UNDERGRADUATE THESIS PROPOSAL

“Students’ Difficulties in Learning English at “Kejar Paket C”

Program Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang”

by

Syarifah Zakiyah Almassawa

1710205027

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHING SCIENCE
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF RADEN FATAH
PALEMBANG
2021

1
 “Students’ Difficulties in Learning English at “Kejar Paket C”
Program Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang”

By

Syarifah Zakiyah Almassawa

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

English as one of the most widely-used language in the world has become an

essential thing to be learned and studied in many contexts. Derakhsan and

Shirmohammadli (2015) states studying English plays an important role in

providing the opportunities to individual in terms of business, international trades,

education, and technology in which the opportunities will give impact on their

status. In business, it will become one additional qualification for a person in

applying job particularly for one who applies job in multi-national company.

While in global markets, English can be used as the medium or language of

communication for people with different native language. Harmer (2001) states

English has become a tool for communication between two persons whose first

language different from each other. In other words, having a good proficiency of

using spoken and written English may bring an individual to find a good job.

English at the moment is used and taught in Indonesia as Foreign Language

(EFL). English is also a subject or study that must be learned in formal and non-

formal education as it is learned in high school equivalency program known as

Kejar Paket C program. It shows the need of learning English due to the fact that

2
English is a required exam in national examination for package C program.

Learning English now has become a demand for people and showing the tendency

of how important learning English is no matter how old you are.

English is found and learned in every type of education. Learning activities in

Indonesia separated into different pathways from educational stages viewed as

formal education, informal education and non-formal education (UU RI No. 20 of

2003). The formal education is a type of education which consists of Elementary

School level to High School Level and College level. While non-formal education

is one type of education for citizen who is intended to attend and finish the

educational stages for those whose did not attend formal education or have not

finished educational stages in formal education. Non-formal education structured

in the similar way as the formal education. Therefore, English is learned in non-

formal education in Kejar Paket B and Kejar Paket C program as well as it is

learned by students of formal education in Junior High School and Senior High

School. Informal as the other type of education formed apart from formal and

non-formal education. For example, English courses are classified as informal

education where the students from the courses also learn English. Nonetheless, the

manifestations of quality education into different paths or types of education have

the same important role: to help in gaining the same quality educational program.

Non-formal education divided into three different stratification: Kejar Paket

A, Kejar Paket B, and Kejar Paket C. The participants who learn in non-formal

school will obtain certificate of Kejar Paket A equals to Elementary School, Kejar

3
Paket B equals to Junior High School, and Kejar Paket C equals to Senior High

School. Particularly, Kejar Paket C is held to offer students the opportunities to

gain the same quality education for those who do not have the opportunities to

learn in formal school or they have not finished their study on formal education.

Sudjana (2001) mentions that in Kejar Paket C provide the people with education

for those who are constraints in joining the formal education, hindered by age,

hindered by socio-economical factors, time, chances, geographical reason and the

like. As stated in Constitution Number 20 of 2003 in Article 5 Section 1: every

citizen has the same right to obtain quality education. This law shows that in the

implementation of education must consider the principles of democratized, fair,

not discriminated and uphold the human rights and it states to be equally

important both for children and also adults. In a similar way, Laal (2012) states

the concept of lifelong learning or continuing education by pursuing learning

throughout their life will give the impact for individual as a citizen or worker and

country’s financial system.

Learning English can be very hard for learners who learn English in non-

formal schools. Not to mention there is a problem in terms of the learners’ age

diversity. The learners who attend to study in non-formal school typically is one

who is not able to pursuing education in formal school for several reasons such as

economy problem and try to continue their education through non-formal

education as a form of lifelong education in Indonesia. It shows that the majority

of learners in non-formal school are come from the adult learners. In regard to the

related issues, Suryantari (2018) states the influence from second-language

4
acquisition towards children and adult learning found that children do better than

adult in second-language learning. Factors that affect learner in acquiring second-

language are psychological factors along with psychological variables and social

condition (Steinberg, 2001). Steinberg (2001) states the adult learner face

difficulties in learning such as memory ability decline with age in terms of

linguistic processing therefore they are not able to analyze grammar structures,

pronunciation where the adult learner are likely lose their flexibility in acquiring

new pronunciation skills like native speakers and affected by other psychological

variables such as motivation and attitude.

In relation to this, I conducted a preliminary study at Sanggar Kegiatan

Belajar (SKB) Palembang through an informal interview with one of the teachers

of Kejar Paket C program. She mentioned that anyone can join non-formal

education even if they were workers or having a family (Ibu Herlinda, march 17th,

2021). She mentioned the students of Kejar Paket C program were come from

workers and were mostly adult learners and they had previous experience learning

in formal school. The program had 161 students with the majority of the students

were adult learners with the age range of adult students were 20 year-old to 51

year-old. Based on the data of the result from students’ English semester exam,

the average score of the exam in 2020/2021 at tenth grade 55.7, eleventh grade

56.8 and twelfth grade 56.3 in which the score was still not reach the score of

minimum mastery criteria (KKM) which was the minimum score of it was 68 in

Kejar Paket C program. The students faced several problems in their English

learning. For example, the teacher mentioned that students had difficulties to write

5
a simple paragraph because they ware lack of vocabularies and pronounced in the

way of the native speakers. She needed to keep repeating the material and also to

teach the pronunciation because the students were not able to understand it in the

way the usual students did. Consequently, the characteristics of problems related

in the context of adult learner. The result from the preliminary study about

students’ difficulties in learning English of “Kejar Paket C” Program became the

major concern of this research.

