Abstract

This study aims to identify and describe the learning process and the problems faced by teachers in teaching writing descriptive texts in the seventh grade of SMP Negeri 2 Candi. The method in this study is a qualitative descriptive method. In collecting data, researchers used interviews and document studies. The results showed that the learning process of writing descriptive text by the teacher in class seven grade of SMP Negeri 2 Candi consisted of preliminary activities, core activities, and closing activities. The teaching process carried out by the teacher is still effective. The teacher has planned the learning process, selected materials, prepared activities and roles, and evaluated learning. Then, the problem of the teacher in the teaching process of writing descriptive text comes from external factors, namely the students. students have problems in developing their ideas in writing, they have a lack of vocabulary and students have difficulties in grammar.

Introduction

In Indonesia, English is a foreign language. English in an academic field is taught as a subject matter. In our education system, it is a compulsory subject from elementary school until university level. language skills in the curriculum at school outline include four aspects, namely listening skill, speaking skill, reading skill and writing skill[1]. To achieve the communication function, students need general knowledge and skill of English and language competency. However, of the four skills (for example speaking, reading, listening, and writing), writing is one of the most important skills for students to learn in order to convey their views or opinions in the form of writing. Writing activities involve cognitive, affective, social, and psychomotor processes. As said by Bunga and Hayes[2], " In the writing process, the writer needs to understand various cognitive processes in a structured and orderly manner in order to be able to express feelings or ideas effectively so that their messages and ideas convey their meaning to the reader.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, all online learning and learning systems made a teacher have to work extra hard so that learning could continue as it should, no exception with Mrs. N an English teacher at SMP Negeri 2 Candi. Based on the results of interviews conducted by researchers with English teacher Mrs. N an english teacher at SMP Negeri 2 Candi, the researcher obtained information that the teacher had a little difficulty in the learning process and provided material to students. This is because learning that is not face to face is a challenge for a teacher to carry out the learning process. If in the previous semester, all the learning materials provided still used material in which the assessment process used speaking such as "greeting and introduce self", students introduced themselves in the form of a video. In the current semester, the learning material will use writing assessments such as writing.

Based on these problems, the researcher wanted to analyze teaching and learning process carried out by teachers at SMP Negeri 2 Candi using online Learning systems later with writing learning materials on descriptive text. Descriptive text is a functional text that is a little difficult for students to learn and understand. Descriptive text is text that describes a place, person, or something. Descriptive text is prepared based on an introduction and description. Introduction is a paragraph section to introduce something you want to describe, and a description is a paragraph section to describe something you want to describe. In writing descriptive text, sometimes students experience difficulties. Students often find it difficult to organize ideas. In addition, students make mistakes and find it difficult to build and develop their own imagination. This study focused on exploring teaching and learning process used by the teacher in teaching writing descriptive text. The researcher wants to examine is how the teaching and learning process between students and teacher, and what is the teacher problems in teaching writing descriptive text at SMP Negeri 2 Candi Seven Grade.

Method

The method in this research is to use qua litative research methods. Q ualitative research refers to a research method that captures and provides a description of the phenomenon that is happening, and as a method to provide an explanation of the phenomenon being researched and investigated [3] qualitative research is a form of social action research that focuses on how people interpret and understand an experience so that they can understand and know the social status of an individual. By using interviews, diaries, journals, classroom observations and open questionnaires to obtain analysis, and interpret the content analysis of visual and textual data material [4] The purpose of qualitative research is to describe problems or phenomena in a structured manner from individual perspectives and opinions, resulting in new concepts and theories, with a choice of methodological questions to be asked [5]

The researcher chooses the English teacher of the seventh-F grade at SMP Negeri 2 Candi as the subject of the research. In this research, there are several steps that the researcher will take with the intention of obtaining data from the beginning of the research to the end of the research process. Therefore, for the data collection process, researchers will conduct research using interviews and document study (RPP) by the teacher to obtain data for this study. In analyzing data, researchers also need to analyze the validity of data sources to obtain valid or appropriate data. In order to prove the validity and authenticity of the data, the researchers used triangulation techniques. Triangulation technique is a technique of checking the reliability and accuracy of the data by using several sources outside the data to check and compare data [6] Data analysis is a process or method for organizing data by researchers in order to obtain regular patterns and forms in their research. There are three main phases in analyzing data: data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions or verification.

Finding and Discussion

Based on Reimes[7] theory about ten steps of teachers in teaching and learning process of writing. From the ten steps, in the research that the researcher did based on inteview and analyze the teacher’ lesson plan, there were only four steps that the teacher did in the process of learning and teaching writing descriptive text, including: planning content, selecting material, preparing activities and roles, and evaluating the course.

