e-Journal of ELTS Vol. 01 No.

01, January-March 2021

p-ISSN 2614-574X, e-ISSN 2615-4749 hal. 11-20

USING SEQUENCE PICTURES TECHNIQUE

TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS
IN POCEDURE TEXT

Siti Nurhalimah1), Mashuri2)

1,2)
English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Tadulako University, Palu

*irsyadtriantamaa@gmail.com

ABSTRAK

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah ada hubungan positif antara penguasaan
tata bahasa dengan ketepatan berbicara siswa kelas sepuluh di SMA Negeri 3 Palu.
Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian korelasional dengan pendekatan kuantitatif.
Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMA Negeri 3 Palu pada tahun ajaran 2020/2021. Sampel
penelitian ini adalah 27 siswa yang diambil dengan menggunakan teknik cluster random
sampling. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pilihan ganda dan tes
lisan. Instrument yang pertama digunakan untuk mendapatkan data pengetahuan
penguasaan grammar siswa dan yang kedua digunakan untuk mengukur kemampuan
berbicara siswa. Hasil uji hipotesis dengan menggunakan rumus product moment Pearson
adalah 0,422. Artinya Hipotesis Alternatif (Ha) diterima karena hasil nilai rxy lebih tinggi
dari skor tabel product moment (0,422 > 0,381) dengan taraf signifikan (α = 0,05). Hasil
nilai rxy yang diperoleh di atas menyimpulkan bahwa ada hubungan positif antara
penguasaan tata bahasa dan ketepatan berbicara siswa kelas sepuluh SMA Negeri 3 Palu
tahun ajaran 2020/2021 dengan korelasi sedang.

Kata Kunci: penguasaan tata bahasa, ketepatan berbicara, korelasi

ABSTRACT
The objective of this research was to find out whether or not the use of Sequence Pictures
Technique can improve the ninth grade students’ skill in writing procedure text. The
researcher applied a quasi-experimental research design. The population of this research
was the ninth grade students of SMP Negeri 14 Palu which consisted of 119 students. The
sample of this research was 30 students of class IX Ahmad Yani as the experimental class.
Meanwhile, 29 students of class IX Cut Nyak Dien categorized as the control class. The
sample was selected by using cluster random sampling technique. The technique of data
collection was test. The test included pre-test and post-test, with the mean score of 56.11
for experimental class, and 71.67 for control class on pre-test. While on post-test, the
results were 73.33 for experimental class and 77.22 for control class. By applying 0.05
level of significance and 28 degree of freedom (df), as can be seen that the value of t-
counted was (3.58) and t-table was (1.701). The t-counted value was higher than t-table
value, which meant that the research hypothesis was accepted. This study suggests that the
use of Sequence Pictures technique can improve students’ writing skill in procedure text.

Keywords: writing skill, sequence pictures

INTRODUCTION

11
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Writing is an activity to express ideas, events, and feelings in written form that
can be the way people communicate with others. Writing is a fairly complicated skill
because it involves knowing how to use the correct grammar and to select the right
words. Gutiérrez (2016) states: “Teaching EFL writing differs from teaching other
language skills. Writing, unlike speaking, fosters a different connection between the
writer and the reader”. Furthermore, writing is not only making sentences but writing
with grammar and the accuracy of word choices make people easier to communicate
through writing. According to Murcia in Zaki (2014:1), “Writing is an act of
communication that suggest an interactive process and takes place between the writer
and reader. It means that the writer can connect his/her ideas or opinions between and
two people or more in writing process”. Additionally, as Harmer (2001) states, “Writing
is a form of communication to deliver through or to express feeling through written
form.”
Based on the curriculum of junior high school including at SMP Negeri 14 Palu
which recommended by the government, there are some texts which have to be
mastered by the students. One of them is Procedure Text. According to Wardiman
(2008:1430), “Procedure text is the text that give some clues or how to do something
through a series of actions.” Procedure is one of text that explains how to do, use, or
make something completely.
In this research, the study focused on writing a procedure text. The researcher
conducted her research at SMP Negeri 14 Palu to improve the students’ skill in writing
procedure text. In the researcher’s preliminary study at SMP Negeri 14 Palu, the
students faced many difficulties in writing. The problems that were classified into three
categories; the problem in organization of ideas, lack of vocabulary, and grammar. To
solve the problems above, the researcher used Sequence Pictures technique to improve
the students' writing skills.
The researcher used pictures to support the students in writing procedure text.
Pictures expected to minimize the students’ difficulties in writing procedure text. From
the pictures, the students know or at least have an imagination of the situation appears.
The pictures are like a stimulus to produce words sentence or even expression which is
important to create a paragraph. Furthermore, with pictures prevent students from being
bored in learning. Thus, the technique was help students to be motivated and to write
 Using Sequence Picture Technique to Improve Students’ Writing Skills in Procedure Text| 13