Numerous similar studies were previously conducted in relation to the topic

of difficulties faced by learner in learning English. According to one study

conducted by Wu, Wu and Le (2014) that adult who starts to learn English found

it hard to achieve pronunciation of the native accent at their current age and

appeared to lose confidence and often feel embarrassed of making mistakes. The

difficulties are also coming from other factors affect learners namely familial

responsibility, lack of time, and numerous of them were interfered with the

linguistics’ characteristics or concepts from their first language. While, Suryantari

(2018) claims that adults are interfered with decline in adapting to new

articulation in motor skills and also decline in age that interfere with memory’s

ability. In the same line with previous related study, Nizkodubov, Zyubanov &

Johnson (2015) explore students’ difficulties from the perspective of lifelong

education from both social and psychological barriers. The barriers that faced by

adult in learning English are (1) afraid of making faults or errors; (2) previously

facing unpleasant experience in learning English; (3) bearing loads of

responsibilities; (4) lack of time; and (5) lack of confidence due to the fact in

6
which the learners are fear that they may have lack of abilities and fear of showing

incompetence. In addition, Castaneda (2017) shows the limitations that hinder

adults’ second language acquisition. First, the cognitive limitations since some

problems such as hindered by the decrease in memory, progressive loss of the

ability in sensory acuity, tendency of fossilizing errors, and the appliance of first

language skills that interfere with second language (L2) skills. The attitudinal

limitations are somewhat relates to anxiety, lack of confidence due to second

language learning and methods, the concept of learning success and L2 enjoyment

in learning process.

Based on several previous studies, I consider it is intriguing and essential to

analyze English students’ learning difficulties. The reason is that learner typically

found it hard to learn English because of several problems from different

numerous causes. In this research I will conduct a similar study about “Students’

Difficulties in Learning English for Kejar Paket C at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar

(SKB) Palembang”. This study will explore more in qualitative research about

related problems faced by learner in learning English for equivalency program or

Kejar Paket C program.

1.2 Research Problem

1. What are the difficulties faced by Students of Kejar Paket C program in

learning English at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang?

1.3 Research Objective

Based on the problem formulated above, the objective of the research is:

7
 1. To analyze the difficulties the faced by students of Kejar Paket C Program

in learning English at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study is looking forward to having both functional and practical

contribution. The finding is hoped will contribute particular details, information,

ideas and concepts related to students’ learning difficulties, especially towards the

learners in learning English for Kejar Paket C at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB),

the school for equivalency program, and for the researcher along with other

researcher who would conduct the similar studies.

1. For English Teachers

This study is expected to be useful to solve the students’ learning

difficulties in terms of equivalency program. Hopefully this study will

become useful for teachers to know students’ learning difficulties in learning

English for equivalency program, especially for English teacher in Kejar

Paket C program at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB).

2. For School

I expect this study would be useful to help in improving the learning

process in the school with the same program. Also, the information is hoped

to be used to look forward to help in resolving students’ learning difficulties

faced by the school of equivalency program, especially at Sanggar Kegiatan

Belajar (SKB).

8
3. For other researcher

By doing this research, it is expected to be a source of reference in

conducting the similar studies in the future. Therefore, through this study, it

will give particular contributions toward the researcher in enhancing their

sources for reference.

4. For the Researcher

By conducting this research, I expect to gain more valuable knowledge

and will help me in the future in relations on how to conduct a qualitative

research and how to cope the problems from difficulties in learning English,

especially for students in equivalency program.

9
2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Concept of Learning

Learning is valuable for receiving knowledge. Johnson (2002) asserted

learning is a reflection of student individually that be the evidence for an attitude

from the assignment given. It means that from the learning, students show their

behavioral tendency as a mean of indication that show they are likely change in an

attitude as the result of reinforced practice. According to Cronbach (1946),

learning is a change as a result of experience learner shown in a form of behavior.

Whereas Schunk (2012) claims that a lasting change resulting from practices or

other kind of experiences in the capability to behave in certain way. It describes

that behavior is known as learning.

Learning is a set of sequences in obtaining knowledge within a process from

experiencing and studying. As Brown (2007) states that learning is a way of

acquiring or getting of knowledge of a subject or a skill by study, experience or

instruction. In particular, statement from Brown express that learning could

happen not only from studying but also from experiencing whether it is beyond an

institution or not. Sequeira (2012) said learning is about a change that learners

attain by improving a new skill, comprehending about a scientific law and

changing in behavior. It describes that learning is a change is relatively intentional

and permanent change which is neither merely natural, nor incidental in the way

people as they grow old with time. From the explanation above, it can be assumed

that learning is a process of attaining knowledge and receiving behavioral change

10
within the process of experiencing and studying and happens not only to children

and youth, but also adults.

