Classroom Action Research

“Enhancing the Students’ Interest in Learning Listening

Through the English Songs at SMPN 4 Tarogong Kidul;

By: Kusnadi, S.Pd. M.Si.

This classroom action research was intended to improve the second year students’ interest at SMPN 4 Tarogong Kidul in the 2008/2009 Academic Year by applying the English songs in learning listening. The respondents of this classroom Action research (CAR) were class 8G that was determined purposively. The class 8G were chosen as the subjects of this research because the class had more complicated problem dealing with students’ interest in listening lesson. In the preliminary study of the research, it was found that none of them had high interest, 23 students (57,5%) had sufficient interest, 17 students (42,5%) had low interest, it was the lowest among five existing classes.

This CAR consisted of two cycles, in which each cycle covered four main stages including: the planning of the action, the implementation of the action, classroom observation. Main data was obtain from questionnaire. Meanwhile, the supporting data were gathered from interview and field notes.

The result of the questionnaire in the first cycle was found that most of respondents (3 students/7,5%) had high interest, 28 respondents (70%) had sufficient interest, 9 respondent (22,5%) had low interest. This result did not achieved the target this research, that was the percentage of low interest category maximally 10%. Besides, based on the classroom observation that was done in the first cycle, it was found that the students’ involvement in the process of listening activities was 75%. Therefore, the actions were proceeded to the second cycle by revising the first action cycle such as: optimalizing the students’ participation in the process of listening activities, giving enough vocabularies and some information related to the lyric of the song and choose other attractive English songs. The results of the questionnaire in the second cycle was better, 8 students (20%) had high interest category, 29 students (72,5%) had sufficient interest category, and only 3 students (7,5%) had low interest category. Besides, the students’ involvement in the listening process improved from 75% in the first cycle up to 87.5% in the second cycle. It means that both the students’ listening test and the students’ involvement in the listening process improved in the second cycle and fulfilled the target of this research.

Based on the results, it could be concluded that the use of English songs could improve the 8th year students’ interest in learning listening at SMPN 4 Tarogong Kidul in the 2008/2009 Academic Year in two cycles. Then it is suggested to the English teacher to apply the English songs as the alternative way of English teaching material, especially in teaching listening. This is expected the students become enjoy in doing teaching and learning listening activities.