Pismp Tesl Ambilan Januari 2011 PDF

1
Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014
CONTENT
NO.
NAME
TITLE
PAGE
AHMAD RAZKI BIN SEDI
TIC-TAC-TOE IN TEACHING FORM OF WORDS

TO LOW PROFICIENCY LEARNER
AILEEN MUJAN ASIM
THE USE OF PICTURE DICTIONARY IN

TEACHING VOCABULARY AMONG LOWER
PRIMARY PUPILS
12
DG. SYAFIQAH BINTI AWANG

ZAINUDDIN
THE USE OF CUSTOM MADE COMPOSITE

PICTURES TO TEACH VOCABULARY AMONG
LOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PUPILS
22
FRANSCESCA ANAK FRANCIS
USING PICTURE MIND MAP TO TEACH

READING COMPREHENSION
FOR MIXED ABILITY CLASS
32
GEOFFREY LIM FU CHIEN
THE USE OF TRIPLE LINE TEMPLATE TO

TEACH HANDWRITING
43
GEVIANA GLADYSHA ANAK

GEORGE
THE USE OF VOCABULARY CLOCK GAME TO

TEACH VOCABULARY
53
JENNY LU CHEN FEI
THE USE OF SPELLING JAR AS A TOOL TO

TEACH SPELLING FOR PRIMARY ESL
CLASSROOM
61
JICIKA JOHANES
THE USE OF BOOM CARDS GAME IN

TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR LOW
PROFICIENCY PUPILS
71
KONG SUK CHING
THE EFFECTS OF USING HAND PUPPETS ON

PUPILS
MOTIVATIONAL
LEVEL
AND
FLUENCY IN SPEAKING
84
10
MAZIZIANA ANAK DAVID
THE USE OF COLOURED-RULED LINES FOR

THE TEACHING WRITING OF LOWERCASE
AND UPPERCASE LETTERS
93
11
MCELLEY LORIENCE
101
12
MELANIE ANAK JERRY
THE USE OF BINGO TO TEACH VOCABULARY

TO LOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PUPILS
THE USE OF READERS TOOLBOX TO
ANSWER WH-QUESTIONS
13
NUR ALISYAH NAIMAH SININ

ABDULLAH
THE USE OF PICTURES DICE WITH WORD

CARDS AS A TOOL TO TEACH VOCABULARY
TO LOW PROFICIENCY PUPILS
121
111

14
NURFATHIAH SALIYANA
BINTI SALLEH
THE EFFECTS OF USING BINGO GAME TO

TEACH VOCABULARY
133
15
NURHAZWANI BINTI MOHD

NOZARI
USING HAND GESTURES TO TEACH PHONICS

FOR YEAR 2 PUPILS
141
16
SITI HAZIAH BINTI RADUAN
THE USE OF PICTURES LISTENING MAP TO

TEACH LISTENING SKILL
151
17
TEO HOCK BING
THE USE OF PUPPETS IN TEACHING

VOCABULARY
160
18
TIFFANY ANAK GIMBUN
THE USE OF WORD MAP AS AN INTRUMENT

TO WIDEN VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE OF
YEAR 2 PUPILS.
169
19
YIP JUN SENG
THE USE OF MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN

TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION
178
20
YOHANIECA JOSEPH
THE USE OF GUESS AND GO GAME TO

DEVELOP PUPILS VOCABULARY
188
TIC-TAC-TOE IN TEACHING FORM OF WORDS TO LOW PROFICIENCY

LEARNERS
Ahmad Razki bin Sedi
PISMP TESL January 2011 Intake
Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Keningau
ahmadrazkisedi@gmail.com
Gordian Pius
Abstract
The action research aimed to study the effect of using Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils
spelling. It also explored their opinions on the use of the strategy. The research
was conducted in Sekolah Kebangsaan Magatang, Keningau and involved six
pupils of Year 4 Rasional. Tic-Tac-Toe was a type of guessing game which
involved pupils learning vocabulary by emphasizing on spelling. Data
triangulation was adhered to by using measurement, documents and interview
as the data collection methods. A vocabulary test which was the instrument for
measurement was administered before and after the intervention. Worksheets
and structured interview questions were the instruments for documents and
interview respectively. The data collected from the test was analysed using mean
percentage, while the worksheets were analyzed through scores. The data
collected from the interview was analysed descriptively using content analysis.
Findings showed Tic-Tac-Toe had a significant increment of 45 percent of mean
score between the pre and post-vocabulary test. Thus, it indicated Tic-Tac-Toe
had a positive effect on pupils spelling. Findings also revealed that pupils
viewed Tic-Tac-Toe as a good strategy to develop motivation and interest in
learning form of words. Tic-Tac-Toe can be an alternative teaching strategy for
teachers in teaching form of words among low proficiency pupils.
Keyword: Tic-Tac-Toe, Form of Words, Low Proficiency Learners
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari kesan penggunaan Tic-TacToe terhadap ejaan murid. Kajian tindakan ini juga telah meneroka pendapat
murid tentang penggunaan strategi tersebut. Kajian telah dijalankan di Sekolah
Kebangsaan Magatang, Keningau dan melibatkan enam murid Tahun 4
Rasional. Tic-Tac-Toe merupakan satu permainan meneka yang melibatkan
murid mempelajari kosa kata dengan menekankan kepada ejaan. Triangulasi
data telah dipatuhi dengan menggunakan pengukuran, dokumen and temu bual
sebagai kaedah pengumpulan data. Suatu ujian kosa kata yang merupakan
instrumen untuk pengukuran telah ditadbir sebelum dan selepas intervensi.
Lembaran kerja dan soalan temu bual berstruktur merupakan instrument untuk
dokumen dan temuduga. Data yang telah dikutip daripada ujian telah dianalisa
menggunakan min peratus, manakala lembaran kerja telah dianalisa melalui
skor dalam peratus. Data yang dikutip daripada temu bual telah dianalisa
secara deskriptif menggunakan analisis kandungan. Dapatan kajian
menunjukkan Tic-Tac-Toe mempunyai kenaikan min skor yang ketara sebanyak
45
peratus
antara
ujian
pra
dan
pasca
k
1
osa kata. Oleh itu, ia menunjukkan Tic-Tac-Toe mempunyai kesan positif

terhadap ejaan murid. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan bahawa murid-murid
melihat Tic-Tac-Toe sebagai strategi yang baik untuk meningkatkan motivasi
dan minat dalam mempelajari bentuk perkataan. Tic-Tac-Toe boleh menjadi
strategi pengajaran alternatif untuk guru dalam pengajaran bentuk perkataan
dalam kalangan murid berkemahiran rendah.
Kata kunci: Tic-Tac-Toe, Bentuk Perkataan, Murid Berkemahiran Rendah
Reflection on Past Teaching Experience
As I observed my pupils, they had problem to master the four language skills because they have
limited vocabulary knowledge on spelling. I believed that they have tough time to learn English
due to this problem and ended up with frustration and continue to use their native language as a
medium of communication instead. However, I took this as a challenge because I know they are
capable to do so; it is just that I need to improve on my teaching approach by considering the
possible factors. Therefore, I contemplated on the need to devise innovative and interesting
strategy that can help the learners to learn form of word. This was done through reading around
the subject as well as discussion with my supervisor, mentor and fellow trainees.
As I consider what it takes in conducting action research, I decided to start an action research
with a group of weak learners. I supposed that one semester should be enough time for me to
carry out a simple action to investigate and find definitive results. Hence, this has led me to
document the use of language game to teach the learners form of words.
Research Focus
Taking into consideration of the pupils background with their limited exposure to English
language, lack of spelling ability appeared to be the root of problem to master the language skills
since spelling can be found in any skills. When they are unable to memorize an amount of words
especially the high frequency ones with correct spelling, learning English appeared to be tough
for them. I knew that they have difficulty during my lesson based on their facial expression.
When I asked the pupils questions orally, many of them could not respond.
The problem with vocabulary aroused since I did not pay attention on how to teach spelling
explicitly. I only emphasized the word meaning for the importance of particular topic and rarely
encourage them to memorize the spelling for language mastery purpose. Although I managed to
carry out a number of language activities such as spelling race, quiz and vocabulary swat, I
missed the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities on pupils vocabulary and
spelling ability.
I realized that my learning strategy was not helpful at all because pupils did not memorize the
form of word by themselves. Regarding to this situation, spelling ability among the learners
became my concern since I would like to help the pupils to master the other skills slowly by
knowing the form of word. Besides, I wanted them to enjoy the learning environment and learn
as much as possible by taking part in a meaningful and fun activity. It is very important to take
pupils opinion about the activities they participated in the class into consideration. This
feedback helped me to reflect on my teaching strategy as well as made improvement on my
practices in teaching.

Research Objectives
The objectives of this action research were:
1. To examine the effect of using Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils spelling;
2. To explore the opinion of pupils on the use of Tic-Tac-Toe.
Research Questions
The following research questions addressed the above objectives:
1. What is the effect of using Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils spelling?
2. What is the opinion of pupils on the use of Tic-Tac-Toe?
Target Group
The target group for this study was the selected pupils from Year 4 Rasional in SK Magatang
Keningau who followed the course on developing spelling ability in learning vocabulary through
Tic-Tac-Toe. Only six pupils of different gender were selected out of sixteen, three girls and
three boys who came from nearby village which is Kampung Magatang. All of them are Dusuns.
They studied in a mixed-ability class of sixteen pupils. If compared to the other Year 4 class, this
class is considered to be low performance class. The six of them has no particular learning
styles, but I personally believed that they learnt spelling better by participating in a game by
guessing in a non-stressful environment. They are selected for the reason of very limited
vocabulary knowledge, unable to memorize the spelling of the words learnt and seemed to be
unmotivated to participate in my lesson as I observed them for the first three weeks of
practicum. Besides, the six of them were sorted out based on the worksheets given during the
first three weeks.
Action
The action research process I conducted was adapted from Lewin (1946) and Kemmis and
McTaggart (1988). I have chosen this model framework because it especially suited to integrate
action with my classroom practice. Subsequently, many researchers organized their work and
reports following this cycle of steps since it is simple and researcher friendly. I believed that the
procedures introduced by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) was really helpful and purposely to
foster deeper understanding of my teaching situation. At the same time, my decision to use this
research framework was further determined by the purpose of my study as well as research
questions to be answered. The representation of an action research protocol by Kemmis and
McTaggart (1988) is provided below:
Figure 1. Action Research Model by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)

In the initial stage, I reflected on my past and current teaching and learning experiences. I
studied my current teaching situation as well as the pupils learning style. At this stage, I decided
to refer to my practicum journal since I wrote down the issue of concern in my teaching and
learning process every week. Besides, the reflection that I have done for each lesson in my
record book was also helpful to analyze that spelling was the main problem I had throughout the
practicum phase. After referring to these documents, I started to find the core problem I had in
my class thus developed the focus of my research.
Prior to planning, I conducted a short survey to ensure that, what I will be doing is worth to
some extent. Hence, I carried out interviews with the class teacher and the English teacher. At
the end of the discussions, I found out that the problem with spellings really existed among
pupils and we faced the similar problem in our teaching. Besides, their opinions were really
useful enough to help me to identify the root cause of the issue. Next, I also spent my time to
observe on pupils learning styles. I studied how my teaching practice did not suit their needs
which contributed to the difficulty faced by them. I noticed through their behaviours that they
were unmotivated and had no interest in learning form of words.
After I reviewed this situation from different angles, taking into account other individuals
opinions, examined the pros and cons of my teaching practice, I therefore made a decision and
planned to summon selected pupils to join a course to develop their spelling ability through TicTac-Toe. That was a golden opportunity for me to improve myself and try out new strategy
which might suit the pupils for better performance. In fact, the research focus lead me to narrow
the problem and came out with two research questions and objectives to be tested. All of these
were done with the review of related literature.
Implementation
The implementation of this action research took time about almost eight weeks. The first four
weeks were used to reflect on my teaching experiences, design for the research and planning for
actions. Then, the following weeks were used to carry out and observe the intervention together
with collection of data using the predetermined instruments. The action research was conducted
during the third phase of practicum following the timetable and budget that I have agreed with
4

my supervisor. I adhered to the timetable closely so that I could collect data on time and avoid
hassle and any overlap to my data. All the data collected were kept and recorded precisely for
analysis.
Data Collection Methods
1.
Measurement
This method of data collection was used to gather information in order to answer research
question one. I used pre and post vocabulary test as the instrument to compare pupils
performance in their spelling before and after the treatment given. It was an objective test paper
which I divided into three sections. Pupils needed to fill in the missing letters in Section A with
45 questions. In Section B, pupils were asked to complete the spelling of the 26 words with the
first letter given as clue. In the last section, pupils were asked to write down the complete
spelling of the words to the 17 pictures given. An amount of one hour was given to the pupils to
answer all the questions and the test papers were checked by me right after the test. All the
participants were present at the time the test conducted.
2.
Documents
The documents were used to answer the first research question too. Since I gave the pupils
worksheet at the end of each intervention, I refer to these documents closely in order to examine
if pupils showed improvement on their spelling ability. There were nine words tested in each
worksheet which were the same words used in the Tic-Tac-Toe game played earlier. The
worksheets were collected after they answered them individually without any oral interaction
between them in range of 10 minutes. Then, I checked their answers and tabulated the results in
a table form. Marks were only given to pupils who could write the spelling correctly to the
pictures given. There were no compromises given to any missing letters as I followed the
marking scheme strictly to ensure that the data was valid enough to answer the research
question.
3.
Interview
Interview was chosen as the third method of data collection to seek the answers for the second
research question. Since the second research question looked subjective in nature, I preferred to
do face to face interview with the participants of my action research because it allowed me to
ask different participants with the same series of prepared questions. The structured interviewed
that I planned hence helped me to elicit response from them at different perspective after
participating in the Tic-Tac-Toe game. During the structured interview, seven questions were
asked among the participants after they had finished answering the worksheet. The answers to
the questions given were recorded using my mobile phone and transferred to laptop before I
started the full transcription process. The questions piloted were based on their proficiency level
with minimal length as suggested by my supervisor and the subject teacher. However, I have to
translate the questions into Malay whenever possible so that the pupils understand my lines in
order to get the information I wanted.

Data Analysis and Interpretation
1.
Pre and Post-Test Data Analysis
I used measurement to answer the first research question in term of pre and post-vocabulary
tests. The marks scored by the respondents in both test were converted into percentage. I
calculated the mean score of for each respondent in each test to see the average of the overall
performance. The data were then converted into two tables to compare respondents
performance before and after the intervention as a group and individually. Besides, the tables
also informed about the percentage of increment achieved by them during the post-vocabulary
test.
2.
Documents Analysis
In documents analysis, I examined respondents school work in term of worksheets. This type of
data helped me to answer the first research question in the way that I monitored the development
of their ability in spelling along with the 10 interventions. Their worksheets were marked and
given a score in percentage which then I recorded in a table to compare their performance
individually for the whole intervention phase. Notes were also taken to remark their behaviour
which contributed to their performance on the particular day as reference. The findings from the
documents analysis were then displayed in form of the initial table.
3.
Interview Analysis
I transcribe the recorded conversations into orthographic based on the pupils remark on the
questions. To make it more organise and for easy reference, each interview session was put in a
table as one. After the transcription process was done, I started to look for information that was
relevant to the second research question followed by assigning codes by underlining the
meaningful lines. The themes then derived from the same codes that were assigned repeatedly to
aid me writing out the results. This type of data was presented in the findings by rewriting the
line in form of verbatim based on their opinions.
Findings
1.
What is the effect of using Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils spelling?
The research question above was looking for the result of implementing Tic-Tac-Toe on the
target group. The findings for the first research question were based on comparing pupils
performance in both pre-vocabulary and post-vocabulary test, using the test as the instrument.
The pre-vocabulary test was given on 13 March 2014, a week before I started the first
intervention. Meanwhile, the post-vocabulary test was given on 16 April 2014 right after the last
intervention. Table below shows the marks scored by the pupils individually both in the pre and
post-vocabulary test:

Table 1
Scores Obtained by Pupils in Pre and Post-Vocabulary Test
Pupil
Pre-test
Post-test
+/-
(%)
(%)
(%)
47
+47
36
+36
49
+49
45
+45
46
+46
46
+46
Mean
45
+45
Based on the marks shows in the table above, during the post-vocabulary test, all of the pupils
scored over than 30 percent of marks with the minimum score of 36 percent. The highest score
was obtained by Pupil C with a score of 49 percent. The data collected at the end of the test has
prompted me to grouped pupils into two levels of performance using the range of 10 percent.
Thus, there were five pupils who have increased in their ability to spell at the range of 40 to 49
percent, while only one pupil fell into the range of 30 to 39 percent. Although, there was a pupil
that could only obtain the score of 36 percent, but it did not affect the whole mean score because
none of them showed any decline in performance as compared to their results in the prevocabulary test.
Other than measurement, I also used another method of data collection to see the effect of using
Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils spelling. In the context of the first research question, I did analysis of
document in form of school work. The worksheets were given to all pupils in each intervention.
It required them to spell the words represented by the pictures within a time frame based on their
knowledge after participating in Tic-Tac-Toe. The returned worksheets were compiled in a file
for analysis purpose. As I analysed pupils spelling in each intervention individually, I put a
score from one to nine for their work based on the answer scheme. I tabulated a table as shown
below to help me to see their progress.

Table 2
Scores Obtained by the Pupils in Their Worksheets throughout the 10 Interventions
Pupil
Worksheets
(%)
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
11
11
22
11
33
22
44
56
56
67
11
11
22
33
44
44
56
67
11
11
22
11
33
44
56
56
56
78
11
11
22
33
44
56
56
67
22
22
33
44
44
44
56
56
11
11
11
22
44
44
56
56
67
15
11
28
37
46
52
56
67
Mean
(%)
Table 5 shows the scores in percentage obtained by the pupils in their worksheet along with the
10 interventions. Initially, four of the pupils started at a zero score in the first intervention,
whereas the other two started with a score of 11. The highest score of 78 obtained by Pupil C
during the final intervention. Therefore, based on the documents analysis and table tabulated, I
can categorize pupils into two groups; a group with consistent improvement and a group with
inconsistent improvement. Using this formula, Pupil E and F fell into group with consistent
improvement in which they showed continuous increment in score from the first intervention
right until the tenth intervention without any decrement. This automatically suggested that Pupils
A, B, C and D fell into group with inconsistency in performance in which they showed
increment and decrement in performance at the different intervals. However, the scores of all
the respondents in their worksheet started to show a gradual improvement starting from the fifth
intervention without any reduction after that except for Pupil A. Based on my notes, there was a
slight reduction in score of Pupil A during intervention six due to her health condition. She was
sick on that particular day and it could be the reason for her low performance in the worksheet
given.
2.
What is the opinion of pupils on the use of Tic-Tac-Toe?
The pupils generally have positive perception towards Tic-Tac-Toe as a strategy to learn
vocabulary especially to enhance their spelling ability. Based on the interview sessions I had
with them, many of them could speak out the advantages of the game and its effect on them.
Most importantly I can feel that they received the positive vibration spread by the language
game. In short, they found out that they liked the game as mentioned in Ya. Best cigu. Sebab
ada banyak gambar dan kad. Pupils as well mentioned that they benefited from the strategy
because it helped them to understand the topic better Ummmphhh boleh. Saya boleh jawab
latihan masa dalam kelas membaca dan menulis., enabled them to improve their word
8

recognition skill Ya mungkin. Sebab ada banyak gambar sama sinang mau hafal tu ejaan.,
developed motivation to learn words Ya. Saya suka belajar BI kalau cigu bawa kami pi sini.
Dorang lain tidak pi kacau., and finally generated their interest in learning English language
Iya. Best bha main-main sama dorang.
Summary and Conclusion
Based on the research done and data collected, it generally showed that Tic-Tac-Toe has a
positive effect on pupils spelling. The conclusion I derived for research question one suggested
that the results obtained were in tandem with the research done by Dwi Astuti Wahyu Nurhayati
in Indonesia in 2013. Even though we had different context of education in general, but the
similar problems we faced have encouraged me to apply her idea in my teaching practice.
However, I change the language game based on my pupils needs and learning styles. The game
introduced by me gave participants the opportunities to memorize the spelling to certain extent
repeatedly and helped them to write English words correctly. The significant improvement in
spelling showed by the pupils implied that they have developed their learning habits and
attitudes towards words and writing. As said by Henderson (1985), the more deeply and
thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is to recognize it, spell it, define it,
and use it appropriately in writing.
As for the second research question, the results shown described that the pupils had raised their
awareness about the positive impact of Tic-Tac-Toe towards their learning. After concluding
comments from five participants, I found out that all the themes derived from the interviews
were similar to the research done by Huyen and Nga in 2003. Hence, I can now draw conclusion
that Tic-Tac-Toe was able to help pupils to overcome their high affective filter in learning form
of word. It can be used as an alternate activity to strengthen the pupils memory to remember the
vocabulary items that they learnt and the spelling of those vocabulary items in the sense that
language game was able to grab pupils attention and transform their learning style into
pleasurable and rewarding one. Besides, pupils also remarked that this strategy helped them to
lower the stress that the teacher usually put on them in the typical English lesson. This statement
is in line the conclusion wrote by Huyen and Nga (2003) where they stated that suitable
language game brings in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them to learn and retain new
words more easily. Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1984) in their research also mentioned that,
Language learning is hard work. Effort is required and must be maintained over a long period
time. Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work.
Reflections
I view this study as a learning point for me. We cannot take this group of pupils as a burden to
us. Every child has an opportunity to learn, thus they are always our responsibility no matter
how weak they are. What make a good teacher are their experiences. I am very sure that they
were used to this situation before. Indeed, problem with spelling is a serious issue in context of
English as a second language especially in a sub-urban school. Pupils should master this skill to
be able to write with minimal error. This is mentioned in the English Curriculum Standard.
Spelling is broad and it is integrated in the four main skills. In a dictation task for example, it
requires pupils to listen, read and write the input. If they did not master the spelling, they might
fail in the task given.
From this action research, I have learnt so many things in perspective of a teacher. I discovered
that teaching pupils who were unmotivated and apathetic was a difficult challenge to overcome.
Sometimes, good pupils were also unmotivated if the teacher keeps drilling them using the same
9

technique many times. They will finally turn to be disruptive and negative and often require an
extraordinary amount of teacher time to manage their behaviour. Thus, from this research I
learnt that we should not run out of patience as a teacher. We should take this problem as an
encouragement to do some reading about how teachers motivate unmotivated students and
formulate some ideas that could contribute to a students success in school (Mills, 2011).
Suggestions for Further Research
1.
Longer duration for the research
By extending the number of interventions, it can help the teacher to validate the effectiveness of
using Tic-Tac-Toe to teach form of words. Ten interventions might be too short to study pupils
learning style since they are going to learn more words in the future. Besides, the longer duration
of the research might affect pupils performance in the post-vocabulary test, thus the decision to
extend the study will provide them some more time to master the spelling..
2.
Integrate Tic-Tac-Toe with ICT
Apart from that, the researcher can integrate the use of ICT in the game. In this case, I would
welcome any talented researcher to develop new software and modify the available one instead
of using traditional method. This way will help the teacher to reduce the time spent for preparing
teaching aids. Although this strategy makes the learning process more individualistic, but I
believe that it will give chance to more pupils to try out the games. Since every school is
provided with computer laboratory nowadays, the teacher can make use of it for learning
purposes and at the same time to enhance pupils ICT skills as expected by the ministry.
3.
Apply Tic-Tac-Toe in other language skills
When I was conducting this research, I figured out that this game can be applied to other
language skills too. For example, when guessing the words behind the card cases, I asked pupils
to use sentence structure that I provided to them. This kind of practice will train pupils to apply
their knowledge of speaking skill in a real context. Nevertheless, this game is not limited to
learning form of words only as you can as well make use of it to motivate pupils to learn reading
with careful design.
References
Dwi Astuti Wahyu Nurhayati (2013). Improving students English word spelling
ability by using world olympics game. Asian EFL
Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2014, from The EFL Professional Written Forum:
http://asian-efl-journal.com/ quarterly-journal/2013/12/31/improving-students-englishword-spelling-ability-by-using-world-olympics-games/
Henderson, E. (1985). Teaching spelling. Boston : Houghton Mifflin.
Huyen, N. T. T., & Nga T. T. (2003). Learning through vocabulary games. Asian
EFL Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from The EFL Professional Written Forum:
http://asian-efl-journal.com/ quarterly-journal/2003/12/31/learning-vocabulary-throughgames-the-effectiveness-of-learning-vocabulary-through-games/
10

Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (1988) 'Action research', in J. P. Keeves (ed.) Educational
research, methodology, and measurement: an international handbook,
Oxford,Pergamon.
Lewin, K. (1946) 'Action research and minority problems', Journal of Social Issues, 2, pp3446. Reprinted in K. Lewin Resolving Social Conflicts and Field Theory in Social
Science, Washington DC, American Psychological Association, 1997.
Mills, G. E. (2011). Action research: a guide for the teacher researcher fourth edition.
Boston: Pearson Education.
Wright, A., Betteridge, D., & Buckby, M. (1984). Games for language learning. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
11

THE USE OF PICTURE DICTIONARY IN TEACHING VOCABULARY AMONG
LOWER PRIMARY PUPILS
Aileen Mujan Asim
alyn_aya@yahoo.com
Jausip @ Joseph Yabai
Abstract
This action research examined the effect of picture dictionary on pupils
vocabulary development. This research also investigated the views of the pupils
on the use of picture dictionary. This action research involved a total of 27
pupils of Year 3 Jauhari, consisted of 11 males and 16 females of Sekolah
Kebangsaan Banjar, Keningau. The strategy used in this action research was
picture dictionary as a tool to teach vocabulary. The data was collected using
measurement through a test which was given before and after intervention,
survey with a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and interview with structured
interview questions as instruments. The test scores were analysed using
percentage and mean percentage. The questionnaire was analysed using mean.
The interview data was interpreted descriptively using content analysis. The
research findings showed an increment in the pupils test score in mean
percentage from 46.89% to 76.11%. The pupils responded positively towards
the use of picture dictionary whereby the total mean score of the questionnaire
was 4.60 and had a positive response to the use of picture dictionary. This
showed that picture dictionary had a positive effect. This action research
showed that the strategy of using picture dictionary can be considered as a tool
to improve the vocabulary development among lower primary pupils.
Keywords: teaching vocabulary, picture dictionary, lower primary pupils
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan kamus bergambar kepada pembangunan
kosa kata murid-murid. Kajian ini juga mengkaji pandangan murid-murid
mengenai penggunaan kamus bergambar. Kajian tindakan ini melibatkan
sejumlah 27 orang murid daripada Tahun 3 Jauhari, iaitu seramai 11 lelaki dan
16 perempuan dari Sekolah Kebangsaan Banjar, Keningau. Strategi yang
digunakan dalam kajian tindakan ini ialah dengan menggunakan kamus
bergambar sebagai bahan untuk mengajar kosa kata. Data dikumpul dengan
menggunakan pengukuran melalui ujian yang telah diberi sebelum dan selepas
intervensi, tinjauan dengan menggunakan soal selidik skala lima Likert dan
temubual dengan soalan berstruktur sebagai instrumen. Skor ujian telah
dianalisa menggunakan peratusan dan peratusan min. Soal selidik dianalisa
dengan menggunakan min. Data temubual dianalisia secara deskriptif
menggunakan kandungan analisis. Hasil kajian menunjukkan peningkatan
dalam skor ujian murid dalam peratusan min dari 46.89% kepada 76.11%.
Murid-murid memberi maklum balas secara positif terhadap penggunaan kamus
bergambar iaitu dengan skor min keseluruhan soal selidik adalah 4.60 dan
memberi maklum balas positif kepada soalan berstruktur dalam temubual. Ini
12

telah menunjukkan bahawa strategi menggunakan kamus bergambar boleh
dianggap sebagai bahan yang disarankan untuk meningkatkan pembangunan
kosa kata dalam kalangan murid-murid tahap satu.
Kata kunci: pengajaran kosa kata, kamus bergambar, murid-murid tahap satu
Reflection of Past Teaching Experiences
The first day I entered the classroom; the young learners were very passive and talked less. Most
of the pupils did not use full English even though the introductory phrases were in simple
English. I found that it was very difficult to give simple instructions and getting responses from
these young learners when they were prompted with questions. With no responses and feedback
from these young learners, it had hindered me, as an English teacher, to achieve my objectives
within the lessons taught. The pupils sometimes gave no response when they were asked with
recognising some words and explaining them during the lessons. They could utter the words but
could not define it. When asked on why they gave no response, generally they said they had not
heard or did not know the meaning of the words at all. They felt that there were lots of
unfamiliar words introduced to them. I discovered that I had lots of flaws in teaching them the
language as I went along with my lessons. Most of my lessons were drilled and the pupils
seemed to be bored with them. I believed that I did not serve them with the purposes of
exploring the language and the opportunities to apply the language itself. Drilling was the
conventional way of teaching that I used which most would refer it as the chalk and talk method.
Any words that the pupils did not understand, I would write them on board and explained to
them verbally. I always assumed that the pupils would understand what I was explaining to
them. However, making assumptions was the biggest mistake made. A majority of them were
not able to understand words and phrases, what more to say to pay attention towards a boring
explanation. The worst part of all was that I began to explain the meaning of the word in Malay
language and mostly ended up translated the keywords that I wanted to introduce to them.
Focus of the Research
This research focused to examine whether the use of picture dictionary helped me to teach
vocabulary among the Year 3 Jauhari pupils effectively. Based on the problem discovered, the
strategy of using picture dictionary in teaching vocabulary was used. The information gained
from the observations and discussions among the English teacher and the pupils had helped me
to gain useful information. Therefore, I decided to use picture dictionary to teach vocabulary in
the classroom. This action research focused on the use of picture dictionary on the pupils
vocabulary development. Apart from that, my focus was also on discovering the views of the
pupils on the use of picture dictionary.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this study are to:
(a) examine the effect of picture dictionary on pupils vocabulary development.
(b) examine the views of the pupils on the use of picture dictionary.
Research Questions
(a) What is the effect of the use of picture dictionary on pupils vocabulary development?
(b) What are the views of the pupils on the use of picture dictionary?
13

