The lesson plan made in this cycle was two lesson plans. The first step was designing lesson plan, the writer designed it based on the English syllabus of seventh grade of junior high school. The following items developed by the writer are the instructional objectives, the instructional material and media, the procedures in teaching-learning process, and the assessment. To know the students descriptive writing improvement by using RAFT strategy, the writer made the criteria of success. The criteria of success were 75% of the students achieved the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) of English subject (70.0). The aim is to determine the extent of students increase in descriptive writing before and after the implementation of classroom action research. The materials that the writer prepared in this cycle are the example of RAFT reading was taken from the English text book. Besides, the writer prepared the instruments for research such as: writing rubric for scoring posttest 1, observational notes, and teacher s journal. b. Acting Action in the first cycle was done on February 21 th, and 26 th The acting phase is the implementation of what writer had been prepared in the planning phase. The writer implemented the teaching-learning process based on the lesson plan that had been made. In the first meeting, the writer reviewed descriptive writing to the students because it had been delivered a month ago. Then, the writer explained about RAFT strategy that has four elements (Role,

55 41 Audience, Format, and Topic) and the students had to determine the elements after they read two descriptive passages. The last is they had to apply the strategy when they made their first draft about their hobby; the writer had prepared the prompt. In the second meeting, the students were asked to work on their first draft, revise their draft, and collect their final writing. c. Observing In this phase, the writer observed the students participation through observational sheet and observed the teaching learning process through journal. During the first cycle within two meetings, students already understood using the elements of RAFT strategy for writing descriptive text. The obstacles that the writer found in the class such as: In each meeting, there were some students who did not come, and it affected the number of students who collected their writing. From 41 students, there were only 30 students who submitted their post-action test 1. Since the writer worked on herself, she had difficulty in observing each students participation in class. Moreover, related to the writing process, the class still had problems such as: First, in the first meeting of the first cycle when the teacher introduced the students with RAFT strategy, some of the students still confused about the concept of the strategy, so they asked the teacher until they understood. Second, the students lacked of vocabulary and they did not have any idea how to use correct grammar, but they did not bring dictionary and they did not try to ask the teacher. Third, some of the students were chatting with their friends while the teacher explained, and they did not pay attention to the class activities. Fourth, the post-test writing was not collected in time because some of the students were practicing in some competitions. In observing phase, the data of students achievement score were obtained from post-test in the Cycle I. The writer calculated the mean of the post-action test score such following: Mx =

56 42 Mx = Mx = 68.0 Next, to get the percentage of student who passed the KKM score, the writer calculated by using the formula can be seen as follow: P = 100% P = 100% P = 50% The data showed that the mean score of post-action test 1 was There was only half of the student or 50% who got the score above KKM. Meanwhile, the other half or 50% were still below the criterion. The number of students who collected their writing was added, but the criteria of success has not fulfilled. Based on the result of the students descriptive writing in the Cycle I, there was a slight improvement of students mean score from students writing on the preliminary study or before implementing classroom action research. The mean score of the pre-action test was 64.5, and the mean score of the postaction test 1 was It means there were 3.5 points or 5.43% of score improvement. The improvement percentage derived from formula: P = 100% P = 100% P = 5.43% On the other hand, based on the observation sheet made to record students activities during teaching and learning activities, the writer listed three aspects to be observed by the observer, as follows: Keaktifan Siswa, Perhatian Siswa, and Penugasan. The first aspect was Keaktifan Siswa which covered three indicators (the students who made some notes, the students who asked question, and the students who gave their idea). The second aspect was Perhatian Siswa which also

57 43 covered three indicators (the students who were quiet, students who focused on material and the students who were enthusiast). The third aspect was Penugasan (the hstudents who did all assignment, the students who submitted assignment in time, and the students who did an assignment based on teacher s instruction). Moreover, the sheet also had scale to score students activities: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good. The result of observation in the first and second meeting of first cycle done by the observer can be seen below: Table 4.2 The Result of Observation Checklist (1/I) No. Hal yang diamati Skor Siswa Keaktifan Siswa: a. Siswa aktif mencatat materi pelajaran b. Siswa aktif bertanya c. Siswa aktif mengajukan ide 2. Perhatian Siswa: a. Diam, tenang b. Terfokus pada materi c. Antusias 3. Penugasan a. Mengerjakan semua tugas b. Ketepatan mengumpulkan tugas sesuai waktunya c. Mengerjakan sesuai dengan perintah = 1 4 4

58 44 Table 4.3 The Result of Observation Checklist (2/I) No. Hal yang diamati Skor Siswa Keaktifan Siswa: a. Siswa aktif mencatat materi pelajaran b. Siswa aktif bertanya c. Siswa aktif mengajukan ide 2. Perhatian Siswa: a. Diam, tenang b. Terfokus pada materi c. Antusias 3. Penugasan a. Mengerjakan semua tugas b. Ketepatan mengumpulkan tugas sesuai waktunya c. Mengerjakan sesuai dengan perintah = 3 6 Based on the result above, the writer concluded that in the certain indicator, the students activities improved in each meeting. In the first meeting of first cycle, the students got Poor score in giving their idea. Then, they got Fair score in asking question, their effort to keep quiet, focusing on learning and doing all exercises. On the other hand, the students got Good score in making their own notes, being enthusiast, being discipline in submitting the assignment and doing assignment based on teacher s instruction. Therefore, in this meeting, there were 1 poor score, 4 fair scores, and 4 good scores. Meanwhile, in the second meeting, the students got fair scores in giving their opinion, focusing on learning, and their effort to keep quiet. Then, the Good scores were in making notes, asking question, being enthusiast, doing all exercises, being in time in submitting assignment, and doing assignment following teacher s instruction. So, the total score of the second meeting was 3 fair scores, and 6 good scores. In conclusion, there was some improvement related to the learning process.

