The Effectiveness of Student-Initiated Media in Developing the Speaking Performance of Junior-High-School Students

This article reports the effectiveness of student-initiated media in teaching speaking to ninth graders of a junior high school. Using a pre-experimental design, this study involved 85 students, being given an experimental treatment in the form of a freedom to choose and use their own media to present an English advertisement, one of the basic competences the students had to master in the semester when the data were being collected. A pre-test in the form of oral interview was given at the beginning of the study, followed by the implementation of the research treatment. At the end of the study, the students took a post-test of a similar format. In other words, the data in this study were in the form of the students’ speaking performance. With the help of SPSS, a test was employed to check the effectiveness of the media. Besides, informal interview with the students show that they felt more relaxed and less anxious when using the media while speaking. It is recommended that teachers make use of such media in the classroom for designing democratic classroom atmosphere so that students experience joyful learning and tend to speak more.


INTRODUCTION
As a means of effective communication, speaking appears one of the most important skills to develop; however, many English teachers regard this skill one of the most difficult to teach as it often involves psychological obstacles and difficulty finding suitable words and expressions (Mei & Masoumeh, 2017). Communication skills, soft skills, and technical skills become essential in this progressive and competitive world; communication plays a significant role in helping people succeed in their personal or professional life. Of the many types of speaking activities, public speaking seems to be important, yet daunting. Glossophobia or speech anxiety is one of the most common problems that people face across the globe. In line with this, researchers have identified that motivation is one of the important factors in tackling speaking anxiety (Galti, 2017). Teachers are then expected not only to solve this problem but also to offer useful tips to improve the speaking skills of their learners by implementing certain techniques in the teacher-learner friendly atmosphere (Rao, 2018).
Using communicative methods in teaching speaking is advisable in order to provide good academic as well as technical and business skills. Such a method involves students in teamwork activities in order to prepare and deliver presentations on certain topics. Therefore, teachers should encourage students to collaborate, to express and share ideas, to organize their thoughts and finally to present them in a logical order in convincing and self-confident ways in order that they can accomplish their tasks and meet the audience's expectations (Simona, 2015). In line with this, several attempts have been done to review the teaching practice and the research of EFL speaking. Much literature has shown the importance of teachers using various media and approaches in developing speaking activities, such as the use of podcast (Bustari et al., 2017), Instagram (Ibrahim et al., 2018), different approaches (Zakaria et al., 2019), digital storytelling (Arifiah & Binawan, 2019), hand puppet media (Hadi et al., 2019), a website (Suryana et al., 2020), and online conference rooms like google meet (Fakhruddin, 2020).
Most of those aforementioned media and strategies, however, are still initiated by teachers with little or even no involvement of students' initiation in determining media or the strategies. In practical conditions, those mentioned strategies may not run as expected by the teachers for some reasons such as lack of feedbacks, motivation, and even resources. Such a phenomenon implies the needs to understand various perceptions of students' initiation since it is widely acknowledged that English learning can be more optimally facilitated when there are no large gaps among them (Susanti et al., 2020). Students' initiation also promotes students' autonomous learning in the class (Khotimah et al., 2019) with a suggestion, in particular, using internet for students' learning to increase their autonomy (independence) in learning.
Learning an additional language is a lifelong endeavour, not one that begins and ends in a language classroom. Literature has revealed that learners and teachers need considerable efforts and take considerable amount of time to be successful in language learning. Therefore, learners are expected to invest their energy and time within and beyond the classroom to develop their language skills. This is in line with the notion of learner independence or learner autonomy; teachers should help learners to move into an area where they can direct their own learning. It might also refer to teachers' developing learning activities which take place without the immediate intervention of the teacher. Learners are motivated to assume responsibility for their own learning. Learner autonomy requires a certain degree of learner involvement, and much research has shown how such learner involvement may lead to a deeper and better learning. More chances for developing autonomy should be offered to learners so that they would get used to it and be more successful in communication skills (Salehi et al., 2015). Consequently, establishing learner-centered classrooms as well as promoting communicative teaching approaches seem to be an ideal learning environment for developing students' oral skills (Qamar, 2016).
The use of student-initiated media has proven to increase students' willingness to communicate (WTC) in English by creating democratic classroom atmosphere so that they experienced joyful learning and become motivated to speak more. This media may also promote Student Centered Learning (SCL) which is also known as Learner Centered Teaching, Active Learning, Person Centered Learning and, in preschools and primary schools, as Child Centered Teaching (Renandya & M. Jacobs, 2016). Student-initiated media emerges in line with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model (Johnson et al., 2012;Johnson et al., 2013). It was highlighted that mobile devices and applications are increasingly considered valuable learning tools, and the 'bring your own device', or BYOD model, is getting more and more attention in the teaching and learning process (Parson & Adhikar, 2016). Students' personal mobile phones and devices are quickly becoming typical resources both inside and outside the classroom (Swain & Pearson, 2013). Furthermore, personal mobile technologies like these can thus be utilized to improve learning in the classroom and to support learning beyond the classroom walls (Ciampa & Gallagher, 2013). In such technological landscape, teachnology use is distinctively made, one that is teacherinitiated (or teacher-defined) and one that is student-initiated (Mifsud et al., 2013). Teacher-initiated uses of technology are often defined as activities developed by teachers based on the curriculum, whereas student-initiated uses as activities that students carry out when they are not performing teacher-set activities.
Nowadays, students tend to be critical on everything around them including their teachers' teaching strategy. Students are generally called digital natives as they are more familiar with the use of technology in some extents. Sweden researchers from Orebro University (Wiklund & Andersson, 2018) show that students appear to be the most frequent users of technology in the classroom; they tend to initiate technology uses for most part of learning. These researchers convince that students often initiate uses directed towards communication and inquiry. However, in this context, teachers and students sometimes complain that teachnology use may distract students, although some regard it as rewarding. For example, some students expressed their enjoyment of the informal learning or time for contemplation and relaxation that results from technology uses. This kind of phenomenon also occurs at schools in Indonesia, so that pros and cons in using technological devices, especially a smartphone at school, have emerged among educators and policy makers.
Educators appreciating the use of technology in the classroom. Cahyani and Cahyono (2012) have summarized that the teachers have positive attitude towards the use of technology in the language classrooms. In case the teachers have not been skillful in using technological facilities, they need to keep up with the development by attending special courses or development programs focusing on ICT (Information and Communication Technology). Several studies have also been done to prove the effectiveness of ICT; social networking systems have improved the speaking skills of ESL learners. Besides, there was a study assisting that web-based storytelling enhances student motivation, promote creativity and imagination, and provide students with more opportunities to practice speaking (Hwang et al., 2016). The results show that technology can stimulate the playfulness of learners. Different learning experiences are offered by the presence of visual media; the media can stimulate students to think creatively so that they can easily get new idea to express when they want to speak (Baidawi, 2016). More empirical evidence is still needed to support the use of student-initiated media. This study, therefore, aims to examine the effectiveness of student-initiated media in developing speaking performance among junior high school students.