Target Group
My target group was made up of the pupils from Year 3 Jauhari in SK Banjar. This class had a
total of 27 pupils. There were 11 males and 16 females in this classroom. The pupils races were
Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Kadazan, Filipinos, Bumiputera Sabah, and others. These pupils were
mostly intermediate learners yet had difficulties in learning vocabulary.
Implementation of Action
For this action research, I referred to the action research model proposed by Kemmis and
McTaggart (1988).
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggarts Action Research Model

Their model of action research is typically used by researchers and it has four simple yet broad
phases in a cycle. Based on Kemmis and McTaggarts model of action research, the first step is
planning, follows with action and observation, and lastly, ends with a reflection.
a) Survey and analysis of the problem
For information gathering on the pupils backgrounds and proficiency level, I obtained their past
results from their English teacher and also from the examination department. The pupils
background were obtained from their classroom teacher. Furthermore, I carried out a simple
diagnostic test to discover the pupils area of weaknesses and their proficiency level of the
language. The result from the diagnostic test showed that most of the pupils were weak in their
vocabulary knowledge.
14

b) Action Planning
I planned and decided to use picture dictionary as a strategy to teach vocabulary among the
pupils. This strategy was used for ten times interventions. I used and prepared instruments in
collecting data and information to seek for answers for the research questions that I had. These
instruments consisted of a test which was given before and after the interventions, a survey with
a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and structured interview questions.
c) Action
Based on the action planned, I used picture dictionary as a strategy in teaching vocabulary
among the pupils in Year 3 Jauhari for ten times interventions. Before picture dictionary was
introduced, I distributed and conducted a test to all of the pupils. After the intervention was done
for ten times, I gave the same set of test to the pupils. I also prepared and conducted survey with
a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire where all of the items were in bilingual. This survey
involved all of the pupils in Year 3 Jauhari. Lastly, I interviewed a total of seven pupils by using
structured interview questions. These questions were also prepared in bilingual.
1. Measurement
Measurement was used to collect data to answer research question one. The test was given to the
pupils before and after the intervention. I constructed the items in the vocabulary test paper.
Both pre and post vocabulary test were the same test design and format. The test paper was
designed based on a specified table of specification. The answer and marking schemes were
prepared beforehand. The test paper consisted of four sections of which the first section known
as Section A, encompassed of multiple-choice questions with a total of ten items, Section B with
20 blank-fillings that concentrated on spelling, Section C with five blank-fillings and the last
section, Section D with identification or recognition of ten words.
2. Survey
Survey was used to collect data to answer the second research question. Cohen, Manion &
Morrison (2007) lines up the types of questionnaire items. He states that there are several kinds
of question and response modes in questionnaires, including, for example, dichotomous
questions, multiple choice questions, rating scales, constant sum questions, ratio data and openended questions. In these several kinds of modes, by using questionnaire with a total of eight
items, a five-point attitude Likert scale was used. It consisted of scales with indicators of (1) that
implied for strongly disagree, (2) for disagree, (3) for neutral, (4) for agree, and finally (5) for
strongly agree. I designed all of the eight items for the questionnaire that reflected the views on
the use of picture dictionary. The items had been constructed based to discover the views of
pupils on the use of picture dictionary in teaching vocabulary. The items were in bilingual. The
survey was conducted among Year 3 Jauharis pupils only.
3. Interview
Corresponding to the second research question, interview was used to collect data to infer the
views of pupils on the use of picture dictionary in teaching and learning vocabulary. Norton
(2009) has mentioned three types of interview. These types are structured, semi-structured and
unstructured. A total of eight structured questions were used in this interview. There were seven
15

pupils selected for this interview. These pupils were selected as they were able to give responses
and insights on the intervention used in the classroom. The interviews took place at the schools
library during break time. The pupils were interviewed individually.
Analysis and Interpretation of Data
i) Measurement
The analytical values of the pupils results of their test papers were interpreted through
calculation of the percentage and mean scores. The difference of pre-test and post-test results
was compared to observe the overall progress of each pupil. The difference in mean scores of
pre test and post test would be interpreted either if the value dropped, which indicated by
negative symbol, and the value increased, indicated by the positive symbol. The basic formula
used for mean is described as in Figure 2.
Mean:
Figure 2. The formula used to calculate mean

Where:
(sometimes call the X-bar) is the symbol for the mean.
(the Greek letter sigma) is the symbol for summation.
X is the symbol for the scores.
N is the symbol for the number of scores.
ii)
Survey
Questionnaire would provide me with simple means to collect information on the pupils
general attitude on the intervention proposed. The survey carried out also offered a wider
view on the pupils agreement on the suggested topic area about the intervention used. In
this survey, a set of eight items was prepared in the form of questionnaire. The
questionnaire that I used comprised of five-point Likert scale. Norton (2009) outlines that
the Likert scale produces a differentiated scale of responses (usually five or six) which
allows for an overall score where a high score would indicate a strong positive attitude and
a low score would indicate a strong negative attitude. As I used Likert scale, the frequency
of the opinions of pupils was calculated at first. Through the frequency, the mean value for
each item was calculated for proper analysis of the whole tendency of agreement or
disagreement of the pupils of the use of picture dictionary in learning vocabulary. An
overall mean score to all of the mean values calculated was analysed and further
interpreted. Through the results from the scale of the questionnaire by counting its total
mean score, this would enable me to see the effect of the use of picture dictionary in
learning vocabulary in the pupils point of view. The results may be varied of either it gave
positive or negative effect.
16

iii) Interview
The pupils were purposely selected based on their tendency of answering and giving
responses. These pupils were also selected because they were able to communicate and able
to talk to. Since there were seven pupils chosen, consisted of both females and males, I
interviewed them on some particular days at different times. As these pupils had low
competency in speaking, especially in answering the questions in English, I had prepared
the interview questions in bilingual form. The outcomes of the interview were analysed
descriptively.
Findings
i)
What is the effect of the use of picture dictionary on pupils vocabulary development?
This research question aimed to find the effect of the use of picture dictionary on the pupils
vocabulary development. In order to gain data to answer this research question, I used
measurement method to find out the effect of the use of picture dictionary on the pupils
vocabulary development. Thus, the instrument used was pre and post vocabulary test which were
composed of the same structures and marking scheme. The data gathered are shown as in Table
1 and Table 2 as listed below.
Table 1.
Comparison of the Mean Score of Pre and Post Tests
NP
PRE TEST (%)
27
46.89
POST TEST (%)
% (+/- ve)
76.11
+33.78
The Table 1 above shows the mean score in percentage of both pre and post vocabulary tests
among Year 3 Jauhari pupils. The mean score for pre vocabulary test allocates 46.89% and as for
the mean score for post vocabulary test, it comprises of 76.11%. The difference of both pre-test
and post-test mean score results indicates an increment of +33.78%. This suggests that the use of
picture dictionary in teaching vocabulary among lower primary pupils has a positive effect on
the pupils vocabulary development.
ii) What are the views of the pupils on the use of picture dictionary?
This research question focuses on the views or perceptions of the pupils towards the used of
picture dictionary in teaching and learning vocabulary. For this research question, I had come
out with different findings from two data collection methods. The findings were found from both
the survey given to all of the 27 pupils and personal interviews with the pupils.
17

Table 2.
Mean Score for Every Item in the Survey on Pupils Views on the Use of Picture Dictionary
ITEMS
STATEMENT
MEAN
Improvement in
vocabulary
Word Recognition
4.44
4.56
Comprehension of
Topic
Word Memorisation
Spelling
4.59
Word Meaning
4.74
Learning Motivation
4.48
Practicality of
Intervention
4.56
1
2
3
4.74
4.70
4.60
Overall
The overall mean for all of the items that can be seen from Table 3 showed a total of 4.60. It
shows that the pupils agreed to every items in the questionnaire that further suggested that they
had positive views on the use of picture dictionary in learning vocabulary.
In accordance and in response to the same research question, findings from interviews of the
pupils had contributed to different views among the pupils on the use of picture dictionary in
teaching and learning. I conducted a total number of seven interviews with seven pupils
respectively. I discovered that the pupils have mostly similar views yet with some distinguishing
views from the questions prompted to them on the use of picture dictionary in teaching and
learning vocabulary.
Overall, the pupils responded that they found that picture dictionary was a good strategy to be
used in learning new words such as stated below:
Suka. Iya. Oh. Dia ada emm gambar. Boleh hias dia lagi. (Like. Oh. It has emm
pictures. Can decorate it too)
Sukak. Sebab dia bolehemmembantu saya untuk membacasebab dia cantik.
Boleh kasi hias dan kertas dia warna-warni. (Like. Because it canemhelp me to
readbecause it is beautiful. Can decorate and the papers are colourful.)
Through the responses given, I found out that the pupils liked to use this picture dictionary in
learning new words.
However, there were distinguishing answers when I questioned the pupils on their views of
comprehending the topic taught to them better with the aid of picture dictionary. Out of the
seven pupils interviewed, two of them responded that they did not really understand the topic
when using the picture dictionary where they stated:
18
Tidak. Sikit sahaja faham. Sebabdia susah sikit mungkin. Perkataan yang mahu
dieja. (No. Only understand little. Becauseit maybe difficult a little. The words that
needed to be spelt.)
Tidak. Tidak berapa. Ada apa.empaham juga. Yang senang pahamyang
susahpaham ikit saja. (No. Not really. It hasemunderstood also. The easy ones
can understandthe difficult onesunderstand a little only.)
Nevertheless, the rest of the pupils responded positively towards this question. These were some
of their responses towards the question:
Iya. Perkataan dia. Perkataan dia boleh saya tahu dari itu Picture Dictionary.
Perkataan dia juga mudah (Yes. Its words. I know the words from that Picture
Dictionary. The words were also easy)
Boleh. Boleh faham. Sebab dia bolehemboleh membantu dan mengajar kita semua
dengan adanya tu perkataan sama gambar dia. (Can. Can understand. Because it
can.emcan help and teach us everything with the words and its pictures).
In conclusion, through both research questions and the findings, the pupils of Year 3Jauhari were
able to learn and develop their vocabulary through the application of picture dictionary.
Summary/Reflections
This action research aimed to examine the effect of picture dictionary on the pupils vocabulary
development and to examine the pupils views on the use of picture dictionary. Based on the
findings of this action research, it was identified that the use of picture dictionary in teaching
vocabulary among lower primary pupils had an effect on the pupils vocabulary development.
Through the findings that had been discovered and analysed, it indicated that there was a
positive effect in the pupils vocabulary development.
In addition, the pupils gave mostly positive views on the use of picture dictionary in teaching
and learning new words. The overall feedbacks received from both of the survey and interview
conducted exemplified that the pupils were interested and preferred the use of picture dictionary
in the teaching and learning of new words. The total mean of the survey conducted was 4.60
based on the 5-point Likert scale in which scales 4 and 5 were the positive agreements towards
the respective items. In accordance to this, the personal views of the pupils regarding on the use
of the picture dictionary in learning new words or vocabulary had mostly supported and agreed
to the efficacy of this tool. The pupils showed their likeness and agreements that the picture
dictionary introduced helped them to develop their vocabulary.
The researches done on the use of picture dictionary or in some using the word pictures or
visuals, had indicated positive results from their researches. One of the researches was by Venti
Sulistian (2011), concluded in her research that the results of the students that were taught after
using picture dictionary was high. In tandem to this, the action research had e exemplified the
similar patterns in the pupils vocabulary development. Thus, the use of picture dictionary can be
considered as a useful strategy that English teachers can use in their classroom to teach
vocabulary.
19

I believed that every teacher should constantly improve themselves in many ways especially in
teaching and learning practices. A common, typical and repetitive approaches, techniques or
methods used in a classroom can create boredom among the learners. The same and dull
practices used in the classroom can eventually lead to the loss of interest in the teaching and
learning processes itself. It would be a ringing bell of reminder for teachers by simply looking at
pupils expression where they soon lose their attention, complaining about the boring and the
same teaching practice was carried out again and again in the classroom. It basically meant that
teachers should find varieties in the teaching and learning practices in the classroom from time
to time.
i)
Time boundary
Based on the results, findings and feedbacks by different sources, I believed that the strategy
used can be improvised in many ways. It would have been better to conduct picture dictionary in
the classroom where time allocated for the application of the strategy is adequate for both the
teacher and the learners to know the words in depth. The more the time given for an activity to
be carried out, the more the opportunities for the language to be learnt.
ii) Integration with Various Strategies
Furthermore, the integration of other teaching strategies can help to get the pupils to interact
with each other rather than to be dependent on the guessing part. One of the strategies that can
be integrated is by using word puzzle. It helps the learners to guess, instead of the word being
pronounced, it is seen in written form. In addition, it helps to strengthen their memorisation of
the spelling of the words.
iii) Sentence Building Skill
It is always important to give a rather challenging than difficult task to the pupils in order to
build their thinking skill of the language. Thus, getting the pupils to write at least one sentence
for each word can help them to improve in their writing and building sentence skill. Apart from
labelling or naming the pictures, the intervention can be enhanced or used to the next level by
requiring the pupils to write at least one simple sentence by using the word, focusing on the
pupils writing skill.
iv) Authenticity of the Learning Resources
Giving the pupils the chance to choose their own pictures for their dictionary creates a space of
authenticity in the activity carried out. The pupils have the sense of responsibility of their own
learning by seeking for the pictures of the keywords that they are going to learn on the next day.
20

References
Cohen, L., Manion, L,. & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. 6th Edition.
New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Norton, L. S. (2009). Action research in teaching & learning: A practical guide to conducting
researches in universities. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Venti Sulistian. (2011). The use of picture dictionary in improving students vocabulary
mastery: A case of the kindergarten students of Paud Pelita Mandiri Semarang. IKP
PGRI Semarang, Indonesia.
21

THE USE OF CUSTOM MADE COMPOSITE PICTURES TO TEACH VOCABULARY
AMONG LOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PUPILS
DG. Syafiqah Binti Awang Zainuddin
syafiqah.awangzainuddin@gmail.com
Vasanthi a/p Subramaniam
Abstract
This action research explored the effect of custom made composite pictures on
vocabulary performance of low language proficiency pupils. This research also
investigated the effect of custom made composite pictures on spelling ability of
low language proficiency pupils. In addition, the research also studied the effect
of custom made composite pictures on the motivation of low proficiency pupils
in learning vocabulary. The action research conducted in Sekolah Kebangsaan
Menawo, Keningau, involved 24 pupils from Year 3 Bestari. This research used
custom made composite pictures to teach vocabulary. Three different data
collection methods that were used in this research were measurement,
observation, and interview. The instruments used were a test administered
before and after the interventions, a five-point Likert scale checklist and
structured interviewed questions respectively. Findings showed there was an
increase of 79.33% in mean percentage between the pre and post-tests. That
indicated custom made composite pictures helped to improve the vocabulary
performance of low language proficiency pupils. Furthermore, there was
increment of 87.63% mean percentage for the spelling test. In addition, findings
also showed that custom made composite pictures helped and had a positive
effect on the pupils motivation. Custom made composite pictures can be used
by teachers for pupils with low proficiency in English language in primary
school.
Key words: vocabulary, low language proficiency pupils, custom made
composite pictures.
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini dijalankan bagi meneroka kesan gambar berangkai ciptaan
sendiri dalam pencapaian kosa kata bagi murid-murid yang mempunyai tahap
bahasa yang rendah. Kajian ini juga mengkaji kesan gambar berangkai ciptaan
sendiri ke atas kebolehan mengeja bagi murid yang mempunyai tahap
penguasaan bahasa yang rendah. Kajian ini juga mengkaji kesan gambar
berangkai ciptaan sendiri ke atas motivasi murid belajar kosa kata. Kajian ini
yang dijalankan di Sekolah Kebangsaan Menawo, Keningau, melibatkan 24
orang murid daripada Tahun 3 Bestari. Kajian ini telah menggunakan gambar
berangkai ciptaan sendiri untuk mengajar kosa kata. Tiga kaedah pengumpulan
data yang berbeza digunakan dalam kajian ini iaitu ukuran, pemerhatian, and
temubual. Instrument yang digunakan ialah ujian yang ditadbir sebelum dan
selepas intervensi, senarai semak lima skala likert, dan temubual berstruktur.
Dapatan menunjukkan terdapat peningkatan sebanyak 79.33% dalam min
peratus diantara ujian pra dan ujian pasca. Ini menunjukkan gambar berangkai
22

ciptaan sendiri membantu untuk emningkatkan pencapaian kosa kata murid
yang mempunyai tahap penguasaan bahasa yang rendah. Disamping itu,
terdapat peningkatan sebanyak 87.63% min peratus dalam ujian mengeja.
Selain itu, dapatan menunjukkan gambar berangkai ciptaan sendiri mempunyai
kesan positif ke atas motivasi murid. Gambar berangkai ciptaan sendiri boleh
digunakan oleh guru untuk murid-murid yang mempunyai penguasaan yang
rendah dalam Bahasa Inggeris di sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci : kosa kata, murid yang mempunyai tahap penguasaan bahasa yang
rendah, gambar berangkai ciptaan sendiri.
Reflection on Teaching and Learning Experience
I was assigned to Year 3 Bestari class in Sekolah Kebangsaan Menawo, Keningau. My target
group of Year 3 Bestari consisted of low language level proficiency pupils. Thus, I prepared
myself because I understood the pupils and situation which I was dealing with for the three
months of practicum. During the third day I was in this school, I carried out a diagnostic test to
study or examine the most critical problems faced by my pupils in learning English language. To
be honest, the result was shocking and disappointing to me. The only words to describe the
results of the test were these pupils had real big problems in learning English. They had
difficulties in almost every aspects of English language learning such as spelling, limited range
of vocabulary and penmanship.
I taught all the four skills using different types of strategies. I used a lot of activities such as
language games, quizzes which I asked them to present their work in front of the class; I
provided them with worksheets and many more other activities. However, within a few weeks of
carrying the lessons with them, I realized that the biggest barrier for my pupils to learn English
was their limited range of vocabulary.
Vocabulary is really important in English language. Harmer (1993) reaffirms this by saying If
language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that provides the
vital organs and the flesh. This I noticed from the first time I entered the class on 28th January
2014, as they did not understand almost all of my instructions. They had extremely limited range
of English vocabulary. They needed lots of guidance before starting to do something. I used
various strategies to teach the vocabulary such as using word cards, teaching them to use
dictionary to find the meaning of the words, drilling method, and others. Ultimately, they kept
on waiting for me to do all the translation using the Malay language. Due to this difficulty of
poor vocabulary mastery, it leads them to face other major problems such as reading
comprehension, writing sentences, including applying English language in their daily routines.
Focus of Research
There were three important aspects which I needed to focus on. Firstly, I wanted to search the
best way to teach vocabulary to low language proficiency level of pupils in order to make them
understand and able to memorize the words effectively. I had to find out the techniques which
are helpful to me to improve my teaching practices, and make sure that it fits very well with the
needs of my pupils. Subsequently, it would provide positive and great impact towards my pupils
in overcoming their problem. Next, I wanted to find an effective method to help my pupils in
remembering the new vocabulary that they have learnt in my lessons.
23

Finally, I wanted to find solutions with the intention of building motivation in pupils in the Year
3 Bestari to learn English language especially during the teaching and learning process on the
classroom. Students learning attitudes largely depend on their beliefs about language teaching
(Ellis, 1994). Moreover, Ellis asserts that individuals learning a language have shown that they
have certain perspectives about how they can acquire the language. They may have thought of
the concept and approaches that enable them to learn the language. Consequently some learners
are fearful while others are confident in learning new language. Thus I believe that motivation
would lead to a positive attitude towards something and in this case was my pupils
understanding of English language. I wanted to help my pupils to improve their vocabulary
which I felt was an area of concern that I wanted to focus on. Hence I decided to use custom
made composite pictures to help them to improve on their vocabulary performance as well as
their motivation to learn the language.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this research were:
1) To explore the effect of custom made composite pictures on performance in vocabulary
among low language proficiency pupils.
2) To investigate the effect of custom made composite pictures on spelling ability among low
language proficiency pupils.
3) To study the effect of custom made composite pictures on motivation among low language
proficiency pupils.
Research Questions
1) What is the effect of custom made composite pictures on performance in vocabulary among
low language proficiency pupils.
2) What is the effect of custom made composite pictures on spelling ability among low
language proficiency pupils.
3) What is the effect of custom made composite pictures on motivation among low language
proficiency pupils.
Target Group
I was given Year 3 Bestari class of Sekolah Kebangsaan Menawo, Keningau. There were 24
pupils in this class which consisted of 9 boys and 15 girls. Generally, all of the 24 pupils in this
class were 9 years old. Basically, the pupils in this class had low language proficiency level.
This was because the school had conducted a placement test where the pupils with better
language proficiency were placed in the Year 3 Intellect class and the weaker pupils in the Year
3 Bestari class. Besides having very low language proficiency, my pupils were also less
motivated to learn especially English subject. They found that English language was difficult to
understand and learn. However, the uniqueness of Year 3 Bestari pupils was they were absolute
visual learners, where they learn better with the aid of visual teaching and learning materials.
Implementation Of The Action Plan
I based my action research on Kemmis and McTaggart Model (1998).
24
Figure 1. Kemmis & McTaggart Model (1998)

There are four basic steps in this model which are plan, action, observe, and reflect. Ultimately,
this cycling nature guided me to foster deeper understanding of my real situation in the research.
The processes were simple and straightforward, where it started with conceptualizing a focused
problem and moving through several interventions and evaluation. Based on the Kemmis &
McTaggart model above, I had planned my own cycle to carry out my action research.
First thing that I did before I started was talk with the teachers and asked for their perception
about the class which I was given. Based on the information, I knew that my class in Year 3
Bestari were pupils with low language proficiency in English. This was proved by the results of
the test which had been conducted in 2013 to stream the pupils. On 29th January 2014 which was
the second time I entered the class, I conducted a diagnostic test for Year 3 Bestari pupils. The
result once again strengthened the fact that pupils in Year 3 Bestari pupils could be categorized
as low language proficiency pupils.Then, I tried to focus on word level where I drilled them
using traditional Chalk and Talk method in the classroom. However, I discovered that the
pupils still had difficulties in understanding and memorizing those key words that I have taught
them. Thus I decided to do research on how to teach and expose English vocabulary to low
proficiency pupils in Year 3 Bestari in a meaningful way. I decided to use custom made
composite pictures in order to make them understand the meaning of the words, improve their
spelling ability and motivate them to learn in a more meaningful way.
Plan
In planning stage, I started to plan the interventions session for my pupils. Initially, I planned the
methods of data collection and the instruments I was going to use to collect data. I investigated
three aspects in my action research which were pupils vocabulary performance, spelling ability,
and their motivation in learning. Thus, I used three methods of data collection for this action
research. To ensure there was triangulation of data collection methods, firstly I used
measurements to test the pupils achievement in vocabulary. I prepared a test which was
administered before and after the intervention sessions. Secondly, I used observation method and
25

the instrument that I used was motivational checklist. This checklist was aimed to collect data
about pupils motivation throughout the interventions. I carried out the intervention for 10
sessions over the three months of my practicum in that school. Finally, I also used interview to
collect data on pupils motivation with the use of custom made composite pictures.
Action
The first thing I did before I carried out the intervention sessions was I administered a test for the
pupils. I carried out the test on 5th of March 2014. The result of the test showed the pupils
current performance in English especially in vocabulary. Next, the intervention which was the
implementation of custom made composite pictures in my research was done within my daily
lesson in the classroom. I implemented the intervention sessions at the beginning of the lesson
directly after the set induction. I used around 10 minutes for each intervention sessions. I filled
in the motivational checklist with my partner to observe the behavioural reaction of the pupils
along the intervention session. When the intervention sessions were carried out, I conducted a
post-test with the pupils using the same test and procedures that I carried out during the pre-test.
Finally, I selected and called five pupils as representative of the class to be interviewed. This
interview session was done in the school library. The interview was done in face to face basis all
conversation were recorded.
Observe
When the intervention sessions done, I gathered the data and started to analyse it. I checked the
both of the pre-test and post-test and recorded the scores in a table. I converted the scores into
percentage and recorded the mean percentage of both tests. The motivational checklist scores
were calculated by combining the scores given by the two observers. The final results of the
checklist were interpreted using the scale for academic motivation. Finally, I analysed the data
from the interview with the pupils using content analysis. The interview sessions were
transcribed and analysed according related theme.
Reflection
After implementing all the ten intervention sessions using custom made composite pictures with
the pupils in Year 3 Bestari, I reflect the effect of this technique on my pupils and my concerns
is do they gain more knowledge on vocabulary, and do they feel motivated to learn English
language.
Data Collection Methods and Analysis of Data
1)
Measurement
The first and second research questions were to identify the effect of custom made composite
pictures among low language proficiency pupils performance in vocabulary, and pupils
spelling ability. I collected data using a vocabulary test instrument. Data collected from this
instrument were analysed using percentage and mean percentage. The findings were able to
differentiate the percentage and mean percentage from pre-test and post-test.
26

Table 1
Grading Criteria
Academic achievement
Excellent
(80% - 100%)
Stage
Explanation
High level
Achieved the higher level

of achievement
Level
A
Good
B
(60% - 79%)
Average
Average
C
(40% - 59%)
Weak
D
(21% - 39%)
Low level
Very Weak
E
(0% - 20%)
Source: Zaharani (2008), Pupils Achievement Grading
Able to pass minimal

target of achievement
Fail to pass the minimum

target of achievement
I graded my pupils according to the specific grading criteria by Zaharani (2008) developed a
Table of Pupils Achievement Grading which falls into three stages of high level, average level,
and weak level. I analysed the scores and categorized them according to this specification. Those
scores which were below than average scores was considered as fail to pass the minimum target
of achievement. I recorded the students marks in a table. The data was collected for every
intervention sessions including the pre-test and post-test. Subsequently, I converted all the scores
into percentage and found the mean score for both pre-test and post-test. Based on the scores
distributed in the table, I calculated the increase in percentage of the mean scores and displayed
the test scores in a table.
2) Checklist
My third research question was related to the effect of custom made composite pictures
technique on motivation among low language proficiency pupils. To answer this research
question I used a motivational checklist which was adapted from Characteristics Behaviours of
Gifted Learners by Gordon (2001). I prepared the motivational checklist form for every
intervention sessions for two observers.
Table 2
Scale for Academic Motivation
1
2
Never
Rarely
Generally
Often
Always
Adapted from: Vallerand (2012), Scale For Academic Motivations

To interpret my findings in this motivational checklist, I adapted the Scale for Academic
Motivation from Vallerand (2012). There were five indicators in Likert scale starting from
never, rarely, generally, often, and always, which I referred to interpret the results of my
findings.
27

