Pick the Idea, Organize, Write It Up (POW) & Topic, Reason, Explain, Ending (TREE) for Teaching Cohesive Devices in EFL Students

Abstract

The aim of this research isto explore how the way I use POW+TREE strategy to improve students' cohesive devices mastery. This research was conducted in one of junior high school in Surakarta at eighth grade students. Based on the preliminary study, I found that students had writing problems in mastering cohesive devices. I chose POW+TREE strategy to improve their writing problems in mastering cohesive devices. This study used Classroom Action Research (CAR) research design. The CAR activity involves of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The subjects of this study are 29 students in the eighth grade in academic year 2016/2017. The data were collected through writing test, observation, and field-notes.There was an improvement in the students' score from preliminary study and after the implementation of the strategy. The average score after implementation in cycle 2 was 83.24. As the result of observation sheet, it showed that the students' interest also increased that was proved by students' activeness in asking difficult words. The field notes showed that in the teaching and learning process, most of the students enjoyed in writing activity. Hence, it can be concluded that the implementation of POW+TREE strategy was successful for students' writing ability in mastering cohesive devices.Considering that the strategy had successfully improved the students' writing ability in mastering cohesive devices it is suggested for future researchers to conduct an experimental research related to this strategy for the same skill.Keywords: writing, cohesive devices, POW+TREE strategy, CAR INTRODUCTIONWriting is a basic skill which must be possessed by the students.This skill is needed in every teaching and learning process in English lesson. It is not only to express their imagination in the written language but also to develop students' creativity and motivation in writing.In writing activity, the writer must know how to communicate their ideas in order to make the readers understand what the writer haswritten (Rosmeri, 2014: 1). According to Graham & Perin (2007: 23), writing plays main roles in the school. "First, it is a skill that draws on sub-skills and processes. Second, writing is a means to extend and deepen students' knowledge" (Graham &Perin, 2007: 23). It means that the students have to master their writing by learning the writing process itself. By learning the writing process, students will understand deeply how to write a good writing product and increase their knowledge creativity.Based on the interview with the English teacher and three students in the preliminary study that conducted at September 26 th 2016, I found that students have difficulties in writing for a variety of reasons. First, the teacher did not use the certain technique in teaching and learning process. He always used the threephase technique, the traditional technique, to teach his students. He did not use the effective strategies to deliver the materials. The second problem is most of the students did not finish their homew...