A.

Tittle : The Use of Coded Feedback in Improving Students’

Ability in Writing Recount Text.

B. Basic Consideration

Writing skill is one of the important competence in learning English. It is

one of language skills after the others; speaking, listening, and reading. We know

that language is not only in spoken form, but also used in written form. It

shows that the acquiring of writing skill plays an important role in our living.

People need to learn to write in English for occupational or academic purposes

that can support their carrier in the future. For that reasons, students at all level

from elementary school until senior high school and university should be

mastering writing skills well.

The objective of learning writing is to produce the kind of written text.

Written text has various types depends on its function and form. Most of students

want to express an interesting topic in their own writing. One of the interesting

topic is about their own experience, which a student mastering well about the

material and information to support the topic. They next can write them in recount

text form. It caused by the function of a recount text is to retell past event based

on the true or fact story. For that reason, recount text is chosen as an instrument to

measure students’ writing ability in this case.

During my experience in teaching practice ( PPL II ), held on November 2009

– February 2010 in MAN Model Gorontalo, I found a fact that most of students

especially first grade were lack in writing skill. It can be proved in my observation

on students’ written works.. The result indicated that students made lot of mistake

1
or errors on those text. Thus, the English teacher of the school was agree that most

of students’ writing ability especially first grade can be categorized in low level.

(Interview on February 2010),

One of teachers’ lack is caused their way in the teaching and learning

process. They just asked the students to write a composition based on the topic

that had been prepared in the text book, without checking their ability in mastery

aspects of writing. The students didn’t really know about the correction of their

own writing. Moreover, when the teacher gave any correction, most of them only

specific for the correction in punctuation and spelling without completely giving

correction in organization, language use, content of writing, and vocabulary. The

teacher did not give such a comments on students’ worksheet when their writing

is good and tell them about any errors as their weakness.

Furthermore, when I asked the students’ they also said that sometimes teacher

did not give their work back with any correction. Whereas, students need to know

their weakness in those text. As the impact, students could not improve their

writing ability.

To solve the problem above, it is better for a teacher to give feedback on

students’ writing intensively. According to Cartwright in Machmud (2004:55)

feedback is an integral part of any teaching-learning interaction. Through

feedback, the teacher can help students measure their strength and weaknesses on

their own performance.

“Feedback is generally divided into directly and indirectly that expected can

improve student’s writing. In direct feedback teacher is directly identify students’

error by giving the correct words or sentence clearly. It is different to indirect

2
form, when the teacher provides students with an indication, that error has been

made, but requires the student to self-correct. Furthermore, most experts agree

that indirect feedback clearly has the most potential for helping students to

continue developing their proficiency and metalinguistic knowledge” (Ferris and

Hedgcock 2005:269). The common indirect feedback used by the teacher are

responding or comments and coding. Responding is one way of giving feedback

by any comment about student’ strength and weakness of writing. While Coding

is the code used by teacher that indicated students’ error such in word order,

spelling, verb, tenses, etc. Gulcat and Ozagac (2004) explain code as “Another

strategy for decreasing teacher writing on a student paper . Some symbols which

show typical mistakes can be found in writing guides such as: WF (Wrong form),

WT (Wrong tense), Sp (Wrong spelling). “Providing constructive feedback to the

student, using a special code for proofreading, and editing a student paper through

planning and drafting stages are some suggested ways for correcting and giving

feedback to students’ writing”.

http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/teachers/CORRECTING%20AND%20GIVING

%20FEEDBACK%20TO%20WRITING.htm.retreived on February, 20th, 2010)

Based on the explanation above, I become interest to investigate whether

giving coded feedback would affect and increase students’ writing or not. I think

by providing coding technique as indirect feedback , students will able to self-

correct their errors. In this case I want to implement the coded feedback

specifically into students’ ability in writing recount text.

3
 To support this study, I will take observation at first grade students’ of MAN

Model Gorontalo. I hope this study can contribute a positive impact in improving

students’ writing ability by applying the coded feedback in writing recount text.

C. Problem Statement

Based on the background of study, I do the problems as “Is the coded

feedback can improve students’ ability in writing recount text?”

