The objective of this research was to discover the effect of teaching methods and learning styles on the student’s ability to write essays. This study was conducted in elementary school in East Jakarta. The population of this studies was 3rd-grade elementary school students who study in East Jakarta. Samples were taken with stratified cluster random sampling technique with 32 students as the respondents. Results were analyzed with two ways analysis of variance (ANOVA) and continued with advanced analysis techniques by Tukey test. The results of this study can be described as follows: First, there is an effect between language methods and writing essays capability of elementary school students; Second, there is an interaction effect between teaching methods and learning styles on capability writing essays; Third, the whole language teaching methods only affect elementary school student’s writing essays capability with “field independent” learning styles; Fourth, the whole language teaching method does not affect elementary school student’s writing essays capability with “field dependent” learning style.
Language learning in the schools is often considered a lesson that is not quite important. This fact caused by the mindset of teachers and parents which regard the clever children can only be reflected by higher value in the exact subjects, such as mathematics.
This mindset resulting in a lack of awareness about the importance of language subject, even there are some people who assume that language subject is not something that should be studied seriously. The efforts to improve the speakability should not be overlooked in order to improve the student’s writing ability. Language subject that can improve the speakability of the students, which furthermore will take effect on student’s writing ability, are not considered as an important thing. The result is often encountered on students who have difficulty in expressing and writing their ideas. This problem will continue and persist until they pursue to the higher education, even up to the university.
Indonesian language learning points which contained in Curriculum 2013 as “Basic Competency 3.2” described as follows: “Understand a simple narrative text activity and play in an environment with the help of a teacher or a friend while using Indonesian language (spoken and written) which can be filled with local vocabulary to strengthen the student’s comprehension”. In the context of learning, one of the many factors that cause students to have difficulty in writing is unsuitability of the learning strategies applied by the teacher with the student’s personality. Generally, teachers will determine the theme or topic essay. Sometimes, these themes were often unknown by the students, as a result, the students will have difficulties in writing the essays.
Several research studies that have been conducted in Indonesia and other country. The American research shows that 2.8% of the elementary school children population have difficulties in learning to read, and in Indonesia, the number reached 51.7% (Semiawan, 2003). Aspects of competence associated with a story expressed in Indonesian language (spoken and written), indicate that writing essay becomes an important part of learning the Indonesian language.
According to the research conducted by Ismail (2003), Indonesian student’s writing ability are the lowest among the countries in Asia. The following facts were revealed in elementary school state 01 Rawamangun East Jakarta 2014, about the student’s learning results in Indonesian language subjects, which described as shown in Table 1.
As shown in Table 1, it can be conclude that the highest degree of difficulty in essay writing component is to make the content of an essay. Thus, the teacher should make the themes that are still considered abstract by students to be concrete, which can be accomplished through the use of media that facilitate student to understand and comprehend the theme or topic discussed.
Based on the fact mentioned, it is necessary to improve the learning strategies that can help the learner in developing and improving their ability to write essays. Language learning, especially writing, basically focused on guiding the students so they can express their ideas, thoughts, feelings or opinions through essay writing, writing a personal book, summarizing books, making posters, and making a logbook.
Another drawback in language learning is a factor from the teacher who emphasizes the theory more than practice, by motivating the students to habituate writing their ideas is the first step to inculcate the culture of writing to our young generation.
Language learning particularly covering two main categories which are interrelated like, speaking and writing. Based on these problems, a method of learning is needed that can motivate the students to be creative and active in language learning, especially in writing essays. Important methods of learning to write which should be applied are the “whole language” method. Furthermore, the “whole language” method is combined with the
student's learning styles, that are field independent and field dependent style. Both factors become independent variables in this context which affect the ability of students in writing essays.
Based on the background mentioned earlier, this study narrows down the problem on experimental treatments variables which were learning methods that included “whole language method” and free writing method. Other variables are the students' learning styles (field independent and field dependent) as the variable of character attributes. These variables will be linked with the ability of 3rd-grade elementary school children to write essays.
