STUDENTS' CRITICAL THINKING IN WRITING AN ENGLISH EXPOSITION TEXT: a case study in a private university in ciamis - Rohayati, Dedeh (2014)
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji berpikir kritis (critical thinking) mahasiswa dalam tulisan eksposisi berbahasa Inggris,, terutama untuk mengetahui unsur-unsur berpikir kritisnya. Selain itu, penelitian ini juga bertujuan untuk mengetahui pendapat mereka mengenai berpikir kritis dalam tulisan eksposisi berbahasa Inggris tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain kualitatif khususnya metode studi kasus (case study) sehinngga untuk memperoleh data menggunakan analisis dokumen dan wawancara. Penelitian ini melibatkan enam orang mahasiswa tingkat tiga dari program studi Bahasa Inggris di sebuah universitas swasta di Ciamis yang dipilih secara sengaja (purposive). Mereka mewakili kemampuan mahasiswa yang tergolong low achiever, mid achiever, dan high achiever, masing- masing dua orang. Kemudian, dokumen dianalisa menggunakan teori berpikir kritis (Reichenbach, 2001; Ennis, 1996; and Chaffee et al, 2002). Ketiga teori tersebut digunakan untuk menilai berpikir kritis mahasiswa. Sedangkan data dari hasil interview kemudian dibuat transkrip, dikategorikan, dan dikodekan berdasarkan tema utamanya, diringkas, diterjemahkan, dan dituangkan dalam bentuk deskripsi. Hasil data interview ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pendapat mahasiswa mengenai berpikir kritis dalam tulisan eksposisi berbahasa Inggris. Data dari dokumen mahasiswa menunjukan kekuatan dan kelemahan. Dari segi kekuatannya, dokumen tersebut menunjukan semua aspek berpikir kritis mahasiswa dalam tulisan eksposisi yang difokuskan dalam kajian ini, termasuk unsur-unsur berpikir kritis (elements of critical thinking), standar berpikir kritis (critical thinking standards), dan watak berpikir kritisnya (critical thinking disposition). Namun demikian, dokumen tersebut memiliki kelemahan dengan adanya fallacy yang sering muncul, diantaranya, equivocation dan amphiboly. yang mengakibatkan argument tidak berterima. Hal ini menunjukan bahwa mahasiswa masih perlu bimbingan untuk mengungkapkan argument yang efektif dan berterima. Dari hasil wawancara terungkap bahwa pengetahuan mengenai berpikir kritis mahasiswa masih kurang, sehingga untuk memiliki pengetahuan berpikir kritis yang memadai, khususnya dalam kegiatan menulis, mahasiswa mengharapkan pengajaran berpikir kritis dan menulis secara terintegrasi, ataupun terpisah. Diaharapkan penelitian selanjutnya dapat memberikan berbagai metodologi, khususnya metode pengajaran dan penilaian berpikir kritis.dalam rangka memperluas cakrawala keilmuan berpikir kritis yang telah ada. This study was aimed to investigate students' critical thinking in writing an English exposition text. In particular, the purpose of this study was to find out elements of critical thinking demonstrated by students in their writing an English exposition text. Further, it was intended to find out students' opinions about critical thinking reflected in their essays. This study employed a qualitative research design, particularly a case study. To obtain the data, students' texts and interviews were used. The Third Year Students of English Department in private university in Ciamis were chosen as participants. They were 6 students of low, middle, and high achievers who were selected purposively. The data of students' texts were analyzed by using the theory of critical thinking movement proposed by Reichenbach (2001), Ennis (1996), and Chaffee et al (2002). These were very valuable to assess students' critical thinking. Moreover, interview data were transcribed, categorized and coded into central themes, condensed, and interpreted into a description form. This was aimed to provide a description of students' points of view about the concept of critical thinking in writing an English exposition text. The data from student's texts show strengths and weaknesses. In term of strengths, students' texts reflected all aspects of critical thinking in exposition text focused in this study including elements of critical thinking, critical thinking standards, and critical thinking dispositions. However, students' texts were weakened by the frequent use of fallacies which resulted in illogical reasoning, such as equivocation and amphiboly, the most common fallacy made by students in this study. It suggested that students still need guidance in expressing effective and sound arguments. Moreover, the result of students' interviews indicated that students still lack critical thinking knowledge. In order to have an adequate comprehensive knowledge of critical thinking in writing, in particular, they suggested critical thinking and written composition as separate, stand-alone courses or combining them, the two should be taught and combined into an integrated activity. It was recommended that the next research offer the various methodologies, especially, how to teach critical thinking and the technique of critical thinking assessment in order to provide the more enlightening critical thinking horizon.