Research design
This study employs pre-experimental design which aims at finding out if there is a significant improvement on students' speaking performance after undertaking a treatment using student-initiated media. Student-initiated media was used as the independent variable while students' speaking performance as the dependent one. The population of the study is 85 out 341 students of a junior high school, MTsN 1 Kota Kediri, classified in the Super Class who are more facilitated with learning media such as equipped classrooms with internet access supporting the treatment of this study.

Instruments
The instruments used in this study were a pre test and a post test employing 8 same questions in the form of essay items but using different texts. In the pre-test, the texts were derived from 6 advertisement pictures of the textbook used in Curriculum 2013. While, the post-test utilized 9 classified advertisement texts with less description and more abbreviated words. The questions were presented in Table 1. While, finding out whether the instrument used to collect data valid or not, the validity test was employed as presented in Table 2. If the rcount is higher than rtable, the instrument is valid.  Table 2 shows that there are two invalid items, number 2 asking the name of product/service and number 7 asking the contact number, because those two questions belong to easy to answer. That's why those items would be revised then.
In order to see whether the instrument is reliable to collect data, the researchers utilized Cronbach's Alpha with level of significance α = 5%. If r-count > r-table, the instrument is reliable. Table 3 below shows the result of the instrument reliability. Table 3. Reliability of the instrument Cronbach's Alpha N of Items .765 7 It was found that the reliability coefficient (rcount) is 0,765, which is bigger than rtable resulting 0,632 with level of significance () = 5%. So, it was concluded that the instrument is reliable. It means, the instrument can be used in data collection dealing with English advertiment topic.
Assessment rubrics are used to assess students' speaking skills as presented in Table 4.