3) Interview
I interviewed five pupils to collect data to answer my third research question of Do the custom
made composite pictures affect low proficiency pupils motivation in learning English language
in the classroom. I called one pupil a time to the library to be interviewed. I interviewed the
pupils in English and translated the questions if the pupils could not understand it. I recorded the
interview sessions and transcribed them. I did a content analysis to find the main themes and
explained them descriptively.
Findings
Research Question 1
This research question examines the effect of custom made composite pictures on performance
in vocabulary among low language proficiency pupils.
Table 3
Comparison between the mean scores of pre-test and post-test
Mean
Pre-Test
%
Post-Test
%
(+/-)
%
10.67
90.00
+ 79.33
Table 3 above shows the mean score for pre-test was 10.67 % while the mean score for the posttest was 90.00%. This indicated an increase of 79.33% in the mean scores. This result showed
that pupils were able to increase their scores during the post-test after 10 intervention sessions
using the custom made composite pictures in the classroom. It indicated vast improvement in the
pupils performance in vocabulary. The results indicated that custom made composite pictures
had a positive effect on pupils vocabulary performance of low language proficiency pupils.
Research Question 2
What is the effect of custom made composite pictures on spelling ability among low language
proficiency pupils.
To answer my second research question, I used the same measurement method to collect data
and analysed it in mean percentage. The results of the related sections in the test were shown
below:
Table 4
Comparison between the mean score of spelling in pre-test and post-test
Mean
Pre-Test
%
Post-Test
%
(+/-)
%
1.67
89.29
+ 87.63
Table 4 above shows the mean percentage of pupils scores for spelling in both pre-test and posttest. The mean score in spelling section for the pre-test was extremely poor where the percentage
was only 1.67%. However, after undergoing the 10 intervention sessions using custom made
28

composite pictures, the pupils were able to increase their performances during the post-test. The
mean percentage of the post-test was 89.29%. The increase in percentage of the mean score from
pre-test to post-test is 87.63%. The result showed that the use of custom made composite
pictures had a positive effect on spelling ability among low language proficiency pupils in Year
3 Bestari.
Research Question 3
What is the effect of custom made composite pictures on motivation among low language
proficiency pupils.
Data to answer research question three was obtained through observation and interview.
Checklist Interpretation
6.00
5.00
Mean
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
1
10
Intervention Sessions
Figure 2. Pupils motivational mean scores during intervention
Figure 2 shows data from the motivational checklist. data indicated that the, pupils motivation
increased gradually from the first intervention sessions until the final 10 th intervention sessions.
During the first intervention session, pupils mean score for motivation was only 1.92.
The pupils mean score for motivation increased greatly for the final intervention session at 4.92.
Based on Vallerand (2012), Scale for Academic Motivation, 4.92 score is interpreted between
often and always. Both of these indicators indicated a very positive behaviour from the pupils.
Thus, custom made composite pictures had a positive effect on my pupils motivation in learning
English vocabulary.
Interview Interpretation
The findings from the indicated that most of the pupils responded positively to the use of custom
made composite pictures in the classroom. Data showed that the pupils were eager to learn using
the custom made composite pictures during the intervention sessions. Some of their comments
were:
Yamaw bah teacher kami semua suka teacher gambar tu (R3/L36)
Maw teachersia seronok belajar kalau banyak gambar (R5/L36)
29
The pupils themselves also enjoy the lesson when I used the custom made composite pictures.
They felt that learning was fun and interesting when I used the pictures to develop more
interesting activities with the pictures. Pupils participated in the lessons and some of their
comments are as follows:
Suka betul teachersiapa dapat teka dapat cophi hi hi (R3/L24)
Enjoy bahbanyak gambar jadi sia tida bosan.. hi hi (R4/L24)
I discovered that the pupils in Year 3 Bestari felt learning using visual aids was easier because it
matched their learning style. They gave positive response towards the interview questions given
to them. Pupils responses were quoted below:
sinang bah teachertambah cepat paham kalau guna gambar (R3/L29)
Iyasia kalau tinguk gambar sinang ingat (R5/L29)
I also can saw that by using custom made composite pictures during the intervention; somehow
changed pupils perception of English language learning in the classroom. Before this they felt
that learning English was a burden and they were really frustrated, but after the intervention they
started to see the fun side of learning English.
Iya bah teacher best juga ne belajar BI kalau guna gambar. (R2/L38)
Iyasia suka suda belajar BI. (R5/L39)
Based on the response from the interview, pupils themselves expressed their feelings in a
positive and optimistic manner. The intervention using custom made composite pictures really
encouraged them to learn in a more interesting way and there was an enthusiastic feeling among
the pupils in the classroom. Thus, the use of custom made composite pictures had a positive
effect towards low proficiency pupils motivation in learning vocabulary in the classroom.
Summary and Reflection
To summarize, the pupils of year 3 Bestari were able to show positive progress in their learning
of vocabulary. The findings showed that the custom made composite pictures helped the pupils
to enhance their performance in vocabulary learning in many aspects including their
performance, their memorization of the correct spelling, and also their motivation to learn
vocabulary. This can be seen through the increment of mean percentage from 10.67% to 90.00%
for the mean percentage on pre-test and post-test respectively. Hence the total increment of both
pre and post vocabulary test score was 79.33%. Aside from that, there was also a positive
increment of 87.63% from the comparison of pre and post mean percentage for spelling.
Furthermore, the usage of custom made composite pictures also helped to improve the pupils
motivation in learning English especially vocabulary.
In the view of professional development, this action research actually prepared me for the reality
of being a teacher in our educational system in Malaysia. It exposed me to the real scenario
which is faced by the teachers in rural schools especially about the teaching and learning of
English in school. As a teacher, why we should deny their right to learn, because based on what I
see, yes they were a bit slower, but it does not mean they could not learn at all. After all, the
feeling that I have now contradicts with the feeling I had when I was first assigned to this class.
Now, instead of feeling sad, I feel honoured to make them part of my research. The truth is they
have taught me so much on the real value of a teacher.
30

Suggestion for Further Research
I would like to make some suggestions for further research about the usage of this technique.
The first suggestion is by using custom made composite pictures technique in other schools
especially those who have low language proficiency pupils in the school. Secondly, the usage of
custom made composite pictures also can be incorporated with ICT where people can improvise
the pictures in a graphic forms or motion pictures. Next, usage of custom made composite
pictures can be adapted to teach and learn other language content instead of vocabulary learning
such as teaching idioms, sentence constructions and many more. My last suggestion is to adapt
the usage of custom made composite pictures for LINUS and Pre-School pupils. These custom
made composite pictures are recyclable and can be exploited to the group of pupils who need it.
References
Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. UK. Oxford University Press.
Gordon. D. (2001). Characteristic behaviour of gifted learners (observational checklist).
retrieved on 12th March from
http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/ec/services/spe/documents/Characteristics.pdf
Harmer, J. (1993). The practice of English language teaching. Essex: Longman.
Kemmis, S. & Mc Tagggart, R. (1998). The action research reader. (3rd Ed). Geelong. Deakin
University Press.
Vallerand. R. J (2012). Scale for academic motivation. Retrieved on 12th March 2014 from
http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel.r2670/LRCS/echellers_en.html
Zaharani Ahmad (2008). Pengimbuhan men-dengan kata dasar satu suku kata dalam aspek
nahu praktis Bahasa Melayu, Bangi: Penerbit UKM.
31

USING PICTURE MIND MAP TO TEACH READING COMPREHENSION
FOR MIXED ABILITY CLASS
Francesca anak Francis
cikafrancis@gmail.com
Henry Mansing
Abstract
This action research examines the effect of using picture mind map to
comprehend a reading text. This research explores picture mind map as a
technique in encouraging learners to comprehend the reading text. This
research also explores the learning points which arise from the action research
that may improve and enrich me professionally. The research was conducted in
SK Bulu Silou, Keningau involving 18 pupils in the 4 Kreatif class. The
technique used in this action research was using picture mind map to teach
reading comprehension for mixed ability class. The data was collected through
measurement with the instruments of two parallel reading comprehension test,
document analysis namely worksheet, observation using dichotomous checklist
as well as survey using questionnaire. The data was analyzed descriptively
using mean score and mean percentage. The test score and worksheet was
analyzed using mean percentage while the checklist and questionnaire was
analyzed using mean score. Findings indicated that using picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class has a positive effect on
pupils reading comprehension skills. The mean score has increased from 39.5
% to 73.78 % with the increase of mean percentage of 34.28%. The findings
also showed that the pupils are very motivated with the use of picture mind map
to teach reading comprehension. Therefore, this technique can be an alternative
to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class in primary school pupils.
Key words: Picture mind map, Mixed ability, Reading comprehension
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan penggunaan peta minda bergambar untuk
memahami teks bacaan. Penyelidikan ini meneroka peta minda bergambar
sebagai satu teknik dalam menggalakkan pelajar untuk memahami teks bacaan.
Kajian ini juga meninjau titik pembelajaran yang timbul daripada kajian
tindakan yang boleh meningkatkan dan memperkayakan saya secara
profesional. Kajian ini dijalankan di SK Bulu Silou, Keningau yang melibatkan
18 orang murid dalam kelas 4 Kreatif. Teknik yang digunakan dalam
penyelidikan tindakan ini menggunakan peta minda bergambar untuk mengajar
pemahaman membaca bagi kelas pelbagai aras kecerdasan. Data dikumpul
melalui pengukuran dengan instrumen dua selari ujian pemahaman membaca,
analisis dokumen iaitu lembaran kerja, pemerhatian menggunakan senarai
semak dikotomi dan tinjauan dengan menggunakan soal selidik. Data dianalisis
secara deskriptif dengan menggunakan skor min dan peratusan min. Skor ujian
dan lembaran kerja dianalisis dengan menggunakan peratusan min manakala
senarai semak dan soal selidik dianalisis menggunakan skor min. Dapatan
32

kajian menunjukkan bahawa dengan menggunakan peta minda bergambar
untuk mengajar pemahaman membaca untuk kelas pelbagai aras kecerdasan
telah memberi kesan positif kepada kemahiran pemahaman membaca murid.
Skor min telah meningkat daripada 39.5% kepada 73.78% dengan peningkatan
peratusan min 34.28%. Dapatan kajian juga menunjukkan bahawa murid-murid
sangat bermotivasi dengan penggunaan peta minda bergambar untuk mengajar
pemahaman membaca. Oleh itu, teknik ini boleh menjadi satu alternatif untuk
mengajar pemahaman membaca bagi kelas pelbagai aras kecerdasan dalam
diri murid sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci: Peta minda bergambar, Pelbagai aras kecerdasan, Pemahaman
membaca
Reflection on Teaching and Learning Experiences
The problems that I faced among the pupils in the past teaching experiences were penmanship,
sentence construction, reading problem and mispronunciation. Apart from that, they also had
problems in comprehending the reading text. Whenever I asked them whether they understood
the reading text, they said they did not know the meaning of the sentences or contain of the text.
The problem arose when I gave them exercises regarding the reading text. They had problems in
looking for the correct answer for each question. They randomly chose the answer from the
reading text without knowing the meaning. This behaviour clearly showed that the pupils were
unable to comprehend the reading text due to the lack of language proficiency. Only the
advanced group was able to understand contain of the reading text and yet, they still asked me
the answers for each questions. Thus, I have decided to select the whole class as my participant
as most of them were having problem in comprehending the reading text.
Focus of Research
The problems that I faced as a trainee teacher were pupils penmanship, constructing sentences
and reading comprehension. After a thorough observation during my teaching and learning
process, I realized that my pupils were having problem in reading comprehension skill the most.
From the first day of teaching reading skill, I used the conventional method that was chalk and
talk. But, the main problem arose the moment I gave worksheets for them to do. They were
unable to answer it because they did not understand the requirements of questions. Some of them
were having difficulty in comprehending the meaning of words. The valid evidence of the pupils
that having difficulty in reading comprehension was through the pre-test that I have given to
them. Only a few of them passed in the test while the others failed. Thus, I had decided to
choose a topic on using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability
class. The reasons I chose picture mind map as my strategy was because I noticed that my pupils
can easily grasp the meaning of the difficult words compare with using long sentences. I chose
mind map because it only states the main ideas or points from the reading text and pupils would
have an overview about the whole reading text.
Research Objectives
This research aims to:
1. examine the effect of using picture mind map to comprehend a reading text
2. explore picture mind maps as a technique in encouraging learners to comprehend the
reading text
33

Research Questions
1.
2.
What is the effect of using picture mind map to comprehend a reading text?
How is the use of picture mind map effective in encouraging participants to comprehend
the reading text?
Target Group
The class involved in my intervention was Year 4 Kreatif of SK Bulu Silou, focusing on the
development of reading comprehension skills during three months of my practicum. There were
18 pupils in the class consisted of 12 girls and six boys. Most of them came from a middle
income family background according to their report card. Moreover, 13 of them were Dusun,
two Filipinos, and the others were Murut, Kadazan and Chinese respectively. The class that I
taught consisted of mixed ability class. They were consisting of a group of intermediate and
advance learners with a subset of pupils who have learning problems.
Implementation of Action Plan
The model that I referred to carry out my intervention was from Kemmis and McTaggarts
(1988) Action Research Model. Their model consisted of essential moments that were
planning, action, observation and reflection (Burns, 1999).
Figure 3. Kemmis and McTaggarts (1988) Action Research Model

In Kemmis and McTaggarts (1988) Action Research Model, there are four main stages which
are planning, action, observation and reflection.
a)
Planning
After I had identified my own problem in teaching, I had decided to take reading skill as my
research during the three months of practicum. So, my intervention was about using picture mind
map to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class. I selected this technique because it
was much easier for pupils to comprehend the content of the reading text with the used of picture
instead of words. With the used of picture mind map, pupils would be able to sequence and
organize their thoughts about the reading text as they read through it. I planned to carry out my
34

intervention every time I used reading text in any skills especially in reading and writing skills.
This was because pupils need to comprehend the reading text first before they were able to
answer the comprehension questions. The use of picture mind map in reading comprehension
skill would be carried out within the class of Year 4 Kreatif which involving 18 pupils. This was
because my pupils consisted of mixed ability pupils and their proficiency level towards English
language was above average.
b)
Action
First, I will analyze the reading text that I would used to teach them on the next lesson. I will list
out the key words that the pupils need to know before they read the text. Then, I will search for
the related pictures based on my reading text as well as my key words. The pictures that I had
printed out will be laminated so it could last longer and durable. In the class, I will use tack it to
stick it on the whiteboard and drew lines to connect the pictures just like drawing a normal mind
map. I would use picture mind map during presentation stage whenever I taught them about
reading text. In order to observe their performance in reading comprehension, I had given them
worksheets which related to the reading text for them to complete. Besides that, I also use
behavior checklist like oral reading checklist to observe their attitude and response towards my
picture mind map during the presentation stage. I also asked the whole class to fill in the
questionnaire about the use of picture mind map to teach reading comprehension in the class.
Moreover, the result for the use of picture mind map in their comprehension skill could be seen
in their post-test results.
c)
Observation
I have used a few methods to help me in determining the effect of using picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension in the class. They were measurement, document analysis, survey
and observation. For measurement, I have carried out tests to observe the pupils performance in
reading comprehension skill before and after I have implemented picture mind map in my
lesson. For document analysis, I have used worksheets and my own lesson plan as the evidence
to support the use of picture mind map to teach reading comprehension. For survey, I have
distributed 5-Likert scale questionnaire to observe their responses towards the used of picture
mind map to teach reading comprehension. For observation, I have used behaviour checklist to
observe their behaviour in reading skills before and after using picture mind map to teach
reading comprehension. I analyzed the data by using mean and mean percentage.
d)
Reflection
Based on the final observations, it clearly showed that the used of picture mind map to teach
reading comprehension for mixed ability class was proven effective as most of them were able to
comprehend the text as well as the comprehension questions. The pupils were able to understand
contain of the reading text even without the aid from picture mind map. Besides that, the weak
group did agree that by using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension with them was
helpful as most of them were visual learners. They were able to answer the reading
comprehension questions by their own compared to before I carried out picture mind map with
them. It shows how powerful the effects of pictures towards the weak pupils.
35

Data Collection Methods and Instrumentation
1.
Measurement
I decided to administer pre-test and post-test towards my participants to observe whether there
were any changes before and after I applied picture mind map in teaching reading
comprehension. Before I conducted the pre-test with my participants, I asked the teacher about
the pupils performance in all skills especially in reading skill. After that, I had conducted posttest with them to see whether the pupils has some improvement in answering the comprehension
questions without the aid from picture mind map. I had planned to give them the same test that I
had used in my pre-test to perceive any different in their performance before and after the used
of picture mind map in reading comprehension. The data was analyzed in the form of percentage
and mean.
2.
Document analysis
The documents that I usually used in the class were worksheets and my own lesson plan. After I
carried out picture mind map to teach reading comprehension, I will give them worksheets to do
to test their understanding towards my lesson. Through their worksheets, I will make analysis
whether they were able to answer most of the questions given correctly or only a few of it.
Moreover, I will use my lesson plan as evidence that I was carrying out picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension in the respective skills which are reading and writing skill.
3.
Survey
There are three types of response scales for fixed response questions: nominal, ordinal and
numerical (Goh, 2012). For my intervention, I would use ordinal scale in my questionnaire. The
question asks pupils to order or rate items in a list. The Likert scale with its 5 response options
was commonly used as an ordinal measure of response. The instrument will be distributed to
them after I have applied picture mind map to teach reading comprehension in the class. This
was to evaluate whether the use of picture mind map to teach reading comprehension really
work for them or vice versa.
4.
Observation
For this data collection method, I will use oral reading checklist to observe their behavior or
response on using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension. I had listed out some
behaviour that they would do during reading process. This instrument would be done before and
after I had conducted picture mind map to teach reading comprehension in the class.
For the measurement method, I had conducted pre-test and post-test to observe the pupils
performance in reading comprehension before and after using picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension. I will measure the data by using central tendency. Three common measures of
central tendency are the mean (the average), the mode (the most frequently occurring score/s),
and the median (the middle score) (Mills, 2011). I had used survey method which was
questionnaire technique to collect data for my research. For questionnaire technique, I had used
ordinal response scales to collect data from the pupils. This was because the ordinal response
scales had five response options for pupils to choose from. They had freedom to choose what
they thought about using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability
36

class. Besides that, I also used observation method to observe the pupils participation during the
reading lesson when using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension skill. In order to
collect data from pupils, I had carried out oral reading checklist to observe the behavior towards
reading skills based on the criteria that I have stated. The observation was made before and after
I used picture mind map to teach reading comprehension skill. From the data that I have
gathered, the pupils have showed some improvement in reading skills including the weak group.
This was because they have clear understanding of the reading text with the aid from picture
mind map. Furthermore, I also used document analysis method to collect data from the pupils
reading comprehension performance. For this method, I had chosen worksheet and my own
lesson plan on reading skill.
Findings
Research Question 1:
What is the effect of using picture mind map to comprehend a reading text?
This research question is about the effect of using picture mind map to help pupils in
comprehending a reading text. In order to measure the effectiveness of using picture mind map
in reading comprehension, I used two methods that were measurement and document analysis.
For measurement method, I have administered pre-test and post-test for reading comprehension
skill. This is because I want to make comparison between the two tests before I used picture
mind map and after I used it in the reading comprehension lessons.
Table 3.
Comparison between pre and post reading comprehension mean score
Pupil
Pre-Test (%)
Post-Test (%)
Mean =
39.50
73.78
(%)
+34.28
The mean score for the pre-test was 39.50 %. The mean score for the post-test is 73.78 %. This
indicates there is an increase of 34.28 % means score in reading comprehension performance of
the pupils. This suggested that using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension for
mixed ability class has a positive effect on the pupils comprehension. Based on the Table 3
shown above, Pupil 17 has scored the highest mark in pre-test that is 68 % as well as in post-test
that is 97 % of reading comprehension. On the other hand, Pupil 4 has scored the lowest mark in
pre-test that is 23 % as well as in post-test that is 51 %.There is an increase of 28% in Pupil 4
reading comprehension performance after I have implementing picture mind map during reading
comprehension lesson. Both Pupil 4 and Pupil 17 are boys and from the same race. However,
Pupil 17 has high proficiency in English language compare to the Pupil 4. This can be seen in
the Pupil 17s pre-test score which is higher even before I teach them reading comprehension by
using picture mind map. The second method that I have used to measure the effect of using
picture mind map to comprehend a reading text is document analysis. I have collected the pupils
worksheets to observe their performance in reading comprehension when using picture mind
map during the lesson. The full mark for each worksheet is ten mark but I have converted it into
percentage. I give out the worksheets for every interve\ntions that I have made during the
reading comprehension lesson.
37
Mean (%)
Mean score for worksheets

100
80
60
40
20
0
Mean
1
10
Intervention sessions
Figure 7.Mean score for worksheets

The mean score for first intervention is 35.56 %. The mean score for the tenth intervention is
77.22 %. This indicates there is an increase of 41.66 % mean score in reading comprehension
performance of the pupils.This suggested that using picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension for mixed ability class has a positive effect on the pupils reading
comprehension. From Figure 7, it showed the pupils reading comprehension performance from
the first intervention until tenth intervention. It showed an increase in pupils reading
comprehension performance starting from fifth intervention until tenth intervention. Even the
weak pupils have increased in their performance after the six times I had used picture mind map
to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class.
How is the use of picture mind map effective in encouraging participants to comprehend
the reading text?
This research question is about the effectiveness of using picture mind map in encouraging
participants to comprehend the reading text. In order to observe the pupils participation towards
the use of picture mind map in reading comprehension, I have used two methods that are
observation and survey. For observation method, I have used oral reading checklist to observe
their performance before and after I carry out picture mind map in the reading comprehension
lesson. This is to observe the pupils performance in reading comprehension before and after I
have carried out picture mind map strategy in the class.
38

Table 4.
Mean score for oral reading checklist (Pre-Observation and Post-Observation))
Item
1. Reads expressively.
2. Reads clearly with good
pronunciation.
3. Reads at an appropriate rate.
4. Reads for meaning.
5. Observes punctuation.
6. Not easily frustrated.
7. Attempts unfamiliar words.
8. Uses context clues.
9. Displays good comprehension.
10. Other notable behaviours (specific)
Mean =
Pre-Observation (%)
Post-Observation (%)
Yes
No
Yes
No
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
50
50
100
The mean score for Pre-Observation are both 50 % for Yes and No. The mean score for PostObservation is 100 % for Yes and 0% for No. This indicates there is an increase of 50 %
means score in reading comprehension performance of the pupils. Table 4 above shows the
results of pupils behavior towards oral reading before and after using picture mind map to teach
reading comprehension for mixed ability class. Most of them were unable to perform the
following items that are Item 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 before I used picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension. After I had used picture mind map to teach reading comprehension in the class,
the pupils were able to perform all of the items on the oral reading checklist. This clearly
showed that the pupils have improved a lot in their reading skills as well as in reading
comprehension. Their language proficiency had improved a lot especially the weak pupils
because they were able to identify the meaning of the words as well as the meaning of the
sentences in the reading text. This was because the picture mind map has helped them to
visualize the meaning of words in picture form. The second method that I had used to encourage
pupils participation in reading comprehension is survey. In order to survey the pupils
participation in reading comprehension throughout the ten interventions, I had used
questionnaire as my instrument to collect the data. By using questionnaire, I was able to collect
the data about the pupils background as well as their opinion on using picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension.
39

Table 5.
Using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class
Item
Mean
1.
Learning reading comprehension using Picture Mind Map helps me to

understand the topic better.
4.94
2.
Learning reading comprehension using Picture Mind Map enables me

to get the main ideas faster.
4.33
3.

associate words with pictures in comprehending the text.
4.67
4.
Learning reading comprehension using Picture Mind Map encourages

me to state my opinion on the text.
4.28
5.

know the meaning of words faster.
4.50
6.
Learning reading comprehension using Picture Mind Map motivates

me to read more reading text.
4.50
7.
Learning reading comprehension using Picture Mind Map is fun,

interesting and easy to comprehend.
4.83
Table 6:
Scales of participation
No participation
0 1.5
Moderate
participation
Excellent Participation
Great participation
1.6 3.1
3.2 4.7
4.8 6.3
The highest mean score of questionnaire from using picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension for mixed ability class was 4.94 and the lowest mean score is 4.28. Thus, the
difference between the mean score was only 0.66.This suggested that using picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class has a positive effect on the pupils
participation during reading comprehension lesson. This is because the difference between the
two mean scores is small and does not affect the pupils participation in reading comprehension
lesson. Based on Table 5, Items 1 and 7 has the highest mean scores compare to the other items.
It showed that the pupils have great participation towards the used of picture mind map during
the reading comprehension lesson. This could be seen in the Table 5 that describes the scales of
participation range from 0 until 6.3. On the other hand, Items 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are falls under
excellent participation which range from 3.2 4.7. It showed that the pupils participation
towards the used of picture mind map in reading comprehension lesson is effective and able to
help them improved a lot in reading skills.
40

The used of picture mind map have helped them in answering the reading comprehension
questions correctly. Picture mind map also helped them in comprehending the reading text first
before they were able to answer the exercise given to them. This was because the pupils have
clear understanding and an overview about contain of the reading text with the aid from the
picture mind map. This can be seen in the pupils performance on worksheets and tests. The
finding result showed that the pupils have improved in reading comprehension from 35.56% to
77.22% in their worksheets. While, the results from the pre-test and post-test have showed that
the pupils have improved from 39.50% to 73.78% in reading comprehension skill. From the tests
result, it showed that the pupils have increased for about 34.28% in their reading comprehension
performance. Moreover, the findings showed that the used of picture mind map was effective in
encouraging participants to comprehend the reading text. Before I using picture mind map to
teach reading comprehension in the class, the pupils performance was low and only a few of
them were able to read accurately. The result can be seen through oral reading checklist where
the pupils only able to achieve 50% for oral reading behavior. However, after I have using
picture mind map to teach reading comprehension in the class, the pupils performance has
increased to 100%. This result showed that the pupils have mastered the reading skill with the
aid from picture mind map. This was because the picture mind map has helped them in
improving their understanding of the reading text as I have described it clearly based on the
pictures that I used. In addition, they showed more interest in the learning process as I have
inserted game like guess and tell when using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension
with them. Moreover, most of the pupils that I have observed in the class were consisted of
visual learners. They can learn better with the aids from pictures or visual objects like flashcards,
power point presentation, real objects and photograph. This was because as the saying goes a
picture is worth a thousand words. As a conclusion, using picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension for mixed ability class was proven effective as most of them were able to
comprehend the text as well as the comprehension questions. The weak group did agree that by
using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension with them was very useful as most of
them were visual learners. They were able to remember the same pictures that I would used to
teach them together with its meaning. It shows how powerful the pictures are for weak pupils.
Suggestions and Further Research
1.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The technique of using picture mind map to teach reading comprehension for mixed ability class
can be interesting and fun with the integration of ICT. Even though pupils did enjoyed the
original way of teaching reading comprehension using picture mind map, but I do believe that
they will enjoyed learning with the integration of ICT. With the integration of ICT, teachers can
create the picture mind map using power point presentation. There are a lot of beautiful designs
which can be used to present the picture mind map. Besides that, using power point presentation
in presenting picture mind map to teach reading comprehension is more convenient and time
saving. By using power point presentation, teacher only need to click the slides and explain to
pupils about contain of the reading text. Moreover, presenting picture mind map using power
point presentation is more suitable in the bigger class so all of them will be able to see the
pictures even from behind the class. In addition, teachers can save the entire picture mind map
that she has used to teach reading comprehension in one folder. So, other teacher that teach the
same year in English subject can used the same picture mind map to teach reading
comprehension with their pupils.
41

2.
Creating self picture mind map
Instead of the teacher as the sole audience of pupils comprehension in reading skills, a teacher
may encourage pupils to come out with their own simple self picture mind map. The teacher can
asks the pupils to find any pictures based on the topic that she gives to them. So, the teacher can
help the pupils to do this activity in the school within a small group or depends on the size of the
class. After that, the teacher can ask the pupils to present their product and at the same time, all
of them will learn something new from each other indirectly.
Reference
Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers. Cambridge
University Press.
Goh, L. H. (2012). A Practice Guide To Writing Your Action Research. Puchong: Penerbitan
Multimedia.
Mills, G. E. (2011). ACTION RESEARCH - A Guide for the teahcer Researcher Fourth Edition.
United States: Pearson Education, Inc.
42

THE USE OF TRIPLE LINE TEMPLATE TO TEACH HANDWRITING
Geoffrey Lim Fu Chien
glfc_sagi@yahoo.com.sg
Dr. Kamaladevy a/p P. S. Sivam
Abstract
This action research studied the effectiveness of using triple line template on
pupils handwriting. This research also explored the effect of triple line template
on the pupils involvement in writing lessons. This action research involved nine
Year 4 pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bunsit, Keningau. The strategy used in
this research was triple line template for writing. Data was collected through
measurement with writing test as the instrument which was used before and
after intervention, observation with dichotomous checklist as the instrument and
documents where the instruments were test papers. The test scores were
analysed using percentage and mean percentage. The dichotomous checklist
was analysed using mean percentage. The documents were analysed
descriptively using content analysis. Findings indicated that the mean
percentage score improved by 26% after the intervention which showed that the
triple line template had positive effect on the pupils handwriting. Furthermore,
findings indicated 93.4% of the pupils were involved actively in the lesson, thus
showing triple line template had a positive effect on the pupils involvement in
the writing lessons. The triple line template can be used as a guide to help
teachers to teach handwriting.
Keywords: Writing, Handwriting, Triple Line Template
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini dijalankan untuk menilai keberkesanan penggunaan
template garis tiga dalam tulisan murid. Kajian ini juga meneroka kesan
template garis tiga mengenai penglibatan murid dalam pengajaran penulisan.
Kajian tindakan ini melibatkan sembilan murid Tahun 4 di Sekolah Kebangsaan
Bunsit, Keningau. Strategi yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah template
garis tiga utk penulisan. Data telah dikumpul melalui pengukuran dengan ujian
bertulis sebagai instrument yang digunakan sebelum dan selepas intervensi,
pemerhatian dengan senarai semak sebagai instrumen dan dokumen dengan
instrumennya ialah kertas ujian. Markah ujian dianalisis dengan menggunakan
peratus dan min peratus. Senarai semak dianalisis dengan menggunakan min
peratus. Dokumen dianalisis secara deskriptif dengan analysis kandungan.
Dapatan kajian menunjukkan peratus skor min yang meningkat 26% selepas
intervensi mencerminkan template garis tiga mempunyai kesan positif ke atas
tulisan murid. Tambahan pula, template garis tiga juga menunjukkan 93.4%
daripada murid melibatkan diri dengan aktif dalam pengajaran, justeru
mencerminkan template garis tiga mempunyai kesan positif ke atas penglibatan
murid dalam pengajaran penulisan. Template garis tiga boleh dijadikan sebagai
panduan dalam membantu guru-guru untuk mengajar tulisan.
Kata Kunci: Penulisan, Tulisan, Template Garis Tiga
43

Reflections on Teaching and Learning Experiences
In my previous lessons, I faced many problems. I observed that my pupils are unable to write
properly. They had problem with some letters. For example, the lower case p written as upper
case P and the lower case s written as upper case S. Even the advanced and average pupils
faced the same problems. The problem is not just with the upper case and lower case, but also
with the overall handwriting. Most of the pupils in my class seemed to lack interest in writing. I
observed that they disliked writing task.
The new Primary School Standard Curriculum aims to balance the pupils four language skills in
the 6-year primary schooling. Writing skill is the third module after Listening & Speaking and
Reading. In Level 1, pupils are taught penmanship skills. Then, pupils develop their skills in the
mechanics of writing where they are first taught to write letters, then words before moving on to
write phrases and sentences in neat legible print. Besides this, they are also taught to use the
correct punctuation. One of the Content Standards for English that shows the importance of
mastering handwriting is:
3.1
By the end of the 6-year primary schooling, pupils will be able to form letters and
words in neat legible print.
The Content Standard above shows that the pupils handwriting is very important and need to be
improved from time to time. Thus, teachers play important role in improving pupils writing
skill, specifically their handwriting. Effective writing skill is not only important for English
lesson but also for others such as Malay language and Mathematics.
Research Focus
During the teaching practicum, I noticed most of my Year 4 pupils were having problem in
writing neat legible print. The most common problem was writing upper case and lower case.
Every time before distributing worksheet, I emphasized on writing upper case and lower case
correctly but this chalk and talk method did not work with my pupils. After one month of
teaching, I realised that the pupils were still making the same mistakes.
Harmer (2004) mentions that the areas of difficulty could include producing the shapes of
English letters, not only in upper case (capitals) but also in their lower case (non-capital)
equivalents. The relative size of individual letters in word or text can cause problems, as their
correct positioning with or without ruled lines. It was difficult for my pupils to write the letters
neatly using single line papers. The failure to do so made it difficult for me to read their words.
If this problem is not solved, it will influence the pupils performance especially during
examination. Ones handwriting usually gives first impression to the readers. The examiner
might have bad impression when he first glance through the answer sheet. Rasmussen defines
this as Halo Effect (as cited in Cherry, n.d.). Sometime unreliability is discovered as the
examiner reduces the marks due to the handwriting. It is often caused by factors such as fatigue
after long hours of marking, the mood of the examiner is influenced by the poor handwriting.
This is called intra-rater reliability (Nesamalar, Saratha & Teh, 2005).
This problem of poor handwriting has always been overlooked and no further action was taken.
Thus, I decided to plan a suitable action with an appropriate strategy to overcome this problem.
The strategy that I planned to use is using the triple line template and the purpose is to improve
the pupils handwriting as well as to encourage pupils involvement.
44

Research Objectives
The objectives of this study were:
1.
2.
To investigate the effect of using triple line template on pupils handwriting.

