Sebuah Kajian Pustaka: English Language Teaching Educational Journal (ELTEJ) Vol. 2, No. 2, 2019, pp. 90-101 E-ISSN: 2621-6485 The Influence of Family’s Support for Students English Learning Achievement at Elementary School Age 1Arum Priadi, 2Rafa Aly Nuha 1Central China Normal University 2Universitas Ahmad Dahlan 1arumpriadi@gmail.com, 2rafaalinuha17@gmail.com Abstract This research is carried out 1) to find out whether there is a positive and significant correlation between family’s support and students’ English learning achievement and 2) to find out whether there is a difference between students who get the support and students who do not get the support from family. This research belongs to correlational research with quantitative approach. It was held at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05, Cilacap in academic year 2017/2018. The sample of this research is the fifth grade students at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05. The data collecting techniques of the research were questionnaire, documentation, and interview. Then in analyzing the data, the researchers used Product Moment Formula with computer application SPSS. The result findings show that : 1) family’s support (X) level is in “supported” level at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05. 2) The level of students’ English learning achievement (Y) at fifth grade of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 is in “fair” level. 3) there is positive and significant correlation between family’s support and students’ English learning achievement of the fifth year students of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05, Cilacap, shown by the coefficient correlation 0.508. Keywords: family’s support, learning achievement, correlation How to Cite: Priadi, A. & Nuha, R.A. (2019). The Influence of family’s support for students English learning achievement at elementary school age. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 2 (2), 90-101 INTRODUCTION Among the factors influencing students’ learning achievement, motivation from parent is really needed and it is a very important reason for different achievements. Qin Xiaoqing in Li & Pan (2009) says that motivation is a very important factor which determines the success or failure in the learning, for motivation can directly influence the frequency of using learning strategies, will power of learning, goal setting, and persistence in learning. Qin (2009) also says that learning motivation influences the learners’ autonomous learning ability and determines the learner confidence in overcoming learning difficulty. These theories on motivation demonstrate that motivation, as one of the most important factors determines the success in learning. And most effective motivation comes from parents as children’s closest person. The relevant study from Amorós-Martí (2016) in their research Learning together, growing with family, uses qualitative descriptive. Results showed a high quality of implementation with respect to the group facilitator and the programme organization factors, followed by the coordination with services and the support facilities offered to participants and, finally, by the factors of fidelity and prior organization steps. Results of the focus groups confirmed that the prior steps were challenging and offered the more effective strategies. Better quality in the implementation factors predicted better parenting styles and parental competencies after the programme, as well as a higher attendance rate. In sum, this study demonstrates the importance of good implementation in at-risk contexts and provides some clues as to the key elements that moderate programme effectiveness. The differences between this study is that their research is qualitative descriptive and aimed to know the importance of good implementation in at-risk and provide some clues to improve programme effectiveness on promoting parents-children mailto:arumpriadi@gmail.com mailto:rafaalinuha17@gmail.com ELTEJ ISSN: 2621-6485 ◼ Priadi & Nuha 91 relationships. The similarity is that the sample of this study were children between 6 to 11 years old. And second, from Kilic (2010) in “The influence of constructivism with family and instructor support on students’ success and conceptual learning capabilities in science lessons,” the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of constructivism with family and primary school teachers’ support onconceptual learning capabilities and accomplishment of 5th grade students attending sound unit in Science Lessons. The similarities of this research are the sample from primary school and factor family support for their children’s learning achievement. The difference is from the kind of research. This research is categorized into experimental research. And the result shows that family’s support has a positive effect upon students’ achievement. In elementary school level, family’s factors should have significant effect for students especially in critical age like in elementary school age, because they need affection from their parents. It is really good for their learning achievement and their mental health. At that age, children usually start to think about their school, they want to get the best achievement as well. Parents need to help them if they want the best for their children, not just for good achievement but that would be good for child growth. Parents want their children to get the best achievement as a result of learning in the school. They learn at school but parental involvement is still urgently needed because they are