ARRI KURNIAWAN. Improving the Quality of English Teaching through
Constructivist Learning Design: A Collaborative Action Research in SMK Gamaliel I
Madiun. Thesis. Surakarta. English Education Department, Graduate School, Sebelas
Maret University, 2008.
The objective of this research is to examine whether or not CLD can improve
the quality of English teaching. Besides, this research is designed to study the
effectiveness of constructivist learning design to improve the quality of English
teaching and learning, and the consequences when constructivist learning design is
applied.
The research was carried out at SMK Gamaliel I Madiun, East Java, from
January to July 2008 (employing collaborative action research). The subject of the
research is a teacher who teaches at 2 MA of SMK Gamaliel I Madiun. The data were
obtained from several techniques including test, collaborative observations, interview,
questionnaires, and document analysis. To analyze the quantitative data, the researcher
applied descriptive statistics, comprising the following dimensions: highest and the
lowest scores, and means. To analyze the qualitative data, the researcher applied
constant comparative method as suggested by Glasser.
The findings reveal that the application of CLD in improving the quality of
English teaching is successful viewed from some dimensions: First, the improvement of
students’ motivation and participation increases. Second, the application of CLD
improves the teacher’s professional competence. Third, CLD establishes students’
thinking skills. CLD improves social communication among students and teacher and
fifth, it improves students’ English competence.
The research findings of this study imply that CLD is very important in
improving the quality of English teaching. Therefore, it is recommended that: first, the
teacher should understand the curriculum by making good preparation of the lesson,
material preparation, suitable method, suitable evaluation, and a conducive learning
environment. Second, the institution should send the teachers to join in workshop,
seminar, and training to upgrade the teachers’ competence. The discussion of new
curriculum and its implementation should be maximized in order the understanding of
curriculum will be increased. Third, the recommendation is for the students. The
students should have motivation to study English. The ability of English competence is
a must in globalization era. If they do not provide themselves with English competence,
they will be left behind and get difficulty to compete in hard competition. Fourth, the
next recommendation is for other researchers who want to apply CLD in other
classrooms. Changing the traditional classroom into constructivist classroom will not
happen overnight. It is a progressive process that requires doing and reflecting, more
doing and reflecting, and then more doing and reflectin