To explore the effect of triple line template on the pupils involvement in writing lesson.
Research Questions

1.
2.
What is the effect of using triple line template on pupils handwriting?

What is the effect of triple line template on the pupils involvement in writing lesson?
Target Group
The target group for this research were nine pupils from SK Bunsit, Keningau. Based on my
observation, these nine pupils needed to improve their handwriting in the following aspects:
penmanship, mechanics, writing of upper and lower case. All these pupils were from Year 4
class in SK Bunsit, Keningau. They consisted of 6 male and 3 female pupils. These pupils were
of different ethnic groups and English is their third language. The pupils were of different
proficiency level. I analysed the result and categorised the pupils based on their results. A and B
are of advance group; C, D and E are of average group; F, G, H and I are grouped as weak
pupils.
My study was based on Kemmis and McTaggart model (as cited in Goh, 2012). The model has
four main phases which are plan, action, observe and reflect. The four phases will form a cycle.
After the first cycle, it will go to the second cycle starting with reflect phase again. Figure 1
shows the process of Kemmis and McTaggart model.
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggart Research Model (Goh, 2012)

45

Prior to plan, I have reflected my past teaching experience in the respective class. After deciding
on the problem, I started to collect the information by discussing with subject teachers,
observation and diagnostic test. The information collected helped me to understand the
seriousness of the problem in the class.
Therefore, I started to plan on the intervention. I decided to use triple line template for my
intervention to solve the handwriting problem. My methods of data collection were
measurement, observation and document analysis. The instruments I used were test,
dichotomous checklist and worksheet for each method respectively.
After the planning stage is the action phase. In this phase, I carried out my action plan
accordingly. First and foremost, I observed the pupils problem in the class and documented it for
reference. Then, I related their problem to the teaching strategies that I have been using. Before
carrying out my intervention, I conducted a pre-test. The test focused on handwriting only. For
example, the pupils were required to copy a text on the single line space provided. Then, I
checked their handwriting problem related to penmanship, upper case, lower case and
mechanics.
Next, I started my intervention using the triple line template. The intervention was carried out 10
times. It was designed according to the topic and teaching content. For each intervention, I
prepared one triple line worksheet based on the topic. The pupils answered the worksheet under
my guidance. It was at word level, phrase level and sentence level. While conducting my
intervention, I observed the pupils involvement as well as the changes in their handwriting. The
observation was done using a dichotomous checklist.
After the intervention, I conducted a post-test which was the same as the pre-test question to
check the changes in the pupils handwriting before and after the intervention. The score
obtained was compared to the pre-test to find out if there is any improvement.
In my study, I used three different methods to collect data. The three methods were
measurement, observation and documents. Denzit (as cited in Goh, 2012) defines it as
methodological triangulation. It refers to the use of a various data collection methods, analysis
and interpretation.
1.
Measurement
The first method of data collection that I used was measurement. This method was used to
answer Research Question number one. The instrument used was writing test. I divided the test
into pre-writing test and post-writing test. The purpose was to find out if the pupils have shown
any improvement after the intervention.
2.
Observation
My second method of data collection was through observation. This method was used to answer
Research Question number two. The purpose of observation was to observe the pupils
involvement in the writing lesson. The instrument used for observation was a dichotomous
checklist.
46

3.
Documents
The third data collection method was documents. This method was used to support the first
method of data collection to answer the Research Questions number one. The documents here
include the pre and post-test papers given to my pupils. It was designed by using triple line
template.
After collecting data, I started to do the analysis to see if the intervention was successful. For the
test, I calculated the percentage, mean percentage and standard deviation. As for the
dichotomous checklist, I calculated the percentage for each criterion and compared. Besides, I
also analysed the test papers given to the pupils by checking the changes in their handwriting.
1.
Measurement
After collecting the score of pre-test and post-test, I analysed the overall mean percentage. The
mean percentage showed the change in the pupils performance before and after the intervention.
Furthermore, I calculated the difference between the pre-test and post-test of each participant.
This was done to confirm if the intervention is applicable to all the pupils. I used a marking
rubric adapted from Manuscript Penmanship Rubric by Kris (2011). I adapted the marking rubric
according to my research requirements.
2.
Observation
For observation, since I was using dichotomous checklist, the response was either Yes or
No. In the checklist, I have listed out five items focusing on pupils involvement. For each
observation, I had three observers at the same time. I calculated the numbers of ticks for each
observation and converted into mean percentage to see whether the pupil show positive or
negative involvement. Furthermore, I also analysed the percentage of each item to identify their
involvement in detail.
3.
Documents
The documents analysed were the pre and post-test papers. I analysed the handwriting of the
pupils based on a marking rubric. There were four criteria used to analyse the handwriting. The
first criterion was by checking whether the answers were written on the lines provided. The
second criterion was the shape of all the letters including upper and lower case. The third
criterion was the spacing between the words. The forth criterion was the neatness of the test
paper as a whole.
Findings
What is the effect of using triple line template on pupils handwriting?
This research question was to find out the effectiveness of using triple line template to teach
handwriting. The methods of data collection used were measurement and document. For
measurement, the finding was based on comparing pre-test and post-test scores.
47
Mean Score in Percentage
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
75
49
Pre-Test
Post-Test
Test
Figure 2. Comparison of mean scores of pre and post-writing test

Figure 2 above shows the comparison between the pre-test and post-test scores after applying
triple line template. The mean percentage score for pre-test is 48%. The mean percentage score
for post-test is 72%. This indicated there was an increase of 24% in mean percentage score in
writing performance of the participants. This shows that triple line template has a positive effect
on the pupils handwriting.
Table 1
Comparison of Pre and Post Writing Test Scores of Each Participant
Participant
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Mean
Pre-Test Scores
(%)
75
63
56
56
56
44
38
31
25
49
Post-Test Scores
(%)
88
94
69
88
88
88
75
44
44
75
+/(%)
+13
+31
+13
+32
+32
+44
+37
+13
+19
+26
Table 1 above shows the comparison of pre and post-writing test scores for each participant.
Five participants showed improvement of minimum 20%. Other four participants showed
improvement of 10% to 20%. Overall, all the participants showed improvement in their
handwriting after applying the triple line template. Participants B, D, E, F and G showed
significant improvement on their handwriting.
This research question was also answered by analysing the documents. This method supports the
analysis of the measurement of the pre and post-test above. The instrument that I analysed was
test. The figure below show the comparison made between the pre and post-test of Participants F
who showed the most significant improvement.
48

Pre-Test
Post-Test
Figure 3. Comparison of pre-test and post-test of Participant F

Figure 3 shows the comparison of pre-test and post-test of Participant F. Before the intervention,
the participant had problem to write on the lines provided. The words were not written neatly on
the lines. The spaces between the words were uneven. The handwriting in the pre-test was not
neat and legible. On the other hand, the participant had shown much improvement after the
intervention. The handwriting was readable as compared to the pre-test. However, there was still
minor error in the use of lower case such as h was written as n. The overall neatness needs
improvement.
Generally, the triple line template showed positive effect on teaching handwriting. The
participants handwriting have improved after the intervention was carried out. The triple line
template also enabled the participants to write legibly on the single line during the post-writing
test.
What is the effect of triple line template on the pupils involvement in writing lesson?
Mean Percentage
This research question was to find out the effect of triple line template on the pupils
involvement in writing lesson. The method of data collection used was observation. The
instrument used was dichotomous checklist. I carried out three observations and each with three
observers. The observations were conducted during the first, fifth and tenth intervention.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
100
93.4
60
40
YES
NO
6.6
0
1st Intervention
5th Intervention
10th Intervention
Observation
Figure 4. Comparison of observation of 1st, 5th and 10th intervention

49

Figure 4 above shows the comparison of observation made during the first, fifth and tenth
intervention. Generally, Yes implied that the participants were involved actively in the lesson
and No implied that the participants were not active in the lesson. During the first session, the
participants did not show any involvement in this session. During the fifth intervention, there
was an increase of 60% in the participants involvement. This implied that the participants have
shown active involvement although it was only during the fifth intervention. As the intervention
went on until the tenth session, the participants showed 93.4% of active involvement and 6.6%
of unsatisfied involvement. This indicated that the participants were involved actively in the
lesson and participated in all the activities.
Table 2
Comparison of Items during Each Observation
No
Item
1st
Intervention
YES
NO
0
100
5th
intervention
YES
NO
100
0
10th
Intervention
YES
NO
100
0
1.
Pupils are happy to answer the

worksheet.
2.
Pupils are able to complete the

worksheet without raising question.
100
100
100
3.
Pupils write the answers carefully

and slowly.
100
100
100
4.
Pupils check their answers carefully

before submitting the worksheet.
100
100
100
5.
Pupils involve actively during the

discussion of correct answers.
100
100
67
33
Table 2 above shows the comparison of items during each observation. During the first
intervention, the percentage of No was 100% for all the items. No active involvement was
observed during the intervention. However, during the fifth intervention, three out of five items
had 100% for the percentage of Yes. Items 2 and 5 were still 100% for the percentage of No. All
the observers noticed that the pupils were still raising their hands to ask questions about the
worksheets given. Besides, the pupils did not show active involvement during the discussion of
correct answers.
Nonetheless, during the last intervention, all the observers noticed that the first four items could
be observed clearly throughout the lesson. As for the Item 5, one observer did not see the active
involvement of the pupils during the discussion. The comment given was the pupils were not
active enough to be involved in the discussion.
Generally, the triple line template helped the participants to be involved actively in the writing
lesson. This is because the participants used the template to practice their handwriting during the
intervention. They were happy to see their handwriting has improved and thus made them fully
participate in the lesson.
50

Summary/Reflections
This research indicated that the triple line template helped the participants to improve on their
handwriting. It has a positive effect on teaching handwriting. It also helped participants to
identify the shapes of upper case and lower case letters. The participants were able to write
carefully on the lines provided after the intervention. The triple line template also enabled the
participants to write neatly on the single line during the post-writing test.
Furthermore, the triple line template also helped the participants to involve actively in the
writing lesson. After using the template for several sessions, the participants started to write
slowly and carefully on the worksheets given. When they noticed their handwriting has
improved, they more actively participated in the lesson. They liked to use the triple line template
provided to write their answers. The template has encouraged the participants to be actively
involved in the writing lesson.
Triple line template is a useful tool that can help children to recognise the letters. It also can help
children to produce the shape of letters correctly. Both the stages can use triple line template to
show the difference between upper case and lower case letters (Harmer, 2004). Besides, triple
line template can help in developing the motor skill of writing. When the teacher models the
handwriting by using triple line template, it can enhance the penmanship of handwriting (Asher,
2006).
This study was in tandem with the research of Aznizah (2012). Aznizah found that the triple line
booklet helped her pupils to improve on their handwriting. Although we were focusing on
different language, the problem we faced and skill focused were the same. I modified the tool
that she used into a template instead of booklet. Ginus (2012) also used the same tool as
Aznizah. However, her target group was preschool children. In my case, I faced the same
problem although my target group was Year Four pupils. As a result, the triple line template
helped me to improve my pupils handwriting.

In this section, I have suggested a number of ways for further research. I looked at three different
aspects that can be improved for further research.
1.
Increase the Time of Research
The research for triple line template can be applied for a longer period of time. This is to ensure
that the pupils are familiar with the template. If the pupils are given more time to practice with
the template, the improvement might be more obvious. In addition, the pupils take time to get
adapted to the new template. If the pupils have never been exposed to this template, they need to
learn how to write the shape of letters in between each line. Furthermore, pupils who are slow
learners might take extra time to learn the letters one by one. Teacher needs to have a longer
period of time to assist the pupils.
2.
Integration of Technology
Triple line template can be integrated with computer. Researcher can develop a PowerPoint
presentation to show the steps of writing each letter. Pupils can use this for their own revision at
home. It encourages self-access learning. Firstly, researcher flashes the template on the screen.
Next, the researcher can use animation to show the direction of writing the shape of the
51

alphabets. Pupils can easily imitate the shape by doing so. Besides, this is also useful to teach the
difference between upper and lower case. The pupils can click on the letter they want to learn. It
can speed up the process of learning to write using triple line template.
3.
Application to Other Language Skills
Triple line template can also be used on other language skills. Writing does not only happen in
writing lesson. Writing skill is usually integrated with other skills such as listening, speaking and
reading. Researcher can use the triple line template in other lessons to enhance the practice of
effective writing. For example, the worksheets for reading comprehension can be prepared by
using this template.
REFERENCES
Asher, A. (2006). Handwriting instruction in elementary schools. American journal of
occupational therapy 60, 461-471.
Aznizah Maksit. (2012). Buku garis tiga: Biar lambat, asal kemas. Unpublished Bachelors
thesis, IPG Kampus Keningau, Sabah.
Cherry, K. (n. d.). What is the Halo Effect? Retrieved 20 February 2014, from:
http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/f/halo-effect.htm
Goh, L. H. (2012). A practical guide to writing your action research. Puchong: Penerbitan
Multimedia.
Ginus, T. (2012). Kaedah tiga garisan dapat meningkatkan kekemasan tulisan mekanis
prasekolah. Unpublished Bachelors thesis, IPG Kampus Keningau, Sabah.
Harmer, J. (2004). How to teach writing. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Kris.
(2011).
Handwriting
rubrics.
Retrieved
25
February
http://luv2teachgirl.blogspot.com/2011/02/httpsdocs.html
2014,
murid
from:
Nesamalar Chritravelu, Saratha Sithamparam & Teh, S. C (2005). ELT Methodology:

Principles and practice. Selangor: Fajar Bakti.
52

THE USE OF VOCABULARY CLOCK GAME TO TEACH VOCABULARY
Geviana Gladysha Anak George
PISMP TESL January Intake 2011
claryssa.gladysha@yahoo.com.my
John Roy Chacko
Abstract
This action research aimed to identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock
game on pupils vocabulary development. This action research is also aimed to
identify the pupils participation in the learning of vocabulary. The participants
of this research were six 3 Bestari pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Merampong,
Keningau. Methods of measurement, document analysis and observation were
used in the research. Data was collected using instruments that are pre-test,
post-test, worksheets and checklist. Data from the tests were descriptively
analysed using percentage and mean percentage. Data from the checklist was
also descriptively analysed using percentage and mean percentage. Findings of
the research showed an increase of mean percentage of 34.83% for the pupils
vocabulary development with the use of Vocabulary Clock game. Moreover, the
pupils participation showed a high participatory level based on the mean
percentage which is 63.61%. This showed that the pupils vocabulary
development and pupils participation were enhanced through the
implementation of the Vocabulary Clock game. This strategy can be used as an
alternative for teachers to teach vocabulary.
Keyword: Vocabulary, Vocabulary Clock, Game
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti keberkesanan permainan
Vocabulary Clock terhadap perkembangan perbendaharaan kata dalam
kalangan murid. Kajian ini juga bertujuan bagi mengenal pasti keberkesanan
permainan Vocabulary Clock terhadap tahap penglibatan murid Tahun 3
Bestari. Peserta kajian ialah 6 orang murid Tahun 3 Bestari di Sekolah
Kebangsaan Merampong, Keningau. Kaedah Kaedah pengukuran dan
pemerhatian telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Data kajian diperolehi melalui
instrumen iaitu ujian pra, ujian pasca, lembaran kerja dan senarai semak. Data
ujian dianalisis secara deskriptif iaitu menggunakan peratus dan min peratus.
Data senarai semak juga dianalisis secara deskriptif iaitu menggunakan peratus
dan min peratus. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan peningkatan min peratus
sebanyak 34.83% bagi perkembangan perbendaharaan kata dalam kalangan
murid dengan menggunakan permainan Vocabulary Clock. Selain itu,
penglibatan murid menunjukkan penglibatan yang tinggi berdasarkan min
peratus iaitu 63.61%. Ini menunjukkan perkembangan perbendaharaan kata
murid dan penglibatan murid dapat ditingkatkan melalui pelaksanaan
permainan Vocabulary Clock. Strategi ini dapat dijadikan sebagai alternatif
kepada guru-guru untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata.
Kata kunci: Perbendaharaan Kata, Vocabulary Clock, Permainan
53

Reflecting on the three months of practicum in SK Merampong, I was assigned to teach English
Language to Year 3 Bestari pupils. The Year 3 Bestari class consists of 27 pupils of mixedability. I started by teaching a new following topic which is Unit 2 Being Healthy. I was still
using the chalk and talk method and selected the visual teaching and learning aids. I used
picture cards and word cards for teaching the pupils on new words. However, the real scenario
was different from my expectation. During the process of teaching and learning in Year 3
Bestari, I noticed that the pupils are facing difficulty in learning vocabulary especially the weak
pupils. They were five to seven pupils who were always using Malay Language to ask me on the
meaning of words taught. The rest of the weak pupils were quiet and they seemed to be reluctant
to ask questions. It was difficult for them to say the words in English Language even the words
that they have learned before. They have prior knowledge on the content. However, the problem
arose when I asked the pupils on what the pictures were about, they could not say aloud the
words in English language. The weak pupils are also reluctant to express their idea on the
pictures used. They could not express their understanding on the pictures. I used picture cards to
explain the words taught to the pupils because I found that the pupils of Year 3 Bestari were
familiar to the use of pictures for the teaching and learning English Language. Besides that,
when I was teaching, some of the pupils were not actually active in learning English Language.
Some were doodling and talking with their friends. When it came to individual activity
especially completing worksheet, some of the pupils asked for help from their friends instead of
asking the teachers help. Hence, I reflected on the teaching and learning strategies that I used in
order for me to plan and carry out a suitable strategy to deal with the problem occurred.
Focus of Research
This research aimed to identify whether Vocabulary Clock game was able to help me in teaching
English Language vocabulary effectively to Year 3 Bestari pupils. Based on the identified
problem, the strategy of Vocabulary Clock game was used to teach English Language
vocabulary to the pupils. I obtained various types of information from discussion with an
English Language teacher, measurement, observation and document analysis. Therefore, I have
decided to carry out the Vocabulary Clock game in this research. This action research aimed to
identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on pupils vocabulary development. This
action research is also aimed to identify the pupils participation in the learning of vocabulary.
Objectives
1.
2.
identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on pupils vocabulary

development.
identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils participation in
the learning of vocabulary.
Research Questions
The following research questions are formulated in order to meet the research objectives:
Research question 1:
What is the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils

vocabulary development?
54

What is the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils

participation in the learning of vocabulary?
Target Group
I selected six pupils from Year 3 Bestari in Sekolah Kebangsaan Merampong Keningau, Sabah
as my target group. The six pupils consisted of four boys and two girls. The age of the six pupils
is in the range of nine years old. Basically, the six pupils love to draw and they love to see
colourful pictures. In terms of proficiency levels, their proficiency levels were low based on their
academic achievement in the classroom.
Implementation of The Action Plan
This action research is done based on the action research model by Kemmis and McTaggarts
action research spiral model (2000). There are four phases in each of the cycle of this action
research spiral model. The phases of this model are plan, action, observe, and reflect (as seen in
Figure 1). Figure 1 shows the action research model by Kemmis and McTaggart.
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggarts action research model (1988)

1.
Survey and Analysis of the Problem
In order to obtain the earlier information pertaining to the identified issue, I have discussed with
the English Language teacher of Year 3 Bestari. I also talked to three pupils whom were from
high and low proficiency level in the Year 3 Bestari in order to verify the information that I have
obtained from their English Language teacher. Besides that, I also observed on the pupils
involvement in classroom. Based on my past teaching and learning experiences, it was clearly
seen that it was difficult for me to teach English Language vocabulary to the weak pupils. This
was also supported by the pupils final term examination result in 2013.
55

2.
Planning
At the planning stage, I have decided to implement Vocabulary Clock game in order for me to
teach English Language vocabulary to the weak pupils of Year 3 Bestari. I planned to implement
this strategy for ten intervention sessions. I also planned and prepared the instruments that will
be used to collect data for this action research. The instruments were test, worksheet and
checklist.
3.
Action
Based on the planning that I have done, I implemented Vocabulary Clock game in ten
interventions in order for me to improve my teaching practice in teaching English Language
vocabulary to the weak pupils of Year 3 Bestari. Before I carried out the intervention, I gave a
pre-vocabulary test to the six pupils. During ten interventions that I conducted, I carried out four
observations using a checklist as my instrument with an English Language teacher and my
practicum mate from the same option as the observers apart from myself. Before the
observations were carried out, I already explained on the items on the checklist first to the
observers in order to get the same interpretation on the items prepared. After each intervention, I
gave a worksheet to each of the weak pupil. I gave post-vocabulary test to the pupils after the
completion of ten intervention sessions. The post-vocabulary test given was the same with the
pre-vocabulary test.
1. Measurement
A measurement was used to identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils
vocabulary development. The instrument that I used for measurement was a test. The test paper
consisted of two sections. Section A was basically on matching words to pictures. While,
section B consisted of 14 blank filling questions with pictures and words provided. Prevocabulary test was given before the intervention sessions were done and post-vocabulary test
was given after the ten intervention sessions were completed.
2. Observation
I have observed four observations together with two observers. The instrument that I used for
the observation was a checklist in dichotomous form. Checklist was used to record the four
observations on the pupils involvement throughout the teaching and learning session. The
checklist that I used was selected and adapted from the checklist that was used by Ling (2011)
in her research. I selected first, fourth, seventh and tenth intervention for the four observations
done.
3. Document Analysis
In order to further strengthen the data from measurement, I also used worksheets as my
instrument to answer the first research question. The worksheets were given to each pupil in
every intervention. The format of the worksheet is basically on blank filling. The marks for the
worksheet were recorded for each intervention.
56

1. Measurement
I used the analysis from pre-vocabulary test and post-vocabulary test and the analysis of
worksheets in order to answer Research Question One. The collected data from each test was
analysed using percentage and mean percentage. Then, I compared the percentage and mean
percentage of pre-vocabulary test with post-vocabulary test in order to identify the effect of
using Vocabulary Clock on the pupils vocabulary development. Besides that, I also used the
Grade Scale System of School Examination (SAPS) by the Ministry of Education as a reference
for me to grade the test scores of the pupils.
2. Observation
I used the analysis from checklist in order to answer the Research Question Two. I used the
checklist form for observation that was adapted from Ling (2011) in order to obtain the effect of
the use of Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils participation in the vocabulary learning. The
data was analysed using mean percentage. I also used the participatory level scale that is adapted
from Nunnally as cited in Flora (2012) as my reference in order to identify the level of
participatory of the pupils. Table 1 shows how I analysed the pupils participatory level based on
the scale provided.
Table 1
Pupils participatory level scale
Mean percentage (%)
Pupils participatory level
0 19
Very low
20 39
Low
40 59
Moderate
60 79
High
80 100
Very High
*Adapted from a resource: Nunnally as cited in Flora (2012)