59 45 d. Reflecting Based on the data found by the writer, it can be said that the result of the first cycle to improve students descriptive writing skill through RAFT strategy has not reached the criteria of success, the students writing scores were still below the KKM. Moreovere, based on the observation notes result, the students had low motivation when learning taken place. Because, there were some of the students who did not understand and they did not pay attention while the material was being explained by the teacher. Furthermore, students vocabulary mastery was still low and their knowledge about simple present tense was poor even though the teacher explained it a few times in the class. Therefore, data from observation sheet showed that students activity and participation increased in each meeting. The main changing in the first cycle was about students understanding of RAFT elements and their participation that was increased in two meetings. Based on the explanation, the writer did the cycle II to overcome the problem related to the students lacked of vocabulary and grammar and to get better result. Moreover, revising or modifying the plan was needed in order to achieve the criteria of success. Therefore, some changes were done by the writer to make teaching learning process more focus and clear when the teacher delivering the material. 3. Findings of the Second Cycle a. Planning In the second cycle, the writer repeated what she had done in the first cycle which was designing lesson plan. The lesson plan was developed likely the same from the previous cycle. Moreover, the strategy used to improve students descriptive writing and the writing rubric did not change. It was only the material prepared by the teacher that was changing, and the writer was going to give a hand-out to the students. The hand out for the first meeting consisted of three reading passages and the students had to determine the RAFT elements in small groups. It was done to make the students more focus

60 46 on the exercise and they could work together with their friend. Besides, the teacher also could control and guide the students easily. b. Acting The acting phase in the cycle II was done in two meetings, the first meeting conducted on March 5 th, and 7 th In the first meeting, the students were asked to make a small group, and the teacher gave them a RAFT reading hand-out. It had a purpose to make students more understand about the concept of RAFT and to identify the grammar. When they had some difficulties, the teacher would help them explained which point they did not get. Then, the teacher gave another hand-out with different topic, and the students were assigned to write their first draft and their second writing about their family member, but they had to write the paragraph based on the RAFT elements determined by the writer. The students could see the example to develop their idea and to get them easier to write. In the second meeting, the students continued their work and they had to collect their last writing for post-test 2. c. Observing Similar with the previous cycle, in this cycle the writer also observed the students participation and the teaching learning process through observational notes and teacher journal. The changing or modifying steps done by the teacher in the cycle II for the class during teaching and learning process could show a better result and improvement compared with the previous cycle. From the data, the writer found that the students worked on their task together and their understanding about RAFT concept was better than before. Even though some of students did not pay attention to the teacher, yet the task was done in time. On the other hand, most of students in a class did not hesitate to ask the teacher when they did not understand or did find difficulties in doing the task, and it showed that the students were quite motivated to follow the class activities. Moreover, the number of words of students descriptive writing increased; they could write a paragraph consisting 150 words. In fact, the writing example provided by the teacher helped the students to write although some of the students only copied the idea from it. To know the students improvement, the

61 47 writer had calculated the post-test 2 score, and the result can be seen below. In observing phase, the data of students achievement score were obtained from post-action test 2 in the Cycle II. The writer calculated the mean of the preaction test 2 score such following: Mx = Mx = 100% Mx = 73.5 Next, to get the percentage of student who passed the KKM score, the writer calculated by using the formula can be seen as follow: P = 100% P = 100% P = 90% Finally, the calculation of improvement percentage gained from the following formula: P = 100% P = 100% P = 13.9% Based on the result of the students writing product, there was better improvement of the students mean score obtained from the students writing in the preliminary study to the students writing from the second cycle. The students mean score before implementing RAFT strategy was 64.5 and the mean score the latest post-action test was It means that there was 9.0 points or 13.9% of mean score improvement. The number of students passed the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) were

62 48 27 students or 90%. It indicated that the criteria of success had been achieved. The following is the table of students writing score. Table 4.4 The Students Writing Score of Each Writing Tests No. Students Number Pre-Test Post-Test 1 Post-Test 2 1. S1 75* 80* 85* 2. S2 70* 70* 75* 3. S3 70* 75* 80* 4. S4 70* 70* 75* 5. S5 70* 65 70* 6. S * 75* 7. S S * 75* 9. S * 10. S * 11. S * 70* 12. S * 13. S * 14. S14 75* 65 75* 15. S15 70* 75* 80* 16. S16 70* 75* 80* 17. S * 80* 18. S18 70* 65 70* 19. S * 20. S * 21. S21 70* 75* 75* 22. S * 23. S23 75* 70* 75* 24. S * 25. S * 75* 26. S26 75* 80* 75* 27. S S S29 70* 75* 80* 30. S * x MEAN *: The students who passed the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) which is 70.0.