The terminology of “writing” is a creative process that resulted in the creation of non-fiction article. Writing can be done without having to wait for an idea to come. If the inventions phase: finding an idea or topic to be written has been done and the materials are ready, the writing process already can be started (Son, 2010: 15). Furthermore, Dalman (2015: 4) defines the writing process as an activity of delivering the messages (communication) with the use of written language as an instrument or media. Thus, the author can produce the variety of shapes and colors in a creative writing which accordance with the aims and objectives of his writings. According to Emigs (1977) as cited by Boscolo et al. (2007: 76) about writing, which described as the following: “Study of writing as learning models anticipated the emphasis of the cognitive approach to writing to learn the concept. Since the 1980’s, studies on the elaborative function of writing mainly focused on two main research lines: the discourse synthesis and writing to learn. In the studies of writing to learn, the thing must be emphasized in the role of writing as a thinking and the learning instrument, and the researcher's attention is focused on the effect of writing on the comprehension of information learned from oral or written communication at various levels of complexity. In studies of writing from the various sources, the additional focus of the research is on how to elaborate the knowledge and organize it into a new text.”
According to Natzir (2010: 24), writing is basically narrated. In storytelling, there are three basic com-ponents, namely: heading (lead), contents (body), and closing (ending). Lead or intro are passages which contain an opening that serves as an introduction to the story. The body is the main part of writings that became the content of the story, the core, or the description of an article. Ending or closing as the final part of the article. This section must conclude a good, clear, and precise idea. Ending section should serve as a cover that resolves an idea that was discussed earlier. From a conceptual earlier description, it can be synthesized that, essay writing ability is the result of someone's imagination and creativity through certain paths, there are lead, body, and ending to be written into a story that is complete and easily understood by the others.
Assessment of learning is essentially the process of adding information and capabilities. A teacher is required to master the learning method used so it can provide added value for the students. Furthermore, it is a no less important thing in the value of the learning process which is the optimal learning results (Wijaya, 2008: 101).
One learning model which is still valid and are widely used by teachers is conventional learning models. According to Hamid (2002: 33), the conventional teaching method is teaching methods that commonly used by teachers and often called as traditional methods. Conventional learning has some understanding, according to the experts, Sukandi (2001), defines that the conventional approach method is usually marked by teachers who are more concerned about concepts instead of competence, the goal is only to educate the students with the knowledge (theory), not practice. Most of the time in the learning process, students are listening to the lecturer.
A conventional approach constitutes the learning process that is more dominated by the teachers as "the transferor”, while students are more passive as “the recipients". This conventional concept of learning is more based on the behavioristic theory of Skinner. The point of view of Sumarsono (1985) followed by Arifuddin (2013: 136), that language is an important part of the overall behavior of a person so that it becomes the human verbal behavior. The behaviouristic theory explained that the process of learning in children are influenced by many powerful factors, such as impersonation, reward, reinforcement, and the environment are involved in learning process.
According to Ahmadi (2005: 52), when viewed from modes used to delivery of the message and the implementation of learning, the conventional method is more frequently used “telling method” (giving information), rather than “demonstrating method”, and “doing direct performance method” (providing an opportunity to display the live performance). In other words, the teachers often use the lecture or drill method in order to follow the whole material in the curriculum strictly. They assume that the success of the learning program is only seen from the completion of conveying all material in the curriculum. Conventional teaching methods can be categorized as a learning method that is more centered on the teachers, more one-way communication from the teacher to the student, and the learning main goal is students can master all the concepts, not the competence.
On the whole language method, learning a language in school can be seen as a holistic and integrated approach. In the point of view of Goodman (1986), overall it is more meaningful than the portions. Goodman (1986), states that “whole language” method is the language learning which presents the language as a unity, not separately. Experts in the whole language method argue that language is an integral and inalienable, and therefore language learning should be integrated, meaningful, and in the real situations (authentic). For example, learning about the use of punctuation such as commas and so on are taught in relation to the teaching of writing.