Procedures
This study was conducted in five meetings divided into one meeting for pre-test employing an interview, three meetings for the treatment employing a presentation, and one meeting for post-test employing the similar interview. All those oral performances were measured with a same speaking performance rubric ranging from score 1 at the lowest to 4 at the highest comprising pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, and grammar aspects.
The pre-test took place in the researchers' English class clarifying 6 pictures of advertisement texts in chapter 10 entitled "Come and Visit Us!" of Buku Siswa edisi revisi 2018 on page 192-198. Firstly, the students were to observe the pictures on page 191-198 attentively. Then, they were assigned to answer eight questions; kind of advertisement, name of the product/service, description, varieties, time/place, price, contact number, and selling points/promoting words. The students were then addressed the questions randomly so that every students had to respond by speaking naturally. At the same time, the data of the students' speaking performance were recorded based on the scoring rubric.
While, the treatment was conducted after the pre-test by assigning the students to find any advertisement media they prefer or initiate to present in front of the class. The media might vary from the very simple like pictures and realia to the sophisticated ones such as videos and commercial break clips taken from television, youtube, and other online resources. Before presentating the student-initiated media of advertisement, they were to analyze it using a table as presented in Table 5. This analysis table serves as the students' pointer which might be used in the following presentation. Then, the students were assigned to present their advertisement using their own initiated media. Question and Answer (QnA) session followed the presentation assigning the audience to be active participants by asking questions related to the product/service advertised. The same scoring rubric was employed to record the students' performance.
After the treatment, the post-test was conducted resembling the pre-test procedure but employing different texts e.g. 9 classified advertisement texts taken from the same book on page 200.

Data Analysis
The data collected from the pre-test and the post-test were then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 to test the validity, reliability, normal distribution, and hypothesis. A paired sample t-test was employed to see the significant difference of both data. When the significance is < 0.05 or equal 0,05, the null hypothesis (H 0 ) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (H a ) is accepted. In other words, when H a is accepted, the treatment is effective, meaning there is an improvement of the students' performance. Besides, informal interview with the students was also done to find what the students felt when using the media.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This pre-experimental study found that there is an improvement of the students' speaking performance using student-initiated media. The improvement can be shown from the result of the hypothesis test using the paired sample t-test. Table 6 below illustrates the significant difference of both pre-test and post-test. From the table, it is found that the significance of difference between the pre-test and post test is 0,000 meaning lower than 0,05. So, it was concluded that both tests were significantly different or there is an improvement of the students' speaking performance.
When all the data were analyzed, it was revealed that the study supported the alternative hypothesis (H a ). It was also supported by informal interview with the students that they felt more relaxed and less anxious when using student-initiated media while speaking in front of the class. The media could help them to prepare and be used as a pointer in the presentation. The last but not the least, the media successfully attracted more audience to get engaged in the class.
This study has reported empirically the effectiveness of using student-initiated media and also been supported theoretically by previous studies concerning the effectiveness of using certain strategies in teaching speaking such as using podcast media (Bustari et al., 2017), Instagram (Ibrahim et al., 2018), different approaches (Zakaria et al., 2019), digital storytelling media (Arifiah & Binawan, 2019), hand puppet media (Hadi et al., 2019), website (Suryana et al., 2020), and online conference rooms like google meet as media (Fakhruddin, 2020). In addition, this study has seemed similar to the other previous studies regarding technology uses in teaching speaking such as the one conducted by Baidawi (2016) presenting visual media, Cahyani and Cahyono (2012) suggesting teachers' use of ICT, and Hwang et al. (2016) promoting web-based storytelling.
Unlike many previous studies which use media initiated by teachers, this present study has utilized student-initiated media as these studies by Johnson et al. (2012) and Johnson et al. (2013) introducing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), Ciampa & Gallagher (2013) suggesting the use of personal mobile, and Wiklund & Andersson (2018) exposing students to more frequency in using technology. Above all, what makes this study different from those is that on the treatment itself e.g. the larger range of the devices used from the simple to the sophisticated ones and the analyzed table to be prepared before the presentation.

CONCLUSION
This research finding shows that the use of student-initiated media in teaching speaking is effective and applicable to improve students' speaking performance. The media can vary from simple (non-technology) to sophisticated ( with technology support) ones depending on what the students prefer to choose and access around them. The use of student initiated media can also encourage students tend to speak more due to the relaxation and less anxiety embedded.

RECOMMENDATION
In order to enhance students' better performance in speaking, language teachers should take challenges to implement suitable strategies to their teaching by considering new development theories, current teaching trends, and available types of technology in contemporary setting. For further research, it has been recommended to work on factors affecting students' choice on certain media used and the use of technology development in speaking class which is required a lot in this globalization era.