Speaking Skill Development for Vocational High School Students Using Group Discussion

This study aims to determine the improvement of student speaking in discussions in 11th grade students of SMA 2 Majene in the 2022 academic year. The research method applied is experimental research (quantitative method). The subjects of this study were the 11th grade students of SMKN 2 majene with a total of 40 people. The sampling technique employ the random sampling method. The instruments used in this study were tests and questionnaires. The type of test for speaking is an oral test, the researchesr give a picture in class and then students are asked to describe the picture. From the research data, it was found that the students' t-test scores (-4.171) from df (19). Based on the output it was obtained value of Sig. (2-tailed) 0.001 < 0.05, then it can be concluded there is a difference in students' outcomes between in pre-test and post-test. In conclusion, implementing group discussion learning to teach speaking is effective to improve vocational high school students’ speaking proficiency.


BACKGROUND
One of the crucial skills that requires a lot of practical application is speaking. The mastery of speaking skill in English is a priority for many second languages or foreign language learners as Richard (2008) stated. He claimed that speaking is a productive skill that can be directly and empirically observed, but those observations are invariably colored by the accuracy and effectiveness of a testtaker's listening skill, which inevitably compromises the reliability and validity of an oral production test (Brown, 2004).
Despite having the option to pursue higher education, students in vocational high schools are primarily trained for their future careers or occupations. Due to that preparation, students should be fluent in both their native language and the language of their chosen profession, particularly for students studying tourism. Students place a high importance on speaking ability, and they regularly gauge both the effectiveness of their verbal skills and their success in language learning (Richards, 2008). However, most students who are developing English speaking skills find it challenging to make the word's sound, according to preliminary observation data from SMK 2 Majene in particular. The students believe that learning English is very challenging, they frequently use their native tongue, they get bored easily, they become lazy, and have trouble understanding the material the teacher gives them. Moreover, they lack confidence, and frequently shy, so they simply remain silent while the teacher explains the material during the teaching-learning process because they are unfamiliar with English, and it is very different from Indonesian. According to pre-observation by the researchers in a vocational high school in Majene, tourists were not taught how to utilize English for tourism purposes. Even the English terminology were beyond their comprehension. Additionally, because local language is their mother tongue, students frequently employ it in place of Bahasa Indonesia in their daily interactions. As a result, they frequently communicate with grammatical faults and cannot speak English correctly.
Concerning the preceding scenario, the researchers mention the discussion method as one of the methods to improve students' speaking skills. The discussion Method is a strategy for achieving instructional objectives that involve a group of persons, usually in the roles of moderator and participant, who communicate with each other using speaking, nonverbal, and listening processes. Discussion methods are teaching methods that are closely related to problem-solving, commonly referred to as group discussion and socialized recitation. Discussion is a responsive scientific conversation containing exchanges of opinions woven with the problematic question of ideas and the testing of ideas or opinions carried out by several people belonging to the group directed to solve the problem and to seek the truth.

LITERATURE REVIEW
There are several previous research that conducted on Improving students' speaking ability through discussion methods. The study conducted by Wahyuni (2020) aims to determine the effectiveness of Discussion Techniques on First Grade Students' Speaking Skills Junior High School. The method of this research was applied is experimental Research (Quantitative Method) The population in this study were students of MTS Darul Falah Duman in the 2018/2019 academic year. The sampling technique used in this study is a sampling technique employing a lottery. The technique used to analyze the data is the test formula. The study showed that the use of the grammar-translation method has a positive effect on the speaking skills of the first-grade students of MTs Darul Falah Duman in the 2018/2019 academic year. The discussion method is known as the right method in speaking because in the discussion students have to try and discuss their opinions in groups. Group Discussion is a method that makes students must be active to talk more. Moreover, the study by Ahman (2018) has conducted classroom action research. He conducted research about "The Use Of Discussion Methods To Improve The Speaking Ability Of Class V Students Of Elementary School 1 Batuganda". The data of this study were obtained from performance tests to determine the increase in students' speaking skills after using the discussion method. The results showed an increase in speaking skills, increased student activity, and teacher activity. The study indicated that there was an increase in the activity of teachers and students in the learning process from cycle I to cycle II by 25%.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
This study will use a pre-experimental design with a single group pre-test and post-test. Pre-test, treatment, and post-test are the three stages of the study process. The student's speaking skills are evaluated prior to treatment using a pretest. Six meetings are used in the course of the treatment to conduct the teaching and learning process while using discussion methods to sharpen the students' speaking abilities.