2.2 Non-Formal Education

A. Definition of Non-Formal Education

Several programs are provided by many non-formal schools to serve people to

gain quality education. Non-formal education is a structured program to establish

learning activities aside from formal system to offer same quality education to

distinct people (Coombs & Ahmed, 1974). It shows that non-formal education is

established concerning to provide quality education aside from formal system in

order to give people chance to pursue education from non-formal educational

programs. Tight (1996) mentions non-formal education appears due to the

awareness of the importance of education in a form of learning or training with

the implementation outside recognized educational institutions. Fordham (1999)

in a similar way states non-formal education were associated to notice the needs

of different target groups, suit specific group of person, define clear purposes and

flexibly occur in the manner of organizing learning activities or what method is

chosen to be applied. It can be specified that non-formal institutions should define

clear purposes in organizing the learning programs with different target groups.

Moreover, the statement above implies there is no age restriction for learner in

non-formal education shows that heterogeneous learner can fit into this

organizational program. The learning activities, materials, also the method are

flexible so that it can suit the adult learner needs. Several application from non-

11
formal education are varied in the form of schools such as homeschooling (SKB)

and Pusat Kegiatan Belajar Masyarakat (PKBM) and Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar.

B. Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar

Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar is one of non-formal schools provided by the

government to help the teaching and learning process for equivalency program.

Windarsari et al. (2017) states that non-formal education provide the people with

special condition and it is functioned to substitute, as an addition or complement

with formal education. Law of Republic Indonesia number 20 0f 2003 article 26

paragraphs (6) states that the certificate from stratification program of non-formal

education can be accepted as in formal education through equivalency program

includes Kejar Paket A program equal to Elementary Level, Kejar Paket B

program equal to Junior High School, and Kejar Paket C program equal to Senior

High School.

C. Kejar Paket C

Kejar Paket C is an equivalency program in non-formal education equals to

Senior High School joined by those who are constrained to join the formal ones.

The reasons are particularly varied in some ways. Several causes are because they

might previously faced problems in their school age caused by socio-economic

problem so that they were not able to join formal schools, they are drop-out

students from formal school, otherwise they were hindered by other circumstances

like geographical condition and many more (Sudjana, 2001). By many factors, the

12
majority of learners in Kejar Paket C program are learners who are not able to join

or finish formal schools previously.

Adult education is the teaching and learning process that happens to adult.

Knowles (1980) defines adult education in the broadest sense, the term adult

education portrays as the process of adult learning. It encompasses all experiences

which they acquire knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes, interests or values.

The growth of adult’s self-development is used by all kinds of institutions for the

development of their employees, member, and clients in a broader purpose. In a

more technical definition, adult education describes a set of arranged activities

carried on by a wide range of institutions for accomplishing specific educational

objectives. All the process and idea brings together with the education of adults

and recognizes them as functioning toward the common goals of improving the

methods and materials of adult learning, extending the opportunities for adults to

learn and advancing the general level of our culture.

Lifelong learning is a re-labeled concept of adult education. It aims to allow

adults to attain education and gain knowledge. In connection to lifelong learning,

Laal (2012) expose the advantages adult may obtain in lifelong learning are

enriching personal development, obtaining broader career opportunities, and

reinforcing economy level in a country in which it will enrich economic growth of

society. It emerges education as a necessity for adults regarding to economic

growth to promote well-being by continuing education and to drop the number of

unemployment rate by continuing learning in formal schools or non-formal

programs. Windarsari, Surnardi & Djono (2017) states the need of education is to

13
strengthen and improve the quality of human life in accordance with demands of

life fulfillment. To shorten up, education nowadays has become one important

intake for an individual particularly adult as part of society and in a bigger picture

has become a problem to be solved by society in a country.

D. Adult Learner

1). Definition of adult learner

In describing adult learner, it is necessary to define the meaning of adult.

Knowles (1973), a scholar-practitioner in adult learning, defines adult in four

separate definitions. First, biological definition of adult is when they are

entering the phase of puberty. Puberty means when adolescents are externally

and internally changes into a mature individual that capable to do reproduction

and sexually mature. Second, ones become a legal adult when they are said to

be responsible in a manner to do acts of law. Legally, adults are able to acts of

law like voting, attaining identity card, marry without consent, and the rest.

Third, the society define adult when they are said to be responsible in a manner

to perform their roles in society. The roles in society are when the adults

become an employee, wife or husband, parent, voting citizen, and the rest.

From psychological perspective, an individual is said to become adult when

they attain responsibility and become self-directing from gaining self-concept.

People, therefore, are defined as adults when there are changes in their

biological and psychological condition and also the changes regarding to acts

of law and its implication to their roles in society. Knowles (1980) determines

the criterions of individual that supposed to be treated as adult educationally

14
from two questions: (1) who behaves as an adult and perform adult roles?

