Some Constraints In The English Teaching And Learning Process At

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SOME CONSTRAINTS IN THE ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS AT SD MUHAMMADIYAH GIRIKERTO

THESIS Presented as a Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Attainment of the Sarjana Degree in English Language Education

By: Saptin Ambarwati 04202244017

DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS YOGYAKARTA STATE UNIVERSITY 2009

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study The program of English teaching and learning at elementary school is categorized as a local content subject, it can be taught based on the demand of the concerned local society and the availability of the teacher. As stated in the Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan & Silabus Mata Pelajaran SD/MI (Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan DIY, 2006: 570-572), every elementary school may add other subjects as the local content by concerning the condition, the characteristics and the needs of the society. The English teaching and learning process in elementary school has been conducted as an introductory process. In this process, the teaching and learning components should be considered well, since the lack of some factors in supporting this process will influence the whole teaching and learning process. The lack in any factors, even if one factor, may cause a constraint in the English teaching and learning process. Like what is done in some elementary schools in Indonesia, English is also taught in SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto as a local content subject. It has been taught there since 2004, but the English teaching and learning process does not work optimally. According to the English teacher, the students’ English learning achievement is not satisfying. Although numerous efforts have been conducted to improve the students’ English learning achievement but those are unsuccessful. Constraints in implementing the program of the teaching English as a

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foreign language at elementary school are natural things. However, in the implementation of the program, constraints in the English teaching and learning process should be known and solved because they do not only influence the students’ learning achievement but it also influence the teacher’s work in managing the teaching and learning process. Based on the explanation above, this study tries to find and describe the constraints of the English teaching and learning process at elementary school, especially at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto. The result of the study can be used as an input in determining the appropriate actions to improve the English teaching and learning process.

B. Identification of the Study The teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in elementary school is a complex process and involves many components. Therefore, it is possible that there are many constraints in the teaching and learning process that influence the students’ learning achievement and the teachers’ performance in managing the teaching and learning process. Constraints in the English teaching and learning process may be found in some of the teaching and learning process components. Components that might be the sources of constraints are students, teachers, materials, methods, media, time and space, and supporting services. The first constraint relates to the students. The teaching and learning process is attended by students who have different attitudes, behaviors,

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motivation, learning habits, intelligence, interest, and maturity. These differences arise from their different background, biological, psychological, and intellectual conditions. Individual differences among students may create constraints in the teaching and learning process, especially for the teacher. The second constraint relates to the teacher. The teacher is a key factor for the success of the teaching and learning process. The teacher is a person who plans, implements, and evaluates the students’ learning activities. He or she has the responsibility to create a good learning condition in order to achieve the instructional goal. The teacher plays many roles. He or she acts as an analyst, guide, facilitator, motivator, manager, controller, assessor, organizer, prompter, participant, etc. These roles depend on the teachers’ availability, attitude, behavior, and motivation. Meanwhile, the teachers’ competencies are varied because they have different backgrounds, personalities, and experiences. The third constraint relates to the materials. The role of materials in the teaching and learning process is as the medium to achieve the goal. If the material does not fulfill its function, the goal may not be achieved optimally. In this case, the material may be uninteresting or too difficult for the students. It can be caused by some factors. First, in choosing the material the teacher does not consider other components such as the goal, learners’ characteristics and needs, the learners’ environment and the language development. Second, the teacher’s ability to find a good instructional material. In other words, the instructional materials may become sources of constraints. The methodology of the teaching and learning process may become the

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next source of constraint. In the teaching and learning process there are interactions between teachers and students, and among students. These interactions are designed to achieve the instructional goals with the instructional material as the medium. Sometimes, something that happen in the classroom are out of the teacher’s expectation. For example, the classroom is noisy and learners’ participation in the instructional interactions is not optimal. It is because the chosen method for the teaching and learning process is inappropriate. In this case, constraints come from the use of the instructional method. The fifth constraint deals with the media. The use of media intends to support the achievement of the instructional objective. The use of media often makes the materials delivery more effective. Teachers are often use and create the media to support the English teaching and learning process. The use of media may become the source of instructional constraints. The sixth kind of constraint may be related to the time and space. To achieve the instructional goal, there is a time limit. The teacher needs to organize it well. The length and the frequency of classes, therefore, may become sources of constraint. It is because if there is no balance between the length and the frequency of classes the effective teaching is difficult to achieve. The seventh constraint has something to do with the supporting services. Supporting services consist of everything in the school that takes role, directly or indirectly, to the instructional process in the classroom. The places that are not conducive such as the small size of the class and the dirty class may become sources of constraints, it might cause the teaching and learning processes to be

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unsuccessful. In teaching and learning process, the teacher also needs equipments, for examples OHP, LCD, computer, etc. Sometimes the teacher cannot obtain these equipments. Simple matters such as the dirty class, broken furniture, or the unavailability of supporting services might cause the teaching and learning processes to be unsuccessful. The unavailability and the poor quality of supporting services may become sources of constraints.

C. Limitation of the Problem There are many constraints affecting the English teaching and learning process. It is difficult for the researcher to find out all constraints of the English teaching and learning process as described above. This is caused by the limited time, ability, and knowledge of the researcher. This research will focus on the constraints faced by the teacher and the students, and concern to the materials, time and space in the English teaching and learning process. There are some reasons for choosing the constraints relate to the teacher, students, materials, time and space. First, the teachers’ and students’ behaviors are observable. Second, the teachers and students are components that mutually interact. Third, the teachers and students are the instructional components that are ready to change for a better performance. Forth, the materials, time and space are components that are important to support the instructional process. D. Formulation of the Problem Based on the limitation of the problems above, the formulation of the problem is “What are the constraints in the English teaching and learning process

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faced by the teacher and the students, concerning the materials, time and space at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto?”

E. Objectives of the Study Based on the formulation of the problem, the objective of the study is to find and describe the constraints faced by the teacher and the students, and concern to the materials, time and space in the English teaching and learning process at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto.

F. Significance of the Study The significances of this study are as follows: 1. For the English teacher, it is expected that this study will give resources of reflection to improve their competence in teaching English. 2. For the headmaster, it is expected that this study will give information about the constraints of English teaching and learning process at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto. So it can be used as considerations to improve the English teaching and learning process. 3. For other researchers, it is expected that this study will inspire and motivate them. So they can accomplish other similar research in other places.