31

B. DISCUSSION

The research findings show that there are some constraints in the English

teaching and learning process at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto. They are

constraints faced by the students, the teacher, and concerning the materials, time

and space.

1. Constraints Faced by the Teacher

The data analysis showed that there were three constraints faced by the

teacher. There were difficult students, low motivated students, and the class size.

a. Difficult students

In the Oxford Dictionary (2003: 120), difficult is not easy; needing effort

or skill, and full of problems; causing problems. The term “difficult students” here

means the students who always made the teacher feel uncomfortable in the

teaching and learning process. They were students who always made the noise

with their friends rather than paying attention to the lesson. From the data analysis

there were three types of difficult students:

1) Naughty students

According to Hornby (1995: 562), naughty students means wrong bad,

disobedient, and causing problem. Psychologically, labeling ‘naughty’ to the

students is not educative, but naughty students here were students who cause

problems in teaching and learning process. Here is the data:

. . . kesulitannya kalau ada anak yang sudah merasa bisa perhatiannya

menjadi kurang, ia menjadi ribut dan mengganggu teman lainnya.
(Interview III)

. . . the difficulty comes when there is a student that feel understand and
then she/he did not pay full attention, he/she becomes noisy and disturb
 32

her/his friends.
(Interview III)

From the interview with the English teacher, it revealed that the naughty

students were difficult to be organized. She stated that she found difficulties in

teaching English if there were students who did not pay full attention to the

lesson. They become naughty and disturb their friends.

Another data also showed the students who were difficult to be organized,

here is the data:

. . . siswa yang sudah selesai mengerjakan latihan bersiap-siap untuk

pulang, karena ada beberapa siswa yang belum selesai, kemudian mereka
mengganggu teman yang belum selesai.
(Field note III)

… the students who had finished doing the exercise got ready to go home,
as there were some students who had not finish, then they disturbed some
students who had not finished yet.
(Field note III)

The data above showed that naughty students often disturbed their friends.

The naughty students were found more among male students than female students.

The interview also showed that male students tended to be naughtier although

some of the female were also naughty, here is the data:

R : Apakah jenis kelamin mempengaruhi motivasi dan perilaku siswa?

G: Untuk jenis kelamin tidak begitu berpengaruh, namun ada perbedaan
perilaku antara siswa laki-laki dan perempuan. Siswa laki-laki lebih
cenderung usil dari pada siswa perempuan. Kadang hal tersebut
membuat saya bingung untuk mengatasinya.
(Interview III)

R: Do the sexes influence the motivation and behavior of the students?

G: The sexes do not really influence, but there are behavior differences
between male and female students. Male students tend to be
meddlesome than female students. Sometimes, it makes me confused.
(Interview III)
The naughty students also influence the teacher in teaching English in the
 33

class. It is because they are difficult to be managed.

2) Uncooperative students

There were several kinds of students who were not cooperative with the

teacher. They ignored the teacher’s talk and did not pay full attention to the

teacher’s explanation. They were busy with their own activities. For example,

when the teacher asked them to do exercises, they drew pictures on their book.

They did not pay attention to what the teacher asked them to do. Here is the data

to show this situation:

. . . ada satu siswa yang sedang asik menggambar. Setelah peneliti

perhatikan, siswa tersebut sama sekali tidak memperhatikan apa yang
diperintahkan oleh guru. Saat giliran siswa yang belum mengerti latihan
mana yang harus dijawab guru mulai beranjak dari tempat duduknya . . .
(Field note IV)

. . . there was a student who is drawing picture. The student ignored what
the teacher asked him/her to do. The teacher walked from her chair when
the student did not understand what he/she should do . . .
(Field note IV)

Another data also showed students who were not cooperative with the

teacher. Here is the data:

Saat kegiatan belajar mengajar berlangsung ada beberapa siswa yang

berlarian keluar masuk kelas untuk bermain. Kemudian, guru beranjak
dari tempat duduknya dan memarahi siswa tersebut. . .
(Field note II)

When the teaching and learning process was taking place, there were some
students running in and out of the class. Then, the teacher got up and
reproved them …
(Field note II)

From the observation in the English teaching process, it was known that

uncooperative students often ignored their teacher and did not pay attention to the

lesson.
 34

Kauchack, Eggen, and Jacobson (1989: 183) point out that it is a problem

if there is a student who does not want to cooperate. This kind of problem could

be frustrating in terms of the time and energy that the teacher had taken.