Findings
Initially, the researchers gave pre-test for both class control and experiment class. While in the pre-test, the students' speaking skills had not reach the minimum criterion of success (KKM) which is the score is 80. It could be noticed through the table 4.1. It was discovered that the students' scores were in pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehensibility. In the students' scores on the pre-test in the standard deviation table of mean scores, the percentage level of students' scores is calculated using SPSS 25, tabulated in the following table. The table 4.1 shows the result scores on the talking expertise pre-test comprising 4 viewpoints, pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehensibility. In this part, the researchers presented and arranged the normal score speaking skill, as follows:

1) Pronunciation
To compare the score on the pre-test, the researchers determined it utilizing SPSS 25. The outcomes are introduced in table below:  As can be seen from the table 4.2 the highest score is 3 and the lowest gets a score of 2, this shows that the mean score is 2.35 and the standard deviation is 0.745. The precision score is introduced through the rate score rate table, which can be seen from the table displayed. The table 4.3 shows that no one student was in very good and good classification, most of 10 students were in enough at around 50%.

2) Vocabulary
To see the normal score of understudy vocabulary with the pre-test, the researcher determined it utilizing SPSS 25. The results can be introduced in a spellbinding measurable table as follows. The table 4.5. shows that the vocabulary score taken by the researcher is in rate, there are no students who get very good and good classification.

3) Fluency
To see the normal score of students' fluency, the researcher determined it utulizing SPSS 25. The outcomes can be introduced in a aclear measruble table as follows It clearly can be seen from tabe 4.6 that the high score is 3 and the least score is 2. This likewise shows that the mean score is 1.85 and the standard deviation is 0.745.
The breadth score is introduced as a level of the score rate table, it very well may be seen from the table displayed as follows.
The table 4.7 shows that the most students were in bad classification 9 in totals or (45%), 7 students got very bad (35%), and the rest 4 students got enough classification (20%). Nobody got very good and good scores (0%).

4) Comprehension
To see the normal score of understudy comprehension with the pre-test, the researcher determined it utilizing SPSS 25. The results can be introduced in a spellbinding measurable table as follows. The table above shows result that the highest score is 4 and the lowest is 1.
Moreover, this data also shows the eman score is 2,45 and standard deviation is 0.686. It can be concluded that, the prior knowledge students' comprehension in speaking are still low. The results show that 10 students get bad classification (50%), there were 8 students got enough (40%), and only 1 student got low score (5%).

a. The result of the Post-Test in Experimental Class
In this part, the researcher showed the rate level of students' speaking scores in the post-test. The scores were taken after the treatment conducted. Using discussion as the method in speaking session were given for the experimental class. the students in the control class were not get any treatment. The outcomes are introduced in the accompanying table.   RD 01  2  3  2  3  10  66  Good  RD 02  2  3  2  3  10  66  Good  RD 03  2  3  2  3  10  66  Good  RD 04  2  3  2  3  10  66  Good  RD 05  2  2  2  4  10  66  Good  RD 06  2  2  3  3  10  66  Good  RD 07  2  3  2  3  10  66  Good  RD 08  3  3  2  3  11  73  Good  RD 09  3  3  2  3  11  73  Good  RD 10  3  3  2  3  11  73  Good  RD 11  3  3  3  3  12  80  Very Good  RD 12  3  3  3  3  12  80  Very Good  RD 13  3  3  3  3  12  80  Very Good  RD 14  3  3  2  4  12  Based on the data above, the researcher highlighted with blue colour towards students who exceeded the KKM (80). There were 10 students passed the KKM. If we compare this result with pre=test result, there are only 3 students who can passed the KKM. So, it can be concluded that after students get treatment utilizing group discussion there are improvement that can be seen.