1. Teacher’s Process in teaching writing deskriptive text

a. Planing Content

From the results of interviews and then supported by the teacher's lesson plans that have been carried out by researchers, this aims to determine each learning process to write descriptive texts carried out by the teacher. so that the researchers found that each meeting had the same activity name and material, but a different theme. The teacher carries out opening activities, main activities and closing activities. for the second meeting is a continuation of the first meeting.

Before the teaching process begins, the teacher has prepared the material, and the class is opened with greetings which are responded to by all students. After that the teacher checks the attendance list of students, by calling students one by one to build a good relationship with students by motivating students before starting the lesson and building students' knowledge about the lesson. The teacher explains what descriptive text is and also explains the parts that students must write in a text. Before writing a descriptive text, the teacher must explain the generic structure of the descriptive text (identification, description) and the linguistic features of the descriptive text. In this whole activity, the teacher prepares the subject (“subject means any person, event, idea, or a problem”. In other words, anything that might be used as a topic in writing descriptive text. After preparing the subject, the teacher selects or asks students to choose their own topic Topic about "talking about family members" The teacher gives some questions to students related to the topic Then students start writing descriptive texts by answering the questions given by the teacher, then students discuss with classmates and the teacher about the subject or whatever they have written. After that, the teacher provides assistance and guidance according to the students' needs. Then, the teacher monitors the students' activities. Then, the teacher identifies some mistakes made by the students while writing. After that, the students revise their writing if they make mistakes. The teacher gives time to the students. students to complete.

b. Selecting Material

Materi learning is very important for the development and expediting the learning process. Designing or developing teaching materials must be based on principles that can be used as guidelines in designing or developing teaching materials. From the results of interviews conducted by the researcher with the teacher, the research asked about the teaching materials or materials that the teacher used. The following is an interview between the researcher and the teacher:

A: “How did you get the materials to teach writing?”

B: “I get it from the syllabus and the internet to support the learning process, it makes it easier for me to be more creative in using teaching materials. because on the internet the material is more varied”. From the results of the interview, the teacher said that he got the material from several sources, meaning that the teacher could choose the material well and creatively as needed.

c. Preparing activities and role

From the results of interviews and then supported by the teacher's lesson plans that have been carried out by the researchers, the researchers found that in the learning process the teacher carried out pre-activities (opening), main activities and closing activities. Before the learning process begins, the teacher has prepared the material. Then, the teacher explains what descriptive text is, explains the parts contained in a descriptive text and explains the generic structure of descriptive text (identification, description) and linguistic features contained in descriptive text.

Then, in the process of writing and assigning, the teacher asked the students to start writing descriptive texts by answering the questions given. Then students discuss with classmates and teachers about whatever they have written, after that the teacher provides assistance and guidance to students if students find difficulties, the teacher monitors student activities and identifies mistakes made by students when writing. After that, students revise their writing if there are errors. The teacher gives time for students to complete them. The teacher has implemented all the preparations and steps in the teaching process activities of writing descriptive text properly and correctly.

d. Evaluating the course

Based on interviews and observed the desert lesson plan (RPP), researchers found that for the process of evaluation of the learning process, teachers evaluate students by giving assignments and homework. So, the teacher can see the progress of the students. The teacher said that he gave evaluations and assessments to students covering two criteria, namely, Attitude: Observations during learning about critical, cooperative, and communicative attitudes. Knowledge: The task of answering exercises 1 and 2 in the given video.

From the explanation above, researcher found there were four from ten steps points in the teaching and learning process by the teacher based on the interview and study document lesson plan (RPP) by the teacher. The first steps: Planning Content, Before the teaching process begins, the teacher has prepared the material, teachers carry out learning activities well, provide learning materials, provide and observe assignments given to students and finally evaluate the results of student work, The second steps: selecting material, the teacher got the material from several sources, from the internet and syllabus. That means that the teacher could choose the material well and creatively as needed. The third steps: Preparing activities and role, in the learning process the teacher carried out pre-activities (opening), main activities and closing activities. Before the learning process begins, the teacher has prepared the material. and the last steps: Evaluating the course, the teacher gave evaluations and assessments to students covering two criteria, namely, Attitude: Observations during learning about critical, cooperative, and communicative attitudes. Knowledge: The task of answering exercises 1 and 2 in the given video.