3) Noisy students

Noisy students here were students who cause noise in teaching and

learning process. From the observation and interview it was found that some of

students were often noisy. This condition made difficult for other students to

concentrate on the lesson well. Here is the data:

R : Kenapa di kelas suka ramai?

A :Main sama teman, kalau ada teman yang mengejek dan membuat saya
marah.
(Interview VII)

R: Why do you often make some noises in the classroom?

A: Playing with friends, if there are friends who mock and make me angry.
(Interview VII)

Another data is:

. . . siswa yang belum mendapat giliran maju ke depan asik bermain

dengan teman-temannya, dan suasana kelas pun menjadi ramai.
(Field note II)

… the students who had not have turn were busy playing with their
friends, then the class became crowded.
(Field note II)

Another student stated that she became noisy because she could not do the

exercise. The data is:

R : Waktu belajar di kelas kok suka ramai kenapa?

S : Aku nggak bisa ngerjain latihan, jadinya kelas jadi ramai.
(Interview VI)

R: Why are you noisy when you are studying in the classroom?
S: Because I cannot do the exercise, so the class becomes noisy.
 35

(Interview VI)

The noise would give the negative effect to the teaching and learning

process. The teacher has to spend much time to manage them. For example, when

the class becomes noisy the teacher tries to make the students stop talking by

beating an eraser on the table. Colletti in Soekarwati (1995: 60) states that the

teaching and learning process becomes inefficient if there is a student who causes

noise.

b. Low motivated students

The findings show that there were many students with low motivation in

learning English. They were not serious in learning English because they thought

that English was difficult. If they had difficulties in learning English they stopped

to learn and tended to move their attention toward other subjects. Here is the data:

R: Aziz, pernah tidak mengerjakan PR?

Z: Pernah karena ada PR lain.
R: Kenapa Bahasa Inggris tidak dikerjakan.
A: Susah,jadi aku nggak usah ngerjain.
(Interview VIII)

R: Azis, have you ever missed your homework?

A: Yes, I have, because there was another homework.
R: Why did you miss your English homework?
A: It was difficult, so I feel I do not need to do it.
(Interview VIII)

Another student stated:

R: Ayu suka belajar bahasa Inggris?

A: Sedikit.
R: Kenapa sedikit?
A: Soalnya sulit.
(Interview VI)

R: Ayu, do you like studying English?

A: A little.
 36

R: Why just a little?

A: Because it is difficult.
(Interview VI)

From the observation also showed that the students have low motivation in

learning English. Here is the data:

. . . saat mengerjakan latihan ada salah satu siswa yang mengerjakan

mata pelajaran lainnya. Saat ditanya oleh guru siswa tersebut menjawab,
‘males Bu, susah.’
(Field note V)

… when doing the exercise, there was a student doing the exercise of
another lesson. When the teacher asked him, that student answered, ‘I am
feeling slack, Bu, it is difficult.’
(Field note V)

Nolan (1996: 98) state that when students are not motivated to learn, they

loose interest in lesson quickly, look for sources of entertainment, and may direct

their energies at amusing themselves and disrupting the learning process of others.

c. The class size

As mentioned before, the average number of students in a classroom was

30 students, while the size of each classroom was 6X7 metres. The class size was

too narrow for the students to move (Field note I, II, III). Ideally the class size in a

classroom was up to 25 students.

The class size became one of constraints for the teacher. It made hard for

the teacher to organize the class activities. As a result, the teaching and learning

process became inefficient.

The teacher reported that the class size really influenced how he would

organize the class. It influenced the choice of the activity and how organized it.

Here is the data:

 37

R: Apakah sistem belajarnya berkelompok?

G: Sejauh ini, siswa belajar secara klasikal, untuk dibuat berkelompok
tidak mungkin karena kelasnya penuh dan waktunya hanya habis
untuk ramai, jadi nggak mungkin dibuat kelompok.
(Interview IV)

R: Do the students study in group?

