Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning Volume 3 Number 2 September 2018. Page 233-236 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 233 Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning is licensed under A Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License. The Improvement of Students’ Ability to Write Exposition Text through Learning Cycle Model Roy Efendi1), Emzir2), c3) 1),2),3)Universitas Negeri Jakarta E-mail: royefendi@ymail.com Abstract. This research aims at improving students’ ability to write exposition text through learning cycle model to the third-semester students of Indonesian Language Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences, Pakuan University. The method used for this research is action research with qualitative and quantitative approach. Qualitative data are taken from data analysis and analysis of learning process from three cycles. Meanwhile, quantitative data are taken from the comparison of students' score from the first to the third cycle. The implementation of learning cycle that consists of engagement, exploration, explanation elaboration and evaluation in writing exposition activity done in every cycle successfully improves students’ ability to write exposition text. It is shown on the average score which increases from 52.38 to 80.13. This improvement comes along the improvement of students’ activity in expressing their ideas throughout learning cycle. As a result, learning cycle can improve students’ ability to write exposition text. Keywords: Cycle learning model, writing ability, exposition text I. INTRODUCTION As one of language skills, writing needs critical thinking stated in written language. Expressing idea, thought, knowledge, and experience are considered as productive skill. Writing activity is affected by another productive skill, such as speaking, reading, and listening as well as vocabulary comprehension, diction, effective sentence, paragraph, and spelling. Reading and writing plays a very important role in human life.. Various information about science, technology, art and culture can be obtained by reading and writing (Sarimanah, 2016) Through writing, someone can deliver and express his or her idea, though, or feeling. To be able to do so, language is necessarily needed. By learning a language, someone will be able to use the language itself well and will show his or her competency to use the language based on many different contexts. From various types of writing, exposition is one of the language texts that should be mastered by university students. Students who are capable of writing exposition text will find it easier to argue to deliver their thoughts based on logical reasons and data. In another side, we know that Teacher professionalism can be seen on teacher’s creativity in organizing the learning materials and learning model (Sarimanah, 2017). Learning model development is a best way in identifying, developing, and evaluating a set of materials and strategy led to good achievement in education special for writing in language lessons. ((Sarimamah, 2018) However, the result of pre-observation shows the students’ ability to write exposition text is still poor. They find it difficult to write exposition text. This can be seen from five reasons. First, students tend to deliver incomplete information because they cannot organize their ideas. Second, 15% of the students do not comprehend its text structure. Third, 11% of the students do not use Indonesian grammar, including effective sentence, coherence, and paragraph unity correctly. It is found that paragraphs written by the students are not coherent. In addition, they do not write clear supporting sentences to explain the topic sentence and they do not write sentence effectively. Fourth, as many as 7% of the students have difficulty of diction and vocabulary. They still make mistakes in using affix and word form (the use of di as a prefix or di as a preposition). Furthermore, students have problem to choose the appropriate words (diction). Some students think words which have similar form can be used for any contexts. Fifth, mechanic mistakes are done by 4% of the students. It includes mistakes in using capital letters, punctuations, and formal words. According to those five findings, it can be http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ mailto:royefendi@ymail.com Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning Volume 3 Number 2 September 2018. Page 233-236 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 234 concluded that students’ ability to write exposition is still low. Therefore, every aspect of writing exposition should be noticed carefully. A good piece of writing contains contextual vocabularies, proper grammar usage, coherent paragraph, suitable cohesive devices, critical ideas on particular matters, and systematic way of thinking. These are needed in writing exposition in order that students are getting use to think critically and systematically. Based on the data mentioned previously, the writer proposes learning cycle model as an alternative in writing exposition learning. This model can be a solution to make students interested and enthusiastic to state their ideas by considering mental process stages in expressing the exposition text structure. II. METHODOLOGY Action research is used as the research methodology. It is a possible way to find out the real problems in learning and how to overcome the problems. A classroom is the laboratory used for the writer to conduct the research. The writer chooses a research design from Kemmis and Mc.Taggart which consists of (1) planning; (2) acting; (3) observing; and (4) reflecting. The writer is assisted by a collaborator to observe the learning process in the classroom. The collaborator’s findings can be a reference to make betterment for the next meeting in the class. Research design applied in the learning process to improve students’ ability to write exposition through leaning cycle is as follow: 1. This research is started by doing pre-observation to get information about students’ ability to write exposition before they are given treatment. This was done through distributing questionnaire about writing exposition; 2. After doing the pre-observation, the writer identifies students’ problems related to writing exposition to plan series of actions to improve students’ ability to write exposition through learning cycle model. 