(social definition); (2) whose self-concept is that an adult? (psychological

definition). First, adult defines as a person who behaves as an adult and

performs its roles as an adult in social definition. An individual is said

performing its social roles in a culture assigned by doing the roles of worker,

spouse, parent, responsible citizen for instances. Second, adult who’s in

psychological definition is defined as adult self-concept. Concerning to the

following characteristic, an individual is defined as adult to the extent that

individual interprets himself or herself in a particular way to be essentially

responsible for his or her own life. Adult learner therefore defines as adult who

bear the characteristics mentioned and become a learner at their age.

2). Characteristics of adult learner

Knowles (1973) writes several assumptions toward the adult learner:

a. Adult learner need to know why they learn

Adult learner will consider what benefits they will obtain from learning

something because adult know that they will spent energy and time for the

learning process. It is why teacher need to explain about the advantages to

help the adult learner to understand the materials.

b. Self-concept in adult learner

Adult label themselves of being responsible for their own decisions. The

responsibility has bring adult arrived in the state of condition where adult

need to be seen as being capable of self-directing.

15
c. The role of past experiences

Adult accumulate wide range of past experiences than they had as youth.

Adult learner has different experiences they bring when they join

educational activity from one individual to another. It assures several

consequences which the educational activity overflowing with

heterogeneous individual differences in terms of background, motivation,

learning style, goals, needs, interests, mental habits, presupposition, and

the like.

d. Readiness to learn

Adult are said to be ready to join educational activity because they need to

learn to be able to manage and cope with their real-life situations. It means

adult are joining educational program to upgrade themselves to be skilled

therefore they can deal with problems and ready for more responsibility.

e. Orientation to learning

Adult are likely to be motivated in learning when they perceive the

application from learning process will help them to do tasks and confront

problems they face in their real-life situations.

f. Motivation to learn

To keep growing and developing is motivation that adult has. It is

increased because adult are responsive to external motivators for example

to have a better job, achieve promotions, higher salaries and to internal

pressures like demands for job satisfaction, self-esteem, and quality of life.

On the other side, adult confront obstacles that keep adult from developing

16
 as negative self-concept of being a student at their age, inaccessibility of

opportunities or resources, time constraints, and programs that violate

main beliefs of adult learning.

2.3 Concept of English as a Foreign Language

English is learned as a foreign language to students who do not use English as

first language. Learning English improves many aspects of individual such as

higher status, more opportunities in education, technology, global trades and

business (Derakhsan and Shirmohammadli, 2015). Khan (2011) states that

learning English as a foreign language is challenging because it takes place where

English is spoken for a limited purpose. In the same line, Derakhsan and

Shirmohammadli (2015) mentions that learning English has been an important

issue for students who do not speak English as their first language becomes

difficult because there are few opportunities for them to use English in real life

situation. Thus, it is necessary to know the students’ difficulties of learning

English as a second language.

Learning English can be very hard for learners who learn English in non-

formal schools. The learners who study in non-formal school typically is adult

learner who is not able to pursuing education in formal school for several reasons

such as economy problem and continue their education through non-formal

education as a form of lifelong education in Indonesia. In regard to the related

issues, Steinberg (2001) states the adult learner face difficulties in learning such as

memory ability decline with age in terms of linguistic processing therefore they

are not able to analyze grammar structures, pronunciation where the adult learner

17
are likely lose their flexibility in acquiring new pronunciation skills like native

speakers and affected by other psychological variables such as motivation and

attitude. Meanwhile in the process of learning English, learner oftentimes find

difficulties when it comes to the practice in the classroom.

2.4 Difficulties in Learning English

Students are likely to meet a number of difficulties when learning English as

Kejar Paket C learner. The learner may interfere with second language acquisition

in the process of second language learning. According to Steinberg (2001) second

language acquisition contributes to the success or failure in second language

learning. In learning English, there are several difficulties faced by learner in

acquiring English. There are several difficulties faced by adult learner in second

language acquisition are cognitive and physical factors and psychological factors.

A. Cognitive and Physical Factors

1). A decrease in memory levels

Memory is essential thing required for learning and helps an individual to

remember from simple rules to the complex ones. The ability of to memorize

grammatical structure in adults seems to reduce which hinder the learner from

acquiring second language (Castaneda, 2017).

2). Loss of sensory acuity

Most persons experience decline in general motor skills. Motor skills used to

describe the term for the muscles used to perform certain skills like speaking

18
involves in the articulator of speech include the mouth, tongue, lips, vocal

cords, and the like. Wu, Wu, and Le (2014) found that adults find difficulty to

reach pronunciation of native-like accent. It shows that the articulators of

speech is affected that it is harder for adults to acquire better pronunciation of

second language as the adults have generally lost their flexibility in motor

skills (Steinberg, 2001). Moreover, adult shows the tendency to lose the ability

to imitate sounds and systemize errors in terms of pronunciation (Castaneda,

2017).

3). Tendency to fossilization

Adult learner tends to have language fossilization. Language fossilization

is when learner tend to make error and systemize the errors. Castaneda (2017)

states that adult are lack of correction and tend to systemize errors. This

tendency of language fossilization can lead to the lack of acquisition.

However, Wu, Wu and Le (2014) indicates that adult are interfere with their

first language in learning English which lead learner to fossilize language.