G: So far, the students study classically. It is impossible to make them in
some groups because the class is full and the time is just spent to make
some noises.
(Interview IV)

From the data above, the teacher pointed out that giving activities such as

games or group works would only make students noisy. In the same way, using

games as a technique would make it difficult for the teacher to control the class.

The teacher also explained why the teaching and learning process never

conducted outside the classroom. Here is the data:

R: Apakah pelajarannya juga dilakukan di luar kelas?

G: Kami hanya di dalam kelas saja karena anaknya banyak, paling sering
duduk. Tetapi kami sering menyesuaikan materi, kalau ada
conversation maju, reading maju, writing maju, kalau conversation
berdua ya maju berdua, kalau bertiga ya bertiga, disesuaikan dengan
materi hari itu.
R: Waktu ada materi mengenal benda atau lingkungan tidak dibawa
keluar?
G: Mengenai materi tentang benda cukup kami tunjukkan kepada mereka,
ya menunjukkan saja atau mencontohkan benda yang bersangkutan
apa yang ada di dalam kelas, karena kondisi tadi memang tidak cukup
mendukung untuk dibawa ke luar kelas. Anak-anak menganggu kelas
lain.
(Interview III)

R: Do the students also study outside of the classroom?

G: The teaching and learning process is only done in the classroom,
because there are many students. The students usually sit in their
chairs. However, we adjust with the materials. If there is a
conversation of two people, two students come to the front of the class.
If there is a conversation of three people, three students come forward.
It is adjusted with the materials of that day.
R: When there are materials about things or environment, do you take
them outside of the classroom?
 38

G: For the material about things, we just show them or give examples of
things in the classroom, because the condition does not support to take
the students outside of the classroom. They can disturb the other
classes.
(Interview III)

So, based on the data above the English teacher stated two reasons for not

taking the students outside the classroom. First, she was afraid that students would

go wild. Second, she was afraid that students would disturb other classes.

2. Constraints Faced by the Students

From the collected data, there are two constraints in the English teaching

and learning process faced by the students. They are the teacher’s method and the

learners’ socioeconomic background.

a. The teacher’s method

The constraints of the teacher’s method are divided into four parts. They

are the teacher’s position, lack of variation, lack of media, and the teacher’s

English.

1) The teacher’s position

In the teaching and learning process, seating arrangement of the students is

never changed. The teacher is seated in front of the class. The students who sit in

the front row can easily talk to the teacher when they face difficulty. However, the

students who sit at the back row find difficulties in asking the exercise because

they have to walk forward to the teacher.

In several observations, the researcher noted that the teacher’s activities in

the teaching and learning process were often done in front of the classroom
 39

whether to explain the lesson or to discuss the exercise. This is the data:

. . . guru duduk di kursinya dan sibuk dengan kegiatannya sendiri tanpa

memperhatikan apa yang dikerjakan siswanya. Saat siswa menemui
kesulitan, siswa yang duduk di barisan depan dengan mudahnya bertanya
kepada guru, akan tetapi siswa yang duduk di barisan belakang menjadi
merasa malas untuk berjalan ke depan, akhirnya siswa hanya bercanda . .
(Field note I)

… when the teacher sat in her chair and was busy with her own activity
without paying attention to what the students were doing. When the
students had difficulties, the students who sat in the front row could ask
the teacher easily, but those who sat in the back rows feel lazy to move
forward, so they just made jokes with their friends…
(Field note I)

Some students especially those who sit in the middle to the back row often

complain about this problem. When they have to ask questions they have to shout.

As a result, the students become lazy to ask questions and the class becomes

noisy. Here is the data:

R : Kalau mengajar gurunya berjalan-jalan tidak?

L : Jarang, sukanya duduk di kursi terus.
R : Terus, kalau pengen tanya gimana?
L : Ya ke depan, tapi suka males.
(Interview VIII)

R: Does the teacher walk around the classroom when she is teaching?
L: She rarely does it. She just sits in her chair all the time.
R: So, how if you want to ask questions?
L: I move forward, but sometimes I feel lazy.
(Interview VIII)

Another student stated:

R : Kenapa di kelas suka ribut?

