THE INTENSITY OF USING INSTAGRAM FOR LEARNING WRITING IN INFORMAL SETTING FOR DKV MAJORING ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT SMK NEGERI 4 PADANG

Abstrak

INTRODUCTION One of the developments in technology and information that is very familiar in today's life is social media. Social media are a technological information and communication tool used by everyone worldwide. The recent development of social media brings new opportunities not only for communication and entertainment of human activities but also for sharing knowledge and learning, especially for students [1]. They use social media to share information, discuss themes or concepts, and cooperate on homework assignments. Due to social media facilities, knowledge can develop rapidly in education. Therefore, social media seems to be the preferred learning method. The availability of social media encourages independent learning and change from traditional teacher-focused learning to student-centered learning. For now, the use of social media is very popular with young people until old people, especially for Gen Z. Gen Z is the Digital generation or net generation born in the range of 1995-2009 [2]. Alfath (2018) said that Gen Z was born between 1995 and 2012 [3]. They had another set of requirements, such as being born as digital natives, typically at a high education level, having a culture of using social media, and having the same attitudes as Gen Z students. They are also called the Digital generation because they are always connected to the digital world to spend time in a digital environment [4]. The use of social media is a must for them right now [5]. They will never be separated from social media. This creates a special fear for Gen Z that they will miss the development of social media. As stated by Rideout & Robb (2018) in out of school contexts, social media has surpassed texting and face-to-face interactions as the most popular form of communication among Gen Z, 70% of Gen Z reported using social media multiple times per day as their most preferred form of communication, apart from texting and face-to-face interactions [6]. This fear has become a syndrome called FOMO, or fear of missing out. According to Przybylski, A. et al FoMo has a very dominant characteristic in the form of a very big desire to always be connected with other people through the digital world in order to know all the activities that take place [7]. In general, Gen Z uses social media facilities to play games, express themselves through movement, follow trends, and even only use them to chat about unnecessary topics. Positively, Gen Z can also learn English through social media [8]. The facilities they use are not just for fun, but can also be used for learning. As we know, English is the most widely used international language to communicate with many people around the world. So far, social media has been widely used in learning English, which can provide many opportunities for students to develop their abilities such as writing, speaking, reading, etc. Based on the results of research by Erzad & Suciati (2018), students' ability to learn English can be improved with social media such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, etc., because they are considered attractive, easy to use, very simple and practical [8]. The phenomenon of using social media in a formal context is expected in the learning process. Students can use Youtube and Tik Tok as video media to practice speaking and listening skills. They saw several videos via Youtube as a learning reference and used TikTok media to practice speaking by imitating. We can conclude that using social media in the formal setting is crucial to using learning media networking because it can improve EFL learners' oral and aural skills. Besides in a formal context, social media can also be used in informal learning for students. According to Bagdonaitest & Zydziunaite (2016), informal learning is defined as "self-directed learning rather than curriculum-based learning. It refers to self-study that takes place outside of the classroom. Students can study independently to increase vocabulary and practice writing skills through social media such as Instagram [10]. Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone. Independent learning using Instagram does not have a time limit while learning in class has a time limit. According to Zarei (2020), Instagram is used by 21st-century learners to improve their learning productivity [11]. Students can learn through Instagram with various activities that can expand their information. Through Instagram, students can practice 4 skills in English at once. Instagram can be used for a variety of purposes. If any students can make a new post on Instagram for a day, it would be beneficial to their language development if they wrote their post in English. The use of technology in English language teaching (ELT) is of great importance these days, and students can use informal learning strategies to access social media, such as watching movies and other audiovisual resources in informal EFL [12]. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms [13]. It allows users to instantly capture and share life moments with their friends through a series of photos and videos. Using Instagram to develop skills in informal learning can accomplish a lot. Students with writing skills can write text into the "caption" section and provide feedback in the comments column before sharing their photographs or videos. Because by writing skill, someone can express her ideas, imagination, thoughts, feeling and even her experiences into written form [14]. For students, it will be more enjoyable than writing papers. This tool allows students to share their thoughts and opinions on various issues. Teachers can consider Instagram useful educational material because of its qualities [15]. Its popularity among the younger generation and its ability to share photographs can assist students in developing their writing skills in informal settings. Based on the explanation above, using social media has provided opportunities for students to learn writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Basically, social media can be divided into two categories that are video based and text-based. In this study, the researcher focuses on Instagram as a social media platform based on video and text. The researcher would like to see the intensity of using Instagram for English learning incidentally by secondary school students as Gen Z in an informal context. There are two previous studies that examined the intensity of using instagram for learning writing in informal setting. Erarslan (2019) found that Instagram is the most frequently used social media platform among the participants, and they favor using it for educational and language learning purposes. Additionally, it was found that Instagram positively impacted students’ language learning based on the achievement scores. [16]. Another study was done by Bin-Hady dan Al-Tamimi (2021) who found that accessing media was found to have the highest level of usage [11]. Based on the explanation above, the researcher decided to research the intensity of using Instagram for learning writing in informal setting for DKV majoring eleventh grade students at SMK Negeri 4 Padang . METHOD The research belongs to descriptive research, and it is designed to describe the current situations r status of the research subject. The sample of this research was majoring DKV A and B eleventh grade students at SMKN 4 Padang consisting of 52 students. Questionnaire was used as the instrument and to determine the validity of the research, the researcher used content validity. Test reliability was found by used Alpha –Cronbach using SPSS program version 24 for windows and the reliability of questionnaire was 0.873 (very high reliability) which means that the questionnaire was reliable. To collect the data, the researcher administered the questionnaire by using a google form application in 20 minutes. The researcher asked the students to respond to the questionnaire. Next, the researcher counted the raw score of each student. Then, the researcher categorized the students who had often, sometimes and rarely according to the criteria used by Azwar. Finally, the researcher calculated the percentage of the students. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS The researcher found that 8 students (15.4%) classified as often using Instagram for learning writing in informal setting, 38 students’ (73.1%) classified as sometimes to use Instagram for learning writing in informal setting and 6 students (11.4%) classified as rarely to use Instagram for learning writing in informal setting as shown in Diagram 1. On the other hand, based on the previous study which was conducted by Erarslan (2019) found that Instagram is the most frequently used social media platform among the participants, and they favor using it for educational and language learning purposes. Additionally, it was found that Instagram positively impacted students’ language learning based on the achievement scores. Thus, it is concluded that Instagram can be used to enhance the learning of English supplementary to formal teaching by exposing the students to language while using this platform as part of their everyday practices. More specific findings as the answers to research questions are presented below. 1. The Intensity of Using Instagram to Organize Idea in Writing for Informal Learning After the researcher analyzed the student answers, the researcher found that there are many students classified as sometimes to use Instagram to organize idea in writing for informal learning. It was supported by the fact that there were 12 students (23.07%) are categorized as often to use Instagram to organize idea in learning writing for informal learning, 34 students’ (63.4%) classified as sometimes to use Instagram to organize idea in writing for informal learning and 6 students’ (11,53%) classified as rarely to use Instagram to organize idea in writing for informal learning. This statement is proven based on the data as shown in Table 1. Table 1 Intensity of Using Instagram to Organize Idea in Writing for Informal Learning Categories Classification Number of Students Percentage Often > 13.54 12 23.07% Sometimes 9.1 - 13.54 34 63.40% Rarely < 9.1 6 11.53% Total 52 100% 2. The Intensity of Using Appropriate Vocabulary in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning After the researcher analyzed the student answers, the researcher found that there are many students classified as sometimes to using appropriate vocabulary in writing on Instagram for informal learning. It was supported by the fact that 10 students (19.23%) classified as often using vocabulary in writing on Instagram for informal learning, 36 students’ (69.23%) classified as sometimes using vocabulary in writing on Instagram for informal learning, and 6 students (11,53%) classified as rarely to use vocabulary in writing on Instagram for informal learning. This statement is proven based on the data as shown in Table 2. Table 2 Intensity of Using Appropriate Vocabulary in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning Categories Classification Number of Students Percentage Often > 13 10 19.23% Sometimes 8 until 13 36 69.23% Rarely < 8 6 11.53% Total 52 100% 3. The Intensity of Applying Grammar in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning After the researcher analyzed the student answers, the researcher found that there are many students classified as sometimes to applying gramma in writing on Instagram for informal learning. It was supported by the fact that 7 students (13.4%) classified as often applying grammar in writing on Instagram for informal learning, 38 students’ (73.1%) classified as sometimes applying grammar in writing on Instagram for informal learning, and 7 students (13.4%) classified as rarely to apply grammar in writing on Instagram for informal learning. This statement is proven based on the data as shown in Table 3. Table 3 Intensity of Applying Grammar in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning Categories Classification Number of Students Percentage Often > 13.1 7 13.4% Sometimes 8.7 until 13.1 38 73.1% Rarely < 8.7 7 13.4% Total 52 100% 4. The Intensity of Using Mechanics in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning After the researcher analyzed the student answers, the researcher found that there are many students classified as sometimes to using mechanics in writing on Instagram for informal learning. It was supported by the fact that 12 students (23%) classified as often using mechanics in writing on Instagram for informal learning, 27 students’ (52%) classified as sometimes using mechanics in writing on Instagram for informal learning, and 13 students (25%) classified as rarely to use mechanics in writing on Instagram for informal learning. This statement is proven based on the data as shown in Table 4. Table 4 Intensity of Using Mechanics in Writing on Instagram for Informal Learning Categories Classification Number of Students Percentage Often > 13.54 12 23% Sometimes 9.1 - 13.54 27 52% Rarely < 9.1 13 25% Total 52 100% CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Based on the findings, the majoring DKV eleventh-grade students at SMKN 4 Padang have sometimes used Instagram for learning writing in informal setting. It can be seen from the result of the finding that 38 students (73.1%) had an occasional intensity of using Instagram for learning writing in informal setting. The English teachers are suggested to revisit the importance of integrating technology tools and digital resources in teaching practice, especially the use of social media Instagram. The results can also guide curriculum design to supplement textbook material by integrating technology-based informal learning strategies. The English teachers are expected to revisit the importance of integrating technology tools and digital resources in teaching practice, especially the use of social media Instagram. The results can also guide curriculum design to supplement textbook material by integrating technology-based informal learning strategies. The future researcher should explore more impact of Instagram on specific English skills and how to minimize potential challenges arising from using Instagram for learning writing in informal settings. Last but not least, the students who are social media users are more considered and wise to use Instagram not only for their pleasure but also for learning. Keywords: Social media, learning writing, Instagram, informal learning.