Incorporating Problem Solving Tasks Grouped According to Different Proficiency Levels in Cooperative Learning Procedures to Enhance Quality and Quantity of Students’ Spoken Interactions

Abstract

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengukur kualitas dan quantitas dari interaksi mahasiswa setelah diterapkannya system pengelompokkan berdasarkan tingkat kemahiran mahasiswa  (proficiency levels) dalam tugas yang berbasis pemecahan masalah (problem solving task) berdasarkan  kerjasama (cooperative learning) yang digunakan pada pengajaran kemampuan berbicara (speaking). Pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif digunakan untuk meneliti satu kelas mahasiswa yang mengambil English 1 sebagai mata kuliah wajib di IBI Darmajaya. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan mencakup pretest dan posttest, serta serangkaian kuesioner yang berfungsi mengetahui persepsi siswa terhadap problem solving tasks. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya perbedaan signifikan antara pretest dan posttest diantara semua group. Namun yang lebih signifikan muncul di group heterogen.. Hampir semua siswa memiliki respon yang positive terhadap problem solving task. Temuan ini membuktikan problem solving tasks lebih sukses untuk siswa yang memiliki kemampuan rendah dalam bahasa inggris di dalam group heterogen serta respon siswa yang positif di dalam kuesioner membuktikan bahwa implementasi problem solving task sangat berperan positif dalam mengoptimalkan kemampuan berbicara, membuat siswa lebih aktif di kelas  serta memacu interaksi yang konstruktif dan saling menguntungkan.

The aims of the current research  were to investigate i) whether there was a statistically  significant difference of quantity and quality of students’spoken interaction between pretest and posttest from different level proficiency groups after they were given the problem solving tasks based cooperative learning and  ii)  the students’ perception of the use of  the problem solving tasks. The research used quantitative and qualitative approaches and involved one class which consisted of 36 students who took English 1 subject as a compulsory subject at IBI Darmajaya. The used instruments were the pretest and posttest, and questionnaire. It was found that there was a significant difference in the quantity and quality of the students’ spoken interaction between pretest and posttest in heterogeneous group. Most students had positive perceptions of the problem solving tasks. The findings prove that the  problem solving task integrated in cooperative learning was more successful for low proficient students in the heterogeneous group. The students’ responses to the questionnaire indicate that the problem solving tasks facilitate the students to be more active in the groups to complete the procedures of the task. The students enjoyed sharing sessions in building their ideas to be presented among the members of the group.

Keywords : Cooperative learning, problem solving tasks, quality and quantity of students’ spoken interaction.