Discussions
Based on the research that has been done while the researchers conducted research using the group discussion method by describing people, objects, and places. This method was applied in four treatments. When the researcher applied focus group discussion in teaching speaking, the students received a good response. Group discussion is one of the cooperative learning methods that can generate enthusiasm for students in teaching and learning activities. Students can be more active in class. they actively answer questions from other students. As this statement is supported by previous researchers from Wahyuni (2020) that the discussion method is known as the right method in speaking because in discussion students have to try and discuss opinions in groups. Group discussion is a method that makes students have to be active to talk more. The students could enjoy the speaking class when the researcher applied group discussion method. Furthermore, they could speak more confidence and they could brave to speak in the front of class. it supported by Zhang (2010:8) that the purposes of cooperative learning as an instructional method where students need to work together in small groups during the learning process to reach shared objectives. The students enjoyed and focused on the researchers' explanation when applying group discussion method in teaching speaking. Instead, by group discussion method the students' motivated to express their toughts related to the topic. This statements in line with Miftahur (2016), he claimed that pronounciation is really important in English speaking process since it can highly persuade the meaning utterance.
Besides, group discussion technique had disadvantage for the students and the researcher. When the researcher was using group discussion technique in speaking class, there were some students who busy spoke with their partner. It related with Masedah (2016) stetements, she said that the disadvantage of group discussion technique was the group setting could influence the responses of individual, which is problematic when dominant members affect the result. The researcher prepared solution to control students while in teaching and learning activity. The researcher provided a reward for students who joined the rule of learning process well.
On the other hand, during implementing group discussion technique in the class, the students were happy. They really delightfull in the class when the researcher implemented a good technique for them like group discussion technique. The students did not make a lot noise in the class and there was good progress on students' speaking ability. It means that the students needed a technique that could make them fun in the class to make them more active in the class and interested in learning process. After the researcher implemented the focus group discussion technique in the first treatment, the outcome indicates that the students' speaking score was improved. Based on the outcome of students' speaking test score, the outcome determined that the students' mean score was up to 58,7 and there were only 3 students or 15% of the students who obtain the score above the minimum mastery criterion. It could be said unsuccessful because mostly students or 17 (85%) the outcome of the students' speaking test score could not get the criteria of success. Moreover, in the post-test or after treatment had been given, the result of students score was up to 75,9 and there were 10 students or 55% of students who got score above the minimum mastery criterion.
The results of the students' questionnaire, this research presents the results of data analysis from the questionnaire and to find the percentage of students' perceptions of using Group Discussion Method to improve speaking skills. This research finding shows that most students have several positive percpetion of using group discussion method to improve speaking skills. Those positive perceptions are: 1) students can understand the lesson well if the teacher in the learning-teaching process uses Group Discussion Method, 2) Group Discussion Method help students enrich English speaking skills, 3) Group Discussion Method increases students' enthusiasm in English speaking learning-teaching, 4) Group Discussion Method allows students to practice English speaking within the group, 5) Group Discussion Method increases students' confidence in speaking English. 6) Group Discussion Method made students have a good participation, (7) Group Discussion allows students to share their opinions in group using English language to enchance their English's speaking skills. Meanwhile for the negative statements, students showed positive perceptions such as; (8) students felt comfortable using Group Discussion Method in learning-teaching process, (9) students did not find difficulties in learning-teaching process by using Group Discussion Method, and the last (10) students had a good participation in discussion by using Group Discussion Method.
The results of questionnaire will be explained in brief, students have positive perception on using the Group Discussion Method towards English speaking skill. According to Yulianti & Sulistyawati (2021) Group Discussion Method aims to discover information about students' understanding of the material provided in the learning process. Through this method, besides understanding the lesson, students could think critically, creatively, and innovatively in preparing group presentations and discussions. Furhermore, students also felt easier to understand the lesson, e.g., students used English speaking by asking questions, exploring ideas, and respondeing the questions.
Furthermore, Group Discussion Method also helps students enrich their English's speaking skills. This result is supported by Safarnajed & Montashery (2020) statement that a discussion is an excellent form for learning to think like a specialist by giving students a chance to practice analyzing the word through the lens of a particular field. Furthermore, dividing students into some groups seems to allow students to become more actively engaged in learning and for the teacher to monitor students' progress better (Bohari, 2020). Besides, it can also develop students' cooperation and social skills and some aspects of speaking skills, e.g., pronounciation, vocabulary, fluency, and comperhension (Khoriyah et al, 2019). These aspects are very important since they impact the development of students' English-speaking skills.
As a observed in this research, group discussion increased students' participation; it makes it more student-friendly than traditional teaching methods. It also helps self-directed learning and exchange ideas. So, it is true that students will feel happy (enthusiastic) lerning English, especially in speaking skill, because their partners assisted them. Students will tend to be enthusiastic about learning. Therefore, learning through group discussions with partners improves students' English-speaking skill. Moreover, students who study with their partners throughly group discussion can improve Englis speaking skills. This method stimulates students to speak English. Students feel free to talk because they speak English with their friends (Naibaho, 2019). It is in line with this research shows that students could improve their speaking skilss because they could practice it within the group. Besides, using Group Discussion Method in the learning-teaching process built up students' confidence in speaking English. Self-confidence is the confidence of someone toward all of the excess aspects that are owned, and the confidence makes him/her able to achieve the various targets in life (Bennet et al., 2010). Students will feel calmer to study because they are with friends they know. Then, students will be more confident with their answers because their friends will undesrtand the statements. This finding is further supposrted by the argument that speaking is defined as saying things, expressing thought aloud, and using voice talk (Hsieh et al., 2021). Besides, it also facilitates self-directed learning and the exchange of ideas.

CONCLUSION
Group Discussion Method could improve students' performance in various aspects of speaking skills, namely pronounciation, vocabulary, fluency, and commprehension in speaking. With a learning partner, it is clear that all students become more active in asking questions and discussing in groups to develop their English's speaking skills. In addition, the students enthusiastically participated in the learning process during the learning-teaching process with the Gorup Discussion Method because they felt confident and had partners in learning. They could also memorize vocabulary easily, be more confident, and dare to express their ideas. The group discussion is friendly and helps bridge the gap between teacher and students. The students' communication abilities were also enchance. Therefore, the researchers believe that group discussions are more successful than other teaching method. It helps students in improving their public speaking skills. Students in groups could use English among themselves and practice with their friends. Speaking with their friends enchances their confidence in speaking some words without worrying about whether they say any incorrect items