In order to further strengthen the data collected from both pre-test and post-test, I also collected
and analysed data from worksheets. The marks for the worksheet were recorded for each
intervention. I analysed the data from worksheets by using percentage. This enabled me to
identify the effect of using Vocabulary Clock on the pupils vocabulary development.
Findings
i)
What is the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils vocabulary
development?
This research question explains on the effect of the strategy used which is Vocabulary Clock on
the pupils vocabulary development. In order to answer this research question, I used the
instruments which were test and worksheets.
57
Table 2
The comparison between pre- and post-vocabulary test scores for each pupil.
Pupil
Pre-test
Post-test
(%)
(%)
(+/-)
33
60
+27
33
65
+32
33
70
+37
33
75
+42
27
60
+33
27
65
+38
Mean percentage
31
65.83
+34.83
Based on the Table 2, I found that the six pupils showed positive increase in mean scores after
the post-vocabulary test had been conducted. As a whole, the mean percentage of pre-vocabulary
test for the six pupils was 31% and the mean percentage of post-vocabulary test for the six pupils
was 65.83%. Pupil D had the highest increase in mean score after the post-vocabulary test had
been carried out which was 42%. The second highest increase in mean score based on the above
table was Pupil F. Pupil F showed a positive increase of mean score which was 38%. Pupil C
had the close range of increment in mean score to Pupil F which was 37%. As for Pupil B and
Pupil E, they had a similar increment in mean score after the post test was carried out. Pupil B
and Pupil E had a positive increase in mean scores which ranged from 32% to 33% after the
post-vocabulary test was carried out. Pupil A had the lowest mean score among the six pupils.
However, Pupil A had a positive increase in the mean score for post-vocabulary test which was
27%. As a whole, there is a positive effect of using Vocabulary Clock on the pupils vocabulary
development.
Table 3
Pupils Achievement based on Worksheets
PUPIL
WORKSHEET
W
W
W
1
W2
3
W4
5
W6
A
33
17
67
50
50
50
B
33
33
67
67
50
50
C
50
50
67
67
67
67
D
67
50
67
100
67
67
E
50
33
67
50
50
50
F
33
50
50
67
50
67
W
7
67
67
67
100
67
67
W
8
67
100
100
100
67
100
W
9
100
100
100
100
100
100
MEAN
W 10 PERCENTAGE
100
60.1
100
66.7
100
73.5
100
81.8
100
63.4
100
68.4
Table 3 shows the mean percentage and scores obtained by each pupil after they completed the
worksheets given ten times. Based on the scores obtained from the ten worksheets, the mean
58

percentage for the pupils worksheets scores ranged from 60% to 70%. The six pupils showed
positive improvement based on the scores that they had obtained especially during the last four
interventions in which Pupils B, C and D obtained 100%. Pupil D had the highest mean
percentage of worksheet scores which was 81.8% compared to the others. Pupil C has the second
highest mean percentage which is 73.5%. As for pupil F and pupil B, their mean percentage
ranged from 60% to 70%. Pupil F had the mean percentage of 68.4% and pupil B has the mean
percentage of 66.7%. Pupil A had the lowest mean percentage which was 60.1%
ii)
What is the effect of using Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils participation in the
vocabulary learning?
This research question explains on the effect of the Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils
participation in vocabulary learning. In order to further identify the effect of the Vocabulary
Clock game on the pupils participation, a comparison as shown in Table 4 was made between
the pupils participatory level based on each observation. Table 4 shows the comparison of each
item in each observation. Table 4 shows the comparison of pupils participatory level based on
each observation. .
Table 4
The comparison of pupils participatory level based on each observation
Observations
Mean percentage
Participatory level
1
21.11
Low
2
56.66
Moderate
3
86.66
Very High
4
90
Very High
Total mean percentage
63.61
High
Table 4 shows that there was a positive increment in the mean percentage of the observations
and a positive change on the pupils participatory level. As a whole, the total of mean percentage
of 63.61% for the four observations showed that the pupils had a high participatory level. At the
beginning of first observation, the mean percentage of 21.11% for the Yes responses showed
that the participatory level of the six pupils were low. As for the second observation, the mean
percentage of 56.66% showed that the participatory level of the pupils had increased to the
moderate level. The third observation showed a mean percentage of 86.66% which indicated that
there was a very high increment on the pupils participatory level. The fourth observation
showed a mean percentage of 90%. This indicated that the pupils had a very high participatory
level. Therefore, based on the data gathered from checklist, there was a positive effect of using
Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils participation in the vocabulary learning.
Based on the findings of this research, the data gathered from three types of methods had
positively answered the first and second research question for this action research. This can be
shown through the comparison of pre-vocabulary test and post-vocabulary test scores of the
pupils. At the same time, the worksheet given to each pupil after each completed intervention
showed there was a positive effect on the use of Vocabulary Clock game on the pupils
vocabulary development. The findings were similar to a research done by Osha Saed (2007).
Osha Saed (2007) summarized her findings narratively as her students ability to memorize the
words has become more efficient after implementing the games and activities to practice
vocabulary and also after recycling words through the games every two weeks. According to
59

Osha Saed (2007), her mentor teacher commented about students general performance by
saying that the students have good word memorization and the students get high marks in their
tests and exams. The findings from the checklist used for the four observations enabled me to
answer my Research Question Two. Based on the comparison of the second findings of this
research with Oshas second finding for her research in 2007, I found that my findings is almost
similar to Oshas summary of findings. Overall, the six pupils for my research have a positive
increment in their participatory level based on the data gathered from checklists which is 63.1%
after using Vocabulary Clock game. According to Osha Saed (2007), in her research she
mentioned that through her observations and interviews she can see how students were willing to
play games and to have activities where they can interact with each other. Osha Saaed (2007)
described her observation of the reaction of the students which was they really enjoyed doing
that and they were motivated to hit using the sticks. She also stated that the most important
aspect was the look of enjoyment that was shown on students' faces especially the weak and the
quiet girls. Based on the descriptions by Osha Saeed in her research, it showed that the game
used by her had a positive effect on the pupils participation which was in tandem with my
findings for the Research Question Two.
There are several suggestions on the further research in order to ensure the validity of the
effectiveness of Vocabulary Clock game. The suggestions are include the long duration of
research period, application in other subjects, and incorporation of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) in Vocabulary Clock game.
References
Flora
Gubin. (2012). Penggunaan Team Games Tournament (TGT) Terhadap

KebolehanMengenal Nombor Dalam Kalangan Murid LINUS. Unpublished
bachelors thesis, Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Keningau Sabah.
Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner. Geelong, Victoria, Australia:
Deakin Universitiy Press.
Ling, M. Choo. (2011). Penggunaan Kaedah Peta Konsep Dalam Pengajaran Dan
Pembelajaran Sains. Unpublished bachelors thesis, Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus
Keningau,Sabah.
Osha Saeed Al Neyadi. (2007). The Effects of Using Games to Reinforce Vocabulary
Learning.
Retrieved
on
22
February
2014
from
http://marifa.hct.ac.ae/files/2011/07/The-Effects-ofUsing-Games-to
Reinforce
Vocabulary-Learning.pdf
60

THE USE OF SPELLING JAR AS A TOOL TO TEACH SPELLING FOR PRIMARY
ESL CLASSROOM
Jenny Lu Chen Fei
jennyluchenfei@gmail.com
Joseph @ Jausip Yabai
Abstract
This action research aimed to investigate the effect of the use of spelling jar as a
tool to teach pupils spelling. This research also explored the effect of the use of
spelling jar as a tool on pupils interest in spelling. The participants involved in
this research were 23 pupils of mixed ability in SK. Luagan, Keningau. Spelling
jar was used as a tool to help pupils to learn spelling. Data triangulation was
adhered to by using measurement, survey and interview as the method of data
collection. Two parallel spelling tests which was the instrument of measurement,
was administered before and after the intervention. Dichotomous questionnaire
and structured interview questions were the instruments used for both survey
and interview respectively. The data collected from the tests were analysed
descriptively using percentage and mean percentage while the data from the
questionnaire was analysed descriptively using percentage. The data collected
from the interview was analysed descriptively using content analysis. Findings
revealed that there was an increase of 6.9% in mean percentage from the test.
Thus, this showed that there was a positive effect on the use of spelling jar in
spelling. Findings from the survey and interview indicated that all the pupils
had a high level of interest on spelling. This showed that there was a positive
effect on the use of spelling jar on pupils interest. Spelling jar can be
considered as another tool to teach spelling for primary school pupils.
Keywords: Spelling jar, spelling, mixed abilities
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji keberkesanan terhadap
penggunaan spelling jar sebagai alat untuk mengajar ejaan murid-murid.
Kajian ini juga mengkaji keberkesanan penggunaan spelling jar sebagai alat
terhadap minat murid-murid dalam ejaan. Peserta yang terlibat dalam kajian
ini adalah 23 murid daripada pelbagai tahap penguasaan di SK. Luagan,
Keningau. Spelling jar telah digunakan sebagai alat untuk membantu muridmurid untuk belajar ejaan. Triangulasi data telah dipatuhi dengan
menggunakan pengukuran, tinjauan dan temubual sebagai kaedah
pengumpulan data. Dua ujian ejaan selari adalah instrumen bagi pengukuran
yang telah dijalankan sebelum dan selepas intervensi. Soal selidik dikotomous
dan temubual berstruktur merupakan instrumen yang digunakan bagi keduadua tinjauan dan temubual. Data yang dikumpul daripada ujian telah dianalisis
secara deskriptif menggunakan peratus dan min peratus sementara data
daripada soal selidik dianalisis secara deskriptif menggunakan peratus. Data
dikumpul daripada temubual telah dianalisis secara deskriptif menggunakan
analisis kandungan. Dapatan menunjukkan terdapat peningkatan 6.9% dalam
61

min peratus daripada ujian. Oleh itu, ini menunjukkan terdapat kesan positif
pada penggunaan spelling jar dalam ejaan. Dapatan daripada tinjauan dan
temubual menunjukkan bahawa semua murid mempunyai tahap minat yang
tinggi terhadap ejaan. Ini menunjukkan terdapat kesan positif pada penggunaan
spelling jar terhadap minat murid-murid. Spelling jar boleh dianggap sebagai
salah satu alat untuk mengajar ejaan bagi murid-murid sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci: spelling jar, ejaan, pelbagai tahap penguasaan
During the third phase of practicum, I found that the class that was given to me required a lot of
immediate attention in terms of their language proficiency as well as on their vocabulary bank.
During the teaching and learning sessions, I realised that my pupils showed lack of interest when
spelling activities were implemented during the teaching and learning sessions. They found that
spelling was a very difficult process and there were no fun elements in it. The weak pupils
especially participated minimally in most of the spelling activities and were always isolated by
other group members during the activities. The pupils also complained frequently about the
lesson, refused to participate in the teaching and learning activities as well as causing disruptions
at times during the teaching and learning process.
Research Focus
I have decided to select this topic for my action research and have identified as well as carried
out the chosen intervention which is the use of spelling jar as a tool to teach spelling. The reason
of choosing spelling jar as my intervention was so that I could find a suitable tool to help my
pupils to overcome difficulties in spelling as well as to increase their interest in the learning
process. Furthermore, the reason why I have selected this area of interest is because though there
were very limited reading materials as well as literature review that I have obtained for this
research, I was able to determine that spelling is one important component in order to convey
messages as well as in terms of communication. This can be seen where according to Zutell
(n.d.), the consequences of not being able to spell well can actually affect the meaning of a
text and lead to serious miscommunication. Furthermore, I decided to choose this problem as
the focus of my research because I noticed that in books and journals that I found, most of the
teaching and learning strategies are focused on teacher-centred way of interaction. This could be
strengthened based on Phenix and Scott-Dunne (1994) whom stated that teachers were the ones
who did all; proof-reading, marking errors and writing comments as feedbacks to the
pupils. Thus, I took the opportunity to try out activities that were more student-centred approach
where teachers would play the role as facilitators in terms of carrying out the activities in this
research. Hence, after identifying as well as evaluating the actions that I could have taken to
solve this problem, I have finally decided and implemented the use of spelling jar in teaching
spelling to my pupils during the teaching and learning sessions.
Research Objectives
This research aimed:
(i) To investigate the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils spelling.
(ii) To investigate the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils interest in spelling.
62

Research Questions
The research questions prepared for this research were:
(i) What is the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils spelling?
(ii) What is the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils interest in spelling?
Target Group
The target group that I have chosen for this study was the pupils whom were involved in my
practicum in SK. Luagan, Keningau. The target group selected comprised of 23 pupils from
Year 2 Amanah. In terms of language proficiency, almost all of my pupils have very weak level
of proficiency in the language. This can be seen from their scores obtained during the diagnostic
test administered in the beginning of the practicum. However, one of the unique aspects that I
was able to see in my pupils way of learning was that they really enjoyed hands-on activities
especially activities that were related to games or activities. I found that they preferred games
during the teaching and learning process and they were able to understand as well as remember
better through these types of hands-on activities. They were also highly motivated during the
hands-on activities and tried their best to complete the tasks correctly when given the
opportunity. Thus, these were the factors that further strengthened my belief that spelling jar is
suitable to help my pupils to learn to spell in context.
Action Plan
The study is carried out based on the the Cycle model of Stephen Kemmis and McTaggart.
Figure 1 Kemmis and McTaggarts action research spiral (1988)

There are four stages to be completed in the first cycle of this model. In the first cycle, we are
required to plan, act, observe and reflect in order to complete the whole action research. The
second cycle is only repeated when there is a need to further improve or if the intervention failed
in the first cycle. In the first stage, I have planned on how and when the intervention should be
carried out as well as determined the methods of data collection. Meanwhile, in the second stage
which is act, I have implemented the spelling jar in the teaching and learning sessions. In the
third stage which is observation, data is collected according to the data collection methods that
63

have been decided in the planning stage. Last but not least, in the reflect stage, the findings
obtained were analysed and interpreted in order to decide on whether a second cycle is required
or not. Thus, by using Kemmis-Mctaggarts model, I was able to understand the stages required
to complete the research as well as able to enhance my understanding not only towards the
problem and the effectiveness of my intervention, but also enable me to see this action research
in a thorough manner.
1. Survey and analysis of the problem

After identifying the problem, I have decided to gather information on how far did this problem
might have occurred earlier before the practicum. Therefore, I had a discussion with the subject
teacher who was teaching English Language in Year 2 Amanah before I took over her class.
Besides that, I have also used observation during my teaching and learning sessions to support
my survey of the problem. In my observation, I have determined several aspects to be observed
and recorded as additional information to support the problem that I was facing. The aspects that
I have observed during the teaching and learning sessions were on the pupils level of
participation as well as their behaviours. The results of the discussion and observation showed
that the pupils indeed faced problems in spelling and have minimal interest in spelling.
2. Planning
In the planning stage, I have already planned my work schedule for the implementation of the
intervention. Aside from that, I have planned on the frequency of my intervention to be
implemented in my teaching and learning sessions. I have also planned on which stage of the
lesson that I would carry out my intervention as well as the standardised format of the activities
that I would use to carry out my intervention. Besides that, I have also designed back-up plans
on how I could integrate my intervention according to the skills as well as the content of the
lesson to be taught. I have also planned on how I would use the spelling jar as a part of my
teaching aids. I have planned on the methods that I would use to collect data required from my
target group in order to answer the research questions posed in this action research.
3.
Action
After planning, I have executed my plan in the next stage which is action. Firstly, I have
prepared and administered pre spelling test on my target group. There were 25 items in the test
which were mainly focused on spelling. The time limit given for the test was one hour and were
collected as well as marked by me and checked by my mentor. After administering the prespelling test, I have carried out my first intervention which was during a reading lesson on the
topic Hobbies. The lesson was taught as usual according to the lesson plan that I have
prepared on that day. I implemented my intervention which was spelling jar in the post-reading
stage where the pupils are grouped according to the groups that I have assigned earlier. Each
group was then given a spelling jar and a pocket manila card for them to put in the letters. A
PowerPoint slideshow with five pictures and jumbled letters were then showed to the pupils.
Pupils were required to use the alphabets in the spelling jar to re-arrange the jumbled letters and
spell the words correctly. The activity took about 15 minutes and I went through each answer
with the pupils as well as assisting them to correct their errors if there is any on the manila card
by using the letters in the spelling jar. This was carried out similarly for the next ten
interventions which were carried out daily according to the lesson plans prepared. After carrying
64

out ten interventions in my daily lessons, I have administered post- spelling test by using the
same format in the pre-spelling test to my pupils. Aside from that, I have also selected five
pupils from my target group for my interview. The interview was carried out in a one-to-one
basis during my lesson. I have also administered my survey by distributing my questionnaires to
my target group.
Data Collection Method and Instrumentation
1. Measurement
The data collected through this method is used to answer the first research question. The
instrument that I have used to collect data was parallel tests in which I have administered before
and after the intervention. The main goal of conducting pre-test was to enable me to diagnose as
well as to be more certain that my pupils were indeed facing problems in spelling. The test items
were designed by me under the guidance of my lecturer and mentor. I have carried out the same
spelling tests before as well as after intervention. There were 2 sections for my spelling test
which were Section A and Section B. In Section A, I have prepared 11 items in two different
formats which were matching and re-arranging the jumbled letters. Meanwhile in Section B, I
have prepared 14 items in two different formats which were fill in the missing letters as well as
re-writing the sentences. The total score for both the pre - spelling test and post - spelling test
were 25. From the test items prepared which was focused mainly on spelling, I was able to
collect data in order to provide an answer to the first research question.
2. Interview
This is the second data collection method that I have used to answer my second research
question which was pertaining to the effect of the use of spelling jar on pupils interest. The
instrument that I have used to carry out my interview was a structured interview with ten items
that I have prepared in bilingual manner. The questions were prepared by me and checked by my
mentor in order to ascertain the suitability of the items with my pupils level of understanding
and whether those questions were able to provide an answer to my second research question. I
have selected five pupils from my target group for my structured interview. This was because the
five selected pupils were able to answer the questions asked and were not shy in giving their
opinions when being asked. The interview was carried out after I have completed the tenth
intervention. I have also used a one-to-one basis in carrying out my interview session with my
target group. I also interviewed and allowed my target group to answer in English Language if
they were able to do so, as well as in Bahasa Melayu. This was done in this way due to their low
proficiency level as well as their lack of understanding in the English Language.
3. Survey
Aside from that, I have also used survey as my third data collection method. The instrument that
I have used in this method was a dichotomous questionnaire. This method is used to further
support as well as to address the second research question aside from the second method which
was interview. There were 10 items in the questionnaire that I have designed by myself with the
reference from the elements as well as characteristics that could show the pupils interest in
spelling after the implementation of spelling jar. The items were prepared in bilingual form
whereby the items were also translated in Bahasa Melayu. This is to enable my target group
which has low proficiency level to understand the items and able to give the most appropriate
response. The questionnaire was also checked by my lecturer and mentor before being
administered to my target group.
65

1.
Measurement
For the first data collection method which was measurement, I have used descriptive statistics to
analyse the raw scores that I have obtained from the pre - spelling test and post - spelling test. I
have converted all the raw scores into percentage first and analysed the data through mean
percentage. The main reason of using mean percentage in analysing the data that I have obtained
was to determine the increment or downfall in terms of my target groups progress in the
learning sessions. The processed data were then placed in a form of a table to see the differences
in terms of the pupils performances before and after the intervention was carried out. I have also
placed the processed data into another table where the pupils are categorised based on the range
of percentage increase in order to provide a reliable and valid answer the first research question
posed in this research.
2.
Interview
Aside from that, I have also collected data from the structured interview that I have carried out
as my second method of data collection. I have listened back to the recording that I have done
during the interview as well as referring to the notes that I took when the interview was carried
out. While doing so, I have transcribed the interview that I have carried out with the selected
pupils and placed the verbatim in a table form. From the transcription, I have used content
analysis in order to analyse the data that I have obtained and identified the common themes
found in the interview. The processed data was then presented in a narrative format to provide an
answer to the second research question.
3. Survey
Last but not least, I have also gathered the data from the third method of data collection which
was survey. I have checked as well as went through the questionnaires and placed the number of
yes and no in a table form according to the number of items in the questionnaire. For this method
of data collection, I have also used descriptive statistics in order to analyse the raw data obtained
from the survey by converting them into percentage. I have also presented the data in a table
form to show the comparison between the percentage of pupils who answered yes and no. I have
also presented the data in a narrative format to explain the relationship of the percentages
obtained from the analysed data by relating the percentages with the scale of interest that showed
the interpretation of the percentages. This scale of interest was adapted from the materials that I
have gathered in my literature review. The scale of interest can be seen in Table 1 below:
66

Table 1
Scale of interest based on percentage
Percentage (%)
Interpretation
80-100
Very interested
60-79
Interested
40-59
Average
20-39
Less interested
0-19
Not interested
Source: Adapted from Mohd. Najib (1999)
Findings
1. What is the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils interest in spelling?
The first research question focused on the effectiveness of the use of spelling jar on the pupils
performance in spelling. From this research question, we could see if there is any effect on the
use of spelling jar on the pupils performance on spelling. I am also able to identify whether the
spelling jar has any influence on the pupils performance especially in spelling. The finding is
based on the comparison of mean scores for both pre spelling test and post spelling test
which was conducted during the implementation of spelling jar according to my work schedule.
Table 2
Comparison between Pre- and Post Spelling Test Mean Scores
N
Pre test
Post - test
23
(%)
(%)
(%)
(+ / - )
62.8
69.7
6.9
Table 2 above shows the comparison of mean scores between pre - spelling test and post
- spelling test. From Table 1 above, the mean score for the pre-test is 62.8%. After implementing
ten interventions during my teaching and learning sessions, the mean score for the post-test is
69.7%. This indicates that there is an increase of 6.9% in mean percentage in terms of spelling
performance amongst my pupils. Thus, this suggests that the intervention that was implemented
which is the use of spelling jar has a positive effect on pupils performance in spelling.
67

Table 3
Range of Percentage Increase
Range of percentage increase (%)
No. of pupils
04
12
59
10 16
21 25
Table 3 above shows the range of percentage increase which is summarised based on the table of
pupils scores in the pre - and post - spelling test. 17.4% of the pupils benefited tremendously
from the usage of spelling jar while 30.4% of the pupils only receive average benefits from the
intervention implemented. Table 2 above also indicated that 52.2% of the pupils only received a
little or no benefits from the usage of the spelling jar on their spelling performance. Hence, I am
able to conclude that the use of the spelling jar indeed brings a positive effect on the pupils
spelling. This can be seen due to the difference of the mean percentages between the pre
spelling test and the post spelling test, which shows an increment of 6.9%.
2.
What is the effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils interest in spelling?
The second research question posed in this action research is to determine the effect of the usage
of the spelling jar as a tool on the pupils interest in spelling. The main purpose of the research
question is to see the pupils are more inclined in learning spelling with the presence of the
spelling jar during the teaching and learning sessions. Not only that, it is also to verify if there
are any positive or negative effect on the pupils interest when the spelling jar is being used as a
tool during the teaching and learning sessions of spelling based on their behaviour, attitude as
well as their level of participation.
As a whole, I am able to indicate that the usage of spelling jar shows a positive effect on the
pupils interest in spelling. This can be seen based on several themes that I have identified in the
transcription of the interview that I have carried out with the target group. From the transcription
that I have done for the data that I have gathered in the interview, I am able to indicate that my
pupils were interested in the usage of spelling jar during the teaching and learning sessions. Most
of them pupils answered that they enjoyed using the spelling jar during the teaching and learning
sessions. This can be seen in the response given by the participants such as:
Suka teacher. (P1, L13)
Sangat suka. Best tu teacher. (P2, L13).
Aside from that, the findings from the questionnaire also indicated that the pupils are interested
in the use of spelling jar as a tool to teach spelling. This can be seen in the one of the items in the
questionnaire where it requires the pupils to determine whether they like using spelling jar to
spell. 86.96% of the pupils answered yes for this item. When we compare this percentage with
the table of scale of interest, we can see that this percentage falls in the range of percentage that
shows the pupils have very high level of interest in using the spelling jar. In another words, the
scale of interest basically proven that 86.96% of the pupils are very interested in the usage of the
68

spelling jar in learning spelling. In conclusion, the findings from both interview and survey
showed that there is a positive effect on the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils spelling.
Summary / Reflection
Based on the findings discussed in the previous section, it was discovered that there is a positive
effect of the use of spelling jar as a tool on pupils spelling. It appeared that the use of spelling
jar as a tool have enabled the pupils to improve on their performance in spelling. This can be
seen from the difference of mean scores before and after the implementation of spelling jar in the
teaching and learning sessions which showed that use of spelling jar as a tool has indeed affected
the pupils performance in spelling in a positive manner.
In addition, this study also indicated that there is a positive effect of the use of spelling jar as a
tool on pupils interest in spelling. It showed that with the implementation of spelling jar as a
tool in aiding pupils to learn spelling, the pupils level of interest has increased where they
started to enjoy lessons on spelling. This can be seen through the findings obtained from the
interview conducted which received positive feedbacks from the pupils pertaining to the use of
spelling jar during the teaching and learning sessions. Not only that, findings from the survey
conducted also provided a strong support to the statement as there were obvious differences from
their level of interest in spelling before and after the implementation of spelling jar in the
teaching and learning sessions.
From the conclusions derived from these findings, it is clear that the use of spelling jar is in
tandem to the claims made in the literature review that I have discussed as well as used to further
support on this study. Firstly, Literacy Secretariat (2011) claimed that by incorporating multisensory approach in terms of spelling, it provided support to fine and gross motor skills and
memory of previous experiences when attempting to write a word. This is in congruent to the
characteristics of spelling jar where pupils were experiencing multi-sensory approach when
using the spelling jar to attempt the tasks or activities planned for the lessons. Hence, this
brought a positive effect to the pupils as they were able to recall the previous lessons that they
have learnt with the aid of spelling jar as a tool and thus, helped them to continuously improve
their spellings performance.
Aside from that, the use of spelling jar as a tool in learning spelling has shown an improvement
on pupils interest in the spelling interest due to how it could be manipulated to accommodate
various strategies such as implementation of games. With the aid of spelling jar as a tool to
attempt tasks or games, it also allowed the pupils to discover and thus, remembered well through
discovery learning instead of mere memorisation. This is aligned to Phenix and Scott Dunne
(1994) whom stated that pupils are more likely to remember strategies for discovery. Not
only that, Zutell (n.d.) also stated that games keep students interest high. This is agreeable as
spelling jar has been used as a tool to aid in games and pupils were more interested with the
existence of a tool to use in various types of games and activities. This increased their level of
interest in spelling as well as the learning process itself with the presence of the spelling jar that
acted as a flexible tool.
In conclusion, with the use of spelling jar as a tool in learning spelling, according to Graham and
Miller (as cited in Allred, 1984), it would provide the student with and efficient method of
word study.
69

The method used in this study is presented with the hope that it could be used extensively in
other schools. In order to allow further researchers to improve on this study, several suggestions
have been prepared to allow improvements and enhancements to be carried out. Firstly, a longer
period of time to carry out this study is encouraged. The use of spelling jar could be used in a
longer period of time for example three to six months in order to improve the findings of the
study. By doing so, researchers would be able to obtain maximum achievement amongst the
pupils based on the implementation of the intervention. Aside from that, variation in teaching
and learning activities could also be carried out so that the use of spelling jar would not be
stagnant to only a few strategies. This is so that pupils will continuously be interested in the tool
itself. Furthermore, the number of spelling jar should be increased so that all the pupils have the
opportunity to use it the learning process. Last but not least, the use of spelling jar could be
applied for other classes as well in order to determine its effectiveness in a different level of
proficiency group. This will enable pupils from different language background to experience the
use of spelling jar in which will determine whether it could also work wonders on them too.
Reference
Allred, R. A. (1984). Spelling Trends, Content, and Methods. Washington, D.C.: National
Education Association.
Literacy Secretariat. (2011). Spelling: from beginnings to proficiency. In A spelling resource for
planning, teaching, assessing and reporting on progress (pp. 5-11, 17-22). South
Australia: Department of Education and Children's Services.
Phenix, J., & Scott-Dunne, D. (1994). Spelling for Parents; How To Help Your Child. London:
Piccadilly Press.
Zutell, J. (n.d.). ZB Zaner-Bloser. Retrieved 11 March 2014, from Student-Active Learning
Approach to Spelling Instruction: https://www.zaner-bloser.com/news/student-activelearning-approach-spelling-instruction
70

