Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Tanjungpra University

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF JIGSAW IN TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

WRITING

Nita Aprianti, Albert Rufinus, Wardah

English Study Program of Language and Arts Education Department
FKIP UNTAN, Pontianak
[email protected]

Abstract
Task Based Language Teaching is an approach in which task as its main course. Jigsaw is one
of the techniques in the umbrella of TBLT which allows students and teacher to make a
cooperative learning environment in the classroom. Teaching a descriptive text using Jigsaw is
considered effective for the students in the classroom. The research was conducted to the 8 th
grade students of SMPN 5 Pontianak in academic year 2016/2017 and the subject were the
eighth grade students from class C. This research was conducted through pre- experimental
research. The result of the research showed that Jigsaw is effective to be used in teaching
descriptive text writing. The result showed the t-test result (4.690) was higher that the t-value
(2.042). The effect size result also showed a moderate effect based on Burns’ classification
(0.2 ≤ ES ≤ 0.8). It was also found from three aspects of scoring, grammar, content and
organization that has moderate effect on grammar and organization while in content it was
highly effective.

Keyword: Jigsaw, Descriptive Text, Writing

English is one of the lessons in school where people come together for a
that considered important for students, pedagogical purpose but it is also a social
especially in this global era. English is one of environment where people interact through
the international languages that help people learning activities and social events (Hall,
communicate with other people around the 2011)
world. Teacher at school has a big role in According to the new curriculum student
teaching English to the students. There are of junior high school should master several
some teaching strategy and technique that types of text, one of them is descriptive text.
can be used in the process. Teacher use Oshima and Hogue cited in (Utami, 2014)
teaching technique or strategy in order to said that descriptive writing appeals to the
help student in the learning process and reach senses, so it tells how something looks, feels,
the target of the learning. Thus, it needs to be smells, tastes or sounds. The common
adjusted to the material for the learning. definition of descriptive text is a text that
In the modern time teachers role are not describes things, places, people, or events in
as the sole source of information in the class. a detail explanation. Gerrot and Wignell cited
Back in the old ways of teaching, students are in Liza & Refnaldi ( 2013) define descriptive
just getting information and knowledge from text as the text that gives information and
the teacher. English classrooms are describes a particular person, place or thing.
complicated places. It is not only a place In addition, they also tell about the generic

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structure of descriptive text as follows: 1) that input based task has an important role in
Identification, This part is to identify the TBLT.
phenomenon to be described. This part gives There are several tasks under the
the introduction of the things, person, or umbrella of Task Based Language teaching,
place that the writer wished to be described. one of them is Jigsaw. Nunan (2004) stated
2) Description, This part is the main part of that Jigsaw is one of the four typology of
the text. This part gives the description of the pedagogical task proposed by Richard.
qualities, characteristics, appearances of the Nunan (2004) also stated pedagogical tasks
object being described. as work-plan that requires learners to process
In teaching descriptive text teacher need language pragmatically in order to achieve an
to use techniques that can make students do outcome that can be evaluated in terms of
the task and also communicate using the whether the correct or appropriate
language in the classroom. Harmer (2004) propositional content has been conveyed. On
said that writing used in wide variety of the other hand, Aronson (2000) state that
purposes and produce many different forms Jigsaw is a technique used in cooperative
of writing. Announcement or even an ID card learning classroom. This technique is used in
is also a part of writing. Teaching writing is a classroom that has diversity in terms of
usually neglected in language learning. Many students’ ethnicity or skin color etc. this
people paid more attention on the technique is used to make students to more
communicative aspects like speaking without cooperative and communicate through the
realizing that writing is also important for a lesson. Aronson (2000) also define ten easy
language learner to be able to produce an steps of jigsaw: 1) Step One, divide students
understandable and correct sentence when into 5- or 6-person jigsaw groups. The
speaking or understanding a reading. Sheen groups should be diverse in terms of gender,
(2003) cited from Ellis (2014) claimed that ethnicity, race, and ability. 2) Step Two,
there is no ‘grammar syllabus’ in TBLT. In appoint one student from each group as the
fact nowadays, grammar is not taught as a leader. Initially, this person should be the
separate entity. Grammar is taught along with most mature student in the group. 3) Step
the writing. Parrot (2004) also said that Three, divide the day’s lesson into 5-6
words and grammar are often thought of as segments. For example, if you want history
being separate entities. In fact, in learning students to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt,
any words we are also learning something you might divide a short biography of her
about its grammar. According to Blanchard into stand-alone segments on: (a) Her
and Root (2003: 41) cited in Utami (2014), childhood, (b) Her family life with Franklin
there are at least three steps involved in a and their children, (c) Her life after Franklin
writing process. 1) Step one: Prewriting, contracted polio, (d) Her work in the White
thinking about your topic and organizing House as First Lady, and (e) Her life and
your ideas. 2) Step two: Writing, using your work after Franklin's death. 4) Step Four,
ideas to write a first draft. 3) Step Three: assign each student to learn one
Revising, improving what you have written. segment. Make sure students have direct
Task based language teaching is one of access only to their own segment. 5) Step
the approaches in language teaching and Five, give students time to read over their
learning that used task as the core of the segment at least twice and become familiar
approach. Ellis (2014) stated that task can be with it.There is no need for them to memorize
classified in a number of ways. First, it. 6) Step Six, form temporary “expert
according to Nunan task can be real world groups” by having one student from each
and pedagogic. The second is favored by jigsaw group join other students assigned to
Skehan which is the task is design to elicit the same segment. Give students in these
production from the learners or only requires expert groups time to discuss the main points
them to process input. However, Ellis argued of their segment and to rehearse the

