THE USE OF RAFT STRATEGY TO ENHANCE THE STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY OF DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE TWELFTH GRADE OF MA BATUSITANDUK

This study aims to provide empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of the RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) strategy in enhancing students‟ writing ability, particularly in composing descriptive texts. The background of this
research lies in the fact that many students still encounter difficulties in writing English texts, especially in vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. Therefore, the study seeks to determine whether RAFT can significantly improve students‟
writing skills compared to conventional teaching methods. This research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, conducted at MA Batusitanduk through purposive sampling. Two classes were selected as the
sample: Grade XII Science 1 as the experimental class and Grade XII Social Science 2 as the control class, with a total of 48 students. The experimental class was taught using the RAFT strategy, while the control class received conventional
instruction. A pre-test and post-test were administered to both groups to measure students‟ writing performance before and after treatment. The pre-test results showed that the experimental class achieved a mean score of 58.79, while the
control class obtained 60.29. After the treatment, the experimental class mean score increased to 72.33, whereas the control class reached 65.33. An independent sample t-test revealed a t-value of -5.432, exceeding the t-table value of 1.671,
indicating that the null hypothesis (H₀) was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Hₐ) accepted. These findings conclude that the RAFT strategy positively impacts students‟ writing skills, particularly in descriptive text writing, and proves more
effective in improving vocabulary, grammar, and writing mechanics among MA Batusitanduk students.

Keywords: RAFT Strategy (Role, Audience, Format, Topic), Writing Skills, Descriptive Text