THE IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN ESSAY WRITING THROUGH COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY (A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH)

This thesis deals with the improvement of students achievement in writing ability through cooperative learning strategy. In this research, the terms of writing was specified into expository writing. The objectives of this research were to improve the students achievement in writing by using cooperative learning strategy, and to improve the process of learning writing by using cooperative learning strategy. The English Department students of FKIP UMSU were taken as the population of this research, and the third semester students (class III A) which consisting of 40 studentswas taken as the sample of this research. in collecting the data, observation sheet questionnaire and test were used as the instrument of this research. Since this resea.used action research, four steps of application were conducted, namely p1 observation, implementation and reflection. This research was conducted in two cycles because in the first cycle, the result did not pass the criteria of successful. And the findings of this research were, cooperative learning strategy is effective to be Ifni applied in teaching expository writing. And there was a significant progress on the students achievement in learning expository writing. The average of students score was 7038. The class average was passed the minimal standard which was formulated by the researcher, namely 65. But individually, there were 11 students from 40 students or 27.5% from the number of students. It changed in cycle 2, the average of students score was 80.25. The class average was passed the minimal standard which was formulated by the researcher, namely 65, and there was no student who got bir below the standard score. Then, during teaching and learning process, the students were active in attending the learning activity