USING TIERED ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE WRITING SKILLS OF THE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF MTs N YOGYAKARTA 1 IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2013/2014 A THESIS Presented as a partial fulfilment of the requirements for the attainment of the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree on the English Language Education Tatik Sofiati 10202241021 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS STATE UNIVERSITY OF YOGYAKARTA 2014 DEDICATIONS I proudly dedicate this thesis to my beloved parents, Muchson and Khotimah My sisters and brothers and My friends Thanks for your priceless love, supports and prayers. v MOTTOS Therefore, surely there is ease with hardship. Undoubtedly, there is ease with hardship (Al-Inshirah:5-6) “Good communication comes from people to people, but great communication comes from people to Allah.” “Success does not depend on your aptitude or your altitude. It depends on your attitude.” (Reza M. Syarief, PSK) Don’t only graduate on time, but also in the right time. (Ustadz Muttaqien) vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my prise to Allah SWT for giving me everything, so I managed to complete this thesis. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Agus Widyantoro, M. Pd., for the guidance, advise, and support. My gratitude also goes to my Academic Counselor, Tri Wahyuni Floriasti, M.Hum for giving me guidance and support from the very beginning of my study. My special thanks go to all of my lecturers for giving me priceless knowledge. I also express my sincerest gratitude to the big family of MTs Negeri Yogyakarta 1, especially Lilis Ummi Faiezah, S.Pd., M.A., and the students of VII D, who have voluntarily helped and involved in my research. My special thanks go to my beloved father, my mother, my sisters and brothers for the love, support and endless prayer. I am much indebted to my classmates ( Jannah, Sita, Ical, Nita, Tiara, Tata, Ii, Upid, Fia, Igga,Olga, Dwi, Eki, Zulfan, Ipank, Alfa and Cahyo). Thanks for the wonderful friendship and the beautiful togetherness. I am very grateful to the big family of PP Al Munawwir Komplek Q, Krapyak, Yogyakarta for giving me the light. Also, my gratitude goes to all people who have given a lot of contribution to my life. Finally, this thesis is still far from being perfect. However, I hope it is useful for the reader and for the development of English language teaching. Any ideas, suggestions, and criticism for the improvement of this thesis are highly appreciated. Yogyakarta, October 27th, 2014 The writer vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE ..........................................................................................................i APPROVAL SHEET .................................................................................ii RATIFICATION SHEET ........................................................................... iii SURAT PERNYATAAN ...............................................................................iv DEDICATION ...........................................................................................v MOTTOS................................................................................................vi..... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................viii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................xii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................xiii LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................xiv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................xv CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ........................................................................1 B. Identification of the Problem ................................................................4 .. C. The Limitation of the Problem................................................................5 D. The Formulation of the Problem .............................................................6 E. The Objective of the Research ................................................................6 F. The Significance of the Research............................................................6 CHAPTER II :LITERATURE REVIEW A. Literature Review ..................................................................................8 1. Language Skills ...............................................................................8 a. Receptive Skills ........................................................................8 b. Productive Skills.......................................................................8 2. The Nature of Writing Skills ...........................................................8 viii a. Definition of Writing ................................................................8 b. Writing Process ........................................................................11 c. Types of Classroom Writing Performances ...............................15 d. Classroom Writing Techniques and Activities ..........................16 e. Micro-and Macro-skills of Writing ...........................................18 f. Teaching Writing ......................................................................19 g. Principles of Teaching Writing .................................................22 h. Responding to Writing ..............................................................25 i. Teaching Writing in Junior High Schools ................................27. 3. Tiered Activity ................................................................................28 a. Definition of Differentiated Instruction .....................................28 b. Characteristics of Differentiated Instruction ..............................29 c. The Learning Environment in a Differentiated Instruction ................................................................................30 d. Definition of Tiered Activities ..................................................32 e. Elements of differentiation .......................................................32 f. How to Develop Tiered activities .............................................. 33 g. Teaching Writing by Implementing Tiered activities ................34 B. Relevant Research ..................................................................................35 C. Conceptual Framework ..........................................................................36 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. The Type of Research ............................................................................37 B. Research Setting .....................................................................................38 1. Place of the Research.......................................................................38 2. Time of the Research .......................................................................39 C. The Participants of the Research.............................................................39 D. Research Procedure ...............................................................................39 1. Determining the Thematic Concern-Reconnaissance .......................40 2. Planning ..........................................................................................41 3. Action and Observation ................................................................41... ix 4. Reflection ........................................................................................42 E. The Research Data Collection ................................................................42 1. Type of Data Collection................................................................42... 2. Instruments of Data Collection ........................................................42 F. Data Analysis .........................................................................................44 1. Data Reduction ................................................................................44 2. Data Display ....................................................................................44 3. Conclusion Drawing/ Verification ...................................................44 G. Validity and Reliability ..........................................................................44 1. Validity ...........................................................................................44 2. Reliability........................................................................................47 CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION A. Research Process ....................................................................................49 1. The Reconnaissance ........................................................................49 a. Identification of the Field Problems ..........................................54 b. Determining the Actions to Solve the Field Problems ...............55 c. The Relationship between the Problems and the 55 Actions ..................................................................................... 2. Report of Cycle 1 ............................................................................56 a. Planning 1 ................................................................................56 b. Action and Observation 1 .........................................................58 c. Reflection 1 ..............................................................................78