RESEARCH METHOD

A.           The Research Design

This research was conducted by applying classroom action research. Classroom action research was applied because it focuses on individual or small group professional practice and was undertaken in a school setting.

Ferrance (2000) in defines action research is a reflective process that allows for inquiry and discussion as components of the “research.” Often, action research is a collaborative activity among colleagues searching for solutions to everyday real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to improve instruction and increase student achievement. According to Kemmis & Mc. Taggart (2002:125), action research is a form of collective, self-reflective inquiry that participants in social situations undertake to improve the rationality and justice of their own social or educational practices and to improve the participants understanding of the practices and the situations which they carry out these practices. It means that action research is a research designed in an educational field which is conducted collaboratively searching for solutions to real problems experienced in a classroom in order to improve teaching learning quality and increase student achievement.

Therefore, the researcher applied action research in this study to solve the students’ problem in writing recount text and to see the improvement of students’ achievement in writing recount text through peer review technique. The researcher conducted the action research in two cycles by implementing the four steps: planning, action, observation and reflection.

B.            The Location and Time of Research

This research had been conducted at SMA Negeri 21 Medan. It is located on Jl. Kramat Indah Selambo, Medan. It was conducted at the first semester on October 4^th– 27^th 2012.

C.           The Subject of Research

The subject of this research was the students class X-4 at SMA Negeri 21 Medan. This class consisted of 40 students.

D.           The Instrument of Collecting Data

In this study, the data were collected by using quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were taken from students’ writing scores in order to measure the students’ ability in writing.

The qualitative data were gathered through observation sheet, diary notes, questionnaire sheet, and interview, which are:

1.      Observation sheet was used to record the situation and discover problems found during teaching learning process ran.

2.      Questionnaire sheet was conducted to know the students’ opinion in learning recount text through peer review technique.

3.      Diary notes contained personal evaluation about the situation of the class while teaching learning process and the progress of the project.

4.      Interview was done to know the students’ difficulties in writing, especially in writing recount text and about peer review technique.

E.            The Procedure of Data Collection

The procedures of data collection were performed by administrating for seven meetings and for two cycles. The first cycle was conducted in four meetings and the second cycle was conducted in three meetings. There was an orientation test before conducting the cycle I in order to get the background situation of the teaching learning in the classroom and the information of students’ knowledge in writing recount text. In conducting this research, there were four steps, namely planning, action, observation, and reflection. Before the last meeting in each cycle, the writer gave writing task to the students to be reviewed for the next meeting (the last meeting of each cycle). The result of doing peer review on students’ writing task in the last meeting of each cycle was used by the writer as the students’ writing scores in order to see the improvement of the students’ achievement in writing recount text. Cycle II was done if there is a need to do it. The writer decided to do it based on the reflection in cycle I.