GROUP CORRECTION OF STUDENTS’ WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC WRITING ABILITY (AN ACTION RESEARCH FOR THE FIFTH SEMESTER STUDENTS OF THE ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF IKIP PGRI SEMARANG IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2010-2011)

Abstract

The study attempts generally to improve the fifth semester students’ academic writing ability of the English Education Department of IKIP PGRI Semarang in the academic year 2010-2011 through Group Correction of Students’ Written Assignments technique. The subject of this study was class D of the fifth semester students of the English Education Department of IKIP PGRI Semarang in the academic year 2010-2011 who were taking Writing 4 subject. This study was carried out under an action research method. There were two cycles in this study. Four board phases: (1) planning, (2) action, (3) observation, and (4) reflection were used on each cycle. The data were collected by using qualitative and quantitative method. The qualitative data used in this study were observation, field notes, photographs, and interview, and the quantitative data used in this study was document collection that is students’ writing result. The qualitative data were analyzed by reading transcript of interview, pre research observation report, and field notes and reviewing the photographs of teaching learning process. An analytic scale was used in analyzing the quantitative data focusing on the organization, content, grammar, mechanics, and style and quality of expression. From the analysis, the writer found that through Group Correction of Students’ Written Assignments technique, the students’ ability to write an academic writing improved significantly. The improvement of this can be seen from the test result of pre-cycle, first cycle, and second cycle. In the pre-cycle the mean of the students’ ability was 63.16%. In the first cycle, the mean of the students’ ability was 71.62%, and in the second cycle, the mean of the students’ ability reached 75.26%. Besides, this technique can also enhance the students’ motivation and make the students more aware of the errors in their writing. This technique was also developed by equipping the students with a list of components to assess writing and a list of the symbols used in correcting composition as guidance to correct their peers’ work. After the technique had been applied, students’ correction had been “appropriate” as the lecturer suggested. To apply this technique in teaching writing, it is suggested to equip the students with a list of components to assess writing and a list of the symbols used in correcting composition; moreover, it will be more effective by redistributing the assignment one at a time. Otherwise, the teacher or lecturer will find some weaknesses of the technique.