D. Reason for Choosing Topic

There are some reasons why the topic is chosen to be analyzed.

1. Writing is one of important aspect in language mastery.

2. The lack of students’ writing ability.

3. The teacher at the school didn’t give any constructive feedback that can

help students’ in correcting their written work.

E. Objective of Research

Based on the problem statements mentioned above, I want to investigate

whether coded feedback technique can improve students’ ability in writing

recount text.

F. Significance of The Study

The result of this study is expected to be a positive contribution toward

students’ ability in writing recount text. Thus, it is expected can improve the

quality of an English teacher in providing feedback on students’ written work.

G. Basic Assumption

I have an assumption that teacher’s coded feedback on students’ written

work is an effective way to improve students' ability in English writing recount

text.

4
H. Scope of The Study

Specifically, this study investigated whether students’ writing ability can

be improved by the coding method as the type of teacher’s feedback toward

students’ work. All students’ compositions were assessed based on aspects of

evaluation in writing recount text, but limited to its language use (gramma) and

organization. In the pre-observation the first grade class which had problem was

class X6

1. Literature Review

1. Concept of Writing

Writing is one of important skill in learning English. Generally, writing

become important since students need to know how to write letters, how to put

written reports together, how to reply advertisement and increasingly how to write

using electronic media. There are many definition comes to writing activity then

necessary to discuss. Basically, Writing is the act of putting letters, symbols,

numbers, or words on paper or a computer screen. We know that in Writing

someone usually express and explain their own ideas.

Sokolik (2006:87) defined writing by some series of contrasts.

1. Physical and mental act. At the most basic level, writing is the physical act

of committing words or idea to some medium. On the other hand, writing

is the mental work of inventing ideas, thinking about how to express them,

5
 and organizing them into statements and paragraphs that will be clear to

reader.

2. Its purpose is both to express and impress. Writers typically serve two

masters : themselves, and their own desires to express an idea or feeling,

and readers who need to have ideas in certain ways. Writers must then

choose the best form for their writing and each types of writing has a

different level of complexity, depending on its purpose.

3. It is both process and products. In process, the writer imagines, organizes,

drafts, edits, reads, and rereads. Then the product can be an essay, letter,

story, report, etc.

2. Teaching Writing

The teaching of writing is an activity of a teacher to explain the method of

writing then giving any tasks or exercises to the students. When teachers teach

writing course not only teach about how to develop ideas in writing, but also need

a serious attention of how to write English sentences grammatically and

systematically. So, teaching writing will be good depends on the teachers' ability

to teach writing effectively.

According to Harmer (2001:261) there are three roles of teacher in

teaching writing as following ;

a. Motivator

One of teachers’ principal roles in writing tasks will be to motivate the

students, creating the right conditions for the generation of ideas, persuading them

the usefulness of the activity, and encouraging them to make as much effort as

6
possible for maximum benefit. This may require special and prolonged effort on

our part for longer process-writing sequences.

b. Resource

Language specially during more extended writing tasks, we should be ready to

supply information and language where necessary. We need to tell students that

we are available and be prepared to look at their work as it progresses offering

advice and suggestions in an constructive way.

c. Feedback Provider

Giving feedback on writing tasks demand special care. Teacher should

respond positively and encouragingly to the content of what the students have

written. When offering correction teachers should choose what and how much to

focus based on what students need at this particular stage of their studies, and on

the tasks they have undertaken.

3. Theory of Feedback

Feedback is one of the ways to make students able to create good writing In

this section, the writer wants to explain the definition, kinds of feedback that

important to students’ writing, also the advantages and disadvantages of the

feedback itself.

Rone Van houten in Machmud (2004:55) defines feedback as a “procedure

whereby a person receives information about some aspect of his or her behavior

following its completion.” Similarly, Benne (1964) defined feedback as signifying

verbal and nonverbal responses from others to a unit behavior provided as close in

time to the behavior as possible, and capable of being perceived and utilized by

7
the individual initiating the behavior. It is supported by the definition of feedback

in Oxford Advanced Dictionary (2000:314) “Feedback; return of part of the

output of a system to its source ( so as to modify it)”.