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presentations they will make to their jigsaw students regarding the material and the task
group. 7) Step Seven, bring the students back that has been chosen before for the treatment.
into their jigsaw groups. 8) Step Eight, ask The treatment was divided onto several
each student to present her or his segment to phase. 3) Post-test: the post-test phase is the
the group. Encourage others in the group to last process in the experiment. In this process
ask questions for clarification. 9) Step Nine, students were given the same worksheet as
float from group to group, observing the the pre-test and also asked to write
process.If any group is having trouble (e.g., a descriptive text according to the knowledge
member is dominating or disruptive), make they get throughout the treatment process.
an appropriate intervention. Eventually, it's Furthermore, in the treatment process the
best for the group leader to handle this task. researcher will use Jigsaw that has been
Leaders can be trained by whispering an modified in to meet the students need and
instruction on how to intervene, until the adjust it with teaching writing, in this case
leader gets the hang of it. 10) Step Ten, at descriptive text writing and make it into 7
the end of the session, give a quiz on the steps out of 10 steps as follows: 1) The first
material. Students quickly come to realize and second steps are combined together to
that these sessions are not just fun and games become the first steps which is “grouping the
but really count. students into groups consist of 5 to 6 students
Furthermore, there are four benefits of and chose a leader from each group”. 2) After
Jigsaw technique according to Kessler cited that jump to step six which is forming and
in Zahra (2013). First, it allows students to new group and form an “expert group”
work in groups which have different races which consist of students from the jigsaw
and cultures. Second, it supports the group by using number from. This is done to
communicative approach in language make the students aware of the groups they
teaching. Third, it demands students to work in during the lesson in the beginning of
develop their cognitive skills. Fourth, it the lesson. 3) Then, back to step three where
provides opportunities for students to develop the topic divided into several segments. The
their presentation skills as a result of a strong students will be given a short introduction of
motivation to ensure everyone in the group the topic for the days’ lesson and give them
gets all the information to complete the task. time to get familiar with the topic and divide
the topic into 5 segments. 4) Next, step four
METHODOLOGY and five are combined to become one step.
The research conducted to find out Teacher asked students to sit within the
whether Jigsaw is effective to used in expert group and assigned each group with
teaching descriptive text or not. There are one sub topic. Then, discuss the topic within
several methods in doing this research and the group member in 30 minutes. 5) Then go
the research use pre-experimental research of to step seven to bring back the students from
one group pre-test post-test group design. the expert group to their original
This method is considered suitable for this group/jigsaw group. 6) The next is step eight
research with one group pre-test post-test where the students present the result of their
design to find out whether the chosen discussion to the Jigsaw group and start to
technique effective or not. arrange the information to form a descriptive
The procedures of the pre- text. 7) The last is step ten where the students
experimental study in this research were and teacher has review from the whole class
described in the following steps: 1) Pre test: discussion regarding the text.
in the pre-test process students were given a The sample in this research was taken
worksheet for them to write descriptive text through cluster random sampling from the
according to their prior knowledge. 2) eighth grade students of SMP N 5 Pontianak.
Treatment: in the treatment process the The sample was class C which consists of 35
researcher as start giving treatment on to the students.

