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2 Lecturer

IMPROVING STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING
NEWS ITEM TEXT THROUGH COOPERATIVE
INTEGRATED READING AND COMPOSITION
(CIRC) TECHNIQUE

Paramita
1

Rahmah
2

English and Literature Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts
State University of Medan

Abstract

This study focuses on improving students achievement in writing News Item text
through Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) Technique. This
study was conducted by using classroom action research. The subject of this
research was the grade X students of SMA Mitra Inalum. Twenty four students were
taken as the sample. The research was conducted in two cycles. First cycle was
conducted in four meetings. The second cycle was conducted in two meetings. The
instruments for collecting data were quantitative data (writing test) and qualitative
data (observation sheet, diary note, and questionnaire sheet). Based on the data
analysis, students score kept improving in every test. The mean of the students
score in the first competence test was 38.4, in the second competence test was 75.4
and in the third competence test was 81.9. The result showed that Cooperative
Integrated and Reading Composition (CIRC) technique improved students
achievement in writing news item text.

Key words: Classroom Action Research, Cooperative Integrated Reading and
Composition (CIRC), Writing, News Item Text

Introduction
English as a foreign language consists of four major skills that should be achieved
by the students who learn English namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Writing is one way to communicate in English by expressing the ideas through
organizing our thought into good arrangement of written text. Writing is the most
concrete and systematic of the language skills. The more developed the writing skill, the
more systematic the individuals overall use of language.



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According to Educational Unit-Oriented Curriculum (KTSP: Kurikulum Tingkat
SatuanPendidikan) there is the standard competence in writing in the tenth grade of
senior high school that students are expected to be able to express the meaning (sense)
of both interpersonal and transactional written text formally as well as informally in the
form of recount, narrative, procedure, descriptive, and news item in the context of daily
life. It means that in writing skill, students are expected to be able to express their
knowledge and idea in form of producing the text. In this study, the writer focuses on
news item text in several aspects of generic structure, social function, and language
feature which are produced by the tenth grade students of senior high school in their
writing result. Because the writer considers that news item text is one kind of genre that
is new to be learnt and still hard for them to master.
For addition, based on the preliminary observation in SMA Mitra Inalum Tanjung
Gading on 11
th
February 2013, many students in the tenth grade could not pass The
Basic Criteria Achievement (KKM: Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimum) which the score is
68 applied by the school in English subject. The writer interviewed the English teacher
and some students in the class.
The writer considers that writing is the hardest skill for people who learn English
because in writing process; planning, drafting, editing (reflecting and revising) and final
version, students will face many difficulties in transferring thought and ideas in writing
form. To make the students motivated and enjoyable to learn, the teacher should use
interesting teaching methods, as Harmer (2007:20) says that teachers method in
teaching could be intrinsic motivation which motivates the students to learn. Therefore,
it is important for teachers to gain some knowledge.


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Considering the condition above, the writer offers to apply Cooperative Integrated
Reading and Composition (CIRC) technique as an effective strategy in teaching writing
news item text to overcome the problems and to improve the students ability in writing.
According to Slavin (1995:7), CIRC is a comprehensive program for teaching reading
and writing in the upper elementary and middle grades.
J ohnson and Slavin (1995) from J ohn Hopkins University describe that CIRC
consists of three principal elements: basal-related activities, direct instruction in reading
comprehension, and integrated language arts and writing. In most CIRC activities, the
student work in heterogeneous learning teams. The cycle of these activities involves
teacher instruction, team practice, team pre assessments, and quiz. Students do not take
the quiz until the teammates have determined that they are ready. Team reward and
certificates are given to teams based on the average performance of all team members
on all reading and writing activities. Because students work on material appropriate to
their reading levels, they have equal opportunities for success. Students contributions
to their teams are based on their quiz score and independently written compositions,
which ensure individual accountability. It will make the students easier in learning
writing news item text cooperatively than learning by using conventional method.
The dominance of the teacher in the learning will decreases because most learning
activities should be done by each student. And students are also motivated to work one
another on these activities by the use of cooperative reward structure in which they may
earn certificate or recognition.