In teaching and learning process, feedback can be used by the teacher to

correct and tell students’ errors in their work. As Littlewood (1990:90) statement

that “Feedback provides learners with knowledge of how successful their

performance has been.” Feedback commonly use in English learning to provide

correction on students’ performance both spoken and written form. In this section,

I focus to discuss teachers’ feedback in students’ writing performance. So, it is

necessary first to introduce the types of feedback giving by the teacher in learning

process.

3.1. Types of Feedback

3.1.1. Verbal and Non-Verbal Feedback

The teacher can give feedback verbally or non-verbally. Verbal feedback

is given directly and orally at the time when an error occurs. This kind of

feedback is usually given in the production skill subjects such as Speaking and

Listening. On the other hand, non-verbal feedback is normally given in written

form, and usually offered in reception skill subjects such as writing and reading.

(Machmud, 2004:56)

3.1.2. Positive and Negative Feedback

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 Next, Machmud also categorize feedback as positive and negative

feedback. The teacher usually gives the students feedback as a comment on their

works. Further, Harmer (2001:101) state that “Commenting on students’

performance happens at various stages both in and outside the class.” It means

that any comments such as ‘good’, you’ve drawn a good conclusion’. ‘you

organized your ideas really well’ will be given if the students do not produce any

errors or mistake in their work. This kind of feedback is called positive feedback.

Some teacher believe that positive feedback can contribute motivation or as a

reinforcement to students to keep in a good written work. On the other hand,

negative feedback is given in order is given in order to let students’ know they

have made some mistakes or errors, normally teachers will say something such as

‘incorrect’, ‘I don’t understand this part’, and some other comments that give idea

in improving students’ work. Negative feedback usually followed by the

correction, that called corrective feedback. Additionally, Sally and Katie (2005 :

50 ) say that it is important for students understand exactly where their strengths

and weaknesses lie.

3.1.3.Direct and Indirect Feedback

This type of feedback is important in giving correction toward students’

written works. Ferris and Hedgcock (2005 : 269) explain about the differences

between feedback to students directly and indirectly. With direct feedback, the

teacher simply provides a targer-like form for the student writer ( or a suggested

correction, if more than one is possible or if it is not entirely clear what the

9
student intended to express. Indirect feedback, on the other hand, provides

students with an indication that an error has been made.

Beside the types od feedback above, Lyster and Ranta ( 1997 ) in Machmud

(2004:58) have listed another six different types of feedback provided by the

teacher when the students’ produce utterance that contain linguistic errors.

1. Explicit Correction

Teacher clearly indicates that what the student said is incorrect, and provides

the correct form.

2. Recast

Teacher implicitly reformulates some parts or all part of the students utterance.

3. Clarification Request

Teacher uses phrases such as “pardon” in order to the student realize that they

made error as they try to answer this clarification request.

4. Metalinguistic Feedback

This kind of feedback related to the well-formedness of the students’ utterance.

Teacher provides comments or questions related to the well-formess of the

students’ utterances.

5. Elicitation

Teacher directly elicits

6. Repetition

Teacher repeats the student’s ill-formed utterances by adjusting the voice

intonation to highlight the error.

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3.2. Technique of Feedback on Written Work

3.2.2. Responding

One of the ways in assessing students’ work is responding or commenting in

their works. “One way of considering feedback is to think of it as ‘responding’ to

students’ work rather than assessing or evaluating what they have done. When we

respond, we say how the text appears to us and how successful we think it has

been and sometimes how it could be improved” (Harmer, 2001:110). So, when we

make comments about students’ written work we can write comments at the end

of a piece of writing such as “You’re written a very interesting composition, or

Paragraph 2 is confusing because the sequence of events is not clear. Moreover

Thomas (1995:3) said “let students know how successful they have been in

achieving the aims of the task by including short overall comment.”