63 49 It could be seen from the table above that the number of students who passed the KKM in the post-action test 1 was bigger than the pre-action test. Therefore, in the post-action test 2, the number of students who got the score above 70.0 increased significantly if it compared with the preliminary study and the first cycle. On the other hand, data from observation sheet from the first and second meeting of cycle II can be seen below. Table 4.5 The Result of Observation Checklist (1/II) No. Hal yang diamati Skor Siswa Keaktifan Siswa: a. Siswa aktif mencatat materi pelajaran b. Siswa aktif bertanya c. Siswa aktif mengajukan ide 2. Perhatian Siswa: a. Diam, tenang b. Terfokus pada materi c. Antusias 3. Penugasan a. Mengerjakan semua tugas b. Ketepatan mengumpulkan tugas sesuai waktunya c. Mengerjakan sesuai dengan perintah = To make an analysis based on the observation sheet above, the writer made description to interpret the data recorded by the observer. In the first meeting of cycle II, the scores for the students who give their idea and the students who kept quiet were Fair. Then, the scores for note taking, focused on the material, did the assignment, and submitted the assignment in time were Good. Furthermore, the scores for asking question, being enthusiast, and doing the assignment based on teacher s instruction were Very Good.

64 50 Table 4.6 The Result of Observation Checklist (2/II) No. Hal yang diamati Skor Siswa Keaktifan Siswa: a. Siswa aktif mencatat materi pelajaran b. Siswa aktif bertanya c. Siswa aktif mengajukan ide 2. Perhatian Siswa: a. Diam, tenang b. Terfokus pada materi c. Antusias 3. Penugasan a. Mengerjakan semua tugas b. Ketepatan mengumpulkan tugas sesuai waktunya c. Mengerjakan sesuai dengan perintah = In the second meeting of cycle II, the data obtained from observation sheet showed that there was a slight improvement of the score. The aspect that got poor score was the students who giving their idea, it indicated that the students were not brave enough to speak out. Then, there were 5 good scores for note taking, students attention and enthusiasm, and students responsible in doing assignment aspects. Moreover, there were 3 very good scores for the students who asked question, students who collected the assignment in time, and students who did assignment following the instruction. d. Reflecting After getting the result of the second cycle from observational notes and teacher journal, the writer did the reflecting phase. The main changing in this cycle were the students vocabulary and grammar knowledged increased. Furthermore, the result of post-action test 2 showed that 90% of the students got the score above the KKM, so the criteria of success that had been made by the writer where 75% of students must get 70.0 or more had been achieved.

65 51 Because of this result, the writer decided to end the action with only two cycles in four meetings. f. The Result of Post-Questionnaire The post-questionnaire was given after the students collected their second writing for the post-test 2 in the second cycle on Saturday, 7 th March The kind of the question was the same that there were 10 questions covered in three types of question. The description of the post-questionnaire as follow: First were two questions about students response toward teaching-learning process. Second were three questions about the result of students writing activity. Third were five questions about the solution of the problems in writing. The result was shown in table as follow: No. Table 4.7 Students Result of Post-Questionnaire The Result of Students Answer Student s Answer Yes % No % 1. Students were more interested in learning writing after implemented RAFT strategy. 2. Students felt learning writing was easier than before. 3. Students were more motivated in learning writing. 4. RAFT strategy used by the teacher helped students in writing. 5. RAFT strategy used by the teacher helped the students in generating their idea. 6. RAFT strategy solved the students problem in writing. 7. Students did writing exercise easier. 8. The teacher gave opportunities to the students to ask questions. 9. Students used the opportunity to ask questions to the teacher. 10. Students writing ability improved through RAFT strategy % % % % % 0 0% % % % % % % 21 70% 9 30% % 2 6.7% % % % %

66 52 Based on the post-questionnaire answered by the students, for the first statement indicated that 17 students or 56.7% felt more comfortable with the previous technique used by the writer. Perhaps, the students did not like to be burdened by many assignments. Besides, the aim of RAFT strategy was actually to develop students ability and creativity in writing. On the other hand, 19 students or 63.3% felt that learning writing was easier than before and it indicated that the implementation of RAFT strategy was successful, and also 30 students or 100% were more motivated in learning writing. The students positive response also seen in two questions; there were 17 students or 56.7% agreed that RAFT strategy used by the teacher to help the students to write, and 23 students or 76.7% agreed that RAFT strategy could generate students idea easier. Therefore, there were 19 students or 63.3% disagreed that RAFT strategy could help them solve their problem in writing. Related to the writing exercise, 21 students or 70% felt that they could do writing exercise easier. Then, 28 students or 93.3% agreed that the teacher gave big opportunities to them to ask questions and 25 students or 83.3% realized to use the opportunities. The last was there were 16 students or 53.3% did not think that RAFT strategy improve their writing skill. From the result questionnaire above, the students could not easily adapt with the new improvement in their class, so they thought that the strategy applied by the writer was not suitable for them but they thought that the teaching and learning writing was better than before. Therefore, the result of the test was not in line with the students answer because the data from the test showed a positive improvement toward students descriptive writing score. B. Data Interpretation In action research, as a researcher we should not rely on a single data but we have to look other data sources to sustain the result of the research. The kind of the action is known as Triangulation. Triangulation is used to check whether the result of an instrument has the same result with other instruments. Therefore, the researcher could prove that the research findings are valid.

