Learning Strategies And Thinking Skills In English Argumentative Writing Skills

Abstract

This research aims; 1) to determine the effect of learning strategies (metacognition strategies, concept map strategies), 2) to determine the effect of thinking skills (critical thinking, creative thinking) and 3) to determine the effect of interactions between learning strategies (metacognition strategy, concept map strategy) and thinking skills (critical thinking, creative thinking) on students' argumentative writing skills. Third semester students of the English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Kuningan were the chosen respondents for this research. A quantitative approach with a 2x2 factorial design experiment was used as the method. Two tests were applied in data collection techniques, namely: (1) Argumentative writing skill test (2) Critical and Creative Thinking skills test. The results showed that learning strategies and thinking skills had a significant effect on students' English argumentative writing skills. The students who learnt with a metacognitive learning strategy were better than those who learnt with a concept map learning strategy. As a suggestion to improve students' argumentative writing skills, lecturers are expected to effectively apply metacognitive strategies in class. Every student has a different thinking skills. The critical thinking skills turns out to be more appropriate for students to possess good argumentative writing skills. Critical thinking needs to be exercised using a syllogism for students to correctly formulate propositions and draw conclusions. An interaction between learning strategies and thinking skills was found on students' argumentative writing skills, thus providing several implications. First, applying the same learning strategy to all students without considering their thinking skills gives a disadvantage for them since in the group of critical thinker students, the application of metacognitive learning strategies resulted in better student argumentative writing skills than those with a concept map learning strategy. Second, though students' thinking abilities also have been considered, the application of inappropriate learning strategies has an impact on the results of students' argumentative writing skills.