TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION ON CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH IN ENGLISH EDUCATION AMONG ENGLISH TEACHERS IN CIAMIS WEST JAVA

This study is a surveybased research about teachers‟ perception on classroom action research in English education among English teachers in Ciamis. The objective of the study is to investigate how English teachers perceive on classroom action research in teaching English. It varies among English teachers, indeed. Thus, this survey reveals their sight, point of view, and expectation toward classroom action research. Open-ended questionnaire is the only instrument given to 20 respondents during the survey. It consists of 4 questions. Simple random sampling has been applied. All of them are English teachers from elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools and vocational schools in Ciamis. Ten of them are civil servants and the other ten are not. They are from certified and non-certified teachers. The survey result shows different English teachers‟ perception on classroom action research in percentage display taken from four questions. Almost all respondents know the function of classroom action research in connection with finding the solution of overcoming some students‟ learning problems in the classroom. Some of them have ever made classroom action research and know its procedure. All of them expect the government not to put pressure on English teachers to make classroom action research as the requirement unless they will get sanction due to the fact that it is instructed by the Education and Culture ministry. The conclusion is classroom action research has been a big concern among English teachers in Ciamis. The suggestion then goes to all


INTRODUCTION
Teaching English in Indonesia seems to collide with several problems that can be viewed from some perspectives. Those problems might be derived from teaching techniques, methods and strategies or from students" internal and external aspects. It makes sense because English is not its mother tongue. Anticipating this phenomenon, Indonesian government under Kemendikbud has been persuading all teachers including English teachers to highlight any encountered problems, cases, difficulties, barriers in the classroom and they are entitled to construct them in classroom action research. This obligation has been set as the device for English teachers to develop teaching situation in order to achieve better learning and teaching goals. As the reward, teachers will get accumulated credits for their higher salary and it has been the destination for most English teachers. Furthermore, English teachers still fear that without making classroom action research, their status of certified teachers will not survive. Finally, it may head on illegal practices of fake classroom action researches. Thus, this survey based research reveals English teachers" perception on classroom action research in teaching English.
This survey also reveals their sight, point of view, and expectation toward classroom action research required by the government.
Open-ended questionnaire is the only instrument given to the teacher during the survey. It has five questions underpinning teachers" perception, expectation, and hopes. There are 10 samples included into the survey. All of them are English teachers taken randomly in Ciamis.
The reason why this research is undergone because the phenomena of perceiving classroom action research as not teachers" initiative to cope with some possible encountered problems in teaching but simply reach out the reward.
English teachers in Indonesia need to do remarkable practices because it occurs in the complex ecologies of individual, social, cultural settings and in the interactions of local and global contexts. Therefore, teacher quality must be supported by evaluation of effective teaching depending on student outcomes, students who bring diverse experiences as well as other social and cultural background found in classrooms. Darling-Hammond(2006) might address the challenge of how to appropriately measure teacher performance. The problematization of the teaching and learning process enables English teachers work through their own research in order that they can closely examine their role as change agents and decision-makers (Alsop, Dippo, & Zandvliet, 2007), particularly when supporting the literacy needs of struggling readers. From this perspective, the way how English teachers examine their own practices and reflections about how their decision-making impacts student outcomes can be called self-studies which is completed to expand on current literature about situated learning and the contexts in which practices occur (Lewison, Leland, &Harste, 2008), as well as adding to the literature on effective strategies because they provide a thick description of classroom practices. Growing evidence shows that teacher quality and teachers" ability to reflect on their instructional practice critically affects students" learning outcomes (Darling-Hammond, 2006). This article describes how candidates in a graduate literacy program problematized teaching and learning in their own classrooms through the use of action research.
The action research process provides opportunity for teachers to self-assess their practice and make timely instructional decisions based on student outcomes, as teacher-educators.
Besides, action research as one form of teacher-research, which has emerged as a methodology in educational research to help teachers engage in inquiry (Pinnegar & Hamilton,2009). Action research is emancipatory because it "demands that practitioners take a hard look atthe structures and social arrangements that dominate segments of the population" (Newton, 2008, p. 19) some of which teachers themselves might reinforce.
Steps of action research have five steps consisting of identifying the problem area, gathering the data, interpreting the data, action, and evaluation (Ferrance, 2000). English teachers must follow up the whole steps to obtain the benefit of action research. It is to form teacher professional development, to build interactions with other colleges through action research, to impact school change potentially, and to reflect teachers" own practice.
Related previous study which has similarity with present study comes from Hong and Lawrence (2011) in "action research in teacher education: classroom inquiry, reflection, and data-driven decision making". The difference between Hong and Lawrence"s and present study lies on research design where present study uses survey and Hong and Lawrence applied case study.

METHOD
The design of this research is a survey about teachers" perception on classroom action research in Ciamis. There were 20 respondents taken randomly from English teachers in Elementary school, Junior high school, and from senior high school. Matters, Fox & Hunn (2009, 11) stated that to obtain a random (or probably sample, the first step is to define the population from which it is withdrawn. The instrument of this survey is open-ended questionnaire which consists of four questions. First is whether or not English teachers know the function of classroom action research. Second is how often they make classroom action research. Third is whether or not they know the procedure of making classroom action research. Fourth is the question about their expectation for government regarding classroom action research. Matters, Fox & Hunn (2009:20) stated that in open-ended question the respondent is allowed to interpret the question in their own way. A research procedure comprises searching the literature, taking the respondents randomly, giving them the questionnaires, analyzing and interpreting the questionnaire.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Teachers" perceptions, particularly English teachers, on classroom action research vary at one another. The first question is about whether or not English teachers know the function of classroom action research. 80% of respondents said that apart from being instructed by education and culture ministry, the function of classroom action research is to overcome the problem found in the classroom by applying new teaching technique, strategy, or method. 20% still gets confused and consider classroom action research as a means of rising their credits. The second question is about how often they make classroom action research. Only 40% of the respondents answered they have ever made classroom action research once and the rest of them said never.
The third question is about whether or not they know the procedure of making classroom action research. Only 50% of respondents said "yes" and the rest of them still need the help to make it.
The fourth question is about their expectation for government regarding classroom action research. All respondents answered if the government can lower the standard of classroom action research as no longer fixed requirement.
Compared to the previous study, Hong and Lawrence"s finding (2011) in classroom action research in teacher education: classroom inquiry, reflection, and data-driven decision making" shows that action research has been applied as classroom inquiry, reflection, and data-driven for classroom teachers, while the present study reveals different English teachers" perception on classroom action research.

CONCLUSIONS
Classroom action research has been the major concern among English teachers in Ciamis.
Based on the survey result, the majority of English teachers in Ciamis knows the function of classroom action research and its procedure. Few of them have less attention on classroom action research because they said they are not public servants and they are not certified yet although they all know classroom action research. This various English teachers" perception indicates that the government, under Education and Culture ministry, must reconfirm the classroom action research significance in Education particularly English education to eliminate global perception.