67 53 1. Observation Data Based on the observation of students participation and performance done in writing class through observational notes and from the experience had by the writer, the students in VII A became more active and they could participate in writing activities from the first cycle to the second cycle. Although at the first time many of the students did not pay attention to the teacher explanation about RAFT material, so the teacher had to repeat several times until the students understood the concept, but they did the exercise well. Moreover, during the teaching learning process, the students found some difficulties related to writing descriptive paragraph. The difficulties were including vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. They were also hard to develop the idea. When the students found a problem, they tried to solve it by asking to the teacher. Moreover, to know the students improvement in each meeting, the writer asked her peer who taught the same subject to record students participation in class. The result of the students observation checklist was good. In the first and second meetings, there were some indicators signed with Poor and Fair score, so the writer had to find a solution to solve the problem in this case the writer did another cycle. Therefore, in the last meeting, there were only Good and Very Good scores, it indicated that the students response toward teaching and learning writing using RAFT strategy was better than before. 2. Questionnaire Data The data from the pre-questionnaire revealed that students were comfortable with the teaching and learning process before the implementation of RAFT strategy. On the other hand, in the post-questionnaire, the students agreed with some questions that RAFT strategy helped them to write in English, yet in the other questions they disagreed. Perhaps, the students were confused at that time because there were only two questions; yes or no or they saw their friends answer even though the writer avoided them to do so. Therefore, the writer had read aloud and explained each question to the students before they answered individually. In short, based on the number and the percentage of each question,

68 54 the writer concluded that the students actually felt that RAFT strategy was beneficial for them to write descriptive text. 3. Test Data Data of the pre-action test and post-action test were used to support the action research done by the writer. From both tests, the students improvement can be seen in a form of quantitative or number. The writer applied RAFT strategy to improve students descriptive writing of VII A of SMP Paramarta. Based on the calculation of three tests; pre-action test, post-action test 1, and postaction test 2, the students mean score were gradually increased. In the preliminary study or before implementing RAFT strategy, the writer assigned the students to write a descriptive paragraph about their friend. The students had to describe their friend by their physical look, and their characteristics. From 30 students who collected their writing, the writer got the mean score which is 64.5, but the students must get 70.0 or more because the pretest score was lower than the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM). After preliminary study, the writer conducted the first cycle by implementing RAFT strategy to the subject of the research which is VII A students. The students were assigned to compose a descriptive paragraph about their hobby by thinking of RAFT elements. In this cycle, there was a slight improvement of students mean score. The post-action test 1 mean score was 68.0, but it was still lower than the KKM. Therefore, the improvement from the previous test was 3.5 points. Moreover, the students who passed the KKM were increased, from 13 students to 15 students or 50%. Because the result of the posttest was lower than KKM, so the writer decided to conduct second cycle. In the second cycle, the writer did some revision in order to fulfill the criteria of success. To get the students scores, the writer asked the students to write about their family member but the writer had determined the RAFT elements so the students must stick to it. After the writer calculated the students writing, the mean score of post-action test 2 was It means that 9 points or 13.9% of mean score improvement. The number of students who passed the Minimum Mastery Criterion or Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM) was

69 55 increased; there were 27 students or 90%. It indicated that the criteria of success had been achieved. Based on the data got from the research, there was a significant improvement after implementing RAFT strategy Post-Action 2 Post-Action 1 Pre-Action Figure 4.1 The Students Achievement in Writing Product 4. Journal Data Unlike the observational notes, the teacher s journal content had more detail because the writer wrote what she already did in the class, and she also made some notes related to the condition of the class, especially made notes of some students who did not pay attention in the class. The writer started writing everything she found when coming to the class, teaching the students, giving exercise to them, and reflecting the lesson that had been taught. Furthermore, the writer also wrote what students dealt with during teaching learning process, what students response about the material that was being delivered, and their participation in the classroom. The journal data showed that the students positive attitude toward teaching and learning writing using RAFT strategy increased in the first meeting of cycle II when the writer gave them handout, and the students were more enthusiast. For further detail, the journal can be seen in Appendix 9.