G: Gurunya nggak enak, kalau ngajar duduk terus.
(InterviewVII)

R: Why do you often make some noises in the classroom?

A: The teacher is unpleasantly, she just sits in her chair when she is
 40

teaching.
(InterviewVII)

Colletti in Soekarwati (1995: 60) states that is a problem if there is a

teacher who cannot manage the class. This kind of problem will cause the

teaching and learning process become inefficient. The classroom becomes noisy

and the students were difficult to manage.

2) Lack of varieties

The data showed that the teacher does not use any varieties in the teaching

and learning process. The English teacher always used the same method in

teaching English. Here is the data from interviews with some students:

R: Waktu pelajaran suka ada permainan tidak?

S : Tidak
(Interview VII)

R: Are there games in the teaching and learning process?

S : No, there are not.
(Interview VII)

Another student stated that the teacher never assigned group work. The

students wanted group work in order that they could ask each other when they

found difficulties. Here is the data:

R : Waktu belajar di kelas duduknya suka berkelompok tidak ?

L : Tidak, berbaris.
(Interview VIII)

R: Do you sit in a group when you are studying in the classroom?

L: No, sit in line.
(Interview VIII)

Another student reported:

R: Kalau belajar Bahasa Inggris senangnya bagaimana?

T: Berkelompok.
 41

R: Kenapa?
T: Aku kan bisa tanya sama teman.
(Interview VIII)

R: What do you like when studying English?

T: In a group.
R: Why?
T: I can ask some questions to my friends.
(Interview VIII)

Another student said that the English teaching and learning process

conducted in the classroom all the time. It made them felt bored with the activities

in the classroom. They wanted outdoor activities. Here is the data:

R : Pernah belajar bahasa Inggris di luar kelas?

G : Belum.
R : Pingin tidak?
G : Pingin.
R : Belajar di kelas terus bosan tidak?
G : Bosan, sumpek.
R : Mau belajar di luar kelas tidak?
G : Mau, aku bisa belajar sambil main.
(Interview VII)

R: Have you learnt English outside of the classroom?

G: Not yet.
R: Do you want it?
G: Yes, I want.
R: Have you ever felt bored study in the classroom all the time?
G: Bored and stifled.
R: Do you want to study outside of the classroom?
G: Yes, because I can learn while playing.
(Interview VII)

The situation above is in contrast with Ytreberg’s principle “variety in the

classroom” in teaching English to children (Scoot and Ytreberg, 1994: 5). This

principal is necessary in order that the students would not get bored in learning

English. The teacher should create interesting activities for the children in the

classroom. The teaching without any variety of activities makes the students not
 42

serious in learning.

3) Lack of media

The data analysis showed that the English teacher rarely uses the media in

the English teaching and learning process. From the interview with the students, it

was revealed that the teacher rarely uses the media. The data is:

R : Guru kalau mengajar suka menggunakan gambar ?

G : Nggak
R:Terus kalau guru menggunakan gambar bagaimana?
G : Suka, kan lebih asik dan gampang mengerti.
(Interview VII)

R: Does the teacher use pictures in the teaching process?

G: No.
R: So, how if the teacher uses pictures?
G: I like it, more interesting and easily to understand.
(Interview VIII)

The data above showed that the use of media could affect the students to

understand the materials. Kemp in Burden and Bird (1999: 13) states that the

instruction can be more interesting if there are media in the teaching and learning

process.

The students also said that the teacher never used the picture and tape in

the English teaching and learning process. There is the data:

R : Guru pernah menggunakan tape?

N : Belum.
R: Gambar, pernah?
N : Jarang banget.
(Interview VIII)

R: Has the teacher ever used the tape?

N: Not yet.
R: How about the pictures?
N: Rarely.
(Interview VIII)
 43

The observation showed that the teacher does not used the media in the

teaching process. Here is the data:

. . . saat menerangkan materi guru hanya berkata-kata saja tanpa

diperjelas menggunakan media atau menuliskannya di papan tulis.
(Field note IV)

... when explaining the materials, the teacher just talk without making
them clear using the media or writing them in the whiteboard.
(Field note IV)

From the data above, it was revealed that in explaining the materials the

teacher did not used media. In fact, the students easily understand the materials if

the teacher use media.