3.2.3. Coding ( Coded-Feedback )

“Coded feedback the is strategy which can respectively reflect the main

features of indirect feedback. Coded feedback ‘does not only indicate where errors

are located, but also types of mistakes by using a correcting code. In real

pedagogical situation, the codes are designed according to learners’ common

errors as a class group. In our teaching experience our error codes serve to

indicate learners’ common errors in grammar, vocabulary and spelling. The

definitions show that methods can indicate learners’ errors and indicate how to

correct them” (Bartram and Walton (1991) in Jimena and Tedjaatmadja (2005:7).

It means that coded feedback method involves learners in the self-correction

process and helps them learn more effectively. Hadfield (2005:5) said if every

11
mistake is corrected by the teacher directly, this robs the learner of a valuable

learning experience about how to spot and correct their own mistakes. He further

suggesting teacher to not covered students’ work in red ink, because it can have a

destructive effect on their creativity, enthusiasm, and confidence. It commonly

called as red-ink effect.

4. The role of teacher in providing Coded Feedback to students’ written

works.

To make feedback in written work more effective, it can be done by a

symbol or code representing a specific kind of error (T=verb tense, Sp=spelling).

To reduce student confusion, teachers can consistently use a standard set of

symbols or markings to indicate place and type of error and train the students in

what kinds of corrections to make based on each symbol. Furthermore, teachers

should familiarize students with the system so they will not be surprised when

new symbols are occurred.

There are some typed of coding system in written work. Ferris and

Hedgcock (2005:268) divide them in two category as following :

a. Errors in five larger categories marked including;

i. V = Verb errors

ii. WW = Word choice/form errors

iii. SS = Sentence Structure Errors

b. Errors in smaller, more discrete categories

 VT = Verb tense

 VF = Verb form

12
  WW = Word choice

 WF = Word form errors

 SS = Sentence Structure Errors

 SP = Spelling

The coded feedback above is mostly similar to Hadfield (2000:5) theory.

He provides some useful symbols as error correction.

• * Well Done

• O = organization

• Sp = Spelling

• T = Tense

• Pr = Preposition

• WO = word order

Furthermore, Harmer (2001:111) gives the more complex codes that can

be used to indicate error in indirect feedback can be seen in following table:

Table 1 Correction codes used to indicate error types.

No Code Meaning Example

s s

1 S Incorrect Spelling I recieved jour letter

2 WO Wrong word order wo

We know well this city

wo

Always I am happy here

13
 T
3 T Wrong Tense
If he will come, it will bee too late.

Concord. Subject C

4 C and verb do not Two policemen has come

C
agree
The news are bad today
WF

We want that you come

5 WF Wrong form WF

That table is our

Singular or plural S
6 S/P
We need more informations.
wrong form

Something has
7 ^ They said ^ was wrong
been left out
He hit me on ^ shoulder
Something is not [ ]
8 []
necessary It was to much difficult
?M

Come and rest with us for a week

Meaning is not
9 ?M ?M
clear
The view from here is very suggestive

The usage is not NA

10 NA
appropriate He requested me to sit down
11 P Punctuation wrong P

Whats your name

14
 P

He asked me what I wanted?

By several types of code provided by some experts above, Harmer’s

correction coded can be said as the clear and complex one. It is appropriate to

used in this research. In the implementation, of course we have to familiarize

students with the system before, so they will not be surprised when new symbols

are occurred.

5. Concept of Recount text

Soeprapto and Darwis (2007:8) have clearly define about the function,

generic structure, and Language Features of a Recount Text.

• Social Function : Recount text has a function or purpose to retell

events for the purpose of informing or entertaining.

• Generic structure :

o Orientation : provides the setting and introduces participants

o Events : tell what happened, in what sequence.

o Re-Orientation : optional-closure of events

• Significant Lexicogrammatical Features

o Focus on specific participants

o Use of material processes

o Circumstances of time and place

o Use of past tense

o Focus on temporal sequence. ( Suryana, Nanan. 2008: 34)

15
Example of Recount Text :

The Worst Holiday in My Life

Last Holiday, I spent my holiday to Bali with my girlfriend, Putri for a

week.It was the worst holiday for us.

The worst things came to us one by one.In the first day, when we wanted to go to
airport.I lost my camera.

The second day, when we arrived at the hotel, the room was not clean at ail.It was
humid and the AC was off.