easier so they can feel interested in writing. Sequence Pictures technique helps the
researcher. Because this technique has many advantages. Gerlach (1980:27) states,
“Three advantages of using picture: (1) Picture can help to prevent misconception; (2)
Picture helps to focus and to develop critical judgment; (3) Picture is also early
manipulated”. According to Jusman (2014:3), “Picture sequences is providing several
pictures in relation to each other that reflect chronological events, procedures, or steps
from the first to the last, from the beginning to the end systematically”. The previous
statement before of the advantages of applying sequence pictures presented clear
understanding of the advantages the serial pictures in teaching learning process. Pictures
can be said as a as media can help to attract students’ interest and encourage their
motivation in learning. When students look at the pictures, they will have their own
imagination inside the pictures.
These several researchers had conducted research about using Sequence Pictures
Technique. The first research that had been done by Muthmainnah (2015) entitled:
Improving Ability in Writing Procedure Text Through Pictures at the Tenth Year
Students of SMAN 3 Polewali Mandar. The design of the research was pre-
experimental method. The result of this study showed that the use of Sequence Pictures
Technique was effective in teaching writing. The second research was conducted by
Ruswinarsih (2015) entitled: The Use of Pictures in improving Writing Procedure Text
Ability of the First Year Students of SMPN 5 Dumai. The researcher employed a
classroom action research. The result of research showed that the use of pictures can
improve the writing procedure text ability. The conclusion of the previous researchers
showed that the use of Sequence Pictures Technique was efficient in teaching English
especially in writing procedure text. The researcher limited this research in writing
procedure text. The researcher restricted the research on organization of the content
(coherence), grammar especially tenses (simple present tense), and vocabulary (noun
and verb). Based on the statement above, the researcher formulates a research question
as follows: “Is the sequence pictures technique effective to improve the ninth grade
students’ of SMP Negeri 14 Palu writing skill in procedure text?”

METHOD
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In this research, the researcher applied quasi-experimental research design specifically,

non-equivalent control group design. The researcher took one class as an experimental
group and one class as a control group. Both groups were given pre-test and post-test,
but only experimental group were given the treatment. However, in the experimental
group, the researcher applied Sequence Pictures technique as a technique in teaching
while in the control group, the researcher used Conventional Teaching Method. The
design proposed by by Sugiyono (2010:76) as follows:

O1 X O2
O3 O4
The population of this research was the grade nine students at SMP Negeri 14
Palu, consisting of four classes. “sample is the part of amount and characteristic which
have by population itself” (Nuri Yanni Harahap, 2017). The sample of this research
were two classes of the population. The researcher used Cluster Random Sampling
technique. In selecting the sample the researcher used lottery. Based on the process, the
researcher got IX Cut Nyak Dien as the experimental class and IX Ahmad Yani as the
control class.
The researcher used the test as an instrument of the research in collecting the
data. The test type in this research was writing test. The test was divided into pre-test
and post-test. The pre-test was given in the first meeting for both classes to see the
starting point before treatment while the post-test was given in the last session to
measure students' writing skill and progress after the treatment.
To find the result of both of the classes the researcher used statistical analysis.
First, the researcher computed the individual score by applying the formula proposed by
Arikunto (2002:264). Second, the mean score of the students in pre-test and post-test
computed by using formula recommended by Arikunto (2006:275). Next, the researcher
was calculated the mean of deviation both of groups using formula proposed by
Arikunto (2006:307). Then, after getting the individual score deviation, the square
deviation to find out the significant difference between experimental and control group
computed by using formula designed by Arikunto (2006:312). Last, to get the value of
t-counted in order to analyze the effectiveness of the treatment, the researcher applied t-
test formula. Arikunto (2006:311). The formula above as follows:
Mx − My
t=

√( ∑ x 2+∑ y 2
Nx+Ny−2 )( 1 1
+
Nx Ny )
 Using Sequence Picture Technique to Improve Students’ Writing Skills in Procedure Text| 15