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Methodology
The researcher had gathered data and information about the students problem in
writing news item text through the previous survey, and planned to solve the difficulties
faced by the students in writing by implementing Cooperative Integrated Reading and
Composition (CIRC) technique. This research contained of 2 cycles to see any the
improvement of students writing ability in news item text during the implementation of
Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) method.This research was
conducted at SMA Mitra Inalum. It is located on J alan Beringin No.1 Tanjung Gading,
Kecamatan Sei Suka, Batubara Regency, North Sumatera. The subject of this study was
the students ofgrade X-1which consist of 24 students.
Since the aim of this research is to improve students achievement, so this research
was conducted by using action research.Watts (1985:118) states that action research is a
process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and
carefully, using the techniques of research.In general, classroom action research
activities involve repeated cycles, each consisting of planning, action, observation, and
reflection. To do action research is to plan, act, observe and reflect more carefully, more
systematically, and more rigorously than teaching process that is usually done in every
life and to use the relationships between these moments in the process as source of both
improvement and knowledge.
Before conducting the treatment in cycle 1 the reading and writing proficiency of
the class had been tested by orientation test in the first meeting, where the students had
one news item text to be read, comprehended and written based on the topic of their


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choice. Then, the researcher used the score in the first test as a guidance to group the
students heterogeneously during the treatment.
The implementation of CIRC technique
The researcher gave the students treatment in writing news item text by
implementing Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) technique. All
activities followed a regular cycle that involved teacher instruction/presentation, team
practice, independent practice, peer pre-assessment and testing which were reflected by
these following steps in the class:
Teacher instruction/presentation
(1) The teacher determines the students reading groups/levels by checking
their reading skill and gives instruction to the students to choose their
partner then to form teams.
(2) The teacher informs about a series of activities for them to do in their team,
involve in individual, partnership, and teammates that all the activities will
be the major components of students team score.
(3) The teacher informs about the achievement that teams must get and the
award they will receive as the best teams.
(4) The students follow teachers instruction; started from reading the text,
choosing partnership, and then forming the teams.
Team practice
(1) The students read the text and take turn for reading aloud with their
partner.


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(2) The students analyze and identify the text based on its social function,
generic structures, and language features, then answer the question given
by the teacher orally.
Independent Practice
(1) The students list new/difficult words.
(2) The students practice these word lists with their partner or other teammates
until they can read them correctly.
(3) The students find the meaning of new/difficult words by looking at
dictionary.
(4) The students write a sentence for each new word that shows its meaning.
(5) The students summarize and retell the main points of the story to their
partner.
(6) The teacher asks the students to do partner checking to know whether the
students have completed each of these activities.
(7) The teacher checks the students activities and enters the result of these
practices to the scoreboard.
Peer pre-assessment
(1) The students work on reading comprehension activities as a team;
identifying main ideas, understanding causal relation in the text, and
making inferences.
(2) The teacher asks the questions related to the comprehension of the text and
assesses the oral answer of the students then enters it to the scoreboard.


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(3) The students write a news item text based on the topic of their choice;
firstly, consulting teammates and the teacher about their ideas and
organizational plans, drafting composition, and the last, revising the
content of their composition.
(4) The teacher monitors the progress of students writing activities and does
the assessing.
(5) The students edit one anothers work using peer editing forms emphasizing
grammatical and mechanical correctness.
(6) The teacher collects students writing.
Testing
(1) At the end of three class periods, the teacher gives a comprehension test;
the students are asked to answer the questions related to the text, asked to
write a meaningful sentence for each vocabulary word, and asked to read
the word list aloud to the teacher.
At the end of meeting, the researcher will announce the best teams based on
the groups scoreboard of teams performance since in the previous activities, and
the teams will be awarded Achievement Certificates as the most successful
groups in class.
The implementation of the action was followed also by the observation process of
which the result was delivered into observation sheet. The students and the teachers
activities were recorded by the collaborator in the observation sheets, and the situation
and the improvement in the class was recorded in the diary notes during the treatment.


