FOSTERING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS DESCRIPTIVE TEXT THROUGH INFORMATION GAP: A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

Abstract

This classroom action research examined the use of information-gap activities to improve seventh-grade students’ speaking skills in descriptive-text tasks. The study involved 38 students of Class VII B at SMP Negeri 1 Lembang and was conducted in two cycles comprising planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data were collected through speaking tests, teacher and student observation sheets, and questionnaires, and were analyzed descriptively using quantitative and qualitative procedures. The findings showed a steady increase in students’ mean speaking scores, from 62.34 in the pre-cycle to 69.90 in Cycle I and 79.93 in Cycle II. The overall improvement from the pre-cycle to Cycle II was 17.59 points, and the Cycle II mean exceeded the minimum mastery criterion of 75. Classroom implementation also improved, as reflected in the Cycle II teacher-observation score of 91.25%, categorized as very good. Student engagement reached 88.75% in Cycle II, also categorized as very good. Questionnaire responses further indicated more positive student perceptions of the information-gap activities. These findings suggest that information-gap activities can support students’ speaking development by increasing opportunities for interaction, participation, and confidence in using English. The study recommends careful classroom management and varied information-gap tasks to sustain student engagement.