still children. It is because children in elementary level still have dependency on their parents. Most of their daily activity definitely involve parents. So every touch from their parents will have a significant effect on children, whether it is good or bad. So parents’ support is really needed by children to get a good learning achievement. But at this time many parents do not realize that their involvement is needed by their children. In this research, the researchers feel interested to find out the correlation between family’s support and English learning achievement at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05. Thus the problems of this study are, therefore, formulated in the following research questions: 1) Is there any positive and significant correlation between parents’ support and students’ English learning achievement at elementary school age? 2) Is there any difference between students who get the support and students who do not get the support from parents? Based on the research problems above, this study was conducted to know whether there is a positive and significant correlation between parents’ support and students’ English learning achievement. Family According to Hansen in Kaakinen “Family refers to two or more individuals who depend one another for emotional, physical, and economical support. The number of the family is self-defined (2010). Burgess & Locke (1953) in Kaakinen (2010) adopted the following traditional definition in their writing: “The family is a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituing a single household; interacting and communicating with each other in their respective social roles of husband and wife, mother and father, son and daughter, brother and sister; and creating and maintaining a common culture.” U.S. Cencus Bureau defines family as two or more people living together related by birth, marriage, or adoption (Kaakinen, 2010). Mac Iver and Page in Khairuddin (2008) say that “family is a group defined by a sex relationship sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for precreation and upbringing of children. 92 ◼ E-ISSN: 2621-6485 Family Support Family’s support is something that reflects family’s toughness on the needs of the child. Emotional or esteem support conveys empathy, caring, concern, positive regard, and encouragement toward the person. It provides comfort and reassurance with a sense of belongingness and of being loved in times of stress. Tangible or instrumental support involves direct assistance, as when people give or lend the person money or help out with chores in times of stress. Informational support includes giving advice, directions, suggestions, or feedback about how the person is doing (Sarafino, 2011). Emotional support leads to emotional aspects in family-children’s relation, includes physical behaviour or verbal that shows affection or support and positive communication between family and children. Instrumental support includes non-physical behaviour but still has contribution in feelings recieved by children. The form of instrumental support may be the provision of facilities and infrastructure to support children to get better learning achievement (Lestari, (2012), Adityas (2017)). In another setting of research, family support is proven significantly shaped the Indonesian-Muslim youths’s ways of understanding their Muslimness in Australia. These young Muslims hold essentialised understandings of Muslim identity, Australian identity and Indonesian identity (Zulfikar, 2001). Learning According to Burton quoted from Aunurrahman (2012:35), learning is behavioral changing in every person as a result of an interaction between a person and another person or a person with environment so they can interact with their environment. Learning is a process of permanent behavioral changing as the result of some act, practice, and observation. Brown (2006) also explains that learning is change in behavior, it is relatively permanent but subject to forgetting. Chaplin in Dictionary of Psychology (2010) limits learning in two kinds of formula. First, learning is a result of behavioral change which is relatively permanent as a result of practice and experience. Second, learning is a process in getting response as a result of special practice. Learning Achievement Achievement is the result of the study. The result is obtained with an evaluation. “Achievement test is a proccess to define students learning result using a test or measuring students learning achievement”. In addition, achievement is a thing that somebody has done successfully, especially using his or her own effort and skill (Hornby (2010), Arikunto (2013), Brown (2004), Anggraeni, Endriyati & Pratolo (2019)). Hughes in his book says that achievement tests are directly related to language courses, their purpose is to know how successful individual students, groups of students, or the courses themselves have been in achieving the objectives” (1992). Everyone would get different achievement one another based on his or her result in learning after being evaluated. It can be low, medium or high achievment. The achievement obtained by the students is different based on their intelligence, attitude or talent. When doing learning activity, though it is done in the same way, on the same place and with the same instrument, many factors may influence the students’ learning achievement. RESEARCH METHOD This research is correlational research with a quantitative approach (Creswell (2012), Bachman (2004), Brown & Rodgers (2002)). The sample of this research was fifth grade students of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 consisting of 27 students. The data in this ELTEJ ISSN: 2621-6485 ◼ Priadi & Nuha 93 research were scores. For collecting the data the researchers used questionnaire and documentation of students’ final exam result. For the questionnaire’s validity, the researchers used expert judgement. First, the researchers decided that the sample was the 5th graders of primary school with consideration that 5 graders still need support from their family. Second, the researchers chose the instruments to collect the data from those variables that are questionnaire and documentation. Third, after the data were collected, they were analyzed by using product moment formula with computer application of SPSS. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The researchers present the data description based on the data obtained from the research conducted at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 in academic year 2017/2018. The description consists of two variables, they family’s support (X) and students’ English learning achievement (Y). The first, family’s support (X) is the variable which influences English learning achievement. In this case, the data were gained by using a questionnaire distributed to the students. Second, English learning achievement (Y) is the variable influenced by the (X). The data were also obtained from documentation. The researchers used the computer program on SPSS (Statistical Package for Specific Science) in analyzing all of the variables or the data. The description presented here involves the mean, standard deviation, maximum score and minimum score of the variables. The result of the calculation is drawn in Table 1. Table 1. Description of Data Analysis Variable Total Sample Mean SD Highest Score Lowest Score X 27 68.66 4.607 74 57 Y 27 67.03 3.96 75 60 The data in Table 1 are the general description of data finding by using SPSS. The description of each variable is presented as follows: Family’s Support In this research, family’s support is the independent variable (X). The data were collected by using the questionnaire given to the students of fifth grade SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05. The result of the calculation shows that the mean is 68.66 and the standard deviation is 4.607. The highest score for the family’s support is 74 and the lowest is 57. The result of the calculation can be seen in Table 2. Table 2. Categorization of Family Support Score Interval F Percentage Category ≥ 72 8 29.63% Very Supported 71-64 16 59.26% Supported < 64 3 11.11% Less Supported Based on Table 2, the general average of family’s support of fifth graders of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 in 2017/2018 academic year can be categorized into supported category. Table 2 shows 59.26% for the Supported. English Learning Achievement In this research, students’ English learning achievement is the dependent variable (Y). The data collected by using documentation were taken from the teacher of fifth graders 94 ◼ E-ISSN: 2621-6485 at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05. From the calculation process, the data analysis shows that the mean score is 67.03 and the standard deviation is 3.96. The highest score of English learning achievement is 75 and the lowest score is 60. Based on the scale, the researchers distribute the students’ English learning achievement result into Table 3: Table 3. Categorization of Students’ Learning Achievement Score Interval Frequency Percentage Category ≥ 73 3 11.11% Very Good 69 – 72 5 18.52% Good 65 – 68 10 37.04% Fair 61 – 64 8 29.63% Poor < 61 1 3.70% Very Poor From the data explained in Table 3, the result shows that there is only 1 student who is in very poor category out of 27 students, and there are 3 students that got very high category. The highest level is in fair, with 10 students. Therefore, the researchers can classify the students at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 are in fair category because it is the greatest number. Hypothesis Testing In the hypothesis testing, this research uses the Pearson product moment. Before this hypothesis is done, firstly it should fulfill several requirements, that is, the description from of X and Y variables should be normal and it can be applied by test of normality. The relationship between X and Y variables should be linear, it can be applied by the linearity test. To fulfill the requirement of the inferential statistics, the researchers tested the normality of the data distribution and the linearity of existing relationships between variables. Those are the tests done to determine whether the data analysis technique can be applied or not. The test of normality is aimed at revealing whether or not the distribution of the data score is normal and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test is used. The computation is done by the help of SPSS Computer program. The result can be said normal if p > 0.05. The print out- processing from normality test as follows: ELTEJ ISSN: 2621-6485 ◼ Priadi & Nuha 95 Table 4. SPSS Output of Test Normality One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test Family Support Students’ Learning Achievement N N 27 27 Normal Parameters a,b Mean 68.6667 67.0370 Std. Deviation 4.60769 3.96602 Most Extreme Differences Absolute Positive Negative .196 .124 -.196 .111 .111 -.072 Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z 1.016 .579 Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) .253 .891 a. Test distribution is normal b. Calculated from data Case Processing Summary Cases Included Excluded Total N Percent N Percent N Percent Student’s learning achievement * Family’s support 27 1000.