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

FINDINGS

In presenting the data, the researcher analyzed the data taken from pre-test and
post-test. The researcher had given pre-test and post-test to both experimental class and
control class. Pre-test was conducted in order to know the students’ writing skill before
they got the treatment. After the pre-test, the researcher conducted the treatment by
using Sequence Pictures technique in six meetings to the experimental class, while the
control class was not. The researcher used the same minimum passing grade as SMP
Negeri 14 Palu, which was 70. After finishing six meetings, both experimental class and
control class were given a post-test. The post-test was conducted in order to find out the
progress of students’ writing skill after the treatment. Furthermore, the purpose of the
post test was to compare the result of the students’ achievement in writing skill between
the experimental class and the control one.
Table 1 Result of the Pre-test and Post-test of Experimental Class
Individual Score
No.
Pre-Test Post-test
1 41.67 75

2 58.33 83.33

3 91.67 91.67

4 50 66.67

5 58.33 75

6 50 75

7 58.33 75

8 33.33 50

9 33.33 50

10 58.33 91.67

11 41.67 58.33

12 66.67 83.33

13 75 75
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14 58.33 75

15 66.67 75

Total Score 841.66 1,100

Mean Score 56.11 73.33

By looking the table above, the result of students' pre-test showed that the
highest score was 91.67 while the lowest score was 33.33. The total score of students in
the pre-test was 841.66. Then, the mean score achieved by the experimental class in the
pre-test was 56.11. After the researcher applied the treatment, the post-test results of
students in the experimental class had significantly changed. The table above indicated
that the highest score of the post-test in the experimental class was 91.67, and the lowest
score was 50. Furthermore, there were 86% of students passed the post-test, while 13%
of students still failed and got a lower score under the minimum passing grade. The
result of the pre-test and post-test of control class is presented on table 2.
Result of the Pre-test and Post-test of Control Class
Individual Score
No.
Pre-Test Post-test
1 83.33 91.67

2 66.67 66.67

3 75 83.33

4 41.67 58.33

5 58.33 58.33

6 91.67 91.67

7 75 83.33

8 75 75

9 75 83.33

10 58.33 75

11 75 75

12 91.67 83.33

13 83.33 83.33

14 83.33 91.67
 Using Sequence Picture Technique to Improve Students’ Writing Skills in Procedure Text| 17

15 41.67 58.33

Total Score 1,075 1,158.32

Mean Score 71.67 77.22

The data analysis above showed that, the researcher found that the mean score of
both experimental and control classes are different. The mean score of the pre-test in
experimental class is 56.11 and control group is 71.67. The mean score post-test in
experimental class is 73.33 while the mean score of the post-test in control class is
77.22. Furthermore, the highest score of the post-test in the control class was 91.67 and
the lowest score was 58.33. The data indicated that there were 73% of students passed
and 26% of students failed. Thus, the mean score of post-test in experimental class is
higher than the mean score of the post-test in control class. The researcher concludes
that the improvement of experimental class is more significant than control class. It
means that the technique which the researcher used to improve the students’ writing
skill is effective. After getting the mean score of pre-test and post-test, the researcher
calculated the deviation and square deviation of both classes, experimental and control.
Based on the calculation, it was found that the total deviation score of the experimental
group is 755.62 and the square deviation score of experimental group is 39018.95. On
the other hand, the total deviation score and the square deviation score of control group
are 466.69 and 16545.47. The result can be seen in the table 3.
Result of Deviation Score and Square Deviation
Group Deviation Score Square Deviation Score
Experimental 258.34 5,764.3

Control 83.35 1,250.37

Then, the researcher computed the t-counted values of both classes in order to find out
the significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test by using formula from
Arikunto (2006). Based on the computation, the t-counted value was 3.68. Afterthat, to
determine whether the hypothesis is accepted or rejected, the researcher counted the t-
table by applying the degree of freedom (df) = Nx + Ny – 2 = 15 + 15 - 2 = 28 with the
level of significance 0.05. The researcher found that the t-table value was 1.7. Based on
the result, the researcher concluded that the hypothesis of this research was accepted
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because the t-counted value (3.68) was higher than the t-table (1.7). It means that the
implementation of Sequence Pictures Technique is effective to improve writing skill of
grade nine students at SMP Negeri 14 Palu.