4). L1 transfer

Students’ first language can interfere students from acquiring second

language. The learner feel to transfer their knowledge of first language to

learning a second language. The transfer can result in positive outcome when

both languages has the equivalences and result in negative outcome when the

first language interfere second language skills.

19
 5). Lack of involvement

Adult learner generally attends the class with a lower energy level due to

the responsibilities they have. Their multiple responsibilities cause them to be

lack of involvement toward the course content in the learning process

(Castaneda, 2017).

6). Slower reaction time

Memory has considerable role in students’ learning process. In adult

learner, their memory seems to change in the acquisition of language learning.

The decline in adult learner is explained as a deficit in linguistic processing and

becomes more difficult with age. Therefore, the adult learner appear to give

slower reaction time in learning English (Cosma, 2015).

B. Psychological Factors

1). Language anxiety

According to Castaneda (2017)), anxiety is one important variable in adult

second language learning because students deal with pressure in learning and

lead to stress and a very high pressure.

2). Lack of confidence

Adult students’ self-concept of confidence is essential which affect

students’ motivation in learning second language. Cozma (2015) mentions

students face lack of confidence about their intellectual abilities and make them

reluctant to speak English. The students face the situation where they feel

20
demotivated and their self-confidence hinder the process of language

acquisition in adult students because they value themselves as unable to

succeed in learning a second language.

3). Learning success

Adult students has distinct and unique concept of success in learning. In

other words, adult students need to realize that success in learning a second

language has various different definitions. The success in learning does not

only from an in-depth knowledge of grammar structure or varied vocabularies,

but also can be from the ability to communicate and give information to others

(Castaneda, 2017).

4). Second language enjoyment

To seek students’ motivation, interest and enjoyment toward the learning

are the key to increase students’ success in language learning. Castaneda

(2017) states the sense of enjoyment from students help to reduce language

anxiety. Therefore, students’ enjoyment toward the material will increase

students to be motivated in learning.

5). Fear of making mistakes

Adult students are fear of making mistakes. This thing happens because it

is related to the potential of losing face which becomes greater with older age

(Cozma, 2015).

21
 6). Lack of time

Adult usually have many responsibilities. They tend to have family

responsibility, to work and also to do their public duties which will affect

their English learning (Nizkodubov, 2015).

2.5 Previous Related Study

The first study from Wu, Wu and Le (2014) investigated the problems adult

learner face in learning English as a second language in China and solutions to the

problems. From the research, it reveals the difficulties faced by the adult as a

learner. The problems are said that adult find difficulty in achieving accent like

native speaker. Adult learner also loses their confidence to begin learning English

at their age. Adult feel embarrassed due to the feeling of being old and away from

school for many years. The barrier also relates to their first language that

interferes with adult second language learning. The similarity between the

research and the present study is the present study aims to find the difficulties

faced by adult learner in second language learning. The difference between the

research and present study is the study aims to find students’ difficulties in

learning English to Kejar Paket C program. The samples in the present study also

differ from the previous study. The previous study investigates Chinese’s adult

learner who learns English. Meanwhile the present study will investigate the adult

learner in Kejar Paket C program at Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang

as the sample of the study.

22
 The second previous study from Cozma (2015) discusses about the challenge

of teaching English to adult learner. The results shows there are psychological and

cognitive factors and attitudinal factors cause difficulties towards adult as English

learner. The problem is that adult has multiple responsibilities in their life may

cause them fatigue and lack of focus when attending the class. Also, mature

learners are slower when doing the learning tasks and sometimes they react slower

in responding to the learning material. The difficulties also affected by attitudinal

factors considered to make the instructional process difficult are the adults’ lack

of confidence in their intellectual abilities creates anxiety during the process of

teaching English to adults. The similarity between the previous journal article and

the research are to find difficulties the students faced in learning English. The

differences of the present study separate the previous journal article is the research

will be conducted in Kejar Paket C with the samples taken from teacher and

students in this institution. The previous study discusses the difficulties in general

while this research is going to investigate students’ difficulties in learning English

for Kejar Paket C.

The third previous study from Sudiyono (2020) explores about students in

paket C program who deal with psychological condition constraints in learning

English. The psychological factors in this article were limited to: (1) interest in

learning, (2) learning motivation, (3) intelligence, and (4) learning activities or

activeness from the students in participating in the classroom. The results from the

research indicated that most of the students dealing with psychological

constraints. From the study, it found that students’ interest and motivation in

23
learning are high, while the other factors such as intelligence factor and learning

activities are low. The previous research is similar to the present study in finding

out the difficulties faced by students of Kejar Paket C program in learning

English. The previous study is different with the present research because the

previous study was limited in investigating the factors merely from psychological

constraints.