% 0 .0% 27 100.0% The variable of family’s support above shows K-S Z = 1.016 with p = 0.253, it means that family’s support’s test distribution is normal. And variable of English learning achievement shows result K-S Z = 0.579 with p = 0.891. It means that English learning achievement’s test distribution is normal. The test or linearity is used to know whether the relationship of two variables is linear or not. Test of linearity between variable of family’s support toward students’ English learning achievement has a result F = 1.171 with significant 0.379 (p > 0.05). It means that the relationship between variable family’s support and students’ English learning achievement is linear because significant level is higher than 0.05 (5%). The test of linearity was by using Compare Means test for linearity with SPSS. The data are linear if probability or p > 0.05. The output of SPSS is as follows: 96 ◼ E-ISSN: 2621-6485 Table 5. Test Linearity Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Student’s learning achievement Between Groups (Combined) Linearity Deviation from Linearity 238.546 105.510 133.036 11 1 10 21.686 105.510 13.304 1.909 9.287 1.171 .121 ,008 .379 Family’s support Within Groups 170.417 15 11.361 Total 408.963 26 Based on table test of linearity above each variable forms a linear curve with p value (0.379) > 0.05. It can be concluded that the relationship between family’s support and students’ English learning achievement is linear. Hypothesis Testing Analysis After the test of normality and test of linearity were done, the hypothesis testing was done. In the hypothesis testing, the regression analysis was used with the level of significance of 5%. The main hypothesis of this research is that there is a positive and significant correlation between the family’s support and students’ English learning achievement and family’s support makes the students’ English learning achievement better.. The Relationship between the Family’s Support and English Learning Achievement The coefficient correlation shows 0.508 and probability value P = 0.007. The researchers use the r value in the table (r table) to compare with the r value obtained (r xy). It can be seen that the r value obtained in the research is higher than the r value in the table, that is, 0.508 > 0.381. It means that the hypothesis of the research can be accepted. r squared shows 0,258 that means the independent variable or variable family’s support affects the dependent variable or the English learning achievement about 25.8%. From the discussion above, the hypothesis testing can be interpreted that there is a significant correlation between the family’s support and English learning achievement of the fifth grade of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 Kedungreja, Cilacap in 2017/2018 academic year. The family has a tendency to influence the students’ English learning achievement about 25.8%. Table 6 shows the summary of the result of the correlation coefficient. ELTEJ ISSN: 2621-6485 ◼ Priadi & Nuha 97 Table 6. SPSS Output of Correlation X and Y Measures of Association r r squared Eta Eta Squared Students’ learning achievement * family support .0508 .258 .764 .583 Correlations Family’ s support Students’ learning achievement Family’s support Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 1 27 .508** .007 27 Students’ learninng achievement Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N .508** .007 27 1 27 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Discussion The result of the data analysis shows that the mean of data is 68.66, and the mean is applied in the category of students’ Family’s support. The mean exists in the interval 71-64. It can be concluded that the average of family’s support is categorized into supported level. From the data on the students’ family’s support, it can be seen that there are 16 students from the number of sample who have supported by their family or 59.26%. meanwhile there are still 8 students or 29.63% who are classified very supported and 3 students or 11.11% under the category of less supported by their family. Even though the percentage shows that students’ support is in supported category and the coefficient correlation shows that there is a significant and a positive correlation between family’s support and students’ English learning achievements. It still needs an improvement from family’s support itself and the teacher must pay more attention to every student so that the student feels more supported even though not by their family. Based on the overall interview, the students are supported enough through facility like book, stationary, and place for study provided by their family. But there are some students that studied by themselves. It was due to the lack of knowledge that their family have or the low awareness of the importance of family support for school-aged children, especially elementary school as reflected in the interview sample below. Student A R: Does your family accompany when you are studying? S : No R : How if you have a trouble in learning?? S : Do it by myself, if it is hard, I ask for help to mother. R : Does your family give books? S : Yes. It is provided by my family R :If you get a good result of learning, is your family happy? S : Yes they happy but do not give a gift, just praise 98 ◼ E-ISSN: 2621-6485 R : How do you get to the school? S : Bicycle R : Your family reminded you to eat breakfast before going to school? S : Yes. They