When it was confirmed to the English teacher, she said that she did not use

media because the use of media in the teaching and learning process depend on

the situation and condition. Here is the data:

R: Apakah media digunakan saat mengajar?

G: Iya, sesekali.
R: Media apa yang pernah ibu gunakan saat mengajar?
G: Selama ini kami menyesuaikan situasi dan kondisi, kami pernah
menggunakan gambar, permainan, sedangkan kaset tidak pernah
karena waktunya sangat terbatas sekali
(Interview III)

R: Are the media used in the teaching and learning process?

G: Yes, occasionally.
R: What are kinds of media you have ever used in the teaching and
learning process?
G: All this time, we accommodated to the situation and condition, we ever
used pictures, games, but we never used cassettes because the time was
limited.
(Interview III)

The condition above is in contrast with the Hudelson’s view (1994:256)

stating that children in the primary or elementary school were usually in concrete

operational stage of cognitive development. It was still hard for them to

 44

understand abstract things. So, it is believed that the uses of media seem more

appropriate for children.

4) The teacher’s English

The teacher’s English in the English class is become a problem. First of

all, she spoke English at the beginning and at the end of the lesson. Some students

reported that the teacher did not use English all the time and even in some

meetings she never used English.

The students also stated that when the teacher used English in the teaching

process they often did not understand what the teacher said. Besides, the teacher

rarely translated the English words that she used in the class. Here is the data:

R : Kalau mengajar gurunya pakai bahasa Inggris tidak?

A : Kadang-kadang.
R : Kalau pakai bahasa Inggris ngerti nggak?
A : Nggak, soalnya nggak diartiin.
(Interview III)

R: Does the teacher use English when she is teaching?

A: Sometimes.
R: Did you understand when she was using English?
A: No, because she did not translate it.
(Interview VII)

Another student stated:

R : Kalau mengajar di kelas gurunya suka menggunakan bahasa Inggris?

A : Jarang.
R : kalau memakai bahasa Inggris mengerti tidak?
A : ada yang ngerti ada yang tidak.
R : Kenapa ?
A : Soalnya jarang diartiin sih.
(Interview VIII)
 45

R: Does the teacher use English when she is teaching?

B: Sometimes.
R: Do you understand when she is using English?
A: Sometimes I understand, but sometimes I don’t.
R: Why?
A: Because she rarely translates it.
(Interview VIII)

When it was confirmed to the English teacher, she said that she rarely used

English in the teaching process because if she spoke in English the students did

not understand what she said. This is the data:

. . . kalau saya mengajar pakai bahasa Inggris anak-anak sering nggak

mengerti. Jadi saya sering menggunakan bahasa Indonesia.
(Interview IV)

. . . if I teach used English the students do not understand. So I often used

Indonesian.
(Interview IV)

The condition above is contrast with the Stern’s view (1983: 474) that in

the teaching process the teacher should have the teaching strategy. So, it is better

for the English teacher to translated the words if they were speaks in English. It

made the students understand what they said easily.

b. The learners’ socioeconomic background

The data showed that most of the students did not get much attention from

their parents. From an interview with the students, it was revealed that most of

them did not get much attention from their parents. For example, their parents did

not remind them to do their homework or study at home. Here is the data:

R : Tadi kenapa kamu kok nggak ngerjain PR?

M: Aku lupa.
R: Llupa?
Apa nggak diingatin sama orang tua?
M: Nggak.
(Interview VIII)
 46

R: Why did you miss your homework?

M: I forgot.
R: Did you forget?
Didn’t your parents remind you to do your homework?
M: No.
(Interview VIII)

Another student stated that:

R : Suka belajar bahasa Inggris?

T : Suka.
R : Bahasa Inggris sulit tidak?
T : Agak.
R : Kenapa ?
T : Karena masih ada yang belum tahu.
R : Di rumah nggak dipelajari?
T : Enggak.
R : Kenapa enggak?
Kamu kan bisa minta bantuan sama bapak/ibu atau ikut les.
T : Bapak nggak bisa, kalau ikut les mahal.
(Interview VIII)

R: Do you like studying English?