THE USE OF BOOM CARDS GAME IN TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR LOW
PROFICIENCY PUPILS
Jicika Johanes
JcyJoe007@gmail.com
Joseph Yabai
Abstract
This action research explored the effect of Boom Cards Game in teaching
vocabulary to pupils who have low English proficiency. This action research
also explored the effect of using Boom Cards Game on low proficiency pupils
motivation in learning vocabulary. The participants for this action research
were five pupils from Year 3 Dinamik of SK Luagan. The data collections
methods used were measurement, documents, observation and interview. Data
was collected using instruments that included a test given before and after the
intervention, worksheets, checklist and semi- structured interview questions.
Data from the test, worksheets were analysed using percentage and mean
percentage and explained descriptively. Meanwhile, data from the interview was
analysed using content analysis descriptively. Findings from the research
showed an increase in mean percentage was 51.8% for the pupils vocabulary
development. There was an increase in mean percentage of 86.6% for level of
motivation in learning vocabulary. The findings indicated that the participants
were motivated to learn vocabulary and their vocabulary achievement improved
after the intervention. This Boom Cards Game strategy can be applied as a
guide for teachers to teach vocabulary.
Keyword: Boom Cards Game, vocabulary, Low Proficiency Learners
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan diterokai kesan Boom Cards Game dalam perbendaharaan
kata pengajaran kepada murid-murid yang mempunyai penguasaan bahasa
Inggeris yang rendah. Kajian tindakan juga meneroka kesan penggunaan Boom
Cards Game ke atas motivasi murid kemahiran rendah dalam pembelajaran
perbendaharaan kata. Para peserta untuk kajian tindakan ini lima murid dari
Tahun 3 Dinamik SK Luagan. Koleksi data yang digunakan ialah kaedah
pengukuran, dokumen, pemerhatian dan temu bual. Data dikumpulkan dengan
menggunakan instrumen iaitu termasuk ujian yang diberikan sebelum dan
selepas kajian, lembaran kerja, senarai semak dan soalan temubual separa
berstruktur. Data dari ujian, lembaran kerja dianalisis dengan menggunakan
peratusan dan min peratusan dan dijelaskan secara deskriptif. Sementara itu,
data daripada temu bual dianalisis menggunakan analisis kandungan secara
deskriptif. Hasil daripada kajian menunjukkan peningkatan dalam peratusan
min adalah 51.8% untuk pembangunan perbendaharaan kata murid. Terdapat
peningkatan dalam peratusan min 86.6% bagi tahap motivasi pembelajaran
dalam perbendaharaan kata. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa peserta
bermotivasi untuk mempelajari perbendaharaan kata dan pencapaian
perbendaharaan kata mereka bertambah baik selepas kajian. Strategi
71

permainan Boom Cards Game boleh digunakan sebagai panduan untuk guruguru untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata.
Kata Kunci: Boom Cards Game, perbendaharaan kata, Tahap Penguasaan
Bahasa Inggeris yang Rendah
Reflection of Past Teaching Experience
During my third practicum, this action research was carried out. Thus, the inputs and my
observations have helped me a lot in doing this proposal despite facing difficulties along the
way. I realized that the English language teachers especially in my third practicum school tend to
depend on drilling and questioning as strategies for teaching and learning especially in
vocabulary. Maybe some of them are still using these strategies and techniques to tackle KBSR
and are still in the process of adapting to the KSSR syllabus. KSSR is still considered as a new
program in schools which does still totally rely on exam or test only to evaluate students. Such
situation makes the learning of English in the classroom boring and not fun. Students too have
no or limited opportunities to use or be exposed to English especially weak students.
I always felt troubled in communicating with pupils because of the language barrier. It is
because I believe that in order for me to teach the language effectively, I must use fully English
in the class during teaching and learning session.
When I reflected on myself, I preferred to use simple examples and explanation to them since
difficult words could not be understood. An orthodox way of teaching vocabulary was writing
on board and explaining them verbally which was an easy way out chosen by me. If there were
any words that the pupils did not understand, I would write them on board and explained to them
verbally. Until one moment, I realized that the Orthodox way is not the best way for me to teach
them English. It was because I kept on giving input verbally without any reinforcement of visual
aids or repetition of the input. I conclude that this alternative way of teaching encourages pupils
to memorise and not understand as I found many mistakes when I went through their exercises
and tasks that I gave to them.
However, I did not stop there. I found another alternative. As I went along with pupils, I saw
their readiness and courage to learn English. It was a good sign to get them to learn the target
language. The readiness of learning was one of the important roots to be implemented in the
classroom. As I noticed that pupils should have sense of readiness to learn to make them
comfortable in the classroom. If they did not have this kind of sense then they tend to make
excuses and complained that it was too difficult for them to answer the task given. It will then
encourage spoon feeding phenomena to occur.
The main theories that I preferred in my teaching and learning were behaviourism and
constructivism. I found out that these two theories suited pupils in my classroom. Nunan (1989)
stated that behaviourism is a theory of learning focusing on observable behaviours and
discounting any mental activity. Learning is defined simply as acquisition of new behaviour.
According to Vygotsky, young learners learned better when they receive scaffolding from their
teacher. Therefore, since most language textbooks are designed for an ideal homogenous
classroom environment, teachers always has to deal with the problem that pupil react to the
textbook differently due their individual differences. Therefore, teacher needs to give scaffolding
to pupils and evaluate as well as adapt the materials according to his or her class.
I have also learnt that it is important for teachers to give pupil the opportunity to express their
ideas, feelings and experiences, though they may lack confidence or enough language
72

knowledge. By personalizing the tasks, all pupils can participate voluntarily. Knowing pupils
personalities help the teacher to adapt materials easily in order to make the teaching aids
interesting or relevant to pupil which add variety to the classroom environment and establishes a
positive atmosphere.
Apart from that, I realized that the pupils had problems in learning and remembering new
vocabulary. Moreover, their English teacher also applied drilling and questioning strategies
which in my opinions were not suitable especially for young learners. These techniques are more
suitable in giving exercise and discussing the answers together. I imagine myself sitting in that
particular classroom and forcing myself to learn something which significantly boring, dull and
unmotivated to the language. It shows that, teacher is the main focus as he or she needs to
change the teaching strategies. The main focus of KSSR is to make sure that the learning
processes fun, meaningful and purposeful. I found that, using games can play an important role
in learning vocabulary, especially with young learners and it suits with the KSSRs concept.
Then, I found out in my classroom that pupils love games, competition and dramatization, so are
ways of ensuring their interest in the lesson. Regardless of the differences among pupils in terms
of language level and learning styles, they are motivated to use the target language while they
are playing a game. Thus, I decided to explore if playing game is able to help students
vocabulary especially on the weak learners.
This research focused on teaching vocabulary knowledge of weak young L2 learners. The target
learners should be in Year 1 to 3 and the selection of learners suggested by their Englishs
teacher. Children are the young learners, they are not ready for or interested in thinking about the
language system or manipulating the language. They are interested in the meaning and function
of new language in order to play a game, sing a song or act out a story. When these young
learners pick up new words, they might be able to recognize a vocabulary item without knowing
the exact meaning. For example, the word dance, they identify the word, but not the meaning
of dance. Based on the example, this research also focusing on what type of game which can
help to overcome this example and improve the process of retaining the new words by playing
that particular game.
A change or a turning point is what I need to improve my teaching practices. The flaws that I
have can become a motivation and at the same time as a reminder for me of which area I should
work on in improving myself in teaching the pupils. I want to become an innovative and creative
teacher. Thus, I want to change the way I teach English to the pupils. I want to become an agent
of changes to pupils towards their performance in second language.
As far as I noticed during my teaching practicum, the main obstacles that may occur in teaching
are the classroom management. Therefore, conducting intervention might face classroom
management controversial and can lead to failed lesson.
Research Objectives
1. examine the effect of using Boom Cards Game in teaching vocabulary on low
proficiency pupils.
2. explore the effect of using Boom Cards Game on pupils motivation in learning
vocabulary.
73

Research Questions
1. What is the effect of using Boom Cards Game in teaching low proficiency pupils in
learning vocabulary?
2. What is the effect of using Boom Cards Game on low proficiency pupils motivation
in learning vocabulary?
Target Group
There were three classes for Year 3 in SK Luagan, namely 3 Amanah, 3 Bestari and 3 Dinamik .
The target group of learners which will be selected for this research is Year 3 Dinamik. They
were selected purposely based on their performance in the class especially during English
subject, recommendation from the English teacher and through my observation in their
classroom. There were 5 weak young learners selected for this research and they were given a
simple test. This test will be as a pre-test to confirm that they are really lack of vocabulary
knowledge and suitable for the research. There are 5 males in the treatment group.
Implementation Action
I carried out this research as action research as defined by Howard and Sharp,1983, pg.5, as cited
in (Lowe, 2007), seeking through methodical processes to add to ones own body of knowledge
and, hopefully, to that of others, by the discovery of non trivial facts and insights, (pg.5).,
Drew, 1980, pg.5, as cited in (Lowe, 2007) as sees research as conducted to solve problems and
expand knowledge, (pg.5). We can find out about our world around us in many ways. Usually,
we learn our world or surrounding through experience. For example we learn and know physical
objects through our senses. Furthermore, we experience emotions through our interactions with
others. Research differs from experience because it is control and carries out systematically.
Research was based on our experience and it may develop from the process of reasoning about
the world. My purpose through this research is to investigate how playing Card games can be
used in learning vocabulary and bring change for weak L2 young learners.
Figure 1: Kemmis and McTaggarts action research model
74

1. Interview
An interview is a two-way process which involves conversation between the researcher and the
respondent.
On the day of interview, I make sure that I knew exactly where I went and arrived in plenty of
time. I set up the interview room when I arrive which is in the schools library. A table was very
helpful since I used recording equipment. It was also helpful to have a firm surface to write my
own notes. In order to make sure the interview will run smoothly, I put a polite notice on the
door. During the process of interview, I focused and not jump from one topic to another, nor do I
summarize what the participants are saying. When my respondents arrived for the interview, I
introduced myself first and clearly explain the purpose of my research. Before the interview
started, the participants filled in simple permission form for them to confirm that they are agreed
to be interviewed.
2.
Observation
My observation involved the recording lots of occurrences of specific behaviours in the

classroom. Thus, I used checklist to record my observation. In order to study whether Boom
Cards Game affects their learning motivation, I used observation method by preparing a
checklist. This observation will be done by me, my practicum partner and an English teacher in
that school. Refer to appendices to see the checklist.
3.
Measurement
The measurements that I will be using are pre-test and post-test.

A. Pre-test and post-test
Through the use of pre-test and post-test, it will help to figure out the effectiveness of the
intervention used, whether it works or not. The pre-test is conducted before the Boom Card
Game is being introduced to pupils. By comparing both results from pre-test and post-test, I was
able to see the significant difference on the pupils performance and the effects of Boom Cards
Game on their learning.
4.
Document analysis
For document analysis, I used worksheet to see their performance after using Boom cards
Game. I recorded their marks in every intervention that I will carry out. Thus, I can see the
influence of Boom Cards Game on their vocabulary knowledge. Worksheet was given after
pupils playing the Boom Cards Game. It is aimed to record pupils performance on their
understanding about the new words that they have learnt through the game. It also acts as
reinforcement to the words they have learnt. Their scores were recorded consistency. Refer to
appendices to see the sample of the worksheet.
1. Interview
In this research, I used semi-structured questions as the instrument for the interview.
Transcribing is one part of how I interpreted the rough data. Transcribing all the interview
conservation based on the recording was not easy and time consuming, and required me to focus
when listening to the recorded interview conversation. I decided on the level of accuracy at
which I intend to transcribe the conversation. It depends on the purpose of the material used in
75

my research. For example, if I looked for main points and ideas in the contents or I looked for
clues in the speech. However, I was not required or used details like the length of every pause of
the speech like humm and ahh. I interviewed four participants out of five participants because
there was one participant that reluctant to speak because he/she did not have the confidence to be
interviewed
2.
Measurement: Mean Percentage
The analytical values of pupils results of their test papers are interpreted through calculatiof the
mean, standard deviation and percentage. Mean score provided a scope of perception whether
the pupils are increasingly progressing or declining. A high value of mean score will indicate
that the pupils have not learnt or mastered what have been taught. In accordance with the mean
score, the median and mode of the data collected were analysed and the frequency and patterns
of the pupils results.
3. Percentage
Since I used checklist to see the difference between pupils motivation before using Boom
Cards Game and using Boom Cards Game to teach them vocabulary, therefore, I used
percentage to analyse their motivation level. Since my checklist consist only two options; yes
and no, I counted the percentage on how many yes and how many no before and after
using Boom Cards Game. Their motivation level considered as increasing if the percentage of
yes is showing a positive growth.
However if the percentage of yes showing a negative number or static percentage, then it
shows that my intervention of using Boom Cards Game was either decreasing my pupils
motivation or does not have any effect on my pupils motivation. This observation checklist was
given before I used my intervention to teach them and also during intervention was carried out.
4. Document analysis
As for my fourth method of data collection in which I used document analysis as my method I
used worksheets as my instrument and distribute to them every time they finish playing Boom
Cards Game. From the worksheet, I saw whether they were able to answer the worksheet after
playing the language game. I analysed this data by using mean percentage. I could easily portray
the effects of Boom Cards Game on pupils vocabulary development by displaying the
difference average between each intervention.
Findings
Measurements and Document Analysis
Question 1: What is the effect of using Boom Cards Game in teaching low proficiency pupils
in learning vocabulary?
76

Table 2
Mark Scheme for Pre-test and Post-test
Marks
Graduating students
80-100
Excellent
50-70
Satisfactory
40-0
Minimum achievement
Table 5
Comparison Between Mean Score of Pre-test and Post-test
Pupil
Pre- Test (%)
Post- Test (%)
% (+/-)
19
41
+22
33
90
+57
30
89
+59
35
95
+60
29
90
+61
Mean percentage
29.2
81
+51.8
Table 5 shows comparison between mean score of pre-test and post-test in the aspect of develop
their vocabulary knowledge. Based on Table 4, mean score of the pre-test are 29.2. Meanwhile,
mean score for the post-test is 81. This shows that there is improvement if the mean score for the
pre-test compared to the mean score for the post-test. The mean score difference is 51.8. This is
clearly shows that there is development occur in participants vocabulary knowledge after
learning vocabulary through Boom Cards Game language game. Increment for this mean score
also shows that there are positive changes towards learning vocabulary among respondents.
Researcher found out respondents positive development in their vocabulary knowledge.
It shows that all of the participants showed improvement in learning vocabulary by using Boom
Cards Game. The highest difference in score which contributes +61% of increment can be seen
for pupil (P5). The lowest difference in score shows +22% of increment as seen in pupil (P1)
among all of the pupils. The wide range in difference can be caused by some possible factors in
the pupils vocabulary development. For pupil (P1), he/she was not able to read and write. He/
she only memorise the new word that he/she learnt by playing Boom Cards Game. Researcher
believed that P1 was able to answer because of the help of the visualisation in Boom Cards
Game. The highest increment of the score for pupil P5 shows that the pupil is in favour with the
use of Boom Cards Game in his vocabulary development. This suggests that the pupil finds that
the use of picture dictionary has helped the pupils vocabulary development. Both of these
77
Mean
effects show that Boom Cards Game has a positive effect on pupils vocabulary development.
Nonetheless, the degree of the effect is different according to their proficiency level and ability.
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
67.6
44.4
50.6
56.6
73.4
78.2
80
83.8
56.6
34.4
Number of Intervention Sessions
Figure 6. Pupils performance means score after each intervention

Figure 6 shows mean score for worksheet during every intervention were done. For week one,
the mean score was 34.4, the mean score indicates that the scores for their worksheet was in
weak level. Participants were very poor in terms of vocabulary. For the second week, the mean
score was 44.4. This shows that the mean score improve 10.0 from the first week. On the second
week of the intervention, researcher found out participants was able to understand the worksheet
given. Boom Cards Game can enhance their understanding in learning vocabulary. The mean
score continuously improved until fourth week of intervention. During fifth week of
intervention, the mean score was statistic at 56.6. This was due to the lack of focus during the
intervention was done. Three of my participants experienced flu during that time, it can be the
main reason they lost focus during the intervention and it influenced their worksheet score.
Other than that, this could also possibly because of pupils were unfamiliar with the formats used.
It was because during the sixth week, I changed the format of the worksheet in a different form.
Therefore, the validity and reliability of the worksheet were factors that influenced the mean
score. For the sixth week of intervention onwards, the mean score increased until 83.8 at tenth
week of intervention.
I found out that learning vocabulary words for a foreign language or personal improvement in
English can be a challenge simply because of the effort needed to convert short term memory
into long term memory. Running through a list over and over is actually highly effective, though
not the most interesting way to learn. Thus, using card games (Boom Cards Game) are an
excellent ways to learn vocabulary words among low L2 proficiency level pupils. Boom Cards
Game was visually stimulating. Participants showed their active participants during the
intervention, they also learnt new word in fun and meaningful ways. As shown in Figure 1,
participants have improved in their learning after the researcher used the Boom Cards Game.
Question 2: What is the effect of using Boom Cards Game on low proficiency pupils
motivation in learning vocabulary?
78

The interview had been carried out in the school library. Based on the interview, I found out that
all of participants like to learn vocabulary using Boom Cards Game. Stated below were their
responses:
ya..sangat suka cikgu..best ni..main-main kad sambil belajar English. develop thinking (PA/
21-22)
ya..sangat suka cikgu..best ni.. (PB / 22)
ya..sangat suka cikgu..best bha main-main kad...endah boring.. (PC/21-22)
ya..sangat suka cikgu..best ni..main-main kad sambil belajar English..emm..belajar sama
kawan-kawan..enjoy ba teacher..(PD/21-22)
It shows that they like learned vocabulary using Boom Cards Game. According to participant
A, she/he like to learned vocabulary using Boom Cards Game because she/he can learn
through playing. She/he enjoyed learned vocabulary using Boom Cards Game. Meanwhile,
participant B said that she/ he like the Boom Cards Game very much. Participant C said that
she/ he like to learned vocabulary using Boom Cards Game because she/ he did not felt bored.
For participant D, she/ he enjoyed learning vocabulary using Boom Cards Game since he/she
can learn through playing cards. Researcher believed that, the use of Boom Cards Game in
teaching vocabulary for low proficiency pupils can increase the motivation level of pupils in
learning vocabulary. During interventions, they enjoyed playing Boom Cards Game as their
tool in learning vocabulary. They felt the enjoyment in their learning, thus it will motivated them
to learn vocabulary. Researcher also found out that the positive changes among participants
towards learning vocabulary can be seen during the interventions since they enjoyed learning.
Another finding from the interview was the participants want to use Boom Cards Game in
learning vocabulary even after the all of the interventions for research was done. It shows that
they are motivated enough to learn vocabulary using Boom Cards Game. As researcher found
out from participants responses during the interview;
Mesti la bah cikgu..siuk ba tu..kami mau lagi teacher(PA-31)
Mesti la bah..siuk dan senang di belajar sama faham (smiling) (PB-31)
Mesti la bah..siuk ba tu (smiling) (PC-31)
Mau ba..sia rasa betul-betul seronok..saya mau Boom cards game lagi.. (smiling) (PD-31
I found out that participants motivated enough to learn vocabulary using Boom Cards Game.
Researcher found out that Boom Cards Game was really handy resource to have and can be
useful at every stage of the class. They are a great way to present, practise and recycle
vocabulary. Indeed, Boom Cards Game are a really handy resource to have and can be useful
especially for low proficiency pupils. This handy resource can motivate pupils to learn
vocabulary.
79

120
100
100
80
60
Pupils' motivation level
40
20
6.66
0
Before using BCG
During using BCG
Figure 7. Comparison between pupils motivation level before and during using Boom Cards
Game
Figure 7 shows that generally, my participants motivation level is increasing as much as 86.66
mean percentages. Before I used Boom Cards Game (BCG) game in the teaching and learning,
their motivation level to learn was as low as 6.66%. This might because of some factors such as
they were not interested in the way the lesson was carried out. Secondly, it might because of
their L2 proficiency level. It influenced their motivation to learn because they have high
affective filter towards the language learning. It will then, make the participants. Therefore,
since the activity done was boring and they were not good in this subject, they decided to just
simply take this subject not seriously.
After the intervention, the three observers found out that all of participants showed positive
change on their motivation towards learning L2 during using Boom Cards Game as the tool in
learning vocabulary. Boom Cards Game motivates participants to memorize new words. It can
be seen clearly through the differences between before using Boom Cards Game and after using
Boom Cards Game. During interventions all of participants participated actively in the activity.
It showed that they were motivated enough to learn the target language.
Summary/ Reflection
This action research aimed to examine the effect of Boom Cards Game in teaching low
proficiency pupils in learning vocabulary and to explore the effect of using Boom Cards Game
on pupils motivation in learning vocabulary. Based on the findings of this action research, it
was identified that the use of Boom cards Game in teaching vocabulary among low proficiency
pupils had an effect on the pupils vocabulary development. Through the findings that had been
discovered and analysed, it indicated that there was a positive effect in the pupils vocabulary
development. It can be seen through the increment of +51.8 of the overall pupils mean score of
the test taken. In addition, the pupils gave mostly positive views on the use of Boom Cards
Game in teaching and learning new words. The overall feedbacks received from both of the
80

observation and interview conducted that the pupils were interested and preferred the use of
Boom Cards Game in the teaching and learning of new words.
After conducting the research of the use of Boom Cards Game in teaching vocabulary for low
proficiency pupils and analysing the data, I found some research findings to answer the research
questions in the introduction. All of the findings were gotten from the data that were collected by
the researcher. After analyzing the data, researcher found out low proficiency level pupils in L2
experienced positive effects towards their vocabulary development. It can be said that the
existence of Boom Cards Game makes pupils familiar with certain words. They can play, see,
read, and touch the object. Thus, after the lesson was over, they can memorize the words easily.
The increasing of attention, motivation, and existence of Boom Cards Game improve the pupils
achievement in learning vocabulary. Through the use of Boom Cards Game in each activity,
there was an improvement of the pupils motivation in learning. It could be seen from the pupils
interest in teaching-learning process which was higher. The pupils motivation in learning
English influenced their participation in the class. The teaching and learning process became
active and interactive because they enjoyed and they were motivated in teaching and learning
process.
As a teacher, being significantly reflective was the most decisive task that ought to be done in
the teaching and learning. Reflection gives an opportunity to teachers to take a moment in
thinking and discovering the strengths and weaknesses that they have when they are teaching.
The process of reflecting on their own teaching practices involves cognitive recognition of the
overall performance that they have done in the classroom. A teacher holds a great role in making
changes in the pupils learning development. Teachers have responsibilities, accountability and
integrity in the process of teaching and learning inside and even outside the classroom. The
passage to these changes makes the teachers to walk o a reflective road. Throughout the whole
action research, I learnt lots of meaningful and knowledgeable experiences in teaching and
learning processes.
My belief that young learners deserved to have meaningful entry of the language came to a point
of realisation that the use of Boom Cards Game to learn vocabulary worked, may it be little
changes to them or a huge ones. I was able to carry out what I believed through the way I taught
the pupils. This action research had helped me in looking depth of the ways I carried out my
lessons-of how the methodological aspects were applied, of how the pupils learning was
assessed and of the accessibility of the language towards the pupils.
Through my collective experience I learnt a few truths about Boom Cards Game. I realized that
there is no one method that fits all. I had to change the activity altogether or just make slight
changes to the ongoing activity to achieve my goals. It was to ensure participants understand and
can participate in the activity. Despite various outcomes experienced by me during the action
research, I wanted pupils to reflect what they had learned in classes and most importantly, I
wanted to know if I achieved the desired learning outcomes. I wanted participants to recall
consciously what and how they have made sense of what they learned. I chose different means
of gathering feedback, including test, observation, document analysis and interview.
From this action research, I have learnt and acquired a lot of knowledge mostly about vocabulary
awareness, reading skill as well as speaking and listening skill. Clearly, this knowledge has
influenced and improved my practices in teaching reading. I knew that, to be an expert teacher it
is not easy but I can be an expert teacher if I choose to be like that. Thus, I realised that I have to
stay focus and hope that the values and efforts I have experienced and inculcated in me
throughout this research remain continuously shape my best attitudes to fulfil my dream.
81

For my participants during research, they have developed positively when my ways of teaching
has improved. Due to time constraint, it is impossible to turn these pupils especially they have
low proficiency level in L2, however they still show encouraging progress and have developed
their vocabulary. Even though, they only showed small changes but at least there was positive
progress among them and this can become a motivation to me as a future teacher.
In a nutshell, this research really taught me on how to be an effective and professional teacher. I
really hope that low proficiency pupils were not abandoned. Teachers should help them to
improve in their learning language. I hope that this research can be shared to others and it will
help them especially in teaching vocabulary for low proficiency pupils in L2.
The use of Interactive Cards Game to teach Vocabulary
Since the use of Boom Cards Game only allows pupils to see picture and words, I believe this
technique will most probably work to teach vocabulary to the pupils. However, pupils will not
have the opportunity to learn how to pronounce the new words that they have learnt. Therefore,
it will help pupils to learn how to pronounce the words using interactive Cards Game. Interactive
Cards Game will allow pupils to listen the correct pronunciation of the new words that they
learn. In the other words, it is the combination of listening and speaking skill.
The use of Station Cards Game to teach vocabulary
Pupils like to learn in a fun and meaningful way. They like to move and play around. Since the
use of BCG only required pupils to sit in a group and plays the cards game, I believe it would be
more fun if kinaesthetic intelligence involved so that pupils would be engaged actively in the
teaching and learning session. The use of Station Cards Game will attract pupils to involve since
they will be required to move station by station to play the language game.
Provided extra period and suitable room for Low proficiency pupils to learn vocabulary
I noticed that most of the schools did not provided extra period and suitable places for those that
have low proficiency level in L2. This kind of pupils should be given remedial in order for them
to improve in learning the target language. Therefore, I strongly believe that an extra period and
suitable room will help them much in their learning.
The teacher needs to identify the pupils behaviour first before presenting the lesson
This is aimed to choose an appropriate technique in order to match pupils ability to learn the
lesson. Teacher should creative enough to make pupils engaged with the lesson. If the technique
is suitable to pupils behaviour then it can be an effective lesson to them.
References
Ahmad. (2012). Improving Students Reading Comprehension Through Teams Games
Tournament (A Classroom Action Research at the Second Grade Students of SMP N 15
Surakarta in the Academic Year 2010/2011. Teacher Training and Education Faculty of
Sebelas Maret University.
82

Curriculum Specification English Language SK Year 3. (2003). Ministry of Education of
Malaysia.
De Vries, D. (1980). Teams-Games-Tournament: The Team Learning Approach.
Educational Technology Publications.
Karen A. Milczynski. (2011). Literature Review: Effectiveness of Gaming in the
Classroom. Michigan State University. Diperoleh pada 3 mac 2012 dari
https://www.msu.edu/~milczyn1/artifacts/LITERATUREREVIEW_KAREN_MILCZY
NSKI.pdf
Lee, W. R. (1986). Language teaching games. New york: oxford university
Press
White,J. (2008). Playing and learning outdoors. 270 Madison Ave, New York:
Routledge
83

THE EFFECTS OF USING HAND PUPPETS ON PUPILS MOTIVATIONAL LEVEL
AND FLUENCY IN SPEAKING
Kong Suk Ching
kongsukching@yahoo.com
Gordian Pius
Abstract
This action research examined the effect of using hand puppets on pupils
motivation level in speaking. This research also studied the effect of using hand
puppets on pupils fluency in speaking. This action research involved five Year 3
Aktif pupils in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Biah, Keningau. The technique
used in this action research was hand puppets to teach speaking. Data was
collected through observation with the instrument being a 5-point Likert scale
checklist throughout the interventions. Interview using structured interview
questions was also used to collect data. The other data collection method used
was measurement in which a test was administered before and after the
intervention. Data from the checklist was analysed through mean .Data
obtained from the interview was analysed descriptively through content
analysis. Test scores was analysed through percentage and mean percentage.
The mean score obtained over the ten observations was 3.12 that showed pupils
were above the average level of motivation. Findings also indicated that pupils
had a positive view about the use of hand puppets. Findings from the
observations and interviews indicated that hand puppets had a positive effect on
pupils motivation level in speaking. Results also showed an increase of 15% in
the mean percentage between the pre-test and post-test scores. This showed that
using hand puppets had a positive effect on pupils speaking fluency. It is
recommended that this strategy can be considered as another alternative to
teach speaking skills for primary school pupils.
Keywords : Speaking, Hand Puppets, Motivation, Speaking Fluency
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan penggunaan boneka tangan terhadap tahap
motivasi murid dalam bertutur. Kajian ini juga mengkaji kesan penggunaan
boneka tangan terhadap kefasihan murid dalam bertutur. Kajian ini melibatkan
lima orang murid Tahun 3 Aktif di Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Biah. Teknik
yang digunakan dalam kajian ini ialah boneka tangan untuk mengajar
kemahiran bertutur. Data dikumpul melalui pemerhatian dengan instrumen
iaitu senarai semak 5 skala Likert sepanjang intervensi. Untuk pemerhatian,
data telah dianalisis melalui pengiraan min sepanjang intervensi. Temubual
dengan soalan temubual secara berstruktur digunakan untuk mengumpul data.
Kaedah pengumpulan data yang lain ialah pengukuran di mana ujian telah
dijalankan sebelum dan selepas intervensi. Data daripada senarai semak
dianalisis dengan menggunakan min. Data yang didapati dari temubual
dianalisis secara deskriptif melalui analisis kandungan. Skor ujian dianalisis
84

melalui peratusan dan peratusan min. Skor min yang didapati sepanjang 10 kali
intervensi ialah 3.12 di mana murid berada di atas paras motivasi yang
sederhana Dapatan juga menunjukkan murid mempunyai pandangan yang
positif ke atas penggunaan boneka tangan Dapatan kajian daripada
pemerhatian dan temubual menunjukkan bahawa boneka tangan mempunyai
kesan positif ke atas tahap motivasi murid dalam bercakap. Peningkatan
sebanyak 15% dalam peratusan min dalam skor pra-ujian dan pasca ujian..
Keputusan ini menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan boneka tangan mempunyai
kesan positif ke atas kefasihan berbahasa murid. Ia adalah dicadangkan
bahawa strategi ini boleh dianggap sebagai satu alternatif untuk mengajar
kemahiran bercakap bagi murid-murid sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci : Bertutur, Boneka Tangan, Motivasi, Kefasihan Bertutur
Reflection on Teaching and Learning

Although this was not my first time in teaching practicum, I was still struggling to do my best.
Fortunately, provided with my previous experience and knowledge, I was able to begin my
practicum with confidence. This was the first time I was assigned to a Year 3 class to teach
English. It was quite a challenging task for me as I have never been exposed to teaching
grammar to elementary pupils. Nonetheless, as I progressed, I was able to carry out the tasks
with guidance from my lecturers, mentor and peers. The reflections that were written at the end
of each lesson have become useful source for me to improve my teaching in the classroom.
Reflections were the evidence that answers the questions What I have done in the class?, Did
I teach them on what they are supposed to learn?, Did they learn something from me? and so
on. All these questions were guidelines for me to ponder on my teaching. Every answer to these
was mirrored to what was happening in the classroom as well as my areas of strength and
weaknesses. Based on this information, I was able to point out some issues in my class.
One of the major concerns was motivating pupils to speak in the class. At the beginning, I
realized that they seldom use English language in the class, particularly in speaking. So, I
assumed that they had difficulties in speaking the language, such as saying the words or
sentences out from their minds. However, my assumption was proven wrong when I noticed they
could perform well in other skills as well as speaking. Therefore, I altered my focus to
motivation. I believed that motivation is one of the main factors in learning which affect pupils
performance in schools. In this case, my pupils were not motivated to speak English language in
my class. Even though, they were capable to do so. They probably felt that there were no reasons
for them to use the language in the lessons. They might have the perception that learning English
was merely for examination purposes only and viewed the language as a useless language.
Based on my observation, there was little participation from them especially when they were
asked to speak in English. They were passive when I asked them questions, even with the simple
Yes or No answers. They sat quietly and looked at me with clueless facial expression. I found
out that a few of them were discussing quietly and hesitated to answer the questions. They rose
up their hands reluctantly at first. However, after several questioning and explaining, they gave
me their responses. Based on my observation, one of the causes that led to the problem was
pupils have low confidence in speaking the language. They like the language as they enjoyed the
fun by participating actively in the activities. However, they did not speak the language and I
assumed that there was no motivation for them to use it. So, I often encouraged them to speak in
the language by providing reinforcement such as token system, yet it brought little avail to their
85

motivation. Most probably, they thought that English was an instructional language used by the
teacher which has no use for them; I was the one who did the talking. In my assumption, the low
motivation to learn English, specifically in speaking is due to their perception that English
language has no function in real life. This showed that my strategy in motivating pupils to speak
in the language has failed. Thus, I focused my attention to my pupils point of view to try and
get ideas on how to improve the situation. I had tried out various approaches and techniques in
my lessons and I discovered that they liked to interact with one and another. They preferred
interactive activities such as games and songs which demanded them to get involved in the
activities. They had least interest in doing dull activities such as completing worksheets. Hence,
I could conclude that they were auditory learners and tactile/kinaesthetic learners (Gardner,
1985).
Focus of Research
The focus of my action research is to motivate pupils to speak by using puppets. During my
teaching practice, I realized that my pupils were not motivated to speak in the classroom. When
questions were asked, little feedbacks were gained. It happened throughout the lessons.
Therefore, I started to look for the possible reasons on why this was happening. At first, I
assumed that they were weak in the language which in turn caused them unable to give
feedbacks. However, based on the information gathered through discussions and observations, I
found out that they have good basic in English.
Many pupils, especially learning in a second language classroom faced difficulties in speaking.
English as a Second Language (ESL) learners often face difficulties in participating in speaking
activities might be due to their limited knowledge on the language as well as having little
motivation to do so. According to Nation (as cited in Nguyen,2010), if students do not know
enough, they will not be able to perform the task well, and this is one of the causes of students
unwillingness to speak. On the other hand, research shows that they developed more negative
attitudes to school and are likely to lack motivation to put more effort in it (Sallinen-Kuparinen,
McCroskey & Richmond, 1991).As for my case, it fell on the latter. My pupils were capable to
speak English yet have low motivation in speaking the language.
Hence, I started to find alternatives to overcome this problem. I have applied various techniques
in my lessons. All aimed to promote speaking motivation among my pupils. Those techniques
were using pictures, using games, such as BINGO, simulations and puppets. Based on my
experiment, there was positive feedback from them, however, in each technique; reflection and
justification were done in order to examine its value of practicing.
Eventually, using hand puppets to motivate pupils in speaking have become my choice of
intervention. The selection was made based on certain convincing factors, such as pupils
interests, pupils learning styles and the practicality of using hand puppets. Through puppetry, it
gave them a sense of ownership which they were able to manipulate it. It fits well with their
learning styles where they preferred to learn through hands-on activities. Besides that, it allowed
them to use over and over again in different contexts. Therefore, to overcome the problem of low
motivation in speaking among my pupils, I have used hand puppets as my intervention.
Objectives
My action research aimed to:
i. Explore the effect of hand puppets on pupils level of motivation in speaking.
86
ii. Investigate the effect of hand puppets on pupils fluency in speaking.

