1. 1
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING JOURNAL KEEPING TEACHNIQUE
TOWARD STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN WRITING NARRATIVE TEXT
AT THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF SMAN 1 TAPUNG
A. Background
Writing is one productive skill. It is one of the language that must be mastered
by the students. Writing becomes a problem for some students because it is not an
easy work. Writing takes time for study and practise as to develop this skill. To write
well, the students must have good skills or capabilities in writing. Moreover, someone
who wants to write an essay or a story must know about the steps in writing and must
stive hard to perform the product of his writing in good performance.1 Besides, the
students must know about the aspects in writing. There are many aspects that should
be considered in writing, such as content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and
mechanics.2 By knowing the steps and the aspects of writing, students as writers will
be able to write their message in form of essay or story into cohesive and coherent
writing
In order to support students’ need toward writing, School Based
Curriculum(KTSP) provides writing as one of the English standard competences that
must be taught and learned in Senior Hight School.3 SMAN 1 Tapung is one of the
schools that uses School Based Curriculum (KTSP) as its guidance in teaching and
learning process. In SMAN 1 Tapung, writing has been taught since first year of
1 M. Syafii, S., et al, The Effective Paragraph Developments: The Process of Writing for Classroom Setting. (
pekanbaru: LSBI, 2007), p.113
2 Ibid.
3 Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, Standar Kompetensi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Ingggris SMA dan MA.
(Jakarta:Balitbang, 2003), p.16.

2. English teaching period. It is tauhgt twice a week with duration 45 minute for one
lesson. According to syllabus of SMAN 1 Tapung at the first grade, the based
competence of writing English refers to ability of students in expressing the meaning
in monologue text or essay that uses written from accurately, fluently, and
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contextually in the form of text such as narrative, spoof, and hartatory exposition.4
Based on the writer’s preliminary research at SMAN 1 Tapung, the teacher
used conventional technique. the teacher has taught writing through the types of text
available in the students’ textbook. Through the types of text in their textbook, the
students will reecognize and understand about kinds of texts, purpose of texts and
soon. In teaching narrative text, the teacher introduces the material to the students and
gives an example. After introducing the material, the teacher asks the students to
practice writing narrative text individually or group. At the end of the class, the
students get feedback toward their writing from the teacher and submit their writing.
Based on the descritive above, ideally the students of SMAN 1 Tapung are able to
write a text based on the genre. But, in fact, the teacher found many students who still
do not understand and get difficulties in writing especially in narrative text. The
problem faced by the students will be outlined in the following phenomena:
1. Most of students are not able to develop their ideas in making narrative
paragraph.
2. Most of students are still confused about types of organization in
narrative paragraph.
3. Most of students do not have enough of vocabulary to write narrative
paragraph.
4 Tim Kurikulum SMA N 1 Tapung, Syllabus of SMAN I Tapung 2010/2011.(Tapung: SMAN 1 Tapung,
2010), Unpublished:p. 11-12

3. 4. Most of students are not able using tense correctly in making narrative
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paragraph.
5. Most of students are still confused to choose the appropriate words in
making narrative paragrapah.
To improve students’ ability in writing narrative text needs an appropriate technique
which is used to give solution of their problem. There is a powerful technique that can help
them in developing their idea in writing narrative paragraph called keeping journal. Keeping
journal is an unstructured and totally individual way for writers to record their thoughts,
observation, and experiences on a daily basis what interest, troubles, pleases them.5
According to John Langan, writing a journal will help you develop the habit of thingking on
paper and will show you how ideas can be discovered in process of writing.6 A journal can
make writing a familiar part of your life and can as continung source of ideas for paper.7 The
writer considers that journal keeping can help students develop their ideas in writing because
the more we practice writing, the better we will write.
Based on the explenation and the problems above, the writer is interesed in conducting a
research entitled “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING KEEPING JOURNAL
TECHNIQUE TOWARD STUDENT’S ABILITY IN WRATING NARRATIVE TEXT
AT FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF SMAN 1 TAPUNG”
B. Formulation of the Problem
The problems of this research can be formulated in these following questions:
5 Jane B. Hughey, et al., Teaching ESL Composition Principles and Techniques. ( Rowley, Massachusetts:
Newbury House Publishers Inc., 1983), p. 68.
6 Langan John, English Skiil With Readings, Sixth Edition. ( New York, A Business Unit of The Mc Graw-Hill
Companies, Inc, 2006), p.16.
7 Ibid.

4. 1. How is students’ ability in writing narrative text by using keeping
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journal technique?
2. How is students’ ability in writing narrative text without using keeping
journal?
3. Is there any significant effect of using keeping journal in increasing
writing narrative text?
C. Methode of the Research
In this research, the writer will use quasi experimental research. Quasi
experiment research is kind of experiment design that includes assignment, but
not random assignment of particular to groups.8 The location of the research is
at SMAN 1 Tapung. The research will conducted from April until May 2011.
The object of the research is the effectiveness of using journal keeping toward
students’ ability in writing narrative text at the first year students of SMAN 1
Tapung and the subject of the research is the first year students of SMAN 1
Tapung. The population of the research is 48 students which concist of two
classes. The samples of the research are two classes, the first class is
experimental class and the second is control class By using total population
sampling. The techniques that will be used in collecting data are observation
and writing test. To analyze the research, the writer will use T-test:9
To=
2 2


SDy
1 1

 

 


  


 

SDx


N
N
Mx My
8 John W. Creswell. Education Research. Third Edition. ( New Jersey : Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008), p. 313.
9 Hartono, statistik untuk penelitian. (jogjakarta: Pustaka Belajar, 2008),p. 208.

5. 5
D. Bibliography
Depdiknas. Standar Kompetensi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Ingggris SMA dan MA.
Jakarta:Balitbang. 2003.
Hartono. Statistik untuk penelitian.jogjakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2008.
Jane B. Hughey, et al. Teaching ESL Composition Principles and Techniques.
Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House Publishers Inc.1983.
John W. Creswell. Education Research. Third Edition. ( New Jersey : Pearson Prentice Hall,
2008), p. 313.
Langan John. English Skiil With Readings. Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
2006.
M. Syafii, S., et al. The Effective Paragraph Developments: The Process of Writing
for Classroom Setting. pekanbaru: LSBI. 2007.
Tim Kurikulum SMA N 1 Tapung. Syllabus of SMAN I Tapung 2010/2011. Tapung:
SMAN 1 Tapung. 2010.Unpublished.

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