According to Daniel and David (2008), the principles for the whole language learning is described by the child grows and learns more readily and children actively engage themselves to learn. In more complex processes such as reading and writing, learners should be facilitated by the teacher. Children need to be supported psychologically. The emergence of the ability to read and write, children trying to imitate the strategy of their parents or teachers.
Learning the whole language is based on observation so that teachers need to provide opportunities and encourage the learners into the learning process so they can learn independently. This process includes: teachers provide guidance to the children, teachers and children learn together to take risks, and make decisions together.
The teacher should introduce a social interaction between children, discuss, share ideas, and work together to solve problems encountered in the study. Teachers provide materials and tests to every child to be able to distinguish which capabilities are not yet optimal and encourage children to discover and criticize their own weaknesses. Furthermore, the assessment combined with the learning process. Teachers have to build and develop this type of behavior and attitudes needed in a child's learning progress (Daniel and David, 2008).
According to Rigg cited by Daniel and David (2008), the shortcomings of the whole language, among others: (1) changes to the class of the whole language would require considerable time, because changes must be made carefully and slowly in order to produce a class of the whole language desirable, and (2) in the application of the whole language, firstly, the teachers must understand its components so that learning can be done optimally. Some of the advantages of whole language methods, among others are:
(1) Teaching language skills and language components such as grammar and vocabulary are presented in meaningful integrate and in real situations or authentic.
(2) In whole language class, students play an active role in the learning process. Teachers do not need to stand in front of the class presenting the material. As a facilitator, the teacher went around the classroom to observe and record student activities. In this case, the teachers to assess students informally, and
(3) The whole language method is specifically lead to learning the Indonesian language. However, it is also possible to apply it in other subjects learning, for example, the social sciences, because basically every subject interrelated and complementary. Whole language learning method is implemented in integrated Indonesian between reading, listening, writing, and speaking with the use of punctuation that is taught in the teaching of writing in which the classroom environment is furnished with student’s writings and facilitated with the libraries.
In the opinion of Charles (1980), learning style factors that need to be considered in the implementation of the whole language method is actually a construction about someone’s different way in facing various learning situations and choosing the right strategy. He also explained that learning style is the way used by someone to gain the knowledge.
The characteristics which affect the way of a person's learning style, proposed by Smith cited by Jerold (1990), that learning styles are the characteristic of someone in the way of processing information, feel, and behave in a certain learning situation. According to Nasution (1997: 28), learning style is the way of a person performed consistently in capturing stimulus or information, how to remember, think, and solve the problems.
With various combinations of feeling, imagination, think, and do, lead to the emergence of different learning styles, including: (1) students enthusiasm, the active students who do the activity consciously based on their feelings, (2) imaginative students, the students who does not only rely on intuition, but they also pleased to observe before they act, (3) practical students, the students who are active thinkers and have a willingness to solve the problems, and (4) logical students, who are careful, thorough, logical thinking, and proficient in connecting ideas.
Moran (1996), describes cognition is a mental process to acquire knowledge and understanding of everything in the surrounding environment.
In a person's natural cognitive abilities, ongoing process of information processing to recognize or knowing something. A cognitive aspect includes the process and product of a mind in achieving knowledge which is formed from mental activities like remembering, symbolizing, categorize, solve problems, create, and fantasize. Cognitive development is the development of intellectual function called the process of development of intelligence. Cognitive abilities are related with the ability to think and problem-solving skills. Moreover, cognitive abilities are also closely associated with academic achievement.
According to Pujiningsih (2007: 16), each individual learning activities can be divided into two groups, namely, “global” and “analytical”. Individuals who are likely to be global is the individual who receives something more globally and difficult to separate themselves from the circumstances surrounding him and tend to be influenced by the environment.
