Analyzing Genre-Based Descriptive Writing Materials with Hypermedia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the needs of students and teachers regarding the development of Genre Based Approach–oriented descriptive writing materials integrated with hypermedia for seventh-grade learners. The research method utilized a descriptive approach with a mixed methods design (qualitative and quantitative) for the needs analysis. This study involved 64 students of Class VII MTs Negeri 20 Jakarta and two Indonesian teachers as respondents. The data of this study was collected through observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The findings of this study indicate that there are shortcomings in students' ability to write descriptive texts, especially in the development of ideas, text structure, and vocabulary. Teachers tend to rely on conventional methods and rely on textbooks and powerpoint presentations, while the application of GBA stages and the use of hypermedia is still limited. The needs analysis demonstrates a high urgency to improve instructional steps and learning materials that are still dominated by conventional media, in line with the finding that students’ basic skills remain weak (35.61%) and that 81.11% of students show a strong interest in digital media. The results of this study reveal a strong correlation between students’ weaknesses in producing descriptive texts and the limited learning interaction and contextual learning resources available to them. This issue can be addressed through the integration of hypermedia as essential support to facilitate the stages of the Genre-Based Approach (GBA).