Research Questions
1. What is the effect of using hand puppets on pupils motivational level in speaking?
2. What is the effect of using hand puppets on pupils fluency in speaking?
Target Group
The target group of my research is a Year 3 Aktif class. The class encompasses 12 males and 13
females. For my research purpose, I had selected only five of them out of 25 which consist 3
males and 2 females. They aged from 8 to 9 years old. Most of them come from the nearby
villages. My target group came from an advanced class among the other two classes. Generally,
they have good proficiency in the language. Nonetheless, their ability in learning English
language covered a wide range of levels. There was an interesting fact on my pupils. They were
good in the language yet not motivated to talk. Their attitudes were shown during my lessons.
They did pay attention to me and there was feedback when I asked for oral response. Despite of
this, I found out that there were few of them rarely showed their responds and interests when
they were questioned. Contrary, they were able to carry out the tasks, such as reading and
writing activities that I assigned to them but not the same in speaking activities. One of the main
reasons was that they did not see the necessity to use the language in their daily conversation. As
stated earlier, their motivation in speaking the language was generally low.
In this action research, I have used Kemmis and McTaggarts Research Model in guiding me to
carry out my action research.
Figure 1. Kemmis & McTaggarts action research model (2000)

This model consists of three phrases which are plan, action, observe and reflect. It involves a
spiral of two self-reflective cycles.
Prior to planning, I reflected on my teaching and learning in order to figure out my area of
limitation in teaching practices. I also obtained information from teachers through discussion.
Most of the information gained was consisted of the pupils backgrounds, attitudes in the
87

classroom and their common learning styles. Besides that, pupils past test scores were collected
from their previous class teacher. The past score showed that they were generally good yet when
it came to practicality, they were not able to show interest in applying the language in classroom.
I sought in depth on the pupils views in learning the language by talking to them personally and
in groups that resulted most of them found that they were not keen in speaking the language.
Planning
In my planning, I listed out all the possible solutions that could be done as my intervention to the
issue discovered. Selection on the intervention was done based on its values and practicality in
my teaching context, such as the target group, time, setting, human resources as well as
expenses. The suitability of intervention was ascertained by the information that was obtained
earlier. In addition, the choice of methods of data collection was done under this planning stage.
Act and Observe
After the planning, I started to implement it to my targeted pupils. The intervention was carried
out for 10 times. I took them out from the class and did the intervention at the schools library. I
observed and collected the data by using a checklist during the intervention. In each intervention,
pupils were given the hand puppets to talk to their friends. They were required to ask and answer
simple Wh-questions among themselves by using the hand puppets. I also facilitated the process
by asking them questions. For each intervention, different topics were given to them. The
allocated time for each session was one hour. Before the speaking activity, they were provided
10-15 minutes to prepare their ideas based on the topic set. Pupils responded to the questions and
their certain behaviours throughout the intervention were observed and documented in a form of
5 Likert-scaled checklist. To ensure the reliability of the results, two observers were involved
which were me, as the participant observers as well as my mentor.
After the 10 times interventions, once again I carried out an oral test which was similar to the
previous test. The test was done on the ninth week which was on 4 April 2014 at the schools
library. Interview with pupils was also carried out on the preceding week in order to get their
views on the intervention used.
Survey and Analysis of the Problem
In order to make sure my focus of research was worth to be worked on, I had gone through a
series of investigation of the problem. Information was collected through discussions,
observations as well as documentations. I have met and talk to my mentor on pupils common
problems in the school. Based on our discussion, she also agreed on the problem that I have
identified. From my observation, I noticed that they rarely speak the language even in English
lesson. Most of the time, they used their first language in their conversation. From their previous
test result, it showed that they performed well in the test. This implied that they had solid basis
on the language itself yet they were not confident in speaking.
Slavin (2012) said that an extreme form of the motive to avoid failure is called learned
helplessness, which is a perception that no matter what one does, one is doomed to failure or
ineffectuality. I have few pupils who were not motivated to speak at all. Thus, based on my
analysis, I presumed that they might experience learned helplessness where they have the
misconception on their ability by thinking that there was little that they can do to be successful.
As I examined through their previous test papers and daily class tasks, there was a gap between
performance in speaking and writing. Too much attention on examination has led to low
competency in speaking skills.
88

In this research, I used triangulation of data collection methods, where data was collected
through multiple sources. The methods that I used to collect data were observations,
measurement and interview. Observation was used in this action research to answer the research
question number one. The instrument that I used was a checklist. The checklist used a five-point
Likert scale. In this checklist, there were six items. The times of reoccurrence of each set
behaviour was noted and the distribution would be done from the lowest to the highest such as
the following: (1) never to the highest, (2) rarely, (3) occasionally, (4) often and (5) always. The
second method that I applied in collecting my data was interview. In this research, it served to
answer my first research question. The instrument used was structured questions which consisted
of six items. The third method that I used in this research was measurement. It was used to
address the second research question. The instrument was an oral test. The test was implemented
before and after the intervention was done. It was carried out after lessons. The test was taken as
oral fluency test.
For observation, I had used checklist. The times of reoccurrence of each set behaviour was noted
and the distribution had ranged from the lowest, which was never (1) to the highest, often (5).
Pupils were observed throughout the ten times intervention and data was collected collectively.
The raw data gathered was analysed through descriptive statistic, which is mean. The value of
pupils motivation level is based on the mean score gained and interpreted according to
Vallerands Scale for Academic Motivation (2012).
Table 1.
Elementary Academic Motivation Scale
Scale
Level of Motivation
Never
Rarely
Generally
Often
Always
Adapted from Vallerand (2012). Scale for Academic Motivation

As for structured interview, the data was analysed through content analysis. The data gathered
was transcribed into text and organised for further analysis. I read the transcript carefully to
identify broad themes that might emerge from the interview. For measurement, the instrument
that I had applied was an oral test. The test had been implemented twice throughout my research
which is before and after the intervention. Pupils marks were given based on the rubrics that I
had prepared. The raw score was converted into percentage and mean.
89

Findings
What is the effect of using hand puppets on pupils level of motivation in speaking?
This research question aimed to see the effect of using hand puppets on pupils level of
motivation in speaking. The question focused on using hand puppets to encourage pupils to
speak and its possible effects on their motivational level in speaking. The result is gained by the
mean of observation and the mean score over the ten time observations is calculated.
Table 2.
The Mean Score for the 10 Observation of Five Pupils.
Pupil
A
B
C
D
E
Mean
1
1.92
2.05
2.33
1.50
2.17
2
2.25
2.17
3.08
1.67
2.50
3
2.42
2.42
3.16
2.33
3.08
4
3.00
3.17
3.50
2.92
3.17
5
2.83
3.50
3.42
3.50
3.42
Observation,Ob
6
7
2.92 3.17
3.50 3.58
3.67 3.92
3.25 3.42
3.67 3.33
8
3.33
3.58
4.00
3.50
3.42
9
3.50
3.58
4.00
3.50
3.67
10
3.58
3.83
4.08
3.42
3.67
X
2.89
3.14
3.52
2.85
3.21
3.12
The table 2 above shows the overall mean score of the 10 time observation for the five pupils.
The mean score for the ten times observations is 3.12. This indicated that the pupils were
generally motivated to speak. Based on the table, the highest mean score is 3.52 which was
obtained by pupil C. Meanwhile, the least mean score was obtained by pupil D which is 2.85.
Nonetheless, there were two out of three pupils who scored under the average level which is
below the value 3.00. The mean score of 2.85 and 2.89 imply that the pupils were rarely
motivated.
Based on the data displayed in table 2, I can see that there is a non constant pattern of pupils
motivation level throughout the ten observations. Gradually, from the first to the fifth
observation there is an escalation in level of motivation. Most of the pupils were motivated to
speak by using the hand puppets that ranged above 3.00. Toward the end of the intervention, I
can see that pupils motivation levels were in a stable scale.
I am able to indicate that there is a positive effect on the pupils level motivation in speaking as
pupils commented that this approach was very interesting to them and they enjoyed speaking by
using hand puppets. They felt that it is easier for them to speak in simple English with their
friends when using the hand puppets.
What is the effect of using hand puppets on pupils fluency in speaking?
This question aimed to determine the effect of using hand puppets on pupils fluency in
speaking. By posing this question, I am able to see if there is any positive or negative effect of
using hand puppets on pupils fluency in speaking. The data is analyzed through descriptive
statistics. The result is obtained by making comparison between the mean percentage score of
pre-test and post-test.
90
Table 3.
Comparison between Pre-Test and Post-Test Mean Percentage
Number of Pupil
Pre
(%)
Post
(%)
+/(%)
28
40
+15
The data tabulated in Table 3 indicates the comparison between the mean percentage of pre-test
and post-test for five pupils. The mean percentage for pre-test is 28. After the ten times of
intervention, the mean percentage for post-test is 40. This signifies that there is an increase of
15% in mean score in speaking performance of the pupils. This suggests that using hand puppets
has a positive effect on the pupils speaking fluency.
Summary/ Reflection
From this action research, several conclusions can be drawn about the effects of using hand
puppets in pupils motivation level in speaking and their fluency. This study signified that the
use of hand puppets is able to improve pupils motivation level in speaking. It emerged that the
freedom in manipulating hand puppets brought positive effects on their motivation level in
speaking. The findings of the study also reveal that pupils speaking fluency has improved.
According to Wallace and Mishina (2004), a student with a number of significant delays,
including a speech impediment, who rarely speaks, would speak freely and non-stop when we
engaged his puppet in conversation. Once pupils are engaged in a task, their motivation towards
the activity will increase.
Based on the second finding, hand puppets also benefited pupils in their speaking fluency. Pupils
found to be less anxious to speak when they are engaged with the hand puppets activity.
Consequently, the language produced by pupils is mostly natural and authentic resulting from a
less threatening environment.
I have suggested a number of ways to enhance my research. This can help teachers who are
interested in further study on this topic. It is recommended that this research could be carried out
over a longer period of time. It is time consuming to encourage pupils who are not brought up in
English speaking environment. This is because they are not used to the language in their daily
life and requires long term practices of the language in order to be fluent in the language.
Therefore, a teacher may conduct this research as a one year effort in order to thoroughly
analyse pupils development in speaking skill. It is also suggested that a teacher tries a variety of
strategies in using hand puppets in order to make it more interesting and directly maximise the
language learning process. Instead of the teacher asking simple WH-questions, teacher can
require pupils to role-play by using the hand puppets. In this way, pupils are exposed to wider
genre of speech. The hand puppets technique also can be practiced in teaching other language
skills such reading and writing. Teachers can use hand puppets to facilitate reading activities
such as reading aloud with pupils. In addition, it can be used as prompter or stimulus to teach
writing.
91

References
Gardner, R.C. (1985). Social psychology and language learning: the role of attitudes
and motivation. London: Edward Arnold
Kemmis S., &R. McTaggart (2000). Participatory Action Research: Communicative

Action in the Public Sphere. Retrieved 13 February 2014
http://www.corwin.com/upm-data/21157_Chapter_10.pdf
from
Nguyen,M.H.(2010). Encourage reluctant ESL/EFL learners to speak in the

classroom.The Internet TESL Journal.Retrieved 3 February 2014, from
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Hue-ReluctantSpeakers.html
Sallinen-Kuparinen, A. , McCroskey, J.C. & Richmond, V.P. (1991). Willingness to
communicate, communication apprehension, introversion, and self-reported
communication
competent.
Retrieved
12
February
2014,
from
http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/0/2/4/pages90249
/p90249-31.php
Slavin, E. R. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th ed.).USA:
Pearson
Vallerand,R. J. (2012). Elementary academic motivation scale. Retrieved 12
February 2014, from http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r26710/LRCS/echelles_en.htm
Wallace, A. & Mishina, L .(2004). Relation between the use of puppetry in the
classroom, student attention and student involment. Retrieved 12 February 2014 ,from
www.puppetools.com/amys_thesis.pdf
92

THE USE OF COLOURED-RULED LINES FOR THE TEACHING WRITING OF
LOWERCASE AND UPPERCASE LETTERS
Maziziana Anak David
mazda.tesl@gmail.com
Vasanthi A/P Subramaniam
Abstract
This action research investigated the effect of coloured-ruled lines on pupils
writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. This research also investigated the
opinions of the pupils on the use of coloured-ruled lines in their writing of
lowercase and uppercase letters. This action research involved 28 pupils in
Year 3 Intelek of SK Menawo, Keningau. The technique applied in this action
research was coloured-ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and
uppercase letters. Data was collected through measurement using test as an
instrument which was used as the pre-test and post-tests. Data was also
collected through documents using the test as an instrument. Interview was used
to collect data using structured interview questions as the instrument. The test
data was analyzed using percentage and mean percentage. The data from
documents and interview were analyzed descriptively using content analysis.
The research findings indicated the mean score increased from 63.82% in the
pre-test to 89.93% in the post-test with the increase of mean percentage of
26.11%. This revealed that the use of coloured-ruled lines had a positive effect
on the pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. The findings also
showed that the pupils had positive opinions on the use of coloured-ruled lines
in lowercase and uppercase letters. This technique can be an alternative to
teach writing of lowercase and uppercase letters for primary school pupils.
Keywords: writing, lowercase letters, uppercase letters, coloured-ruled lines
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan garis lurus berwarna terhadap huruf kecil
dan huruf besar murid-murid. Kajian ini juga mengkaji pendapat murid-murid
tentang penggunaan garis berwarna dalam penulisan huruf kecil dan huruf
besar. Kajian tindakan ini melibatkan 28 orang murid Tahun 3 Intelek di SK
Menawo, Keningau. Teknik yang diaplikasikan di dalam kajian tindakan ini
ialah garis lurus berwarna untuk mengajar penulisan huruf kecil dan huruf
besar. Data telah dikutip melalui kaedah pengukuran dengan ujian sebagai
instrumen yang digunakan sebagai ujian pra dan ujian pasca. Data juga
dikumpul melalui dokumen menggunakan ujian sebagai instrumen. Temubual
digunakan untuk mengumpul data dengan menggunakan soalan temubual
berstruktur sebagai instrumen. Data ujian dianalisis menggunakan peratus dan
min peratus. Data dari dokumen dan temubual dianalisis secara diskriptif
dengan menggunakan analisis kandungan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan min
peratus markah telah meningkat daripada 63.82% dalam ujian pra kepada
89.93% dalam ujian pasca dengan peningkatan min peratus sebanyak 26.11%.
Ini menunjukkan penggunaan garis lurus berwarna memberi kesan yang positif
93

terhadap penulisan huruf kecil dan huruf besar. Dapatan kajian juga
menunjukkan murid-murid mempunyai pendapat yang positif terhadap
penggunaan garis lurus berwarna dalam penulisan huruf kecil dan huruf besar.
Teknik ini dapat dijadikan sebagai alternatif untuk mengajar penulisan huruf
kecil dan huruf besar untuk murid-murid sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci: penulisan, huruf kecil, huruf besar, garis lurus berwarna
I was placed in SK Menawo, Keningau for my third phase practicum for three months from 27 th
January, 2014 until 25th April, 2014. I taught English for Year 3 Intelek. In general, the way I
taught English in this class was through Direct Method where I spoke only English language in
the classroom. Mohd Azam (2000) stated that the native language should not be used in teaching
a foreign language if the language taught is in a second language context. According to Diller (as
cited in Larsen-Freeman 2000), the basic rule for direct method is no translation is allowed. In
my class, meaning was conveyed directly in the target language through the use of
demonstration and visual aids. I used various strategies to teach the language skills.
For writing lesson I regularly used blank filling activities, sentence building (based on the
substitution table or a stimulus) and responding to WH-questions activity to get the pupils to
write. By skimming pupils worksheets, I found that most of the pupils were able to fill in the
blanks and build sentences correctly. However the pupils seemed to have problems in their
handwriting. Some of the problems that I found were height differentials, capital letters, spacing
problems and reversals in letter writing. For reversals in letter writing, the pupils wrote the letter
b as d , n as N and s as z. Height differential and spacing problems caused the pupils
to write laboriously. The pupils took a long time to complete writing task. The pupils knew what
lowercase and uppercase letters were. However they still confused on their usage in their
writing. When I asked a pupil to write the word policeman on the whiteboard, the pupil wrote
it as PoLIcemAN, which was wrong. The pupils too failed to write their names with the
correct use of lowercase and uppercase letters. All of these problems which occurred in the
pupils worksheets and activity books really needed immediate attention.
Among the four language skills and the two language components, I found that writing skill
which was the writing of lowercase and uppercase letters was the most difficult one to teach.
Even though the pupils answers in the worksheets were correct, I could not simply give them
marks because the problems in the writing of lowercase and uppercase letters were very obvious.
All of these problems lead me to do an action research in order to improve my teaching practices
especially in the teaching of writing skill.
According to Dunn (1984), handwriting is a lifetime skill, therefore it is important to start from
the beginning with correct habits which will lead on to writing a good hand. Therefore it was a
must for me to address the pupils writing problem. In many writing activities, most of the pupils
failed to print their names correctly. Some pupils used all lowercase to write their names while
some of the pupils were still confused on where and when to use uppercase letters in their
writing. Therefore I found that the main problem in writing that the pupils in Year 3 Intelek
encountered was the writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. I surveyed the problem by
discussing with the language teachers in the school. I talked to the pupils who shared similar
problem in writing. I also administered a diagnostic test to confirm that writing of lowercase and
uppercase was the main problem in Year 3 Intelek. After analyzing all the information gathered,
94

I realized I needed a different strategy to help my pupils to write lowercase and uppercase letters
correctly.
Dunn (1984) stated that a teacher can teach writing of lowercase and uppercase letters by using
lines. For young children who have little opportunity to see Roman script written by hand, it is
very useful to begin learning to write with four guide lines, as these lines help them to get used
to the relative size and proportions of the letters. After young children have sufficient
experience, the number of lines can be reduced to two and then one. Since the Year 3 Intelek
pupils were visual learners, I decided to make an innovation to triple lines and therefore I
implemented the use of coloured-ruled lines in this study. This study focused on whether the use
of coloured-ruled lines helped the pupils to improve teaching writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters.
Research Objectives
The research objectives for this action research were:
1. To explore the effect of coloured-ruled lines on pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters.
2. To study the opinions of the pupils on the use of coloured-ruled lines in writing lowercase
and uppercase letters.
3.
Research Questions
The research questions for the study were:
1. What is the effect of coloured ruled lines on pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters?
2. What are the opinions of the pupils on the use of coloured ruled lines in writing lowercase
and uppercase letters?
Target Group
The class involved was Year 3 Intelek of Sekolah Kebangsaan Menawo, Keningau. The class
consisted of 28 pupils where 8 of them were boys and the remaining 20 were girls. The pupils
were eight to nine years old. The class was of mixed ability groups. Two of them were advanced
learners, another 12 were average learners and the remaining were weak learners. The pupils
were visual learners. They preferred to be taught with interesting teaching aids to support their
learning. I selected all 28 of the pupils in Year 3 Intelek as the target group because more than
half of the pupils had similar problem in the writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
To study the effect of coloured-ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters in Year 3 Intelek and the pupils opinion on the use of coloured-ruled lines on their
writing performance, I had adhered to Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) Action Research Model.
The research cycle which has four steps of actions namely plan, act, observe and reflect helped
me to conduct this action research.
95
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) Action Research Model

Prior to planning based on Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) Action Research Model, I reflected
on my past teaching and learning practices. This was to enable me to identify the problem that I
faced in delivering my lessons that affected the pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters. I gathered the information on this problem through discussion with the language teachers
and discussion with the pupils who shared similar problem in writing. I also conducted a
diagnostic test on the second week of practicum.
1. Plan
I planned to use coloured ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and uppercase letters
to the pupils of Year 3 Intelek. The coloured-ruled lines was in the form of worksheets. It had
four horizontal lines with different colours. The top one was blue, second line was red, the third
line was black and the bottom line was green. The content of the worksheet was designed based
on the Scheme of Work for Year 3. The schedule for implementing the intervention was
tabulated over ten intervention sessions. Three ways of data collection methods were selected to
be used to collect data. They were measurement, document, and interview. I also designed the
instruments that were writing test and structured interview questions.
2. Action
A writing test prior to the intervention was given to the pupils on 18th February, 2014. I
conducted the intervention for 10 times. The post writing test was given on 22 nd April, 2014
which was a week after I have done the final intervention. The intervention sessions were done
during the practice stage for reading and writing lessons. The time allocated for this intervention
was 20 minutes. First, I displayed the coloured-ruled lines using laptop and LCD projector. Then
I demonstrated how to write lowercase and uppercase letters from A to Z on the lines. This was
to ensure that the pupils were able to follow the appropriate directions of forming the letters.
Next, I distributed the worksheet that I have prepared. I explained to them the instructions and
gave them time to complete the worksheet. After the final intervention session, I gave the pupils
a writing test which was given as the post-test. I called four pupils of different language
proficiency to be interviewed to find out their opinions about the use of colored-ruled lines for
their writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
96

1. Measurement
Measurement was the main data collection method in this research. It was used to answer
research question one. The instrument that I used was a test. The test was developed by me
based on a Table of Specification. The test had five sections namely section A, B, C, D and E
which focused on the pupils performance in writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. Section
A and section B had 26 items respectively. Section C, D and E had six items in every section.
Each section had different task such as blank filling, copy the sentences and sentence building. I
referred to my supervisor to check on the test content validity.
2. Document
Document was the second method that I used to collect data to support research question one.
The document was the writing test that I administered before and after the intervention. This was
to show the pupils performance in their lowercase and uppercase writing before and after I
implemented the use of coloured-ruled lines to teach writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
The pictures of the pupils lowercase and uppercase writing were captured and presented in the
findings to support the data that I have collected through measurement. It was then used to
compare the pupils writing performance before and after the intervention that use colouredruled lines as a technique to teach writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
3. Interview
Interview was the third data collection that I used. The data collected during the interview was
used to answer research question two. The instrument that I used was structured interview
questions. The interview questions was validated by my mentor. The interview questions were to
get information on the pupils opinion on their writing after they were exposed to the use of
coloured-ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and uppercase in Year 3 Intelek. Four
pupils in Year 3 Intelek were selected to be interviewed. They were a mixed ability group where
one of them was an advanced learner, two of them were average learners and the last one was a
weak learner. They were purposely selected for the interview because they can communicate
better compared to the others in the class. I asked some questions in Bahasa Melayu to get the
pupils to communicate their opinion well.
1. Measurement
For research question one, a test was used as an instrument and it was administered before and
after the intervention to get quantitative data. The scores of the test were collected and organized
in a table form. The scores were then analyzed using percentage and mean percentage to
compare the changes in the pupils writing performance.
2. Document
The data from the documents and interview were analyzed and interpreted descriptively. The
data from the documents were used to support data that I collected through measurement. The
documents were used to answer research question one. The pupils writing of lowercase and
uppercase letters in the test were captured and displayed in the findings. The pictures were
described descriptively.
97

