ABSTRACT

Ana Susanti. K2212001. Improving Students’ Participation through the Implementation of Numbered Heads Together. An Action Research Study at the Eighth Grade of SMP Negeri 2 Ngemplak, Boyolali Academic Year of
2016/2017.  Thesis.  English  Education  Department.  Teacher  Training  and
Education Faculty. Sebelas Maret University. 2017

This  research  focuses  on  the  participation  improvement  and  speaking ability of students at class VIIIB of SMP Negeri 2 Ngemplak, Boyolali. The research  aims  to  find  out:  (1)  to  analyze  the  improvement  of  students’ participation  by  using  Numbered  Heads  Together  in  the  class,  and  (2)  to investigate the difficulties encountered by the  researcher in implementing the method.
Action Research was used in this research. It requires four main steps, they are: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. The research consists of two cycles; each cycle consists of three meetings. The subject of the research was students grade VIIIB of SMP Negeri 2 Ngemplak, Boyolali which the total was 30 students. The data collection methods are: observation, questionnaire, documents, diaries, interview, pre-test, post-test, and photograph. In analyzing the data, there were some techniques used (1) for qualitative data there is constant comparative technique by Burns (1999), and (2) for quantitative data there are descriptive statistic technique and Likert Scale.
After analyzing the data, there found some results, such as: (1) Numbered Heads Together method could improve the students’ participation. Besides it, Numbered Heads Together method also could improve (a) students’ speaking ability with the pre-test average was 46.7, average of post-test cycle 1 was 67.7 and improved become 78.1 in the post-test cycle 2, and (b) classroom situation when teaching learning process was running. (2) the difficulties encountered after implementing the method, such as (a) difficulties came from the students, (b) difficulties came from the researcher, and (c) difficulties came from the school’s facilities.
In conclusion, by implementing Numbered Heads Together method students’ participation was improve, besides it this method also could improve the students’ ability in speaking and classroom situation.

Keywords: numbered heads together, students’ participation, action research