T: Yes, I do.
R: Is English difficult?
T: It is rather difficult.
R: Why?
T: Because there are many things I still do not know.
R: Do you study it at home?
T: No, I don’t.
R: Why not?
You can ask some helps from your father/mother or join an English
course.
T: My father cannot help me, and it is expensive if I join a course.
(Interview VIII)
Similarly, when their children wanted to join an English course, they did not

permit them. Their reason was that they had no much money. The students

themselves said that the cost of the course was high. There is the data:

R : Mau ikut kursus nggak?

Y & M : Belum.
R : Kenapa?
Y : Masih kecil.
 47

M : Bayarnya mahal, bapak nggak punya uang.

R : Pekerjaan bapakmu apa? ?
M : Buruh.
(Interview VI)

R: Do you want to join an English course?

Y & M: Not yet.
R: Why?
Y: Because I am still young.
M: It is expensive, my father do not have money
R: What is your father’s job?
M: A labourer.
(Interview VI)

Another student reported:

R : Kamu ikut kursus bahasa Inggris nggak?

A : Enggak.
R : Pernah minta untuk ikut kursus?
A : Pernah.
R : Tanggapan orangtuamu bagaimana?
A : Tidak boleh, tapi pingin ikut les soalnya nilai bahasa Inggrisku jelek
terus.
R : Kenapa?
A : Tidak ada uang.
R : Pekerjaan bapakmu apa?
A : Tani
(Interview VI)

R: Do you join an English course.

A: No.
R: Have you ever asked to join courses?
A: Yes, I have.
R: What did their response?
A: They did not permit, but I want to join an English course because I
often got bad mark in English.
R: Why?
A: There is no money.
R: What is your father’s job?
A: A farmer.
(Interview VI)

The data analysis showed that the socioeconomic background could affect

parents’ support. Hetzer in Gerungan (1988: 14) writes that the students from the
 48

high socioeconomic background are better in their learning achievement. In fact,

most students from high socioeconomic background tended to get good

achievement than most of those from low socioeconomic background. The data

analysis showed that one of the causes of these differences was that the students

from low socioeconomic background got limited supporting things in learning

English from their parents.

3. Constraints Concerning the Materials

a. Constraints concerning the materials faced by the teacher

In the English teaching and learning process the teacher and students used

the text book as the only source of materials, (field note I, II, III). According to

the English teacher, although the materials in the books were very simple the

students cannot do the exercises. Sometimes she chooses the material that the

students can easily understand, but the students did not want it. Here is the data:

. . . anak sering kali mengeluh, saya terangkan pada anak dengan sabar
untuk materi tertentu supaya jelas, yang jadi kendala itu saya pilihkan
seringkali mereka nggak mau.
(Interview III)

… the students often complain. I explain certain material patiently to make

it clear. The obstacle is the students sometimes do not want to study the
material I have chosen. (Interview III)
From the data above, it seems that the teacher found the difficulty in

choosing the appropriate materials. She only uses the textbook as the resource of

the materials. Colletti in Soekarwati (1995: 60) states that it is a problem if the

teachers may lack on mastering the material. It means that the teachers only use

the material from the textbook. Without mastering the materials, the teachers will
 49

not make the students interested in the materials.

Besides, the teacher reported that she found difficulties to explain the

lesson to the students who were difficult to understand the lesson well. Here is the

data:

R: Materi apa yang sulit diajarkan pada anak-anak?

G: Untuk anak SD kan baru tahap pengenalan, dalam arti kami mencoba
menyampaikan materi sesuai dengan kemampuan anak-anak, untuk itu
tiap anak kecil misalnya Time kami menjelaskannya begitu susah,
anak juga susah dalam menerima materinya. Sehingga untuk bisa pas
sesuai dengan yang diharapkan anak itu sulit.
R: Mengenai strukturnya bagaimana?
G: Struktur untuk anak SD memang belum begitu penting, jadi kami
hanya memberikan yang dasar-dasar saja. Untuk sementara mulai
kelas V, namun belum mulai pokok, memang sarannya untuk anak SD
malah disarankan tidak usah struktur, tapi dalam buku paket ada,
(Interview III)

R: What materials are difficult to be taught to the students?

