THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE TOWARD BLENDED LEARNING TO LEARN ENGLISH AT SMK N 3 PAYAKUMUH

Abstrak

INTRODUCTION English is an important foreign language that is taught to junior and senior high school students. It plays a role in supporting the achievement of competence in the expertise program. Learning English in Vocational High School (SMK) is expected that students of SMK should master the language skills to support the achievement of competencies in the expertise program [1]. The outbreaking of COVID-19 in the world forced people to spend most of their time at home. It made the purpose of learning English in SMK could not achieved properly. The uncertainty of when the pandemic will end had forced teachers to use digital technology to teach and accomplish the learning objectives. This is the moment when blended learning becomes the solution to the problem. Teachers have been trying to mix online and offline learning in the teaching and learning process to cover the students’ need and to improve their language skills and the demand to pass the examination. During teaching practice (PLP) which had been carried out by the researcher in the previous semester on August until October 2021, the researcher observed that learning activities in SMK N 3 Payakumbuh were carried out using blended learning asynchronously. The implementation of blended learning is the Payakumbuh government’s response to the Instruction of the Minister of Domestic Affairs Number 37 of 2021. It states that the implementation of learning can be done through limited offline learning that is carried out by a maximum capacity of 50% (fifty percent) and/or distance learning. Blended learning is the combination of technology-based learning with face-to-face learning [2]. Blended learning is the integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning [3]. Based on the researcher’s observation during teaching practice, some problems come from the students and the teachers during the implementation of blended learning. The problem that comes from the students is that only some students had a computer. Besides that, it is difficult for them to access the internet. The next problem comes from the teachers. There are only a few teachers who are good at using technology. Although there are some problems in the implementation of blended learning, the teachers have to use it in the teaching-learning process. Behind each of these shortcomings, blended learning is less stressful and more effective compared to offline learning processes. It is supported by their result of research. They found that students who use blended learning courses have a positive perception of the process and content of blended learning [4]. In addition, Rachman et al (2021) find that blended learning could improve students’ language skills. They find that students think that blended learning has advantages of around 77% and weaknesses of around 23% [5]. By knowing a perspective, it will help to understand situations from other positions, considering other beliefs, experiences, and viewpoints. The perspective gives a better understanding and greater empathy. It also reduces bias, judgment, and conflict [6]. Furthermore, research on students’ perspectives toward blended learning is essential to ensure that high-quality learning is achieved [7]. Regarding the explanation above, the researcher was interested in conducting a research entitled “The Tenth Grade Students’ Perspective toward Blended Learning to Learn English at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh”. The main purpose of this research is to find out the tenth-grade students’ perspectives toward blended learning to learn English at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. METHOD This research belongs to descriptive research. The researcher described the students’ perspective toward blended learning. The population of this research is the tenth-grade students at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh who have learned English by using blended learning. The population in this research is 568 students. The researcher used purposive sampling technique. The number of sample is 68 students. Questionnaire was used as the instrument. The researcher used the questionnaire with the lecturer's judgment to make sure the content validity of the instrument. Test reliability was found by applying the Cronbach Alpha Formula. It was found that the reliability index of the questionnaire is 0.84 (highly reliable) which mean the questionnaire was reliable. To collect the data, the researcher followed these steps; the researcher instructed the students to do the questionnaire in 30 minutes. After that, the researcher checked the students’ response in questionnaires. While in analyzing the data, the researcher followed these steps; the researcher made the table of scores. Then the researcher classified the students’ perspective by using criteria based on Putra et al, (2021). Next the researcher counted the number of students who have positive perspective and who have negative perspective. After that the researcher calculated the percentage of students who have positive perspective and who have negative perspective and described the result of the data analysis and make the conclusions. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS The researcher found those 12 students (18%) who have a very positive, 33 students (49% who have positive perspective, 21 students (31%) who have negative perspective, and there are 2 students (3%) who have very negative perspective toward blended learning to learn English at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. To be clear, the finding is shown in Table 1 below; Table 1 The Percentage of the Student Perspective to learn English Criteria Number of Students Percentage Very positive 12 18% Positive 33 49% Negative 21 31% Very negative 2 3% Referring to the finding above, 49% of students have positive perspective toward blended learning to learn English at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. Although there are not more than half of students who have positive perspective, but the students’ perspective still dominates by the positive perspective. In line with the result of the first related study conducted by Ugur et al (2011) that the senior students from the Department of Information and Document Management, Hacettepe University have very positive opinion toward blended learning. It is proved by the mean score of the students’ opinion toward blended learning is 8.34 (on a scale of 1-10) that means the students have a highly positive opinion of the blended learning method [8]. 1. The Students’ Perspectives Regarding the Learning Motivation toward Blended Learning to Learn English After the researcher analyzed the students score, the researcher found that the students’ perspective toward blended learning to learn English is positive. It was supported by the fact that there are 8 students (12%) who have a very positive perspective, 35 students (51%) who have positive perspectives, there are 16 students (24%) who have negative, and there are 9 students (13%) students who have very negative perspectives regarding learning motivation toward blended learning at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. To be clear, see Table 2 below Table 2 The Percentage of the Students’ Perspective toward Blended Learning regarding Learning Motivation to Learn English No. Classification Number of Students Percentage 1. Very positive 8 12% 2. Positive 35 51% 3. Negative 16 24% 4. Very negative 9 13% 2. The Students’ Perspectives Regarding the Learning Process toward Blended Learning to Learn English After the researcher analyzed the students score, the researcher found that the students’ perspective toward blended learning to learn English is positive. It was supported by the fact that there are 23 students (34%) have very positive, 27 students (40%) have positive perspective, 15 students (22%) who have a negative perspective, and there are 3 students (4%) students who have very negative perspective regarding the learning process toward blended learning at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. To be clear, see Table 3 below: Table 3 The Percentage of the Students’ Perspective regarding Learning Process toward Blended Learning to Learn English No. Classification Number of Students Percentage 1. Very positive 23 34% 2. Positive 27 40% 3. Negative 15 22% 4. Very negative 3 4% 3. The Students’ Perspectives regarding the Content toward Blended Learning to Learn English After the researcher analyzed the students score, the researcher found that the students’ perspective toward blended learning to learn English is positive. It was supported by the fact that there are 12 students (18%) who have very positive, 36 students (53%) have positive perspectives, 17 students (25%) who have negative perspective, and there are 3 students (4%) who have very negative perspective regarding the content toward blended learning at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. To be clear, see Table 4 below: Table 4 The Percentage of the Students’ Perspective regarding the Content toward Blended Learning to Learn English No. Classification Number of Students Percentage 1. Very positive 12 18% 2. Positive 36 53% 3. Negative 17 25% 4. Very negative 3 4% Based on the table, the researcher found more than half of students have positive perspective and there is so small number of students who have very negative perspective. There are slightly different number of students between the very positive perspective and negative perspective. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Based on the finding, the students’ perspective toward blended learning to learn English is positive at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. It is proved by the data that 49% of students have positive perspective toward blended learning to learn English at SMK N 3 Payakumbuh. Related to the study, the researcher would like to give several suggestions. The teachers are suggested to use blended learning as a variation of learning process to teach English. The teacher also should develop their skills using technology to support the learning process at school. The students are suggested to learn English not only at school but also learn English at home by using online platform. For the future researchers, the researcher suggested to do further research on the implementation of blended learning at the higher grade. Keywords : Blended Learning, students perspective.