An Evaluation On Writing Materials In The English Textbook Entitled “English In Focus” For Second Grade Students Of Junior High School

Oleh :
Ayuningtyas Umi Baroroh - K2208027 - Fak. KIP

This research focuses on evaluating writing materials in the textbook “English in Focus” used by second grade students of SMP Negeri 7 Surakarta. The aim of this research is to find out: (1) whether the writing materials are compatible with the School-based Curriculum; (2) whether the writing materials facilitate students’ needs to develop their writing ability; (3) the students’ view on the writing materials in the textbook; (4) the teacher’s view on the writing materials in the textbook. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. The sources of data are document and informants. The data were collected through document analysis, interview, and questionnaire. In analyzing the data, the researcher use interactive model of analysis including data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusion. The result of this research shows that the compatibility of the writing materials is 60%. Based on the theory proposed by Arikuto (2006), it means that the writing materials are compatible with the School-based Curriculum. The writing materials in the textbook “English in Focus” also facilitate students’ needs to develop their writing skill in terms of developing main idea, using appropriate vocabulary and using correct grammar. But, they do not facilitate the students’ need to write by using correct spelling, punctuation, and other mechanical aspects. Based on the opinion of both the teacher and the students, the writing activities in the textbook are not interesting to do, not visually appealing, not challenging, and not motivating for students. However, the writing activities are appropriate for the students’ level and have clear directions so the students can easily follow the instructions.