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The data was collected through students’ The effect size from the pre-test and
written text from the pre-test and the post- post-test result as follow
test. Then the score was measured using the
formula to find the t-test result as follow: 1
ES = t√
𝐷̅ 𝑁 Effect Size Formula (2)
t =
(∑ 𝑑)² ES = the effect size
√∑ 𝑑 ² − 𝑁 t = the t-test result
𝑁(𝑁 − 1) T-test Formula (1)
N = the number of students
T = the t-test score
̅
𝐷 = the mean difference The result of the measurement then will
∑d = the sum of students different score be classified according to the following
N = the number of student classification by Burns (2000) cited from
Indrayani (2012).
Table 1. Burns Classification of Effect Size

Effect Size Classification

ES ≤ 0.2 Low

0.2 ≤ ES ≤ 0.8 Moderate

ES ≥ 0.8 High

Table. 2. Table of Specification of Descriptive Text Writing

Component of Writing Specification

Content The content of Descriptive text must be in logical order.
 The identification is the first part of the text which
- Identification tells the reader about the topic in general.

 The description part provides the reader with factual

- Description data and more specific information to describe the
topic.
Grammar Linguistic features of Descriptive Text:
- Use of Present Tense  The correct use of present tense in Descriptive text
based on the context.
- Adjectives  The correct use of adjective to describe the noun from
the text
- Adverbial  The correct use of adverbial in giving more
explanation of noun.
Organization Organization refers to :
 The text must be organized in logical order
- Text Arrangements (Introduction – Description).
 The text consists of minimum 100 words in 1-2
paragraphs.

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FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION really good. There are three students who
passed the passing grade of 70 in the pre-test
Findings and there are four students who passed the
From the result of the measurement post test. The table showed the score of
from pre-test it can be seen that students’ students from pre-test and post-test.
ability in writing a descriptive text is not

Table. 2 The result of student’s Pre-test and Post-test from the Experimental group

No Students Post-test Pre-test

1 8D1 54 32
2 8D2 54 26
3 8D3 56 66
4 8D4 70 66
5 8D5 56 66
6 8D6 56 58
7 8D7 56 64
8 8D8 74 74
9 8D9 64 20
10 8D10 60 32
11 8D11 66 58
12 8D12 54 32
13 8D13 68 70
14 8D14 56 32
15 8D15 56 32
16 8D16 64 32
17 8D17 70 52
18 8D18 60 34
19 8D19 64 62
20 8D20 62 38
21 8D21 66 66
22 8D22 58 66
23 8D23 68 32
24 8D24 64 66
25 8D25 78 78
26 8D26 34 20
27 8D27 46 20
28 8D28 46 26
29 8D29 40 26
30 8D30 66 66
31 8D31 68 58
32 8D32 54 32
33 8D33 34 20
34 8D34 46 38
35 8D35 46 60
>> Total 2034 1620

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Furthermore, the measurement on the

mean score of students pre-test and post-test
is shown in the following table.
Table. 3 Pre-test and Post-test result

