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SOME CONSTRAINTS
IN THE ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS
AT SD MUHAMMADIYAH GIRIKERTO

THESIS
Presented as a Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
for the Attainment of the Sarjana Degree
in English Language Education

By:
Saptin Ambarwati
04202244017

DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
YOGYAKARTA STATE UNIVERSITY
2009
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

The program of English teaching and learning at elementary school is

categorized as a local content subject, it can be taught based on the demand of the

concerned local society and the availability of the teacher. As stated in the

Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan & Silabus Mata Pelajaran SD/MI

(Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan DIY, 2006: 570-572), every

elementary school may add other subjects as the local content by concerning the

condition, the characteristics and the needs of the society.

The English teaching and learning process in elementary school has been

conducted as an introductory process. In this process, the teaching and learning

components should be considered well, since the lack of some factors in

supporting this process will influence the whole teaching and learning process.

The lack in any factors, even if one factor, may cause a constraint in the English

teaching and learning process.

Like what is done in some elementary schools in Indonesia, English is also

taught in SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto as a local content subject. It has been

taught there since 2004, but the English teaching and learning process does not

work optimally. According to the English teacher, the students’ English learning

achievement is not satisfying. Although numerous efforts have been conducted to

improve the students’ English learning achievement but those are unsuccessful.

Constraints in implementing the program of the teaching English as a

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foreign language at elementary school are natural things. However, in the

implementation of the program, constraints in the English teaching and learning

process should be known and solved because they do not only influence the

students’ learning achievement but it also influence the teacher’s work in

managing the teaching and learning process.

Based on the explanation above, this study tries to find and describe the

constraints of the English teaching and learning process at elementary school,

especially at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto. The result of the study can be used as

an input in determining the appropriate actions to improve the English teaching

and learning process.

B. Identification of the Study

The teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in elementary

school is a complex process and involves many components. Therefore, it is

possible that there are many constraints in the teaching and learning process that

influence the students’ learning achievement and the teachers’ performance in

managing the teaching and learning process.

Constraints in the English teaching and learning process may be found in

some of the teaching and learning process components. Components that might be

the sources of constraints are students, teachers, materials, methods, media, time

and space, and supporting services.

The first constraint relates to the students. The teaching and learning

process is attended by students who have different attitudes, behaviors,

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motivation, learning habits, intelligence, interest, and maturity. These differences

arise from their different background, biological, psychological, and intellectual

conditions. Individual differences among students may create constraints in the

teaching and learning process, especially for the teacher.

The second constraint relates to the teacher. The teacher is a key factor for

the success of the teaching and learning process. The teacher is a person who

plans, implements, and evaluates the students’ learning activities. He or she has

the responsibility to create a good learning condition in order to achieve the

instructional goal. The teacher plays many roles. He or she acts as an analyst,

guide, facilitator, motivator, manager, controller, assessor, organizer, prompter,

participant, etc. These roles depend on the teachers’ availability, attitude,

behavior, and motivation. Meanwhile, the teachers’ competencies are varied

because they have different backgrounds, personalities, and experiences.

The third constraint relates to the materials. The role of materials in the

teaching and learning process is as the medium to achieve the goal. If the material

does not fulfill its function, the goal may not be achieved optimally. In this case,

the material may be uninteresting or too difficult for the students. It can be caused

by some factors. First, in choosing the material the teacher does not consider other

components such as the goal, learners’ characteristics and needs, the learners’

environment and the language development. Second, the teacher’s ability to find a

good instructional material. In other words, the instructional materials may

become sources of constraints.

The methodology of the teaching and learning process may become the
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next source of constraint. In the teaching and learning process there are

interactions between teachers and students, and among students. These

interactions are designed to achieve the instructional goals with the instructional

material as the medium. Sometimes, something that happen in the classroom are

out of the teacher’s expectation. For example, the classroom is noisy and learners’

participation in the instructional interactions is not optimal. It is because the

chosen method for the teaching and learning process is inappropriate. In this case,

constraints come from the use of the instructional method.

The fifth constraint deals with the media. The use of media intends to

support the achievement of the instructional objective. The use of media often

makes the materials delivery more effective. Teachers are often use and create the

media to support the English teaching and learning process. The use of media may

become the source of instructional constraints.

The sixth kind of constraint may be related to the time and space. To

achieve the instructional goal, there is a time limit. The teacher needs to organize

it well. The length and the frequency of classes, therefore, may become sources of

constraint. It is because if there is no balance between the length and the

frequency of classes the effective teaching is difficult to achieve.

The seventh constraint has something to do with the supporting services.

Supporting services consist of everything in the school that takes role, directly or

indirectly, to the instructional process in the classroom. The places that are not

conducive such as the small size of the class and the dirty class may become

sources of constraints, it might cause the teaching and learning processes to be

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unsuccessful. In teaching and learning process, the teacher also needs equipments,

for examples OHP, LCD, computer, etc. Sometimes the teacher cannot obtain

these equipments. Simple matters such as the dirty class, broken furniture, or the

unavailability of supporting services might cause the teaching and learning

processes to be unsuccessful. The unavailability and the poor quality of

supporting services may become sources of constraints.

C. Limitation of the Problem

There are many constraints affecting the English teaching and learning

process. It is difficult for the researcher to find out all constraints of the English

teaching and learning process as described above. This is caused by the limited

time, ability, and knowledge of the researcher. This research will focus on the

constraints faced by the teacher and the students, and concern to the materials,

time and space in the English teaching and learning process.

There are some reasons for choosing the constraints relate to the teacher,

students, materials, time and space. First, the teachers’ and students’ behaviors are

observable. Second, the teachers and students are components that mutually

interact. Third, the teachers and students are the instructional components that are

ready to change for a better performance. Forth, the materials, time and space are

components that are important to support the instructional process.

D. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the limitation of the problems above, the formulation of the

problem is “What are the constraints in the English teaching and learning process
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faced by the teacher and the students, concerning the materials, time and space at

SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto?”

E. Objectives of the Study

Based on the formulation of the problem, the objective of the study is to

find and describe the constraints faced by the teacher and the students, and

concern to the materials, time and space in the English teaching and learning

process at SD Muhammadiyah Girikerto.

F. Significance of the Study

The significances of this study are as follows:

1. For the English teacher, it is expected that this study will give resources of

reflection to improve their competence in teaching English.

2. For the headmaster, it is expected that this study will give information

about the constraints of English teaching and learning process at SD

Muhammadiyah Girikerto. So it can be used as considerations to improve

the English teaching and learning process.

3. For other researchers, it is expected that this study will inspire and

motivate them. So they can accomplish other similar research in other

places.