3. Action and observation are done at the same time. The observation focuses on the implementation of learning cycle model to improve students’ ability to write exposition; 4. Reflection is a reviewing activity to evaluate the learning. By doing this, it is expected to find out the effectiveness of the learning cycle model on students’ ability to write exposition. The information gotten from the reflection activity that considers some matters from the participants can be used as the materials for planning the next action in order to be optimum. The implementation of learning cycle model can make the learning process in the classroom interesting. This research was conducted for two cycles with two actions for each. III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Action research conducted through planning the lesson, observing, and reflecting in the learning of writing exposition by using learning cycle model shows that preparation made by the teacher changed in terms of the use of topics in writing exposition. There were two cycles total for doing the action research. The result points out that the class activity which consists of engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation lead students to be more active, creative, and critical. This can be seen from the observers’ notes: (1) students are enthusiastic in writing exposition; (2) students enjoy every activity in the class; (3) students’ interest arouse because of the game, video watching, and problems tracing in writing; (4) students become loyal, trust each other, cooperate well, and share knowledge to one another; (5) students are excited to help each other to get ideas, material, and data to support their work in writing exposition, (6) students are eager to exchange their ideas when they do drafting; (7) students can state their opinions about their friends’ ideas; (8) students are more careful to write the text based on its content, structure, vocabulary choice, sentence, and mechanic in order to construct a good exposition text. As a result, students are capable of outlining the text structure on the next stage elaboration. Besides getting information from the observation, the data of students’ improvement in writing exposition is obtained from the result of evaluation test. It is shown in the following graphic: Graphic 1: The Comparison of Average Score between Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 in Writing Exposition Based on the data above, there is an improvement of students’ score in writing exposition after they are given treatment in cycle 1 and cycle 2. The average score is increasing from 52.38 before they are given treatment to 72.87 in the first cycle and 80.13 in the second cycle. The students’ improvement can be analyzed from students’ responses development on each action and cycle. By implementing learning cycle model, students’ responses in writing exposition show enthusiasm, effectiveness, fun, and significance. All stages on learning cycle model were done properly started from engaging, exploring, explaining, elaborating, and evaluating. Those Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning Volume 3 Number 2 September 2018. Page 233-236 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 235 stages result in the students’ improvement in writing exposition text. Students’ improvement can be analyzed from five aspects. These five aspects affect students’ ability of writing exposition, they are: a. Content, students develop a topic into clear sentences with specific controlling ideas that make them substantial for describing the topic, thesis statement is written in complete sentences and relevant with the topic, score 13 – 30. b. Text structure, students write the text systematically based on its structure (thesis statement, argumentation, reinforcement of the opinions stated), students use transitions that make a good flow, score 7 – 20. c. Vocabulary, students use specific words and effective phrases based on the contexts and master word form, score 7 – 20. d. Sentence, students use compound and complex sentences effectively, less grammar mistakes (articles, prepositions, pronouns, and function words), score 7 – 20. e. Mechanic, students make less mistakes of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, score 1 – 10. Table 1. Steps of Teaching Writing Exposition through Learning Cycle Model No Steps Teachers’ (Researcher) Activity Students’ Activities 1. E n g a g e m e n t Arousing students’ interest and curiosity on basic concept of exposition text and how to write a good exposition text. Developing interest and curiosity on basic concept of exposition text and writing exposition text. Asking questions about the process of writing exposition text students used to do. Responding the questions about how students used to write exposition text. Relating the topic or problems on students’ experiences. Encouraging students to recall their daily experiences related to the concept of exposition text. Recalling students’ daily experiences related to writing exposition text. 2. E x p lo ra ti o n Making questions related to writing exposition, asking students to work in small groups of two to four persons, giving them opportunities to discuss a topic. Answering questions and working in groups (discussing a topic in groups) Facilitating students by giving them topics and issues to develop into an exposition text and monitoring their discussion. Discussing in groups to get as much as information to support them in writing exposition. Observing students do the exposition writing process and writing the text. Outlining and writing exposition text based on the topic given. No Steps Teachers’ (Researcher) Activity Students’ Activities Encouraging students to explain the concept they make by using their own words. Finding alternative to solve problems and taking notes about a good writing text. 3. E x p la n a ti o n Encouraging students to explain what they understand based on their findings in their group discussions. Explaining a text students make in groups. Asking for evidence and clarification on students’ explanation. Using notes and observation data to explain. Paying attention critically on students’ explanation related to writing exposition text. Showing students’ understanding on the concept of their writing. 4. E la b o ra ti o n Guiding students to be able to relate the text they write with reality. Relating facts and data from the text they write with reality. Encouraging and facilitating students to write exposition based on the outline they make. Asking, proposing problem solving, making decision, experimenting, and observing the topic they develop into an exposition text. 5. E v a lu a ti o n Evaluating students’ understanding on the concept of the text they write and the text they write. Doing evaluation given by the teacher to assess students’ understanding on the concept of the text they write and the text they write. Encouraging students to know their strength and weakness of exposition text during the learning activity. Analyzing students’ own strength and weakness about writing exposition text. IV. CONCLUSION According to the action research conducted to improve students’ ability to write exposition text using learning cycle model, it can be drawn some conclusions as follows: learning cycle model can improve students’ ability to write exposition text which consists of thesis statement, argumentation, and conclusion. The stages are effectively done by the students so that they are able to understand better about the text and understand basic concept of exposition text (definition, purpose and functions, text structure, writing rules, and outline) Learning cycle model gives lots of benefit in writing exposition including making students enthusiastic to state their opinions and to express ideas, knowledge, and experience. Media used during the learning are effective to help students exploring data (topic, structure, and aspect) and make students’ writing get better. This learning model also helps students to be able to think critically when they have to state recent issues and their life experience. Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning Volume 3 Number 2 September 2018. Page 233-236 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 236 REFERENCES Akhadiah, Sabarti, Maidar G. Arsjad, dan Sakura H. Ridwan. Pembinaan Kemampuan Menulis. Jakarta: Erlangga, 1991. Emzir. Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan. 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