Individuals who behave like this are called field dependent. While analytic individual is individuals who are likely to observe an object separated from the background picture, as well as being able to distinguish and separate the objects from the surrounding context. They looked around at the surrounding in more analytical ways. Individuals who behave like this are called independent field style. Learning styles are typical ways that are used by the individual in building or forming his beliefs and attitudes about the surrounding world, also the ways the process and reacting to an incoming or received information.
Descriptive study
Description of the research data is based on the measurement of the variables according to the group contained in the research design, among others:
(1) Score of the ability to write the essay with the whole language method (A1),
(2) Scores of the ability to write the essay with the conventional method (A2),
(3) Scores of the ability to write the essay with the whole language method on field independent learning styles students (A1B1),
(4) Scores of the ability to write the essay with the conventional method on field independent learning styles students (A2B1),
(5) Scores of the ability to write the essay with the whole language method of field dependent learning styles students (A1B2), and
(6) Scores of ability to write the essay with the conventional method of field dependent learning styles students (A2B2).
A summary of the data description of each group of the study sample was measured, and can be specified as shown in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, the results of the ability to write essays measurement through written tests, can be concluded that the highest average score of the ability to write essays on the experimental results are in the treatment group with whole language learning methods on field independent learning styles students (A1B1) which it value is equal to 88.37. On the other hand, the lowest average score of the ability to write essays on the experimental results is in the group with whole language learning methods on field dependent learning styles students (A1B2) which are equal to 75.50.
Hypothesis
The requirements that must be fulfilled in hypothesis testing is data have to be normally distributed and has a homogeneous variance. Therefore, firstly we must test the normality with SPSS 16.0 for Windows that gives the following results as shown in Table 3.
The test results show that the entire values of Sig. are greater than 0.05. It means we accept Ho at α = 0.05 and it can be concluded that the population is normally distributed.
In terms of test homogeneity of variance, the result of Levene Statistics calculations which has been performed can be summarized as shown in Table 4.
From the test results, which obtained the Levene Statistics Sig., the value in the amount of 0.059> 0.05, it means we can accept Ho at a significance level of 0.05, and prove that variance of the population is homogeneous.
With the fulfillment of the requirements of the aforementioned test, further analysis can be performed. The results of hypothesis testing in this study can be summarized as follows in Table 5. From the summary of the test results in Table 5, can be interpreted as the following.
The first hypothesis test results "essay writing skills in children who received the whole language method are higher than the conventional methods", we obtain the value of F = 5.81*>F (0.95) (1.28) = 4.17, then Ho is rejected at α = 0.05, which mean the first hypothesis is tested and proven significantly.
The result of the second hypothesis, that the average ability to write the essay on the students who were given with whole language methods (mean = 81.56) was higher than in the conventional method (mean = 77.37). With the significant influence which is proven of the interaction mentioned, then the magnitude of essay writing skills must be considered other factor. The other factor that should be calculated is learning styles. Multiple comparison tests, in this case, the Tukey test was conducted to determine the learning styles which delivers the highest positive impact on the elementary school student’s essays writing skills.
The test results of the third hypothesis, "the essay writing ability on the independent field learning style student's that gets the whole language method is higher than the conventional methods" showing the Post Hoc Tukey test calculations results is Q call = 24.41 **> Q (0.95) (1,14) = 4.60 **, Ho is rejected at α = 0.05, which mean the hypothesis is proven significantly, and elementary school student’s average score of essay writing skills with independent field learning style given with the whole language method (mean = 85.37) was higher than the conventional method (mean = 77.75).
The result of the fourth hypothesis: "the ability to write the essay on the independent field learning style students given the whole language method is lower than the conventional methods" showing the Post Hoc Tukey test calculations Q call = 0.55* < Q (0.95) (1.14) = 4.60, then Ho is rejected at α = 0.05 which mean the hypothesis proven significantly, and the average score of essay writing of field dependent learning style elementary students given with the whole language method (mean = 75.50) is lower than the conventional method (mean = 77.00).