The forth study from Castaneda (2017) conducted the research to find

limiting factors in second language acquisition toward adults students. The study

investigates lifelong learning in the adult students who learn English in their post-

obligatory education. Second language acquisition factors were discussed in terms

of age constrains this article journal and separated into cognitive and affective

limitations. The study mentioned the difficulties faced by adult learner in

cognitive factors were because their memory level decreased, the adult learner

face progressive loss in sensory acuity, they tend to fossilize the knowledge in

target language and also adults are hindered by their prior knowledge from the

concept in first language which limits learning the second language. The other

factor that interfere adult in learning second language from affective limitations

were adults’ anxiety in learning a second language lead to stress and high

pressure, they were not able to enjoy the learning process, they tend to value their

self-concept as incapable in learning language and assume that their success in

learning were from in-depth knowledge of knowing varied lexicon and

understanding grammatical rules instead of the ability to communicate and to

understand the information given in the target language. The similarity from

24
mentioned study and the present study were to discuss the factors that hindered

adult in learning language from second language acquisition. Meanwhile, it differs

in the sample of the study. The sample of the previous study was adult learner

from post-obligatory education and the present study will investigate the

difficulties from teaching English to equivalency program in non-formal

education.

The previous research study from Nizkodubov, Zyubanov, Johnson (2015)

investigated the socio-psychological difficulties of learning English in the context

of lifelong education. The finding from the study discovered some barriers adults

face in the process of learning English. First, fear of making mistakes is one of the

barriers that hinder the process of learning English. Adult trust that they need to

be perfect in everything, therefore they often believe they are better to remain

doing nothing than making mistakes. Second, the other factors that hinder adult

are their previous experiences with the language learning because of the

unpleasant experiences of learning English in their previous school. Third, adult

has loads of responsibilities and lack of time due to demands fulfillment such as

working, spending time with families, having public duties which means it is a

problem that influences the learning process. Forth, adult has lack of confidence

in their abilities which is marked in anxiety. There were various reasons: the cost

of education, the sense of hopelessness, the feeling that the training was irrelevant,

the lack of family support, and the fear of demonstrating incompetence are due to

the lack of confidence in their own abilities. The similarities from both previous

study and the present study were to find the difficulties in teaching English to

25
adults. Both mentioned studies differ where the previous study investigated and

discussed more about listening difficulties. Both mentioned studies have different

sample. The present study will be conducted for English learner in Kejar Paket C

program.

26
3. METHOD AND PROCEDURES

3.1 Method of the Study

This research study will use qualitative method. Creswell (2014) describes

qualitative research is a research design focusing on exploring and understanding

the core idea of phenomenon from individual or groups of a social or human. The

study will be concerned to identify social phenomenon of students’ difficulties in

learning English at Kejar Paket C Program. The research will employ case study

within a qualitative research methodology to uncover the difficulties faced by

English learner in Kejar Paket C. Creswell (2012) defines case study as a design

of inquiry for exploring dilemma through the analysis of a bounded system from a

program, event, activity, process, or one or more individuals by the time and

activity. The detailed information will be collected by using a range of data

collection through a sustained period of time. The study will aims to discover the

difficulties in teaching English towards the students of equivalency program.

Furthermore, the study will be observed at Kejar Paket C students at Sanggar

Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang to obtain information and recognize the

problem through the interview.

3.2 Research Site and Participant

Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) for equivalency program is the site where the

research will be conducted. Meanwhile, Kejar Paket C at Sanggar Kegiatan

Belajar (SKB) Palembang is where the research will be focusing on. In order to

identify and choose information, it is important to be concerned in qualitative

27
research with intended case to utilize purposeful sampling (Palinkas, Horwits,

Green, Wisdom, Duan and Hoagwood, 2015). In addition, Creswell (2012)

explains purposeful sampling is the sampling method used intentionally by the

researcher to determine the individuals for the study. The participant will be

chosen by using purposeful sampling approach to select individuals who had

experienced the phenomenon as it will provide ample examples to illustrate the

phenomenology. The phenomenon will bring us to see several problems.

The subject of this research will be the students in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar

(SKB) Palembang who attend Kejar Paket C program. The program consists of

161 students from three different grades of grade 10, grade 11 and grade 12 and

one English teacher in Kejar Paket C program. The participants of the study will

be the English teacher and students taken as respondents to be interviewed in my

present study in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang. Based on the data

of students’ english semester exam, I will take students from grade eleventh at

Kejar Paket C program Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang. The eleventh

grade will be chosen based on the students’ English semester examination score

which shows that the eleventh students are students who still learn and had the

lowest score.

3.3 Operational Definition

In order to prevent any possibilities of misconception about the terms applied

in this research, the following explanation will be the terms that are necessary to

explain.

28
 Kejar Paket C Program is a program from the governments to help citizen to

achieve equal certificate stratification by taking classes and tests. The majority of

the students are adults. In this research, the phenomenon of students’ difficulties

in teaching English of “Kejar Paket C” program will be explored.

Students’ difficulties are the problems faced by the students in learning

English at “Kejar Paket C” program.

3.4 Data Collection

To complete this research, interview techniques of data collection will be used

to discover the problem. Interview will be particularly useful to figure out the

setbacks and checking for more detailed information. It is important to count on

the interview as the important method of gathering the data to gain a rich and in-

depth experience of an event in respondent’s life. As Fraenkel, et.al (2011)

depicts interview is an important way to verify, refute or check the impression

towards the data collection. The reliance that society has on interview results as

inherent faith of trustworthy and accurate product in society (Atkinson &

Silverman, 1997). Hence, interview produces an experiential narrative that

strengthens and reinforces the data.

