EFFORTS TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL USING VISUAL MEDIA IN XI IPS 1 CLASS AT SMA N 1 BANTUL IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2012/2013

The aim of this research was to improve the students’ writing skill of XI IPS 1 class at SMA N 1 Bantul. It used visual media such as picture cards, slide presentations, videos, and visual organizers to help the students learn English text types better. This research was action research. It consisted of three cycles. In each cycle, the researcher did some planning, actions, and reflections. The data were collected from questionnaires, classroom observations, interviews, field notes, and the students’ writing products. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This research performed the democratic validity, outcome validity, process validity, and dialogic validity. It also conducted the inter-rater reliability and triangulation. The findings showed that visual media were successful in improving the students’ writing skill in five aspects. Those are in the understanding of grammar, vocabulary mastery, writing mechanics, text type features, and lesson engagement. The average score of the students’ writing product was 74,19 in the first cycle, 83,89 in the second cycle, and 75,44 in the third cycle. In conclusion, the use of visual media in improving the students’ writing skill of XI IPS 1 at SMA N 1 Bantul was proven successful