70 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION After presenting the research findings in the previous chapter, the writer will draw the conclusion and offer some suggestions based on the research that was done in the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta Jombang. A. Conclusion Based on the classroom action research conducted in the seventh grade of SMP Paramarta in academic year 2014/20115; the research had an aim to improve students descriptive writing through Role, Audience, Format, and Topic (RAFT) strategy, and the writer could make two conclusions that RAFT strategy has successfully improved the students ability in writing descriptive paragraph in two cycles. Moreover, the students descriptive writing improvement can be seen from the increase of the writing scores mean from 64.5 in the preliminary study, and 68.0 in the first cycle, to 73.5 in the second cycle where there were only 13 students (43.3%), and 15 students (50%) in the cycle one, to 27 students (90%) in the second cycle who passed the KKM (70.0). From the observation checklist, the students performance and participation increased in four meetings. In the first meeting of cycle I, there were one Poor score, four Fair scores, and four Good scores and it increased to one Fair score, five Good scores, and three Very Good scores in the last meeting of cycle II. Furthermore, for the questionnaire, the students response toward RAFT strategy was quite good and the data description from journal showed that the students participation increased in each meeting especially in the first meeting of the cycle II when the teacher gave the students reading passages. 56

71 B. Suggestion Based on the conclusion above, several suggestions are proposed. They can be stated as follow: 1. English Teacher It is recommended for other English teachers in SMP Paramarta in academic year 2014/2015 to use RAFT strategy as an alternative and interactive strategy in teaching writing. It is because RAFT strategy can help the students to write their descriptive paragraph more focus because they know exactly what is their role as the writers, the audience who will read their writing, the format they will use and the topic they will write. 2. Students The students should be more motivated in learning English especially writing because writing is a difficult skill rather than the others. Moreover, the students have to master many vocabularies and understand grammar if they want to be confident in writing using English. Then, the students must pay attention during teaching explanation in the class, and they have to do the writing exercise to improve their writing skill. 3. Other researchers There are few researches conducting RAFT strategy, therefore more researchers are expected to do further investigation in the field related to this research. The future researcher could use this study as a reference, develop the implementation of RAFT strategy, or combine with other strategy to get better result. 57

72 BIBLIOGRAPHY Alisa, Teza Peby., dkk., R.A.F.T as a Strategy for Teaching Writing Functional Text to Junior High School Students. Jurnal English Department of State University of Padang, (Vol 1, 2013). Buehl, Doug. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning. New York: International Reading Association, Buscemi, Santi V. A Reader for Developing Writers. New York: McGraw-Hill, Clouse, Barbara Fine. The Student Writer. New York: McGraw-Hill, Cohen, Louise., et al., Research Methods in Education, (6 th Routledge, ed). New York: Creswell, John W. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research in Education fourth edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., Depdiknas, Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (School Based Curriculum) Standar Isi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMP dan Mts, (Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2006). Dietsh, Betty Mattix. Reasoning & Writing Well a Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill, Fisher, Douglas and Frey, Nancy. Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Flynn, Naomi., and Stainthroph, Rhone. The Learning and Teaching of Reading and Writing. West Sussex: Whurr Publishers, Harvey, Lee. Analytic Quality Glossary: Quality Research International. ( m), retrieved on April 20 th, retrieved on May 28 th Jacobson, Julie., et al., Effective Instruction for English Language Learners. New York: The Guilford Press,

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74 60 Simon, Cathy Allen. Using the RAFT Writing Strategy. ( retrieved on December, 15 th Sudijono, Anas. Pengantar Statistik Pendidikan. Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada, Wardiman, Artono., dkk., English in Focus for Garde VII Junior High School (SMP/MTs). Jakarta: Pusat Perbukuan Depdiknas, Weigle, Sarah Cushing. Assessing Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

75 61 Nama : Appendix 1 ANGKET UNTUK SISWA (Before CAR) Kelas : Petunjuk 1. Tulislah nama dan kelas di tempat yang telah disediakan. 2. Berilah tanda checklist ( ) pada salah satu jawaban Ya atau Tidak. 3. Jawablah dengan jujur dan sebenar-benarnya. 4. Jawaban tidak akan mempengaruhi nilai mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris dan dimohon untuk tidak bekerjasama dengan siswa lain ketika menjawab pertanyaan. 5. Terimakasih atas bantuan dan kerjasamanya. No. Pertanyaan Ya Tidak 1 Apakah kamu bersemangat ketika mengikuti pelajaran Bahasa Inggris, terutama untuk materi menulis (writing)? 2 Apakah kamu dengan mudah memahami materi menulis (writing) dalam Bahasa Inggris selama ini? 3 Apakah kamu merasa puas dengan nilai Bahasa Inggris, terutama untuk materi menulis (writing)? 4 Apakah kamu sering bertanya kepada guru jika menemukan kesulitan dalam materi menulis (writing) dalam Bahasa Inggris? 5 Apakah guru kamu sering memberikan latihan untuk mengembangkan kemampuan menulis (writing)? 6 Apakah kamu dapat mengerjakan tugas menulis (writing) dengan mudah? 7 Apakah kamu dapat menjawab pertanyaan dari guru mengenai materi menulis (writing) yang diajarkan? 8 Apakah strategi pengajaran yang digunakan oleh guru dapat membantu kamu dalam menuangkan ide-ide ketika menulis (writing) dalam Bahasa Inggris? 9 Apakah kamu merasa strategi pengajaran yang digunakan oleh guru dapat mengatasi kesulitan dalam menulis (writing)? 10 Apakah kamu merasa bahwa kemampuan menulis (writing) dalam Bahasa Inggris Anda sudah baik?