So, last holiday was the worst holiday for us.

My Adventure at Leang-Leang Cave

On Sunday, my parents, my best fruend Novi, and I visited a cave at

Maros called Leang-leang . It was my first time to visit the cave, better yet, my

best friend came to visit it with me!

The cave was famous for its primitive cave wall paintings which were

some hand prints and wild boar paintings. The cave and its surroundings was

turned into a national park, so it was taken care of. My parents took a rest in a

small hut for visitors of the park, while Novi and I adventured around the cave

with a guide. We had to climb some metal stairs to get to the cave, because the

cave was embedded into a small mountain. Next stop was a place where some

seashells littered the ground and some were actually piled into a big mound! The

guide said that these piles of seashells are called kjokkenmoddinger, or kitchen

trash. The humans who lived here ate the shells and dumped the left overs in their

16
'kitchen'. The last place was a small museum where they have skeletons of the

humans who lived in the caves. The skeletons along with some roughly made

jewelry and weapons were placed inside glass cases for display. The walls of the

museum were adorned with photographs taken when they did an excavation there.

After a quick lunch with Novi and my parents, we decided it was time to go

back home. We really had the time of our lives!

6. Review of Previous Study

Some studies have been done to investigate the use of feedback on

students’ writing in teaching and learning process. Karim Kai, who study in

Universitas Negeri Gorontalo (UNG) year academic 2006 conducted his research

to improve students’ ability in writing by using peer-correction technique. He

asked the students to sit in groups and make a paragraph based on the topic. Next

their works were exchanged each other to be corrected. Peer correction is also

categorized as a feedback but comes between students. Helena Badu (2006) also

made an investigation in students’ error. She gave direct error correction feedback

directly toward students’ works in narrative text.

Furthermore, Pipii (2006) also studies in UNG, made a qualitative research

about study on students’ ability in composing recount text. but, it is not an

experimental research, and just describing more about the percentage of students’

categories level in compose recount text.

In a similar study, Lalande (1982) in Turkish University of pre-

intermediate learners with regards to what strategy to use in responding to

students’ writing in the English Preparatory Program compared two groups: one

17
with direct feedback and the other with indirect feedback using correction codes.

It was found that the group which received indirect coded error feedback had

more accuracy than direct feedback in writing.

Those results of previous studies indicate that feedback is an effective

approach to be used in improving students’ writing. This study serves a different

design from previous study because those studies mostly focused on giving coded

feedback to students in writing recount text by measuring two aspects of writing,

those are organization and language use.

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

1. Research Design

This research used one group pre-test and post-test methods. There are three

steps do by the researcher, they are :

1. The pre-test.

The pre-test is given before treatment. This used to measure the students’

ability in writing recount text. The aim of pre-test is to get the basic of the

students’ writing ability before the application of the coded-feedback. I will ask

students to compose a short recount text based on a topic. An then they will write

their first draft to be collected.

2. Treatment.

18
 In this step, I will apply the correction on students’ work by giving the

coded feedback. The procedure of giving coded feedback that will conducted

in this study consisted as follows:

1. Explain about the codec error that will be given in their composition.

2. I will respond to the their first draft by giving coded feedback of all

aspects but more concentrate on the body of text in area of language use

and organization.

3. Return the students’ paper.

4. Students respond to codes that indicate their errors, then rewrite their

drafts.

5. Students produced a second draft.

6. First and second drafts were then handed in.

7. Respond students’ writing in second drafts.

8. Responded to the second draft checking whether the student is able to deal

with the problems.

3. The Post-test.

It is used to find out the students’ achievement in writing after giving

treatment. After I give feedback to students’ 2nd draft, students will rewrote

their compositions and correct their own mistakes. Finally, students required

to give their final draft. I will provide students’ grade in their final test to be

compared with the result of their written works in pre-test before getting the

treatment.

19
2. Variables of Research

The variables of research consists of two, namely :

1. Coded Feedback as independent variable (x)

2. Students’ writing skill as independent variable (y)

3. Population and Sample

 Population

The population of this research is the second grade of MAN Model Gorontalo,

which consists of X class with the number of students are students.

