OPTIMIZING CRITICAL THINKING SKILL THROUGH PEER EDITING TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING WRITING

The objective of the research was to know the description of how critical thinking skill can be optimized in teaching writing using peer editing technique. Critical thinking skill should be strengthened in writing class to elicit the writing class problem. Applying peer teaching technique was assumed can optimize the critical thinking skill in writing class. This research used descriptive qualitative method. It was conducted to English Education Department students in paragraph based writing class. The writer took one of six classes as the sample of the research. The researcher used observation and documentation to know the description of the class situation. The data which was collected are in form documentation, observation and interview result and students writing and peer editing form which is analyzed descriptively. The result of the research showed that teaching writing using peer editing can optimize the students’ critical thinking skill. It was proven with the minimal error that was produced in the next writing produced and the increasing score of students’ writing. The mean score in the pre-research was 68.62, after the treatment conducted the mean score increased up to 72.90.


A. INTRODUCTION
Writing is one of language skills that students should master.As one of language skills, writing is taught to English class.In the other hand, many students consider writing as the most difficult language skill to learn.As a productive skill writing requires students to produce their idea in written form that requires some aspects of skill such as using good diction, appropriate sentences and correct spelling (Hasibuan, 2013).Thus, writing is not only constructing words into a group of word or sentences but also it should be meaningful and understandable.This fact makes writing become one of the most difficult language skills for students.Moreover, we also fully understand the difficulty of learning to write well in any language, even in our own native language.
Based on the result of pre-research, it showed that 47% of total students from 32 students or 15 students put very little attention of their writing.The important thing was finishing their writing.Generally, there were some cases found from the interview result.First, they are less aware of paragraph structure and sentence construction.This case appeared because some students were over confidence, thinking that their writing was good enough without revising it again.Second, they wrote un-meaningful paragraph.They did not put some transition signals or conjunction to make their writing flow smoothly.This problem makes their writing does not have any coherence.Third, students shared what were in their brain without checking whether their supporting sentences matched with the topic sentence or not.
The case revealed in writing class above should be encountered.It is time for students to put their high attention to their writing.Developing students' attention should hand in hand with developing their way of thinking.Students should be more critical in what they have written.Being critical in doing something especially writing can be enhanced through improving critical thinking skill.

B. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/ or evaluating information from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflections, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action (Philippot, 2009).Through activities provided in the critical thinking skills, students are expected to be more aware and give more attention to their writing.
Based on the pre-research result, it can be concluded that to improve students' awareness and criticism in their writing, teacher needs to find an effective strategy or technique in teaching writing.A strategy that a teacher should find is a strategy or technique which can optimize students' criticism in writing class.Peer editing is one of technique which is assumed being able to improve students' criticims in writing.
Although the use of elision is often used by native speakers, in fact, native speakers are not the only person who use elision in uttering some words in English.Many non-native speakers often use elision when they are speaking in English, including Indonesians.One example of the native speakers of Indonesian who use elision while speaking in English is the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Sri Mulyani.Sri Mulyani is one of the prominent figures in Indonesia, so it is not surprising that Sri Mulyani is often required to speak English.
Applying critical thinking skills in writing class need a technique to make the class more fun and enjoyable.Peer editing is one of technique proposed by Barkley derived from Collaborative Language Learning will make students accostumed to employing series of cognitive processes such as reviewing, reflecting, and analysis (Galvis, 2010).The three main activities done in the learning process is match with the critical thinking skill such as analyzing, synthesizing, reflecting, and evaluating the text.

