Improving Students’ Writing Skill Using  Group Investigation  (A Classroom Action Research at the First Grade Students of  SMAN 1 Boyolali in the Academic Year of 2012/2013)

Pinasti, Dita Ningtyas

The purpose of this research is to identify: (1) whether Group Investigation can improve students’ writing skill; and (2) the class condition when writing lesson using Group Investigation Method is carried on. The method used in this research was classroom action research. The research was conducted in two cycles at the first grade students of SMAN 1 Boyolali from April to May 2013. There are two techniques of collecting data: qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data were collected by using observation, questionnaire, interview, and field notes. The quantitative data were collected by using test (pre-test and post-test). There were five steps to analyze qualitative data based on Burns. They were assembling the data, coding the data, comparing the data, building meaning and interpretation, and reporting the outcome. Meanwhile, the quantitative data were analyzed by using quantitative technique. The students’ test was scored by using scoring rubric based on ESL Composition Profile of Writing. The result of mean score in pre-test is compared to the result of mean score in post-test to know the improvement. The research findings show that Group Investigation could improve: (1) students’ writing skill and (2) class situation. The first improvement includes: (a) The students have fewer difficulties in developing ideas to write (b) They also make fewer mistakes in constructing new sentences using simple present tense (c) Their vocabulary gets richer after the research (d) They are able to use appropriate generic structure of descriptive text (e) They are able to use the correct punctuation, spelling, and capitalization in their sentences. The second improvement comprises: (a) the students improve their activity and creativity in writing a descriptive text; and (b) the students improve their attention to the teacher in writing descriptive text. Keywords: writing, group investigation, classroom action research

Abstrak

Improving Students’ Writing Skill Using Group Investigation (A Classroom Action Research at the First Grade Students of SMAN 1 Boyolali in the Academic Year of 2012/2013)