76 62 No Appendix 2 The Result of Pre-Questionnaire Before Implementing CAR The Students Answer The Result of the Students Answer Yes Percentage No Percentage 1. The students response toward teaching-learning process. a. Students were motivated in the teaching learning process % 3 10% b. Students understood to the teacher s explanation % % 2. The result of the students writing activity. a. Students were satisfied with their English score % % b. Students ability in writing was good % % c. Students could write easily 9 30% 21 70% 3. The solutions of the problems in writing. a. Students asked the teacher if they did not understand the % % material. b. Students could answer the teacher s question about 15 50% 15 50% writing material c. The teacher gave an exercise to improve students writing % 1 3.3% ability. d. The strategy used by the teacher could help students in % 1 3.3% generating ideas easily. e. The teacher implemented a suitable strategy to solve difficulties in writing % 0 0%

77 63 Appendix 3 ANGKET UNTUK SISWA (After CAR) Nama : Kelas : Petunjuk 1. Tulislah nama dan kelas di tempat yang telah disediakan. 2. Berilah tanda checklist ( ) pada salah satu jawaban Ya atau Tidak. 3. Jawablah dengan jujur dan sebenar-benarnya. 4. Jawaban tidak akan mempengaruhi nilai mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris dan dimohon untuk tidak bekerjasama dengan siswa lain ketika menjawab pertanyaan. 5. Terimakasih atas bantuan dan kerjasamanya. No. Pertanyaan Ya Tidak 1 Apakah kamu merasa lebih senang mengikuti pelajaran Bahasa Inggris terutama pada saat materi menulis (writing)? 2 Apakah kamu merasa pengajaran menulis (writing) dalam Bahasa Inggris saat ini lebih mudah dengan menggunakan strategi RAFT? 3 Apakah kamu lebih termotivasi dalam mengikuti pelajaran menulis (writing)? 4 Apakah strategi RAFT yang digunakan oleh guru membuat kamu lebih mudah dalam menulis (writing)? 5 Apakah strategi RAFT yang sekarang dipakai dalam menulis (writing) oleh guru dapat membantu anda mengungkapkan ideide dengan lebih mudah? 6 Apakah strategi RAFT dapat mengatasi kesulitan kamu dalam menulis (writing)? 7 Apakah sekarang kamu dapat mengerjakan tugas menulis (writing) dengen lebih mudah dengan menggunakan strategi RAFT? 8 Apakah guru memberikan kesempatan bertanya saat pembelajaran terutama menulis (writing)? 9 Apakah kamu menggunakan kesempatan bertanya yang diberikan oleh guru ketika pembelajaran menulis (writing)? 10 Apakah kemampuanmu dalam menulis (writing) mengalami peningkatan dengan menggunakan strategi RAFT yang digunakan oleh guru sekarang?

78 64 No Appendix 4 The Result of Post-Questionnaire after Implementing CAR The Students Answer 1. The students response toward teaching-learning process. a. Students were more interested in learning writing after implemented RAFT strategy. b. Students were more motivated in learning writing. 2. The result of the students writing activity. a. Students felt learning writing was easier than before. b. Students did writing exercise easier. c. Students writing ability improved through RAFT strategy. 3. The solutions of the problems in writing. a. RAFT strategy used by the teacher helped students in writing. b. RAFT strategy used by the teacher helped the students in generating their idea. c. RAFT strategy solved the students problem in writing. d. The teacher gave opportunities to the students to ask questions. e. Students used the opportunity to ask questions to the teacher. The Result of the Students Answer Yes Percentage No Percentage % % % 0 0% % % 21 70% 9 30% % % % % % % % % % 2 6.7% % %

79 65 Appendix 5 THE RESULT OF STUDENTS WRITING IN THE PRELIMINARY STUDY (PRE-ACTION TEST) No Students Number Score Total Mean C O G V M Score 1 S * 2 S * 3 S * 4 S * 5 S * 6 S S S S S S S S S * 15 S * 16 S * 17 S S S S S * 22 S S * 24 S S S * 27 S S S * 30 S TOTAL 1935 MEAN 64.5 MINIMUM SCORE 50 MAXIMUM SCORE 75 Note: C = Content, O = Organization, G = Grammar, V = Vocabulary, M = Mechanic No Level Number of students Percentage % % Total %

80 66 Appendix 6 THE RESULT OF STUDENTS WRITING IN THE CYCLE I (POST-ACTION TEST 1) No Students Number Score Total Mean C O G V M Score 1 S * 2 S * 3 S * 4 S * 5 S S * 7 S S * 9 S S S * 12 S S S S * 16 S * 17 S * 18 S S S S * 22 S S * 24 S S * 26 S * 27 S S S * 30 S TOTAL 2040 MEAN 68.0 MINIMUM SCORE 55 MAXIMUM SCORE 80 No Level Number of students Percentage % % Total %

81 67 Appendix 7 THE RESULT OF STUDENTS WRITING IN THE CYCLE II (POST-ACTION TEST 2) No Students Number Score Total Mean C O G V M Score 1 S * 2 S * 3 S * 4 S * 5 S * 6 S * 7 S S * 9 S * 10 S * 11 S * 12 S * 13 S * 14 S * 15 S * 16 S * 17 S * 18 S * 19 S * 20 S * 21 S * 22 S * 23 S * 24 S * 25 S * 26 S * 27 S S S * 30 S * TOTAL 2205 MEAN 73.5 MINIMUM SCORE 65 MAXIMUM SCORE 85 No Level Number of students Percentage % % Total %