The hypothesis testing produces significant test results, it adds to the empirical evidence that it is true; there is significant effect between teaching methods and learning styles in the student’s ability to write essays.
First, empirical facts support that the whole language method causes the essay writing ability of elementary school students to be higher than the free writing method. The context of the whole language method is actually a form of holistic and integrated approach to language learning. This approach is the application of Goodman point of view which state that “the whole is more
meaningful than the parts”. It becomes the reference that corresponding to the characteristics of elementary school students who have the integrative thinking ability, the use of language learning methods with the whole language is very suitable to apply. Language learning which is based on the holistic view (whole language) will treats language as an integral (holistic), basically, the whole language is the philosophical views or beliefs about learning and how to make children learn optimally.
In this context, the whole language can be seen as a method in teaching and learning languages. As a method, the whole language is based on a number of multidisciplinary assumptions such as psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, the psychology of child development, language learning theory, and pedagogy. Starting from the whole language method and its assumptions, then many concepts of language teaching are developed integrated in accordance with the curriculum, language across the curriculum, and the presentation of language learning material in the thematic units.
Goodman stated the whole language is the language learning that presents the language as a whole, not separately. In the whole language method, language is considered as an integral (whole) that can not be separated, so the learning of language skills presented in full is significantly in real situations (authentic). Learning about the use of punctuation such as commas and so on are taught as it relation to the writing learning process.
The integrated approach suggested that the Indonesian language teaching is based on the insight of the whole language, the Indonesian language learning integrated the learning activity such as: between reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
Second is learning style factor. Each individual has a specific characteristic, which is not owned by another individual. This is in accordance with the opinion of Davies (1973), that learning style is the pattern of behavior of a person in their learning process where they can feel comfortable, appropriate, and steady. According to Borich, some characteristics of students with field independent learning styles are: (1) focus on the details of the learning material, (2) focus on the facts and principles, (3) rarely conduct a physical contact with the teacher, (4) interactions with the teacher are limited to the tasks and looking for non-social compliments, (5) prefer to work alone, (6) love the competition, and (7) can organize them.
This opinion is in line with the opinion of Gagne, that the characteristics of students who have independent fields learning styles tend to pay more attention to the parts and components in a pattern and also more oriented to task completion rather than lively social relationship. Students who belong to this group are easier to analyze a problem and rearrange the parts and more diligent in finding their own solutions, but less sensitive to the issues that contain social complications.
The characteristics of people who have field learning style tended to see a pattern as a whole and often oriented to the social relationships. Students who belong to this group, can gain general impression quickly and easy to remember information associated with social relationships, but it is difficult to process the subject matter which is not structured and more sensitive to a negative criticism. According to Charles, that person who have a dependent field learning style:
(1) requires the strong support of another person around them,
(2) tend to be nervy and anxious, and
(3) difficult to take the initiative and work alone, tend to be obedient, especially to people who are in the authority positions.
In this study, factor which became a determinant factor is students learning style which is conclusive whether the learning method will have the effect on the elementary school student’s writing essays ability. Whole language learning methods can improve the student’s ability to write essays when given to the students with field independent learning style. Characteristics of learning styles independent field relevant to the nature of the whole language method that emphasizes learning activities to students should include a complete element. In contrast to the field dependent learning style, learning method which is more relevant is free writing method.
This method emphasizes the guidance of students by the teachers during learning and teaching process. The characteristics of students who depend on others e.g. teachers in learning will be facilitated through the conventional methods. Generally, the results of this study are also in accordance with previous studies conducted by Widianto et al. (2012: 1) using the classroom action research techniques conducted in three cycles with 4th-grade students in Elementary School State 2 Kalibeji as the subject. The study proves that the application of whole language method can improve reading comprehension skills of the 4th-grade students of Elementary School State 2 Kalibeji.