G: The English of the students of elementary school is still in the
introduction level. It means that we try to deliver the materials
according to the ability of the students. For example, we have
difficulties in delivering the material of “Time.” The students are also
difficult to understand, so it is difficult to reach the expected result.
R: How about the structures?
G: The structures for elementary schools students are not very important,
so we just give the basics. Structures begin to be learned at the fifth
grade, but they are not principal. It is suggested that elementary
schools students do not need to learn structures, but there are structures
in the textbook, so I explain them in a simple.
(Interview III)

b. Constraints concerning the materials faced by the students

The data analysis showed that there are two sources of constraints

concerning the materials. There were the spelling and the examination.

1) Spelling

Some students reported that they have difficulties in memorizing,

 50

pronouncing, and writing words. According to them, one of the causes was that

the spelling of English was different from Indonesian. In English, most word are

pronounced and spelled differently. It made students confused. As a result, when

they wrote they often misspelled words. Here is the data:

R : Fatonah suka belajar bahasa Inggris tidak?

F : Suka, tapi agak sulit.
R : Kesulitannya apa?
F : Membaca?
R : Kenapa?
F : Soalnya tulisan ma bacaannya beda.
(Interview VI)

R: Fatonah, do you like studying English?

F: Yes, I do, but it is rather difficult.
R: What are the difficulties?
F: Reading.
R: Why?
F: Because the ways we write and read are different.
(Interview VI)

Another student stated:

R : Waktu ada tugas tadi bisa nggak?

N : Nggak bisa.
R : Nggak bisanya di mana ?
N : Sulit.
R : sulitnya di mana ?
N : Membaca, tulisan ma bacaannya beda.
(Interview VII)

R: Could you do the assignment?

N: No, I couldn’t.
R: What did part you cannot do?
N: It was difficult.
R: What was the difficulty?
N: Reading, because the ways of write and read are different.
(Interview VII)

When it was confirmed to the class teacher, he said that in learning

English the students often complained about spelling and pronouncing. Here is the
 51

data:

R : Saat mengajar siswa tertarik pada kegiatan apa?

G : Kegiatan membaca.
R : Apakah anak-anak mudah mengerti pelajarannya?
G : Pertama sulit, apalagi saat mengucapkannya.
(Interview II)

R: In the teaching and learning process, what activity makes the students
interested?
G: Reading activity.
R: Do the students understand the lesson?
G: It is difficult at the first time, especially when they pronounce it.
(Interview II)

On spelling problem Betts and Howel (1984: 212) said that sometimes

errors which are called spelling errors are really problems in word choice. The

students confused with the meaning of the words and the correct form. They often

do misspelling in writing. It is possible that children’s errors in English spelling

arose from these sources. Some are due to defects within the children, some to the

difficulties inherent in English words, and some to the appropriate methods in

teaching. In relation to the method, the teacher should pay attention to the suitable

methods with the characteristics of the students.

2) Test

A test is a method of measuring a person’s ability or knowledge in a give

domain (Brown, 2000: 304). Test here means the kind of technique to measure the

students’ achievement, to know the students’ understanding about the materials

given, and to know the student’s progress.

From the data analysis most of the students complain about their

difficulties in doing the examination, which is developed by the teacher. The data

showed that there was a discrepancy between the examination and the materials
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given. Some of the materials had not been taught yet which made it difficult for

the students to answer. Here is the data:

R: Tadi ulangannya bisa tidak?

A: Ada yang bisa ada yang tidak.
R: Kok nggak bisa kenapa?
A: Itu, kalau ada soal yang belum diajarkan.
(Interview VIII)

R: Could you do the exercises?

A: I could do some parts of the examination.
R: Why couldn’t you do the other parts?
A: There were some questions which had not been taught before.

Another student stated:

R: Waktu ulangan susah tidak?

T: Agak susah.
R: Susahnya di mana?
T: Kalau ada materi yang belum di ajarkan.
(Interview VIII)

R: Is the exam difficult?

