In table tennis, most rallies are short and points
can be scored in a relatively brief period of time.
This makes it a particularly exciting sports to play
and to watch, because one of the players can
suddenly get the momentum and turn the match
(Ruud, Den Hartigh, Christophe, 2018).
This game is done on the table with a specific
standardized size. The players need to cross the ball
over the net and land it in the opponent’s area
(Wisahati, Santoso, 2010). This game also has a
game set that each set contains 11 points with rally
point system in which the first player reaching 11
points will be claimed as a winner (Kusumawati,
2015). If both players have the same point of 10 –
10, then the players need to continue the play until
there will be 2 point difference and the serve is done
alternately. This is called deuce. Table tennis game
is started by a serve and each player makes a serve
two times in a row.
Serve is the first strike in table tennis game
(Hanif, Syam, 2015). The first strike in table tennis
game is known as forehand hit or backhand hit.
Forehand strike is a strike in which the player hits
the ball; the back of the hand which holds the paddle
faces back (Sarjiyanto & Surjawadi, 2010). The
steps in doing forehand serve involve a) standing in
a posture as if taking a step, b) putting the ball in
hand, c) holding the paddle in the handshake grip
position or penhold grip, d) throwing the ball in the
air, e) hitting the ball with the forehand strike. The
steps in doing basic technique of forehand service
include preparation stage, movement stage, and final
movement stage (Simpson, 2014). Preparation stage
consists of standing in a posture as if taking a step
while facing slightly sideways from the table,
leaning the body slightly forward, placing the ball
inside the left palm and place it in front of the chest,
then focusing on the direction of the movement.
Movement stage includes pulling the paddle back,
throwing the ball in the air, and when the ball is
falling, hitting it with the paddle by swinging the
paddle towards the ball until the top of the ball.
Lastly, final movement stage includes moving the
hand to follow the ball’s movement and focusing on
the direction of the ball movement.
Furthermore, table tennis is also one of the
lessons taught in SMP Negeri 8 Gorontalo
specifically in Grade VIII. Physical education,
particularly table tennis lesson has not have the
proper coaching and the suitable teaching and
learning process, including issues of the teaching
and learning process itself, irregular schedules, lack
of school’s facilities and lack of motivation or
seriousness in providing the proper teaching process
in learning forehand serve in table tennis.
Learning effectively requires effective self-
regulation throughout the learning process. Not only
do students have to plan and execute the process for
learning, but they also need to remain on task and
resist.
The learning process is derived from
educational psychology theory and learning theory
which was designed based on analysis of the
curriculum and its implication to the operational
level (Dweck, Cohen & Siegler, 2016). The learning
technique has wider meaning than the strategy,
method or learning procedure.
It has four specific
characteristics which are not possessed by other
learning methods or strategies (Oemar, 2013). They
are rational and logical theory arranged by
educators, the target of the learning process, the
steps of the learning process needed to optimize the
learning process, 4) the learning environment needed
by the students to accomplish the target learning.
To boost the students’ motivation in engaging in
the teaching and learning process, it needs a serious
effort and a scientifically organized coaching
programme. It could be achieved by using the proper
learning technique that is easy to be understood and
will improve students’ learning skill in doing
forehand serve in table tennis game for junior high
school students in grade VIII. The results of the
learning process can be measured from how much of
the learning target is achieved while also measuring
the process of learning (Sutarmin, 2010). Bloom
categorized learning outcomes into three domains
which are: (1) cognitive (knowledge), (2) affective
(attitude), (3) psychomotor (skills) (Mashar &
Dwinarhayu. 2010). With these arising problems, it
needs to find the effective learning technique in
order to give a significant impact in learning
outcomes of the junior high school students
(Husdarta & Yudha, 2014).
The learning technique applied in SMPN 8
Gorontalo Grade 8 which is considered optimum and
suitable for improving the forehand serve skill is
cooperative method using STAD. From the five
models of cooperative learning which are being
examined, STAD is the most consistent method in
giving the positive impact (89%) (Said, 2012). The
STAD cooperative learning process is a learning
approach focusing on small groups of students to
work together in maximizing the learning condition
in order to achieve the goals (Husdarta & Yudha,
2014). This learning technique aims to expand the
students’ social, cognitive and affective skills. This
method was developed by Salvin and involves
having “competition” among the groups. Students