82 68 Appendix 8 Observational Notes for Need Analysis Action : Meeting 1/Cycle I Date : Saturday, February 21 st 2015 Time : A.M. Topic : Hobby What Learners do Listening to the teacher s explanation about Descriptive text. Listening to the teacher s explanation about RAFT strategy. Students did exercise about RAFT. Students did brainstorming and wrote their own RAFT prompt Students started to write their first draft with hobby as the topic. What This Involves Students read an example of descriptive text from their LKS and textbook. Students wrote a descriptive paragraph about their friend. Students identified Role, Audience, Format, and Topic of two descriptive paragraphs in their English textbook. Students are involved in individual work Teachere s Purpose Teacher explained about the linguistic features and the generic structure of descriptive text so that the students will be able to write their own paragraph. Teacher gave the material and explained clearly about RAFT strategy. Teacher asked them to make their own RAFT prompt before writing. Teacher asked students to make their first draft Comment Some of students did not pay attention (they talked with their friends) Students did not really understand about RAFT strategy especially about the concept of each element. Students were difficult to identify the Role, Audience, and Format. Students find difficulty in writing using English so they have to write in Bahasa and then they translated into English.

83 69 Observational Notes for Need Analysis Action : Meeting 2/Cycle I Date : Saturday, February 26 th 2015 Time : A.M. Topic : Hobby What learners do Students continued making their first draft. Students had to write based on the RAFT that they had made before. Students revised their writing. Students collected their writing. What this involves Students involved in individual work. Students wrote a descriptive paragraph about their hobby. Teacher s purpose Teacher reviewed last meeeting material. Teacher guided the students while they wrote their descriptive paragraph. Teacher collected the students first writing. Comment Some students did not write their first draft in previous meeting. Most of students were helped to write their paragraph. Few students can write easily.

84 70 Observational Notes for Need Analysis Action : Meeting 1/Cycle II Date : Thursday, March 5 th 2015 Time : A.M. Topic : Family What learners do Students listened to the teacher explanation about their second writing. Students did an exercise about identifying RAFT elements in three descriptive texts. Students read a descriptive paragraph about family. Students did an exercise to write their second draft. What this involves Students involved in individual and group work. Students had to identified RAFT elements of three descriptive texts. Students read a kind of descriptive text to help them getting the idea for their second writing. Teacher s purpose The teacher assigned the students to read and identified RAFT elements in order to make the students more understood about the use of RAFT strategy in writing. The teacher wanted to know students improvement in writing descriptive paragraph. Comment Some students chatted with their friends during the teacher s explanation. Students could not identify the elements of RAFT well. Students asked the teacher about how doing the task. Some of students asked the vocabularies to the teacher when they were making the first draft.

85 71 Observational Notes for Need Analysis Action : Meeting 2/Cycle II Date : Saturday, March 7 th 2015 Time : A.M. Topic : Family What learners do Students continued making their draft. Students have to write based on the RAFT that they have made before. Students revised their writing. Students collected their writing. What this involves Students involved in individual work. Students wrote a descriptive paragraph about their family members. Teacher s purpose Teacher reminded about their last meeting activity. Teacher guided the students while they wrote their descriptive paragraph. Teacher collected the students first writing. Comment Some students only wrote a few lines of words. Most of students were helped to write their paragraph. The students lacked of vocabulary.

86 72 Appendix 9 Teachers Journal Subject/Class : VII-A Date : Saturday, February 21 st 2015 Time : A.M. Meeting : 1 of Cycle I Topic Hobby Notes In this meeting, the material was about Descriptive text. Therefore, it was already explained last month and the teacher only reviewed it. Some of students were enthusiast when the teacher introduced RAFT strategy in writing. Some students who sat on the back chatted with their chair mate and they did not pay attention to the teacher explanation. Few students asked more about RAFT strategy. The teacher repeated the explanation until the students understood about the concept. Teacher asked students to open their text book. There are some descriptive paragraphs about person and daily activity and they have to identify the RAFT elements. Most of students could not identify the role of the write correctly because the text are written with I/me or the first person point of few. If the text introduced the name, they probably would answer correctly. The students also confused about the format. Since the descriptive texts are only showed in a short paragraph, they have not seen other formats like poem, song, diary, etc. Teacher assigned the students to make their own RAFT prompt before they started to write their first draft about hobby. The students who had not understood about the task asked the teacher. When the time was up the students collected their writing but some of them were copying others work.

