THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ROUNDTABLE TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT WRITING AT SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMPN 10 TARAKAN
This study examines the effectiveness of the roundtable technique in teaching descriptive writing among seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 10 Tarakan. This study uses a quantitative method with a pre-experimental design. Thirty students participated by completing pre-experimental and post-experimental tests to evaluate their descriptive text writing skills before and after the application of the roundtable discussion technique. Data analysis using the Wilcoxon test showed a significant increase between the pre-experimental and post-experimental test results (Z = -4.915, p 0.001). The findings of this study indicate that the roundtable technique greatly improves students' performance in descriptive writing while increasing their engagement, confidence, and cooperation in class. This technique also makes students more active, responsible, and supportive of each other during learning activities. Therefore, the roundtable technique has been proven to be an effective strategy for improving writing skills and collaborative learning.