DISCUSSION

In this research, the researcher gave pre-test for both experimental class and
control class at the first meeting. The result of the pre-test showed that both classes got
lower score. The researcher found that the data of the experimental class indicated there
were 2 students passed and 13 students were failed. While the data of the control class
indicated that there were 10 students passed and 5 students got lower score.
After getting the students’ problems based on the students works in the pre-test,
the researcher gave the treatment for the experimental class. The treatment was
conducted for six meetings and each meeting took 2x40 minutes. In the experimental
class, the researcher used Sequence Pictures Technique. (Wahyu Wibisono et al.
’2016:64) states: “Penggunaan gambar berseri dianggap efektif dalam mengajar
ketrampilan menulis”. While, the control class used the researcher used Conventional
Teaching Method. The procedure of teaching writing by using Sequence Pictures
technique as follows:
Pre-writing activity gives warming up the brain to gathering the ideas to write
about. According to Farisha Andi Baso (2016:112), “In this case, the teacher should
give great attention about the students' interest and the topic chosen”.
Writing, teacher gives a sequence of picture and students should create the first
draft. Teacher asks them to start writing their procedure text individually based on the
picture sequence given.
Revising, in this step students focus on the clarity of their message such as
organizing ideas and selecting more precise vocabulary.
There were some problems that caused to this research, such as the situation and
the teaching learning process. Before doing this research at SMP Negeri 14 Palu, the
researcher planned to give the treatment face to face by teaching offline in the
classroom. Thus, the researcher can see the progress and control of the treatment in
every meeting. However, the situation of the pandemic Covid-19 that happened in the
country did not give that chance. The setting activities for teaching was changed
 Using Sequence Picture Technique to Improve Students’ Writing Skills in Procedure Text| 19

because of the situation of pandemic. The teaching implementation of Sequence

Pictures Technique had to be online by using Whatsapp application, because this
application was easy and capable to be used by the students. The students’ participation
in each meeting was always changed. There were only 14 students who did the first
treatment, next meeting was always changed between 9 to 15 students. During the
treatment, the researcher explained material about procedure text. Such as, simple
present tense and action verbs that should be used in writing procedure text. the
researcher also explained the generic structure of procedure text since the generic
structure helped the student to begin the paragraph easier.
After conducting the treatment, the students were given post-test to both classes.
By this point, the researcher wanted to show the progress in writing procedure text. The
model of pre-test and post-test was alike. The post-test showed that some of students
look more good in doing writing than before, if looking from the tables before. It can be
seen that the mean score of pre-tests in experimental class is 56.11 and post-test result is
73.33. By using sequence Pictures technique, the students already knew how to make a
procedure text. Therefore, the Sequence pictures technique was effective to improve
students’ writing skills since there was an improvement of experimental class. It is also
proved t-counted (3.68) was higher than the t-table (1.7). It meant that the hypothesis
was accepted. In other word, this technique gave an improvement to the students.
There were some factors that improve students’ writing skill by using Sequence
Pictures in teaching learning process. First, the Sequence Pictures was easy to be used,
because from the pictures the students imagined what kind of the situation based on the
pictures. Second, both the researcher and the students learning process was more fun,
because there were sequence pictures not only the text. According to Shoimin
(2016:125), “The advantages of picture sequences strategy, they are: a) make it easier
for students to understand what the teacher meant when delivering learning materials. b)
students quickly respond to material submitted because in accompanied by the picture”.
Based on the findings of this research, the researcher can conclude that
Sequence Pictures technique can improve writing skills of grade nine students at SMPN
14 Palu.
20 | e-Journal of ELTS | Vol. 01 No. 01 | January-March 2021 | 11-20

CONCLUSION
After gathering and analyzing the research data in the previous chapter, the
researcher concludes that using Sequence Pictures technique could improve the writing
procedure text of ninth grade students at SMP Negeri 14 Palu. It was seen by the mean
score of post-test in the experimental class (73.33) and in the control class (77.22).
There was significant difference between the main values of score in experimental
group’s posttest and control group’s posttest. It is proved since t-counted (3.58) was
higher than the t-table (1.701).

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The researcher gives all her praises to the almighty God, Allah SWT, for all
blessing, mercy, health, and opportunity given to her, so that she is able to complete this
research. The researcher also does not forget to thank to the ninth grade students of
SMP Negeri 14 Palu who have participated.

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