T: Little bit.
R: Where is the difficulty?
T: There were some materials which had not been taught before.
(Interview VIII)

When it was confirmed to the English teacher, she said that sometimes the

students cannot answer the questions in the examination if there were the

materials that had not been taught yet. Here is the data:

...
R: Selain itu ada lagi nggak kesulitannya?
G: Itu, kalau pas tes anak-anak kadang nggak bisa jawab soalnya.
R: Kenapa?
G: Kadang materi yang belum diajarkan juga saya masukkan di dalam
tes. Harusnya materi itu sudah saya ajarkan, tapi karena waktunaya
nggak cukup ya nggak saya ajarkan.
R: Trus habis itu sama sekali nggak diajarkan?
G: Biasanya saya ajarkan kalau habis tes, sekalian sama mencocokkan
 53

jawaban siswa.
(Interview III)

R: Is there other difficulties?

G: Sometimes the students cannot answer the questions in the
examination.
R: Why?
G: Sometimes there were the materials which had not been taught before
in the examination. I should have been thought it but the time is not
enough to do it.
R: It’s never been thought, isn’t it?
G: Usually I give the materials after the examination while checking the
students’ examination.
(Interview III)

4. Constraints Concerning the Time and Space

The lack of time is one of constraint in the teaching and learning process at

SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto. It often happens because of lack of awareness of it

and disregard for it. From the observation it was found that there were differences

in the time allocation in the English lesson. The range was from 35 minutes up to

70 minutes, 70 minutes are not enough to finished one topic if there is no proper

balance between time and activities. (Field note I, II, III, IV, V, VI).

The time allocation for English had to have tolerances to the other lesson.

Sometimes the time of the English lesson was used for the other lessons which

were perceived more important such as Science and Mathematics. It often

happens because English is not tested in the National Examination. The English

teacher said:

. . . bahasa Inggris di SD merupakan pelajaran yang sifatnya minor,

sehingga kami menyadari dengan betul kalau ada benturan dengan
pelajaran lain, sering kali bahasa Inggris dikalahkan . . .
(Interview III)
 54

… English in the elementary schools is a minority lesson, so we really

realize that when there is a crash with another lesson, English sometimes is
ignored…
(Interview III)

In another interview, the English teacher said that in the limited time she

could not make variations in teaching such as group work. Here is the data:

. . . untuk dibuat berkelompok tidak mungkin karena kelasnya penuh dan

waktunya hanya habis untuk ramai . . .
(Interview III)

… it is impossible to make the students in some groups, because the class

is full and the time will be spent to make some noise…
(Interview III)

Concerning time constraints, Kauchack, Eggen, and Jacobson (1989: 66)

state that the lack of time can be the constraint in the teaching and learning

process. It often happens because the teacher and the students have the lack of

awareness to the time. They do not use the time optimally.

Similarly, the teacher also pointed out that the students could not

concentrate on learning when the English lesson was at the end of the school or in

the afternoon. Here is the data:

R: Bagaimana perbedaan respon siswa saat mengajar di pagi dan siang

hari?
G: Perbedaannya sangat mencolok, kalau pagi anak masih segar
potensial, tapi kalau siang anak sudah merasa lelah sehingga
perhatiannya sudah berkurang.
(Interview III)

R: How is the difference of the students’ responses when you teach in the
morning and afternoon?
G: The difference is very conspicuous. In the morning, the students are
still fresh and potential, but in the afternoon, the students have felt
tired, so their attentions are lower.
(Interview III)

The students’ focus is not on the lesson. They are very tired and lost their
 55

attention. When it was confirmed to the students, they said that in the afternoon

they are tired and hungry, and it made them lost their attention. Here is the data:

R: Kenapa tadi di kelas ramai dan tidak memperhatikan guru?

S: Kalau siang gini aku dah capek ma laper.
(Interview VII)

R: Why do you often make some noises in the classroom and do not pay
attention to the teacher?
S : In the afternoon, I am tired and hungry.
(Interview VII)

In relation to classroom environment, the classroom was untidy and dirty.

It was uncomfortable for the teaching and learning process (field note I). The

space of the classroom was not conducive for playing a game and there was no

space to modify the seating arrangement because the desks and chairs were

difficult to move (Field note I, II, III).

Kauchack, Eggen, and Jacobson (1989: 155) said that the room, which is

not arranged well, can disrupt both management and achievement. The classroom

that is not conducive for learning causes the teaching and learning process

inefficient.