Semi-structured interview was applied to dig more on problems related to

respondent difficulties in teaching English for equivalency program. The

interview was presented to English teacher and learner of Kejar Paket C program

at Sanggar Kegatan Belajar (SKB) Palembang within face-to-face interaction. The

question will be asked to represent the students’ difficulties in teaching English

29
for equivalency program. Then, I will record the interview for the need to

transcribe the data.

3.5 Data Analysis

As mentioned previously, semi-structured interview will be used in this

research for the data analysis. According to Braun and Clarke (2006) there are six

stages in data analysis process by analyzing it in thematic analysis. The first stage

is to be engaged with the data. I will start by re-reading data that have been

collected to get immersed with the data. I will search for any details to firm the

prior knowledge. In relation to it, I will take notes or mark lists of ideas for

collecting codes to be developed in the next phase when I start into a formal

coding process. The next phase will be generating initial codes. I will begin with

systemize and analyze the entire set of data to find codes and identify the aspects

related to the data which may construct repeated patterns or themes in the data set.

This stage is important for searching themes in the next stage. After all the data

have been coded, I will propose the themes, sub-themes and all related data which

had relation with each theme. Reviewing themes would be a phase to evaluate

whether some need to be combined or discarded by reflecting to codes whether

they appear to form themes, whether they fit into the themes and whether the

themes itself is problematic. Then, naming the themes and defined the themes

which can represent the data within one sentence. The sixth stage is to produce the

report with analytical narrative that provides the description of the data and

argument in relation to answer research question.

30
3.6 Trustworthiness

The accuracy of interpretation and findings have to be ensured in the process

of collecting and analyzing data. In this research I will validate the accurateness of

discovery or finding by using member checking. Creswell (2012) states in

member checking, the data will be collected and checked by asking one or more

participants in the study to ensure the accuracy of each data from the source like

interview. The analysis of the date from member checking will strengthen the

findings to be accurate and credible. Based on the explanation above, member

checking technique will be used to check the reliability and validity of the data by

checking the accurateness from interview data.

31
 REFERENCES

Atkinson, P., & Silverman, D. (1997). Kundera’s Immortality: the interview

society and the invention of the self. Qualitative Inquiry, 3(3), 304-325.

Braun, V., & Clark, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative

Research in Psychology.3(2), 77-101.

Brown, H. D. (2000). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices

(4th ed.). California: Addison Wesley Longman.

Brown. H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to

language pedagogy. New York: Pearson Education.

Brown. H. D. (2007). Principle of language learning and teaching (5th ed.). New

York: Pearson Education.

Castañeda, Sergio. (2017). Lifelong Learning and Limiting Factors in Second

Language Acquisition for Adult Students in Post-Obligatory Education.

Cogent Psychology. 4.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2017.1404699.

Coombs, P. H., Ahmed, M., World Bank., & International Council for

Educational Development. (1974). Attacking Rural Poverty: How

Nonformal Education can Help. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University

Press.

32
Cozma, Mihaela. (2015).The Challenge of Teaching English to Adult Learners in

Today’s World. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. 197. 1209-

1214. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.380.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

methods approaches. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE

Publications.

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and

evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston, MA:

Pearson.

Cronbach, L. J. (1946). Response sets and test validating. Educational and

Psychological Measurement. 21(6): 475-499.

Dalyono, M. (2010). Psikologi pendidikan. Jakarta, Indonesia: Rineka Cipta.

Fareh, Shehdeh. (2010). Challenges of teaching English in the Arab world: Why

can’t EFL Programs deliver as expected?. Procedia – Social and

Behavioral Sciences. 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.559.

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2011). How to design and evaluate

research in education (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.

Harmer, Jeremy. (2001). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Harlow:

Pearson Education Limited.

33
Johnson, E. B. (2002). Contextual teaching and learning. California: Corwin

Press Inc.

Khan, I. A. (2011). Challenges of teaching / learning english and management.

Global journal of human social science, 11(8). https://globaljournals.org

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy

to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.

Knowles, M. S. (1973). The Adult Learner: A neglected species. Houston: Gulf-

Publishing Company.

Laal, Marjan. (2012). Benefits of Lifelong Learning. Procedia – Social and

Behavioral Sciences. 46. 4268-4272.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.239.

Nizkodubov, Gayriil & Zyubanov, Vadim & Johnson, Anthony. (2015). The

Socio-psychological Difficulties of learning the Emglish Language in the

Context of Lifelong Education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral

Sciences. 206. 210-214. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.10.008.

Palinkas, L. A., Horwits, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., &

Hoagwood, K. (2013). Purposeful Random Sampling for Qualitative Data

Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Adm

Policy Ment Health. 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y.

Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., & Elam, G. (2003). Qualitative research practice: A guide

for social science students and researcher. London: Sage.

34
Schunk, H. D. (2012). Learning theories: An educational Perspective (6th ed.)

Boston, MA: Pearson.

Sequeira, A. H. (2012). Introduction to concepts of teaching and learning.