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After conducting the treatment and recording the activities during the treatment in
the observation sheets, then the result was collected as raw data of the research and was
analyzed to find out whether the students showed a good progress in writing a news
item text or not. Both researcher and observer analyzed the activity in cycle 1 through
the observation sheets and diary notes. The observer gave comments about the teachers
performance and added any other improvement in applying the Cooperative Integrated
Reading and Composition (CIRC) technique in the classroom.
Technique of scoring in writing test
In this study, the writer used analytic scale to score or evaluate the students
achievement in writing. OMalley and Pierce (1966:144) state that analytic scale
separates the features of a composition into components that are each scored separately.
This analytic score has five aspects, which are used as consideration in scoring and each
aspect scores five. So, the maximum score is 25 and then it is multiplied with 4, so the
final maximum score will be 100. The aspects can be seen in this table below:
Table 1. The analytic scoring of writing test

Writing
Component
Score Criteria
Grammar 5 Mastery of grammar taught on course only 1
or 2 minor mistake.
4 A few mistakes only (prepositions, articles, etc.)
3 Only 1 or 2 major mistakes but a few ones.
2 Major mistakes, which lead to difficulty in
understanding, lack of mastery of sentence
construction.
1 Numerous serious mistakes no mastery of sentence
construction almost unintelligible.
Vocabulary 5 Use of wide range of vocabulary taught previously.
4 Good use of new word acquired fairly appropriate
synonyms, circumlocution.
3 Attempts to use word acquired fairy appropriate
vocabulary on the whole but sometimes restricted
has to resort to use of synonyms, circumlocution, etc.,


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on few occasions.
2 Restricted vocabulary use of synonyms [but no
always appropriate] imprecise and vague affect
meaning.
1 Very restricted vocabulary-inappropriate use of
synonyms seriously hinders communication.
Mechanic 5 No errors.
4 1 or 2 minor errors only [e.g. ei or ie].
3 Several errors do not interfere significantly with
communication not too hard to understand.
2 Several errors some interfere with communication
some words very hard to recognize.
1 Numerous errors hard to recognize several words
communication made very difficult.
Relevance 5 All sentences support the topic highly organized
clear progression of ideas well linked educated native
speaker.
4 Ideas well organized links could occasionally be
clearer but communication not impaired.
3 Some lacks of organization rereading required for
clarification ideas.
2 Little or no attempts at connectivity though reader
deduces some organization individual ideas may be
clear but very difficult to deduce connections between
them.
1 Lack of organization so severe that communication is
seriously impaired.
Fluency 5 Flowing style very easy to understand both
complex and simple sentences very effective.
4 Quite flowing style mostly easy to understand a few
complex sentences very effective.
3 Style reasonably smooth not too hard to understand
mostly [but not all] simple sentences fairy effective.
2 J erky style an effort needed to understand and enjoy
complex sentences confusing mostly simple
sentences or compound sentences.
1 Very jerky hard to understand cannot enjoy reading
almost all simple complex sentences confusing
excessive use of and.

Data Analysis and Research Findings
The analysis of quantitative data
After doing the action through CIRC technique in cycle 1, the result of the first
competence test had increased from the mean 38.4 to 75.4. Then, after giving the action


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in cycle 2, the result of the second competence test had increased more significantly
(81.9). The mean of the students score in the third competence test was the highest, so
it could be said that the students achievement in writing news item text through CIRC
technique increased from 38.4 to 81.9. The result of the research indicated that there
was a significant improvement on the students achievement in writing news item text
through CIRC technique. The comparison of the students score in three tests can be
seen in this table below:
Table 2. The comparison of the students score in three competence tests

Name of Tests Test 1 Test II Test III
The Lowest Score 10 54 72
The Highest Score 66 96 94

38.4 75.4 81.9

N 24 24 24

The percentage of the improvement of the students achievement in writing news
item text through CIRC technique could be seen as follows:
In test I P =

% = 0 %

In test II (cycle 1) P =

% = 66.6 %

In test III (cycle 2) P =

% = 100 %
Based on the data above, it could be concluded that students achievement in writing
news item text could be improved by using CIRC technique.
The analysis of qualitative data
Based on the result of the diary notes and the observation during cycle 1, it was
found that the teachers and the students performance in teaching learning process was