87 73 Teacher s Journal Subject/Class : VII-A Date : Saturday, February 26 th 2015 Time : A.M. Meeting : 2 of Cycle I Topic Hobby Notes In this meeting, the teacher reviewed the last material about descriptive text and RAFT strategy for writing. The teacher reminded the students that they had to collect their writing on that day. The students were continuing their writing based on their first draft in last meeting. Some students who did not come on last meeting did not know about the task so they had not written anything. The teacher made sure that the students wrote their descriptive paragraph about their hobby. The teacher gave an example of descriptive paragraph from LKS. The students were difficult to develop their idea even though there was already an example; they did not have any clue what they were going to write. So, the teacher helped them in giving some ideas. The students did not master many vocabularies but they also did not bring dictionary. The students who sat in front of the class were mostly enthusiast meanwhile the students who sat on the back were not taking the lesson seriously. The teacher had to repeat the instruction because some students did not hear what the teacher said at the beginning. When the students were asked why they had not written yet; they said some excuses. Some students had been pushed to write by the teacher if the teacher did not do that, the students would not write until the class ended. The teacher asked the students to find an example of descriptive paragraph about family for the next meeting. When the teacher asked the students to collect their writing; there were some students who had not finished yet.

88 74 Teacher s Journal Subject/Class : VII-A Date :Thursday, March 5 th 2015 Time : A.M. Meeting : 1 of Cycle II Topic Family Notes In this meeting, the teacher explained about what they were going to write on that day. The topic was about family, and the students had to describe their family members. The teacher asked the students about the homework, but they said that they forgot. Before making the first draft, the teacher gave the students a handout about RAFT reading. There were three paragraphs, and they had to identify RAFT elements in each paragraph in small group consisted of more than four to six students. The teacher observed the students work when they did not understand they would ask the teacher. Instead of doing the exercise some male and female students chatted with their friends on the back. Students who sat in front of doing the exercise seriously sometimes they asked some questions to the teacher related to the exercise. Some groups were helped by the teacher to do the exercise because they said that they did not understand. The students collected the group s work and they were assigned to write about their family. The teacher gave the students a handout; it was an example of descriptive text about family. The teacher hoped that the students could organize their idea easier because they already saw the example. Then, the teacher explained the paragraph. The students started to write their first draft, and they had to follow RAFT prompt made by the teacher. During writing session the students asked some vocabularies. Because the time was up, the writing would be continued to the next meeting.

89 75 Teacher s Journal Subject/Class : VII-A Date : Saturday, March 7 th 2015 Time : A.M. Meeting : 2 of Cycle II Topic Notes In this meeting, the students continued writing their draft. The teacher walked around to see the students work. Some students already finished but few students only wrote some sentences. Family The teacher guided the students to develop the students idea and helped them with some grammar and vocabulary advice. The students also helped each other to write the paragraph. The students collected their writing as their score of post test 2.

90 76 Appendix 10 PRE-ACTION TEST Write a descriptive paragraph about your chairmate consisting of 5 sentences!

91 77 Appendix 11 CYCLE I TEST Write a descriptive paragraph about your hobby! You have to think about the RAFT elements before you start to write. Role: Format: Audience: Topic: Write your paragraph here!

92 78 Appendix 12 CYCLE II TEST Write a descriptive paragraph based on the prompt below! Role Audience Format Topic Yourself Your classmate Short paragraph Your family member Role: Format: Audience: Topic: Write your paragraph here!

93 79 Appendix 13 RAFT READING Identify the Role, Audience, Format, and Topic of each passage! Bimo is my new friend. He comes from Nusa Tenggara Timur and he just moved to my school. He is one year older than me. He is tall and slim. His short curly hair looks nice on him. His complexion is dark. He has a pointed nose and big eyes. He always wears sneakers everywhere because he is also a runner. He loves running. Do you want to meet him? Missing Person A child is reported missing! His name is Surya. He is about twelve years old and 145 cms tall. He is wearing a light blue T-Shirt and grey shorts. He wears cap. He is going to this mall with his mother and his sister. Please report to the security if you see him Semarang, October 27 th, 2014 Dear Rina, Hi! How are you? I hope you are fine. My family and I moved to a new house. It is small but beautiful. It has one living room, two bedrooms, one kitcher, one dining room, two small bathrooms, and a garage. There is a small beautiful garden in front of the house. You know I also have a new friend.. a white rabbit! I call her Sweety. We often play in the garden. My favourite room in my new houuse is the kitchen because I like to help my Mom makes cakes. That s all Rina. I will write again next time. Writer to me as soon as you can. Role: Audience: Format: Topic: Role: Audience: Format: Topic: Role: Audience: Format: Topic: Cheerio, Sari

94 80 Appendix 14 An Example of Descriptive Text About Family There are 6 people in my family. I have two brothers and one sister. I am the second oldest of my brothers and sister. My Dad goes to work everyday from 8 am to 8 pm. His job is to communicate with Vietnamese people. My mom doesn t work outside the home. She stays home and takes care of the house. She also raises the kids and cooks everyday. My oldest brother is 23 years old. He doesn t work or go to school. He just stays home and only does the things he wants to do. He also spends a lot of money that dad earns. My younger brother is just the opposite. He is 18 years old. Everyday he goes to school and sometimes he goes to work. He also helps my parents when he has free time. He had diploma from high school and now he is enrolled in the University. My parents are proud of him very much. Finally is my sister is 11 years old and a cute girl. She is in the fifth grade. I think she is a very smart girl. I love her and my parents very much.