2. Teacher’s problems in teaching writing deskriptive text

a. Internal factor

In this internal factor the teacher's role is very important and so big that it is also the focus of researchers. So that researchers make teachers as the main object of research. To find out the factors that become problems in teaching and learning process descriptive text, the researchers conducted interviews with Mrs. N. and supported by the teachers’ lesson plan. This research was conducted to measure the extent to which the teaching and learning process to write descriptive texts were given by the teacher to students.

From the results of interviews and analyze the teachers’ lesson plan, the teacher has carried out teaching and learning process activities properly and correctly in accordance with the curriculum and provisions that apply during online learning and learning activities during the pandemic. This is based on the results of interviews and analyze the teachers’ lesson plan that the researcher gave which is an assessment factor.

b. External Factor

In the practice and process of learning to write in the classroom, there are several teacher obstacles that are often found and occur in the process of learning to write. because writing has certain characteristics that seem difficult for students to master. On this external factor, the researcher has classified the difficulties or problems of teachers in the process of learning and teaching writing descriptive text in class seven grade of SMP Negeri 2 Candi.

from the results of interviews that researchers have done with the teacher mrs. N, many of the students have difficulty in writing descriptive texts for various reasons. they face some problems in writing descriptive text, some problems are as follows:

1. Problems developing ideas in writing descriptive text

Almost all students write with many main ideas in one paragraph. so the idea of the paragraph still looks ambiguous. Sometimes students also write several paragraphs written in one sentence only. The idea of the paragraph is still not clear.

2. The problem of organizing ideas in writing descriptive texts

The students did not organize writing their ideas into a good paragraph. so that the students make it difficult for the teacher to read and understand their writing. To write a descriptive paragraph, students need to organize their ideas by identifying the topic and providing a description of the topic.

3. Students' difficulties in grammar

According to Mrs. N, difficulty that is often faced by students in writing descriptive text that often occurs is grammar. grammatical problems will affect the patterns contained in the writing of descriptive texts. so students need to understand about how words are put together to form correct sentence patterns. This will make students' ideas develop well.

4. Lack of vocabulary

In the process of writing descriptive text by students, Mrs. N finds a lot of problems. Some students lack vocabulary and they also have difficulty in developing their ideas related to their chosen topic. Some students are still hesitant in choosing the right words when compiling descriptive texts. so the lack of vocabulary makes students confused in developing their ideas, in this case students have to choose the correct words they need.

5. Spelling, punctuation and capitalization

According to Mrs. N, from the results of interviews by researchers, students often make several mistakes when writing descriptive texts in mechanical aspects such as spelling, punctuation, and the use of capital letters. This can affect the meaning of the sentences in a paragraph so that it makes the reader confused and do not understand the meaning of the adjacent sentences or even the paragraph.

Reid, E. S. [8] theory, there are two factors that become problems or obstacles by teacher in teaching and learning process to write descriptive texts, namely internal and external factors. many problems that teachers find in the process teaching and learning learning to write descriptive texts that are often faced by students include problems in developing ideas, problems in organizing ideas for writing descriptive texts, students finding difficulties in grammar, lack of vocabulary, spelling, punctuation. , and the use of capital letters. In addition, an English teacher needs to build motivation to teach students. It can be concluded that the teacher's problems based on previous research and the research that the researcher did found that the problems faced by teachers in teaching writing descriptive texts could come from internal problems (the teacher himself) and external factors (students and the teaching environment).

The result of the current research is supported by Anis [9], this research was conducted observations and interviews with English teachers to determine the teaching process by teachers in teaching writing descriptive texts and what problems did the English teacher face in learning to write descriptive texts in class VII SMP Negeri 3 Klaten in the 2016/2017 academic year. The instruments used for data collection were observation, interviews and document study. Hidayatul fitri [10], this study aims to analyze and describe teacher strategies in the teaching and learning process in writing descriptive text in class VIII students of SMP Negeri 14 Kota Jambi in Year academic 2018/2019. The subjects of this study were teachers of SMP Negeri 14 Kota Jamb. For the data collection process in this study using observation, interviews, and documentation.

Conclusion

Based on the result of interview and study document/lesson plan done by the researcher about the teacher’s process and Problems in teaching and learning in mastery writing descriptive text at SMP Negeri 2 Candi Seven Grade, The process of teaching writing descriptive text by teacher was running well. The teacher takes steps in the teaching and learning process activities well, including in compiling materials and evaluating student learning outcomes.

The teacher’s problems in teaching writing descriptive texs are the where the students still have difficulties in writing indicators of writing, they are; grammar, vocabulary, mechanic, fluency and form and the teachers are still unable to increase students' motivation, interest, and participation in the teaching and learning process. So, when the students showed their writing skills in descriptive English, the students still looked confused and not active in the teaching and learning process.

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