Peer Editing
According to Sakolkarn (2017), peer editing is useful for students who become editor and the writer.The result of editing will give constructive criticism which will be helpful to improve students' writing.While editing his partner's writing, student will employ his writing skill and knowledge and finally can be used to improve and repair his writing too.This means that students will learn to improve his critical thinking skill while editing his friends' writing that finally will affect to the awareness of error in his writing.
Peer editing is one of key komponent in writing process beacuse students are asked to read and gives feed back form other students' writing.In peer editing, students not only becomes author but also becomes the collaborator of other students to give any feedback.Students will have a chance to work cunstructively in editing other students' writing.Peer editing can be applied in revising phase in writing process.Peer editing introduces students with three main activities: (1) compliments, (2) suggestions, and (3) corrections in response to a sample of student writing.The three steps above are practiced in a small-group session and shared with the class.Then they move to individual editing practice guided by a PowerPoint tutorial and accompanying worksheet.This series of practice activities prepares students to engage in constructive peer editing of classmates' written work on a regular basis (Tompkins, 2003).Pharr stated that after finishing a draft of essay, students can continue it by asking revise from their colleague.It means that peer editing supports writing activities consisting of prewriting, organizing, drafting, and revising (Pharr, 2004).
Peer editing is also proposed to break the problem described above.From Tompkins definition about peer editing it can be concluded that students' writing is revised by his friends.This activity will result some revise and editing that can make students' writing better.Students will know whether their writing has any error construction or not.In addition, by revising other friend's writing will make students more critical in analyzing a paragraph.Unconsciously, they read and try to understand what his friend intend in his writing.They are also trained to write well in their sentence structure, grammar, even diction.Finally, it will result a comprehension and improve their paragraph and discourse construction.
In the other definition, Peer editing involves having students exchange papers in order to give each other feedback on content (Snow, 2006).Teacher's role in this activity is to offer helpfull suggestion rather than evaluation and giving fine decition of the writing quality.Students triy to listen the teacher's suggestion and write it.Although students may reject what teacher suggest, the most important thing is that teacher has tried to give any feedback and create a communication among students in while revising the text.The more interested students are in their message and the response of their audience, the more likely they are to master revision skill.
From the definitions above, it can be concluded that peer editing is an activity where students exchange their writing or paper in order to be edited or reviewed by their colleague.From the activity above, it will result revision, comment or argumentation from the peer editor.
The other research also shows the benefit of applying peer editing in the class.A research conducted using peer teaching aimed to improve students' autonomous learning showed that peer editing gave benefit to the teacher and students because by using this technique teacher got some crucial information that can be used to improve teacher's way in teaching writing and student's writing practice (Deni, 2011).
From the background described above, the writer would like to conduct a research about how critical thinking optimized in teaching writing using peer editing technique.

Peer Editing Teaching Steps Dealing with Critical Thinking Skills
This research used peer editing teaching steps derived from (Barkley, 2005).The teaching steps which was applied in this reseach was described below: a. Students make a group which consists of 2 person each, every member of group are in turns deliver his or her description of his or her idea intenden to write.While his partner is delivering the description of his idea, student takes note, makes questions, and prepares suggestions.b.Every student makes an observation for the individual paper, keeping an eye open for material that might prove useful to the partner.c.Students write their own writing individually.d.Within each pair, students exchange paper drafts for peer editing.Student editors make proofing marks and comments directly on the paper and score or rate the paper with a Peer Review Form, indicating their ratings of each of these elements.e.Each writer revises his or her paper, taking the peer editing into consideration.f.Authors attach the Peer Review Form to the final draft and submit it to the lecturer for evaluation Based on the teaching steps applied in the research, the writer classified the teaching steps into critical thinking which is imployed in the writing class, as follow: a. Analysis is optimized when students paying attention to his partner's description of what will be written, b.Synthesize skill is applied when student started to rivise his writing according to comment and suggestion given by his partner.c.Evaluation skill is employed when student was asked to revise his friend's writing and give comment and suggestion directly on the paper and peer editing form then gave score or rate on the paper.

C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research used qualitative approach that applied applied a case study that typically focus on small groups or individuals within a group and document that group's or individual's experience in a specific setting.In addition, the gathering of information or data is through multiple sources and perspectives (Lodico, 2006).
This paper used descriptive qualitative method to analyze the data where the data which was collected were analyzed and presented in descriptive form.In this research, the writer conducted research at English Department class.She took one of classes as the sample.
After conducting the research, the writer analyzed the mean score of pre-test and posttest of writing test and conducted to know the progress of teaching writing using peer editing.
Besides that, she also analyzed some literatures related to peer editing and critical thinking.
To support the result of research, the writer also conducted a mini interview to the students to know their perception of learning writing using peer editing technique dealing with their critical thinking skills.

D. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
After conducting the research, the result showed that the application of peer editing at writing class can improve students' critical thinking.It was supported with their improvement of their main score of their post-test.In the post test it was yielded that the mean score of their pre-test is 68.62.There was improvement of score in their post-test from 68.62 to 72.90.From the mean score it can be said that the mean score of post-test is higher than the mean score of pre-test.It shows that there is significant improvement in their achievement in writing using peer editing technique.In addition, the score yielded in the post test was supported with the result of students' interview.60% or 21 from 35 of total students agreed that by using peer editing in writing class they can apply their critical thinking optimally.Almost of them got positive impact from the implementation of peer editing in their writing class.They were trained to be more critical in analyzing paragraph and be more careful in composing paragraph.
Furthermore, this research also found that students' critical thinking improved after peer editing was applied in the class as the teaching technique.They were more critical in writing and analyzing the text.From the interview conducted among the students 72% or 25 from 35 of total students agreed that critical thinking should be optimized in writing class.
From the result above it shows that peer editing is appropriate to teach writing.It also approves that teaching writing using peer editing technique can improve students' ability in writing.It is because the activities of peer editing is related with the writing goal that enable student to compose a paragraph well.
To know whether a student has good writing, it needs series of indicators.There are some indicators to measure whether a student has good writing they are: organization, content, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanism.It was supported by McKay (2006) statement that writing covers a number of knowledge and skills.They are as follows: (1) ability to write to suit purpose and audience, (2) ability to organize paragraph logically, (3) knowledge of a growing range of vocabulary, (4) knowledge of a growing range of grammatical structures, (5) ability to punctuate, (6) ability to employ connectives appropriately, (7) ability to follow through a drafting procedure, (8) explicit knowledge of text structures (genres), and (9) ability to write independently.In addition, Harris (1969) also stated that although the writing process has been analyzed in many different ways, most teachers would probably agree in recognizing at least the following five general components: content, form, grammar, style, and mechanics.
From the explanation about writing indicators above, it is assumed that peer editing can improve students' ability in writing.By editing their friend's writing, they will be trained and accustomed to write better because they are more conscious in writing that make them more careful in using punctuation, choosing appropriate word and transitional markers, using grammar when they write a paragraph or text.Beside, for the writers, they can also improve their writing after their text was edited by their partners.This statement was supported with Berg research finding in (Betrand, 2013) stating that they had compared the effects of trained peer error correction (peer editing) and the effects without peer error correction with two groups.Some challenges were noted in classroom organization and the proper use of peer response techniques, but revision strategies and writing quality had shown improvement.

Optimizing Peer Editing can Improve Students' Critical Thinking
From analyzing the peer editing and critical thinking terminology it can be concluded that peer editing can enhance students' critical thinking through the series of activities conducted in peer editing teaching steps.There are some steps in peer editing that matches with the critical thinking they are: reviewing, analyzing, editing, and giving comment.It is supported with Scrivn & Paul in (Philippot, 2009).Definition about critical thinking that it is intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/ or evaluating information from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflections, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
In addition, based on the research finding, 60% of student agreed that they can enhance their criticism in criticizing a composition by using this peer editing technique in writing class.This situation will give positive effect to his writing because he is trained to analyze and criticize the composition so he can write better.It is also supported by Barkley research finding (Barkley, 2005) that by helping students to identify writing problems in the work of their peers, she knew students' development of evaluation skills that they could apply to their own writing.

Critical Thinking is Needed in Writing Class
Beside teaching technique that has important role in teaching writing.Critical thinking is also important to make student to be more critical to their writing because training students to be more critical in writing will increase students' writing ability especially their awareness in composing sentence by sentence, grammar, and spelling and so on.
Moreover, critical thinking is also used when students are asked to revise or edit their friends writing.By their ability to analyze, revise, syntesize, and give comment through reading their friends' writing they unconsciously are trained to be more automatic in detecting some grammar errors, unrelated sentences, paragraph unity and coherence and misspelled words.

E. CONCLUSION
Peer editing is an activity where students exchange their writing or paper in order to be edited or reviewed by their colleague.From the activity above, it will result revision, comment or argumentation from the peer editor.This technique is appropriate to be implemented in writing class because it can improve student's capability through editing his friend's writing.He will be trained to analyze and recognize errors in writing so they can write a text better.
Critical thinking is fundamental discipline that involves conceptualizing, analyzing, evaluating, making judgment and decision, and problem solving.Critical thinking is also important to make student to be more critical to their writing because training students to be more critical in writing will increase students' writing ability especially their awareness in composing sentence by sentence, grammar, and spelling and so on.
Critical thinking as part of writing that is difficult to be separated can be improved when peer editing is applied in writing class.It happens because peer editing activity can cover critical thinking criteria particularly in writing class.It can be concluded that they are in the same vision making student more critical in analyzing, giving comment, and evaluating a text for the sake of better writing.