Mean Score Highest Score Lowest Score

Pre-test 46.28 78 20
Post-Test 58,11 78 34

classification (0.2 ≤ ES ≤ 0.8). The result

Referring to the Kriteria Ketuntasan showed that teaching descriptive text writing
minimum(KKM) there are 3 students who through TBLT (Jigsaw) is statistically
pass the from the pre-test and there are 4 effective.
students who pass from the score of post-test. Furthermore, the results of the
From the result of the t-test computation the measurement of the three aspect of scoring
t-test result was (4.690) considering the which are content, grammar and organization
degree of freedom 34 and the level of showed a positive result. The result of all the
significant 0.05 the t-test was higher than the three category of showed that the t-test of
t-value of (2.042). Furthermore, the effect content were higher that the t-value = 2.042
size result was 0.79 which is categorized as at significant level = 0.05 and df = 30.
“moderate effect” according to Burns’

Table. 4 Result of Three Scoring Aspects

T-test Effect Size

Content 5.020 0.84
Grammar 2.502 0.42
Organization 2.065 0.34

showed that Task Based Language Teaching

Discussion (Jigsaw) is effective to be used in teaching
The research was conducted during the writing descriptive text and considered as
teaching learning process which taken only “moderate effect” with the effect size 0.79
one classroom as the experimental object. and the t-test computation is significant with
The experiment has three phases, pre-test – 5.020 which is higher at the significant level
treatment – post-test. The first is the pre-test of 0.05. Thus, it is statistically effective to be
and after that the treatment was given to the used in teaching descriptive text writing.
students in the classroom the treatment was Furthermore, the measurement on each three
conducted in three meetings. After the three aspects showed a various result. The
meetings in treatment the students were given measurement of the content of the text
the post-test. showed the effect size of 0.84 with the t-test
The data from the post-test was intended computation of 5.0201 which is higher than
to analyze student’s mastery of writing the t-table of 2.042. The result shows a “high
descriptive text after the teaching learning effect” based on Burns’ classification table
process. The result of the data analysis (0.2 ≤ ES ≤ 0.8). The measurement of the

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grammar and the organization showed the Nevertheless, the aspects are all increasing
effect size of 0.42 and 0.34 with the t-test from the pre-test score.
computation of 2.5026 and 2.0658 which are
higher that the t-table of 2.042. The result CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
shows a “moderate effect” on both aspects
based on Burns’ classification table (0.2 ≤ ES Conclusion
≤ 0.8). According to the findings and discussion
According to Aronson (2000), Jigsaw it is proven that Jigsaw is effective to be used
plays an important part in cooperative in teaching descriptive text writing to the
learning. This is shows during the teaching eighth grade students of SMP N 5 Pontianak.
learning process in which the students were The result showed differences between
divided into 5 small groups. The students students score from pre-test to post-test.
from each group then will be divided again to Student scores are increasing and the mean
discuss with the expert group. On the score also increasing even if it is not
discussion each individual’s task is to grasp significant. it has a moderate effect
all of the information from the discussion in according to Burn’s Classification.
the expert group. In this process the students The use of this technique also has a
in each expert group was given a different positive result regarding the three aspects of
topic of discussion about a certain scoring content, grammar and organization.
historical/famous place and every students in The result showed that in both grammar and
the expert group are expected to grasp all of organization the effect is moderate whilst in
the information they gather from the content it has a high effect.
discussion. After the discussion each students
from the expert group will be back to their Suggestion
original group and gather their information to Based on the result of the research, the
form one complete text. Thus, the task writer would like to suggest some things
requires students to be able to cooperate with regarding the result. First, jigsaw (TBLT) can
their peer in the group to complete the task. be applied to teach descriptive text writing by
Paul J. Veermette (1998) cited in Jing Meng English teachers in Junior High School to
(2010) define cooperative learning as a team help students not just to teach writing but
which is permanent, heterogeneously mixed, also to create a good learning atmosphere in
small group of students who have been the classroom. and the second, jigsaw
assembled to complete an activity, produce a (TBLT) can be used in other learning
series of project or have been asked to material and it is suggested to be modified
individually master a body of knowledge. In according to the needs and the material to
other words, the class is a heterogeneous meet student’s need in the learning process.
group which is organized to complete a
learning task based on the interaction among BIBLIOGRAPHY
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