are. R: If it is rains, does your family pick you up to school? S :No, I’ll wait till the rain stop Students B R : Does your family accompany when you are studying? S : No R : If you have difficulty in doing homework, who helps? S : Ask father for help. But he is no helping R : If you got a good learning result, is your family happy?? S : Just normal R : Does your family give you stationary?? S : Yes R : Does your family giv you books? S : No, all the books are from school Note : R = Researcher S = Students The other reason is because family whose majority was farmers and the low level of education they achieved underlies the lack of knowledge that family have, and there are some family working outside the city so that the students as children have difficulty in learning. Even there were students who studied at his neighbor’s house because no body taught them at home as reflected in the interview sample below. Student R : When you are at home, who is with you when studying? S : I study by myself R :How if you get a trouble in studying? S : Get help to neighbors R : Does your family give you books? S : Yes, they do Headmaster R : Are there any students’ families that take the students to school? H : Very rarely, because the students are brave enough to go to school by themselves.Their homes are near also R :Does the students’ family take the report card by themselves? H : Mostly, they took the report card by themselves. Unless their family is working outside of java Note : R = Researcher S = Students H = Headmaster The result of data analysis shows that the mean of data English learning achievement is 67.04. By seeing the table it can be seen that the average of English learning achievement score is categorized into fair level. Based on the table in data interpretation above, it can be seen that most of students from the number of sample are in fair level. It ELTEJ ISSN: 2621-6485 ◼ Priadi & Nuha 99 shows 10 students in fair level or 37.06% and there are 3 students who have very good achievement level or 11,11% from total sample of 27 students. And there is still 1 student is in very poor level. The main reason the English learning achievement is in fair level or below is because English subject learned just from fourth grade not from the early school like first or second grade. The students also have little difficulty in adapting to English because less time given, in one week students are only taught English 2 hours of lessons for 5 and 6 and 1 hour lesson for grade 4. And the other reason is that the teacher teaching the English subject is not a teacher from his field (English) but a teacher is from another subject but understands English. Even though the percentage shows that learning achievement of fifth grade students in fair level and the family’s support has a positive effect to learning achievement. The students’ English learning achievement still needs improvement from teacher and students. Because there is still 1 student in very poor level and the lesson time is needed to be added per week. Hypothesis Testing Interpretation The result of statistic analysis proves that the value of r x y is 0.508. This value, then, it is consulted to r table which shows 0.381, with the level of significance 5% and the number of subject 27. As a result, the value of r xy is higher that r table (0.508 > 0.381). This result indicates that there is a significant correlation between family’s support and student’s English learning achievement. Based on the result, it can be concluded that the students who have fair level on the family’s support will tend to have a fair score in English learning achievement. Moreover this result strengthens the Beest & Baerveldt’s statement that emotional support tends to make an emotional aspect in family-children’s relation. Emotional support can be affection or support and positive communication between family and children. Instrumental support includes non-physical behaviour but still has contribution in feelings recieved by children. The example of instrumental support could be the provision of facilities and infrastructure that support the children get better English learning achievement. CONCLUSION Firstly, the family’s support is one of external factors that determine the English learning achievement. If someone has high family’s support, it means that she/he will get good score in English learning achievement. The English learning achievement also depends on her/his family’s support. In this research, the family’s support on fifth grade students of SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 in 2017/2018 academic year is in supported level. From the data on the students’ family’s support, it can be seen that there are 16 students who were supported by their family or 59.26% or more than a half of the total sample. Secondly, the English learning achievement as a dependent variable is a result that has been reached at SD Negeri Kaliwungu 05 especially by fifth grade students. This variable is affected by independent variable or in this research, that is family’s support. The English learning achievement is something done by the learners by the process of learning and practice. The result of English achievement after calculation is categorized into fair category, 10 students or 37.04% are in this category. Finally, the family’s support and learning achievement theoretically are two things that cannot be separated. It is supported by hypothesis testing analysis that the coefficient correlation of X and Y variables of the study is 0.508. 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