 Sample

Based on the population above, the researcher used the purposive

technique sampling. The researcher will take one of the class X which

representative on high, medium, and low grade.

4. Technique of Collecting Data

The data of this research will be collected through writing recount text. In

this test I will provide the topic “my impressing experience” (Pengalaman yang

berkesan). The students will be tested to write English based on the topic by focus

on the generic structure; Orientation, Events, and re-orientation.

In analyzing and evaluating the students’ writing the I will use the ESL

composition profile proposed by Holly Jacobs (1981:67), in which the evaluation

of writing consist of four component bur the researcher only focused on two

20
component of writing, they are language use and organization. Here are the

criteria of ESL composition:

Aspect of Level Criteria

Writing
20-18 Excellent to very good; fluent expression, ideas clearly

stated/ supported, succinct, well organized, logical

sequencing cohesive

17 - 14 Good to average; somewhat choppy, loosely organized,

but main ideas stand out, limited support.

Organization
13 - 10 Fair to poor; no fluent, ideas confused or disconnected

lacks logical sequencing and development

9-7 Very poor; does not communicate, no organization or

not enough to evaluate.

25-22 Excellent to very good; effective complex construction,

Language few errors of agreement, tense number, word

Use order/function, article, pronoun, preposition

(grammar) 21-18 Good to average; effective but simple construction,

minor problem in complex construction, several errors of

agreement, tense number, word order/function, article,

pronoun, preposition, but meaning seldom obscured

17-11 Fair to poor; major problem in simple complex

construction, frequent errors of negation, agreement,

tense, number, word order/function, article, pronoun,

preposition, and/ or fragment run-ons, deletions meaning

21
 confused or obscured

10-5 Very poor; virtually no mastery of sentence construction

rules, dominated by error, does not communicate, not

enough to evaluate

5. Technique of Analyzing the data

 Normality Analysis

To test the normality of the data the researcher used t-testing. The aim of

normality analysis is to know whether the research is normal or not. In conducting

the normality analysis, I use the Liliefor’s method by real stage α = 0,05 by using

procedures as follows :

1. Observation X1, X2, X3………Xn to be deviation Z1, Z2, Z3, …….Zn by

using the formula

Zi = Xi – X
S

Notes :

X = the average of total sample

S = the deviation of sample

2. For every deviation used the list of distribution of deviation normal, and

then it will counted the opportunity by using the formula :

F ( Zi ) – P ( Z ≤ Zi )

22
 3. The next step is to count proportion Z1, Z2, Z3, ……. Zn lower or same

with Z1. If this proportion appeared by S (Z1), so :

S( Zi ) = Amount of Z1, Z2……. Zn that ≤ Zi

n

4. Counting the deviation F (Zi) – S (Z1) then to set absolute value

5. Take the big value among the absolute value deviation and take as Lo.

The criteria the analysis is received if H0 if L0 lower than Llist

( L0 ≤ Llist ) and rejected H0 if H0 higher than L list (L0 ≥ L list )

( Sudjana, 1996:466-467)

 Analyzing the Data

In analyzing the data, I use quantitative method. Furthermore the data are

analyzed by using statistical analysis. The formula used to this research is t – test.

It used to find out whether the coded feedback can increase significantly the

students’ speaking ability or not.

The formula is :
____ ____
t= X1 - X2
s
√ 1 + 1
n1 n2

23
With

S2 = ( n1 – 1 ) S12 + ( n2 – 1 ) S22
n1 + n2 -2

X1 = the average value of pre-test

X2 = the average value of post test

N1 = the numbers sample of pre-test

N2 = the number sample of post-test

S1 = standard deviation of pre-test

S2 = standard deviation of post-test

S = total score deviation of pre-test and post-test

 Statistic Hypothesis

In verifying the hypothesis of this research, I used the criteria as follow :

a.The hypothesis (H0) will be received if t (1- ½ α) ≤ t ≤ t (1 – ½ α)

b. The hypothesis (H0) will be rejected if t (1 – ½ α) ≥ t ≥ t (1 – ½ α)

24