Research Gate. 1-6.

Smith, C., & Gillespie, M. (2007). Research on Professional Development and

Teacher Change: Implications for Adult Basic Education. In J. Comings,

B. Garner, & C. Smith, (Eds.), Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (pp.

205-244). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Souriyavongsa, T., Rany, S., Abidin, M., & Mei, L. (2013). Factor causes students

low English Language Learning: A case study in the national university of

Laos. International Journal of English Language Education. l(1), 187-188.

Sudiyono, Sudiyono. (2020). Psychological Condition Constraints of Learning

Participants in Studying English (Study at Learning Group of Package “C”

in Community Learning Center / Pusat Kegiatan Belajar Masyarakat

(PKBM) Nugraha Mandiri Cimahi City – West Java Province). PROJECT

(Professional Journal of English Education. 3. 149-156.

http://dx.doi.org/10.22460/project.v3i1.p149-156.

Sudjana, N. (1998). Dasar-dasar proses belajar mengajar (4th ed.). Bandung,

Indonesia: Sinar Baru Algesindo.

35
Suryantari, Hadna. (2018). Children and Adults in Second-Language Learning.

Tell: Teaching of English Language and Literature Journal. 6. 30.

https://dx.doi.org/10.30651/tell.v6i1.2081.

Steinberg, D. D., Nagata, H., & Aline D. P. (2001). Psycholinguistics: Language,

Mind, and World. Malaysia: Pearson Education.

Tight, M. (1996). Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training, London:

Routledge.

Tolbert, M. (2001). Professional development for adult education instructors:

State Policy Update. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.

Windarsari, R., Djono & Sunardi. (2017). Local knowledge in non-formal

education: A case study in historical learning at SKB Sukoharjo. Social

Science, Education and Humanities Research. 158, 530-544.

https://dx.doi.org/10.2991/ictte-17.2017.14.

Wu, Ruijuan & Wu, Ruiting & Le, Van. (2014). Challenges of Adults in Learning

English as a Second Language: Focus on Adult Education in China.

Journal of Language Teaching and Research. 5.

https://dx.doi.org/10.4304/jltr.5.5.1132-1138.

36
 APPENDIX A (Interview)

Time and Date :

Interviewer : Position of interviewee :
Interviewee : Teaching Experience :
Age : Education Background :
Interviewer’s introduction:
Good morning/ afternoon. I would like to introduce myself. My name is
Syarifah Zakiyah Almassawa, student from English Education in UIN Raden
Fatah Palembang. Thank you for your willingness to be interviewed today in this
occasion. I would like to interview you as the English teacher in this school to
fulfill my research. The purpose of the interview is to gain information about
students’ difficulties in learning English in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar Palembang.
The interview will be recorded in tape-recording to get the detailed information.
Questions:

1. Based on your teaching experience, what are the difficulties that students
faced in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar?
2. What kind of thing which hinder students learning English in Sanggar
Kegiatan Belajar?
3. What do you think about learners’ involvement in learning? How is their
reaction toward the material?
4. What do you think about learners’ reaction time toward the material?
5. How many repetition or meeting does it takes to teach a material?
6. How do you value students to be succeeded in learning English?
7. What do you think about the difficulty when it comes to the material that ask
learner to speak or pronounce word?
8. Do you think that learner appeared to face difficulty in memorizing the
material?
9. Do you think that learner appeared to make error?
10. Do you think that learner appeared to be interfered with first language?

37
11. Do you think that learner appeared to be fear of making mistakes?
12. Do you think that learner appeared to be lack of confidence?
13. Do you think that learner appeared to have language anxiety (feeling stress
and very high pressure)?

38
 APPENDIX A (Interview)

Time and Date :

Interviewer : Age :
Interviewee : Education Background :
Interviewer’s introduction:
Good morning/ afternoon. I would like to introduce myself. My name is
Syarifah Zakiyah Almassawa, student from English Education in UIN Raden
Fatah Palembang. Thank you for your willingness to be interviewed today in this
occasion. I would like to interview you as the student in this school to fulfill my
research. The purpose of the interview is to gain information about students’
difficulties in learning English in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar Palembang. The
interview will be recorded in tape-recording to get the detailed information.
Questions:

1. Based on your experience, what are the difficulties that you receive in learning
English in Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar?
2. What kind of thing which hinder you learning English in Sanggar Kegiatan
Belajar?
3. What do you think about your involvement in learning? How is your reaction
toward the material?
4. What do you think about your reaction time toward the material?
5. How many repetition or meeting does it takes to you to understand a material?
6. How do you value the success in learning English?
7. What do you think about the difficulty when it comes to the material that
require learner to speak or pronounce word?
8. Do you think that you as a learner face difficulty in memorizing the material?
9. Do you think that you as a learner appeared to make error?
10. Do you think that you as a learner appeared to be interfered with first
language?
11. Do you think that you as a learner appeared to be fear of making mistakes?

39
12. Do you think that you as a learner appeared to be lack of confidence?
13. Do you think that you as a learner appeared to have language anxiety (feeling
stress and very high pressure)?

40