IMPROVING WRITING SKILL OF THE EIGHTHGRADE STUDENTS OF SMPN 2 KUTA UTARA IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2022/2023 THROUGH CLUSTERING TECHNIQUE

Writing is one of the four language skills which should be mastered by students beside other language skills. This study aims at figuring out the whether writing skill of the eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Kuta Utara can be improved through clustering technique. The subjects were the eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Kuta Utara in academic year 2022/2023. There were 32 students. Besides, the present research was conducted to provide immediate improvement based on the results of the initial reflection which found that the subjects’ writing was still low. Thus, the researcher conducted classroom action research which was done in two cycles. The data were gathered by administering tests and a questionnaire. The data were then analyzed by comparing the pre-test and post-test results which showed a significant increase in the subjects’ mean score. As the supporting data, a questionnaire was also given at the end of the last cycle and the results showed a positive response about the implementation of clustering technique. Based on the results, the present study could be concluded that writing skill of the eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Kuta Utara in academic year 2022/2023 can be improved through clustering technique.