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not satisfied enough. The students activities in the first cycle were not satisfactory
because some of the students were shy and did not used to write in English moreover
they should follow the steps in learning writing through CIRC technique. There were
ten activities that should be done by the students from the beginning until the ending of
the meeting. So that activities would direct them to make a good writing. During cycle
1, although some of the students have understood about the method and could run the
learning process well, but there were some mistakes in their result of writing. It was also
hard to make students having a good cooperation with their team because of the
disturbance from their friends during discussion.
Based on the result of the observation during the cycle 2, it was found that the
teachers and students performance in the teaching and learning process was
progressively better compared to the cycle 1. The students activities in the second cycle
were successful because all of students could complete all the activities of CIRC
technique well. Both the teacher and the students were better than before in teaching and
learning process. The teacher also could guide and control the students in the class
activity. Moreover, the students ability in writing was better than the previous meetings
(cycle 1). Their scores were also satisfied, all the students could reach KKM.
In conducting this research, the writer found some strengths and weaknesses during
the process of teaching and learning by applying CIRC technique in writing news item
text. The strengths that the writer found in class X-1 of SMA Mitra Inalum as in the
following:
1. Students were interested in reading and retelling activities. It could be seen from
the students responds in answering comprehension question during the lesson
and performance when the teacher asked them to retell.


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2. By using CIRC method, students have a chance to show their opinions and
interact with others in a group.
3. CIRC method provided integrated skills that were helpful to improve the
students ability in reading and writing skill.
4.The students were not bored in reading and writing test because in this technique
they solve problem together by sharing idea with their friends and by doing peer
editing.
While, the weaknesses of applying this method were as followed:
1. At the first meeting, the researcher faced the difficulties in applying the
technique because the students did not know or did not used to study through the
technique implementation yet. It was hard to manage 90 minutes of learning
time to do all steps in CIRC technique.
2. The students felt bored during the cycle 2 because the researcher only gave the
material about one kind of genre of texts.

Research findings
From the analysis of quantitative data, it showed that the mean of the students score
increased in every test. The students were able to write the news item text
grammatically and correctly based on its generic structure and language features. They
also could work cooperatively in teams. The writer found that CIRC technique could
improve the students achievement in writing news during the research in two cycles.
And this technique was successful because in cycle 2 the researcher revised the
technique by giving the students the material or topic which has been familiar for the
students and made the teaching learning process more focused on writing activity.


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Those were on the activity of writing a meaningful sentence for each new vocabulary
from the text and then writing a news item text based on the topic of their choice.
Based on the analysis of the qualitative data; the diary notes, observation sheet, and
the questionnaire sheet, the researcher found that all supported that CIRC technique
significantly improved the students achievement both in reading comprehension and
writing news item text. The diary notes showed that the ability of the students in
mastering the material increased meeting by meeting through the regular activities in
CIRC technique. From questionnaire sheet, it could be seen that most of students could
write or publish their news item text by applying CIRC technique. And the observation
sheet that checked by the collaborator also showed that the students enjoyed the
activities in CIRC technique during the teaching learning process. It can be seen that
there was significant progress in understanding the technique from cycle 1 until cycle 2.
It was because the students felt free to express their idea when studying in team because
there were facilitators to help them, they could be the teacher, their partner, or their
teammates.
Conclusion and Suggestion
Conclusion
Based on the result of this research, the researcher could make the conclusion that
the implementation of Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC)
technique could improve the students achievement in writing news item text in the
class X-1 at SMA Mitra Inalum Tanjung Gading. The improvement of the students can
be seen from the score of the students in the tests.
Furthermore, from the qualitative data, the writer concluded that CIRC technique
could help the students to get involved in teaching learning process because the students


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not only interact with the teacher but also with other students. And the last, the students
also could help each other in understanding the lesson cooperatively.
Suggestions
Related to the conclusion above, some suggestions are pointed out as follows:
1. It is suggested for English teachers using Cooperative Integrated Reading
and Composition (CIRC) technique so that they can improve their students
writing achievement because this technique consists of some activities of
reading, retelling and then writing. In reading and retelling activity, the
students were able to comprehend the text, analyze the generic structure and
the language features of the text. And then writing a sentence for each
vocabulary in the texts made the students kept practice to make a good
sentence grammatically.
2. It is suggested for the students applying Cooperative Integrated Reading and
Composition (CIRC) technique so that they can improve their ability in
comprehending and making the composition of the text because this
technique emphasizes the students to be able to comprehend and write the
text by completing a series cognitively engaging activities including reading
to one another, making predictions about how the texts/stories will be
resolved, summarizing stories to one another, and practicing spelling,
decoding, and vocabulary.
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