3. Interview
The interview data was used to answer research question two. The interview was recorded and
the interview data was transcribed and content analysis was done to identify themes for each
question. The results are elaborated descriptively.
Findings
What is the effect of coloured ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and uppercase
letters in Year 3 Intelek?
This research question was to determine whether the use of coloured ruled lines had an effect on
pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase letters in Year 3 Intelek.
Table 1.
Comparison between the Mean of the Pre and Post Writing Test Scores
Pre-test
Post-test
(%)
(%)
Mean
63.82
89.93
+/(%)
+26.11
Table 1 shows the comparison between the mean scores of the pre and post writing test. Before
the implementation of the coloured ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and
uppercase letters, the average score of the pupils writing test was 63.82%. However after the
pupils were exposed to the use of coloured ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase and
uppercase letters, the mean score increased by 26.11% as the mean percentage for the post-test
was 89.93%. The increase in the mean percentage for the post writing test showed that the use of
coloured ruled lines had a positive effect on the pupils writing performance of lowercase and
uppercase letters.
Figure 2. Comparison before and after the use of coloured-ruled lines on pupils writing of
lowercase and uppercase letters of Pupil 28
Figure 2 shows that Pupil 28 used capitalization in the middle of the sentence as well as
lowercase s,p, and m were written wrongly in the writing test before the intervention. However
Pupil 28 was able to obtain full marks for her post writing test. The pupils writing of lowercase
98

and uppercase in the post test indicated that the use of coloured-ruled lines had an effect on the
pupils writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
What are the opinions of the pupils on the use of coloured ruled lines in their writing of
lowercase and uppercase letters?
This action research question was to determine the pupils views on the use of the coloured ruled
line in their writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. The pupils feelings, the pupils levels of
confidence and the pupils knowledge after they used the coloured ruled lines for their writing of
lowercase and uppercase letters were jotted during the interview session.
When questioned on the pupils feelings towards the used of coloured ruled lines in their writing
I found that the pupils were happy when they were able to form the lowercase and the uppercase
letters in neat and legible print. The pupils view were as follows.
Gembira. Sebab dapat tulis dengan betul. (Happy. Because able to write correctly) (P6,L14)
Seronok sebab suka menulis.(Happy because I like to write) (P4,L14)
Emm..seronok..ah..habis..emmm..(Emmhappy..ahbecauseemmm (P18,L14)
When questioned on the pupils level of confidence after they used coloured ruled lines for their
writing activity, the pupils felt more confident about their handwriting after the implementation
of the coloured-ruled lines for their writing activity. This could be seen when Pupil 3,4,6 and 18
mentioned yes, they were confident about their writing.
Yakin sebab saya tau. (ConfidentbecauseI know.) (P3,L17)
Emm iya(Emmyes) (P4,L17)
Yakin. Sebab, nanti kalau tulis tulisan cantik. (Confident. Because..later if I write, writing will
be beautiful) (P6,L17)
Yakin. Arrr habis ada itu garis-garis. Cikgu sudah ajarkan. (Confident. Arrbecause there
were lines. Teacher already taught) (P18,L17)
Generally, the pupils had positive opinions on the use of coloured-ruled lines for the teaching
writing of lowercase and uppercase letters.
Summary/Reflections
To summarize, this action research indicated that pupils performance in the writing test
improved with an increase of 26.11%. This showed that the use of coloured-ruled lines was able
to improve the pupils of Year 3 Intelek writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. The pupils
had positive opinions about the use of coloured-ruled lines for the teaching writing of lowercase
and uppercase letters. I found that the pupils agreed to use coloured-ruled lines in future for their
writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. The colours found in the ruled lines enabled them to
have a stability in their letter writing size and shape. Other than that, the pupils were motivated
to learn how to write when they were exposed to the use of coloured-ruled lines for their writing
activity. They became more confident because their writing of lowercase and uppercase had
improved and now they could produce neat and legible prints. The success that they obtained
through writing practices using coloured-ruled lines motivated them to learn writing skill.In
conclusion, this action research gave me a better understanding on the natural phenomena in the
teaching and learning of English and it was able to motivate me to become a creative and an
innovative teacher.
99

The technique of using coloured-ruled lines can be an alternative to teach writing of lowercase
and uppercase letters for primary school pupils. To further enhance this research, I would like to
suggest that the research of using coloured-ruled lines for teaching writing of lowercase and
uppercase letters to be done with participants from different classes, ages and schools. This is to
know whether the use of coloured-ruled lines can actually help other pupils who face similar
problem in learning writing skill. Next, teachers could extend the time for conducting this
research to at least six months or more. This is to enable that the pupils to show a prominent
improvement in their writing of lowercase and uppercase letters. Thirdly, instead of using
worksheets as instrument for writing practices, I suggest the teacher to vary the activities for the
teaching of writing of lowercase and uppercase letters but still use coloured-ruled lines in the
activity. The activities can be an information transfer which is from non-linear to linear form,
labeling, sentence building using comic strips or composite pictures, games involving writing,
spelling game and dictation and others as long as it can add fun element to their learning.
References
Dunn, O. (1984). Developing English with young learners. London: Macmillan Publishers.
Kemmis. S. and McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin
University Press.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Mohd Azam Nair. (2000). Teaching of English as a foreign language. Kuala Lumpur: Utusan
Pubications.
100

THE USE OF BINGO TO TEACH VOCABULARY TO
LOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PUPILS.
Mcelley Lorience
mcelly89@gmail.com
Vasanthi A/P Subramaniam
Abstract
This action research examined the effects of using BINGO on pupils
vocabulary performance. This research also investigated the effects of using
BINGO on pupils spelling ability and on pupils level of motivation. This
research involved 12 pupils in SK Banjar, Keningau. The technique used in this
action research was BINGO, which is a vocabulary game. Data was collected
through measurement using a test as an instrument; which was administered
before and after the intervention, document, namely worksheets along with
observation using dichotomous checklist. Data of the test was analyzed
descriptively using percentages and mean percentages. Data from the
documents, worksheet was analyzed descriptively also using scores and mean
scores. In addition, data from the checklist was analyzed using percentages and
mean percentages. Findings indicated that there was an increase of 66.91% in
the mean scores for the vocabulary test of pupils in SK Banjar. This showed that
using BINGO has an effect on pupils vocabulary performance. Findings also
showed that even though the mean scores are varied, there is an increase of it
over time during the interventions in spelling ability. The mean percentages in
level of motivation have increase to 93.3% during the use of BINGO. This
finding showed the students are very motivated to learn using BINGO. BINGO
can be an added technique to teach vocabulary for teachers in the primary
school.
Key words: BINGO, vocabulary game, vocabulary performance, spelling
ability, level of motivation
Abstrak
Penyelidikan tindakan ini dijalankan untuk menilai sejauhmanakah
keberkesanan penggunaan BINGO terhadap prestasi perbendaharaan kata
pelajar. Kajian ini juga bertujuan untuk mengkaji sejauh mana keberkesanan
BINGO terhadap keupayaan mengeja serta tahap motivasi pelajar.Kajian
tindakan ini melibatkan 12 orang pelajar SK Banjar, Keningau. Teknik yang
digunakan dalam kajian ini menggunakan permainan perbendaharaan kata,
BINGO. Data dikumpul melalui pengukuran menggunakan ujian sebagai
instrumen; yang ditadbir sebelum dan selepas intervensi, dokumen, iaitu
lembaran kerja bersama-sama dengan pemerhatian menggunakan senarai
semak dikotomi. Data ujian dianalisis secara deskriptif menggunakan peratusan
dan peratusan min. Data daripada dokumen, lembaran kerja dianalisis secara
deskriptif juga menggunakan markah dan skor min. Selain itu, data daripada
senarai semak telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan peratusan dan peratusan
min. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat peningkatan sebanyak
101

66,91% dalam skor min bagi ujian perbendaharaan kata murid di SK Banjar.
Ini menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan BINGO mempunyai kesan ke atas
pembinaan perbendaharaan kata murid. Dapatan kajian juga menunjukkan
bahawa walaupun skor min adalah berbeza, terdapat peningkatan dari masa ke
masa semasa intervensi dalam kemahiran mengeja murid. Peratusan min tahap
motivasi mempunyai peningkatan hingga 93.3% dalam tempoh penggunaan
BINGO. Penemuan ini menunjukkan pelajar sangat bermotivasi untuk belajar
menggunakan BINGO. BINGO boleh menjadi teknik tambahan untuk mengajar
perbendaharaan kata untuk guru-guru di sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci: BINGO, permainan perbendaharaan kata,
perbendaharaan kata, keupayaan mengeja, motivasi pelajar.
pencapaian

The class that I was assigned to for my third phase of practicum was Year Four Intelek in SK
Banjar. The first time I entered, I tried to speak fully in English since Krashen (1982) stated that
by providing as much as comprehensible input as possible, teacher will be able to create a more
effective opportunity for language acquisition. However, my pupils could not understand me.
Their facial expression indicated that they could not follow what was happening in the class. I
also noticed that the pupils could barely read what else to comprehend texts in English. Based on
the information from their second semester examination results, it showed that only five out of
thirty- one pupils fails the exam and the highest grades obtained was grade C.
During this practicum, I tried to integrate songs and poems but it was a failure since they could
not read and understand almost the entire lyrics. I wanted to teach them songs that they could
follow easily and poems which they would enjoy but I ended up singing the songs and reciting
the poems on my own while they would hum along according to the melody and I felt it was not
right as it was a language class. They could not take part in games which involved words either
since they had such a limited range of vocabulary. Some of them could not read in Bahasa
Malaysia so it was a bit difficult for me especially in my instruction. I kept on using body and
sign languages in my instruction to give them the cues. I tried using drilling but it did not really
work for introvert pupils as well as the extrovert pupils since the extrovert pupils were bored
easily with this technique and I needed to do something that could really attract their attention to
stay focused. This group of pupils tended to keep quiet, looking outside the classroom, yawning
and even if they were looking in front, their mouth was closed and I could see from their facial
expressions that their minds were not in the lessons that I taught. If I questioned them in English,
most of them would keep quiet while others would answer in their mother tongue. Based on their
answers, it showed that they did not understand my questions. They just simply answered it
randomly. For example, when I asked How do you spell book? they would just simply say
whatever was in their minds such as yes, no or they would say out words that I have taught
previously.
I ended up introducing key words in form of visual aids which I downloaded from the internet.
However, it failed to attract the weak pupils as I could see some of them daydreaming in the
class. These difficulties made me realize that I needed to find a strategy which could help me to
teach them more effectively so that I could give more input to my pupils and I could make them
feel more motivated to learn. Every time I used videos, songs, pictures and especially games,
they were interested to follow my lessons. I am the type of person who really likes playing
games, especially those involving strategy and time management games. Based on my
experience conducting games in my lesson, I found out that they were very enthusiastic to
102

participate if the games involved physical movements. They would keep moving around, playing
with their friends, and disturbing others, not bothering about the rules and my instructions. Thus,
it was very difficult to control them.
According to linguist, Wilkins (as cited in Thornbury, 2002), without grammar, very little can
be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. Therefore, as a language learner,
vocabulary is the most crucial component which we need to master since it functions as a
cornerstone without which any language could not exist. After gathering information such as
looking at their past examination results, talking to their English teacher and after conducting a
diagnostic test, I found out that their main problem was on word level as well as spelling. This
was based on the diagnostic test results where most of them were unable to match the words
with the pictures and they could not get the right spelling even for simple words such as fish.
It was also clearly seen when they kept on asking me the meaning of each word and asked what
it is called in English. They seemed to be not interested in English subject as well since some
refuse to participate in my lessons. This indicated to me that they lacked motivation to learn
English. Nunan (1999) had mentioned that when dealing with children with limited English, the
most challenging parts for a teacher is not to devise a good strategy to teach this subject but how
to motivate them to learn the language. Thus, I realized that a different strategy would be able
to address all these three main problems.
Research Objectives
This research aimed to:
1. To study the effect of using BINGO on pupils vocabulary performance.
2. To explore the effect of using BINGO on pupils spelling ability.
3. To study the effect of using BINGO on pupils motivation level.
Research Questions
Implementation of this action research was conducted to answer the following research
questions:
1. What is the effect of using BINGO on pupils vocabulary performance?
2. What is the effect of using BINGO on pupils spelling ability?
3. What is the effect of using BINGO in increasing pupils level of motivation?
Target Group
My participants for this research were twelve pupils from Year Four Intelek. These pupils were
the weakest pupils in this class. They were selected based on two criteria; the first was results of
the diagnostic test that I gave. Secondly, these 12 pupils were specially selected because they
were under the LINUS programme, which indicated that they could not even read in Bahasa
Malaysia. I believed that if they have problem reading text in their L1, then reading English text
would be more difficult and needed more effort to succeed.
103

This action research was based on Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) Action research model which
consists of four phases that are plan, action, observe and reflect.
Figure 1. Model Kemmis & McTaggart(1988) Action Research Model

1. Plan
As suggested in Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) Model of Action Research, the first step in the
action research was planning. I came up with a work schedule as my guideline during my
intervention. The work schedule helped me to be on track. I decided on the data collection
methods as well as I prepared relevant instruments to collect data
2. Action
In this stage, I implemented what I have planned earlier. Before the intervention, I gave the
students a vocabulary test as a pre- test. My intervention started on 31st March 2014 until 25th
April with ten intervention sessions. At the beginning of the intervention, I explained the rules
and how the games should be played to the pupils. Since I introduced new words to them from
time to time until all the 25 words were introduced, I explained the new words before we started
the game and also recalled words that they had learnt previously. This was in accordance with
what McCarty (1992) had suggested, that was before presenting new language; the teacher needs
to activate pupils existing knowledge to make encounter with the new words more meaningful.
The words which I chose were words based on the topics provided in the textbook and most of
them could be found in the textbook while the rest were words that they needed to know in these
topics and words that they would encounter in their daily lives. The topic that I chose were from
Unit Two: Spending Wisely and also Unit Three: Yesterday and Today. I focus on words from
these topics because I covered these topics in the practicum.
Since my participants were only 12 out of 33 pupils in my class, I carried out this intervention
during recess time in the computer lab and was not part of my lesson. Participants took turn to
pick a card and filled it in the column provided by choosing which ever column they preferred.
They would shout out the words and the spelling before they put the card in the column and the
other participants will take out the same card and fill it in their own column. The first person
who was able to fill in the column vertically or horizontally would be considered the winner.
After all 25 words were introduced; the rules changed. Each time the participants were able to
104

fill one straight line of the column either it was vertically, horizontally or diagonally, it would
represent one letter of BINGO. They needed to play this game until one participant was able to
form a complete word of BINGO. At the end of my intervention, I gave my participants the
same vocabulary test as a pot- test on the 25th of April 2014.
During the intervention, three trainee teachers from IPG who were doing a practicum in SK
Banjar observed the participants twice. The first time was done before my first intervention,
when I was teaching them using normal strategy which was drilling and the second one was
done during the seventh intervention which was on the 14th April 2014.
3. Observe
I processed and analyzed the data. Subsequently, I organized it in the form of table and charts.
Translating all the data into graphs and tables enable me to interpret the data easily.
4. Reflect
After I had analyzed the data of my action research, I reflected whether the results of it answered
the research questions. I also reflected on my role as a teacher and the importance of reflection
and the need for continuous change in our teaching methods and strategies.
Data Collection Methods & Analysis of the Data
1. Measurement
Measurement was used to collect data to answer research question one. The instrument used for
this method of data collection was a vocabulary test. The vocabulary test was administered
before and after my intervention. The pre- vocabulary test was administered on the 21st March
2014 while my post vocabulary test was administered on the 25th April 2014. The data was
analyzed using percentages and mean percentages
2. Documents
I also used another method which was documents. This method was used to answer my research
question two. I used pupils worksheet as my instrument. The worksheet was given to the pupils
every time after each intervention sessions.
The worksheets were designed by me based on a table of task specification and validated by one
of the senior teachers in SK Banjar. It consisted of five items with an allocation of 10 marks.
Pupils need to fill in the missing letters in every word then match it with the correct picture. One
mark was awarded to every correct answer. The worksheets were given during the ten
intervention sessions. I analyzed the data from the worksheet using scores and mean scores.
3. Observation
I also used observation method as my last method of data collection. It was used to answer
research question three. The instrument was a dichotomous motivation checklist which consisted
yes or no answer. The motivation checklist consisted of ten items. Data from the motivation
checklist was analyzed using mean percentages.
105

Three trainee teachers from IPG who were doing a practicum in SK Banjar observed the
participants twice. The first time was done before my first intervention, when I was teaching
them using drilling and the second one was done during the seventh intervention which was on
the 14th April 2014.
Findings
The results of my study were described based on the research questions in this action research.
What was the effect of using BINGO on pupils vocabulary performance?
The purpose of this research question was to determine whether BINGO had an effect on the
pupils vocabulary performance which can be called as word recognition. This finding was based
on the comparison between the mean scores for pre and post vocabulary test which I gave before
and at the end of my last intervention.
100
85.83
80
60
40
20
18.92
0
Pre- test (%) mean percentages
Post- test (%)
Figure 2. Comparison of mean percentage scores between pre & post- vocabulary test
Figure 2 above shows the comparison between the pre and post- test after using BINGO. The
mean percentage for pre- test was 18.92 while the mean percentage for post- test was 85.83. This
indicated that there was an increase of 66.91% in the mean scores for the vocabulary test of
pupils in SK Banjar. Therefore, this suggested that BINGO had a positive effect on the
participant vocabulary performance.
What was the effect of using BINGO on pupils spelling ability?
106
Mean Scores
The purpose of this was research question was to determine whether BINGO had an effect on the
pupils spelling ability. It was determined by using mean scores for each worksheet given
throughout the intervention sessions.
10.2
10
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
10
9.58
9.5
9.25
9.42
9.58
9.67
9.67
9.83
8.92
Number of Interventions
Figure 3. Mean scores of worksheet for each intervention sessions

Figure 4 above shows the mean score for each worksheet during intervention. The mean score
for the first worksheet was very high since everyone was able to get full mark, which were ten
over ten. However, the mean score decreased rapidly until the third intervention. This might be
due of the level of difficulty of the task in the worksheet. In the first intervention, I gave a very
easy task. The item only involved words with three letters while at the second and third
worksheets. I introduced words with four letters. The third intervention could be tough for my
participants since all the words consisted of four letters. However, the mean score for the fourth
intervention showed a slight increase since I guess they have adapted their selves to four letter
words.
The mean score for intervention six once again showed a decrease in mean scores of 0.08. From
intervention 4 to intervention 6, I changed from words with four letters to words with five letters.
The decrease in mean scores of 0.08 could be because I introduced eight new words with five
letters within one week for the three intervention sessions. Figure 3 shows a steady increase from
intervention session seven until intervention session ten with the final mean score for
intervention session ten being 9.83 which was an increase of 0.16 compared to the previous
score in intervention sessions 9. This suggested that overall BINGO had a positive effect on the
pupils spelling ability
What are the effects of using BINGO in increasing pupils level of motivation?
The purpose of this research question was to determine whether BINGO had an effect on the
pupils level of motivation. The findings for this question were determined by looking at the
mean percentage for the observation checklist prior to using BINGO intervention and during the
intervention.
107
100
93.33
90
80
70
60
50
Pupils'
motivation
level
40
30
20
10
6.66
0
prior to using BINGO intervention
During using the intervention
Figure 4. Pupils Motivation level prior to using the BINGO intervention and during the
intervention.
Figure 4 shows that before I used BINGO game in the teaching and learning, their motivation
level to learn were as low as 6.66% and this could be due to factors such as they were not
interested in the way the lesson was carried out. Secondly, it might also due their social
economic status where education was not stressed in their families. Therefore, since the activity
done was boring and they were not good in this subject, they decided to just simply take this
subject not seriously. My participants level of motivation in mean percentages at the seventh
intervention sessions was 93.33%. This indicated an increase of 86.67% in mean percentages for
their level of motivation. This revealed that BINGO had a positive effect on the pupils level of
motivation.
Summary and Reflections
Findings showed that the use of BINGO game had a positive effect on pupils vocabulary
performance as in word recognition. Other than that, it also had a positive effect in enhancing
pupils spelling ability as well as their motivation to learn this subject. The result of this research
was in accordance with the research done by Carrolina (2002) where she used a game called
vokal dadu to teach vowels to her pupils and Nguyen & Khuat (2003) in Korea where the use
of games enhanced pupils vocabulary performance. My research on the use of games to
increase pupils level of motivation supports Laus research on the use of games to increase his
pupils level of motivation.
Though I had low proficiency pupils, as a teacher, I believe that every single child in this world
can learn and improve under certain condition as long as they are willing to learn and are given
opportunity for pupils to learn a language. Crystal (1995) revealed that language does not come
naturally but need to be taught. Thus, ample space and opportunity are needed for pupils to learn
language.
I believe that motivation is the main key to change someones life. As mentioned by Nunan
(1999) the most challenging parts for teacher to teach pupils especially those with limited
108

English was devising strategies to motivate pupils to learn the new words. A childs life is all
about playing. Since they love playing, I grabbed this opportunity to use games to increase
pupils motivation level.
Overall, this action research revealed positive increase in pupils performance especially in their
vocabulary performance, spelling ability and most importantly, this study improved their
motivation to learn the new words.
From this research, I have learnt that as a teacher, we need continuous change in our teaching
method and strategies. For example, using BINGO has worked for my participants since they
were low proficiency pupils. However, it might not work for advanced pupils since they need
something more challenging to suit their level. This study has made me realize the joy of being a
teacher when we see even a slight improvement in our pupils. Though this study was a success, I
realized that I cannot just simply stop here since I need to keep on changing my strategies so that
my pupils will not be demotivated to learn.
Since BINGO has proved to have positive effect on pupils learning especially on their
vocabulary and there is no doubt that they enjoyed themselves this activity, I want to suggest
that an action research should be done on other subject using BINGO game.
1.
Implement BINGO in other skills or language content
BINGO can be used to teach other language skills or content such as grammar. This is because
of the characteristic of BINGO which can be modified easily. In this research, I had used a
BINGO board since it involved only 12 participants. If it involves a more participants and it was
for other skills, the teacher has other options such as using only the whiteboard and picture cards
to teach other language skills and content.
2.
Integrate BINGO with Information Communication and Technology (ICT)
Since the seventh shift in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013- 2025 was about leveraging
ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia, I therefore want to suggest BIINGO to be
integrated with ICT. I would like to suggest that teachers design a programmed for BINGO so
that it can be played by pupils using computers.
3.
Implement BINGO for other classes with longer time frame
I conducted the research for Year Four Intelek in SK Banjar and it worked. Therefore, I want to
suggest that BINGO be used as an intervention for other classes especially for low language
proficiency pupils in the LINUS programme in English. In my intervention, I only introduced 25
words. If a longer duration was given, more words can be introduced. Hence, I think this
intervention should be done in a longer time frame so that more words can be introduced to
pupils.
References
Carrolina Anuar (2002) Dadu vokal ajaib. Unpublished Action Research Seminar. Institut
Pendidikan Guru Kampus Batu Lintang.
109

Crystal, D. (1985). What is linguistic. (4th ed.). London: Edward Arnold.
Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner. Geelong, Victoria,
Australia: Deakin Universiy Press.
Krashen S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford:
Pergamon Press.
Lau, G. L. (2012) Kesan penggunaan kaedah bermain sambil belajar dalam proses
pembelajaran sains tahun empat. Unpublished Action Research Seminar.
Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Batu Lintang.
McCarthy, M. (1992). Vocabulary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nguyen, T. T. H. & Khuat, T. T. N. (2003). The Asian EFL Journal, A Case Study of a Korean
Learner. Volume 5. Retrieved on 31st August 2014, from
http://wenku.baidu.com/view/565a9a47a8956bec0975e3ac.html\.
Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching and learning. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Thornbury, S. (2002). How to teach vocabulary. Harlow: Longman.
110
THE USE OF READERS TOOLBOX TO ANSWER WH-QUESTIONS

Melanie Anak Jerry
PISMP TESL January 2011Intake
melaniejerry491@gmail.com
Henry Mansing
ABSTRACT
This action research investigated the effects of using Readers Toolbox to
answer Wh-questions in reading comprehension. This research also examined
the views of pupils on the use of Readers Toolbox to teach reading
comprehension. This action research involved 18 Year 4 pupils in Sekolah
Kebangsaan Bulu Silou, Keningau. The strategy used in this action research
was Readers Toolbox. Data was collected through measurement with test as an
instrument used before and after the intervention, documents being worksheets
that were given during the treatment, focus group interviews and survey using a
questionnaire. The test scores were analyzed descriptively based on the scores
attained in percentage and mean percentage. Data from the worksheets were
analyzed in percentage and mean percentage for every intervention. Data from
the interview was analyzed descriptively using content analysis. The
questionnaire was analyzed using mean. Findings indicated that there was an
increase of 7.06% in mean percentage in the pre and post test scores. This
showed that the Readers Toolbox had a positive effect on reading
comprehension performance despite the effect being marginal. In spite of the
pupils having mixed views in regards to their responses to the questionnaire
given, it was observed that they were more optimistic and motivated when they
encountered reading comprehension tasks using the Readers Toolbox. The
Readers Toolbox can be implemented as a supplement to the existing reading
comprehension strategies used in the classroom.
.
Key words: Readers Toolbox, reading comprehension, Wh-questions
ABSTRAK
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji keberkesanan penggunaan Readers Toolbox
untuk menjawab Wh-soalan dalam pengajaran kefahaman. Kajian ini juga
mengkaji pandangan murid terhadap penggunaan Readers Toolbox untuk
mengajar kefahaman. Kajian tindakan ini melibatkan 18 murid Tahun 4 di
Sekolah Kebangsaan Bulu Silou, Keningau. Strategi yang digunakan dalam
kajian tindakan ini adalah Readers Toolbox. Data telah dikumpul
menggunakan kaedah pengukuran dengan ujian sebagai instrumen digunakan
sebelum dan selepas intervensi, dokumen berbentuk lembaran kerja yang diberi
semasa rawatan, temu bual kumpulan berfokus dan tinjauan menggunakan soal
selidik. Markah ujian telah dianalisis secara deskriptif dalam peratus dan min
peratus. Data dari lembaran kerja telah dianalisis dalam peratus dan min
peratus untuk setiap intervensi. Data dari temu bual telah dianalisis secara
deskriptif dengan menggunakan analisis kandungan. Data dari soal selidik
dianalisis menggunakan min. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat
111

peningkatan sebanyak 7.06% dalam min peratus dalam ujian pra dan pasca.
Readers Toolbox mempunyai kesan positif ke atas prestasi kefahaman
walaupun peningkatan yang kecil. Walaupun murid-murid mempunyai persepsi
berbeza dalam maklum balas mereka terhadap soal selidik yang diberikan,
didapati bahawa mereka lebih yakin dan bermotivasi apabila mereka
berhadapan dengan tugasan kefahaman menggunakan Readers Toolbox.
Readers Toolbox ini boleh dilaksanakan sebagai supplemen kepada strategi
mengajar kefahaman yang digunakan di dalam bilik darjah.
Kata kunci: Readers toolbox, kefahaman, soalan Wh
When I entered Year 4 Bestari, I discovered that most of them were able to pronounce English
words and read aloud with minimal errors. However, the pupils were unable to provide accurate
answers to the Wh-questions given in the reading comprehension tasks, denoting that they had
difficulties in understanding what they read. At times, they were not able to understand Whquestions especially when given reading comprehension worksheets to be completed. What
made me curious was when all of them were able to respond to the questions I asked orally, they
were not able to present their answers on paper. I asked them the same set of questions given in
their worksheet orally, and yet when it came to completing the worksheet, they were not able to
answer the questions. Lack of concentration and motivation usually occur among the weaker
pupils in the class, when they feel that the teaching and learning session is lengthy and
challenging. The common method I used to teach reading was the conventional method. The
approach I had practiced from the beginning until the end had been teacher-dominated
instruction. Basically, I repeated the same activity steps during reading lessons, and it became a
routine. I saw this issue with my pupils as my own problem and I was determined to help them
do better. Therefore, it was a crucial step to find the best and most accommodating strategy to
help them in their reading comprehension performance.
Research Focus
This research was to investigate the effectiveness of Readers Toolbox in the teaching of reading
comprehension, primarily to answer Wh-questions. Furthermore, my observation and discussion
with their English teacher testified that my pupils have difficulty in comprehending reading texts
including the questions given. Pupils were not able to express their understanding of a text
mainly because they were not able to fully comprehend the functions of WH-questions. As a
consequence to this limitation, they were unable to know what the questions essentially want
which in turn, led to the failure of answering them accurately. With the intention to further
develop pupils reading comprehension skills, I had identified the root cause of this problem is
that I had not spent enough time on teaching and exposing them to effective reading
comprehension skills and strategies. Apart from that, I had the tendency to focus more on
reading aloud and pronunciation of words and allocated only a brief period for comprehension
during the English instruction. Hence, I decided to implement the use of Readers Toolbox, to
explore its effectiveness to help pupils in answering Wh-questions. Lastly, the research was also
to examine pupils view towards the Readers Toolbox.
112

Research Objectives
This study aims to:
i.
ii.
explore the effects of using Readers Toolbox to answer Wh-questions in reading

comprehension
examine the perception of pupils on the use of Readers Toolbox to teach reading
comprehension
Research Questions
The research questions are:
i.
ii.
What is the effect of Readers Toolbox on Wh-questions?

What are the views of pupils on the use of Readers Toolbox to teach reading
comprehension?
Target Group
The class I was assigned to was considered the one with the better pupils. There are 18 pupils in
Year 4 Bestari (4B), consisting of 6 girls and 12 boys. In regards to the levels of their motivation
towards learning English, some were very enthusiastic and positive and the rest are easily demotivated. The class consisted of various races namely; Dusun, Murut, Malay, Bugis, Jawa,
Chinese, and lastly, Filipino. Generally, they spoke in Bahasa Melayu in their dense Sabah
accent to one another, even during English lessons. On this basis, I deduced that they conversed
in English only when it was necessary or upon the teachers request. Not only they were unable
to practise English language at home, they were not making efforts to use the language in school.
Despite of it being labeled as the classroom with advanced pupils, I saw it as a mixed-ability
class as I was able to identify pupils belonging to the three different groups; weak, average and
advanced. I had assigned the pupils into based on their levels of proficiency in English language,
in which the arrangement was derived from their ongoing offline school-based assessment for
the English language subject.
In the implementation of my study, I had selected John Elliots model of action research (1991)
as a guide to steer me in the right directions throughout the course of action. Elliots model is
divided into 7 steps. The 7 steps are (i) identification of initial idea, (ii) reconnaissance (factfinding and analysis), (iii) general plan (Action Steps 1, 2 and 3), (iv) implementation of Action
Steps 1, (v) monitoring of implementation and effects, (vi) reconnaissance (explanation of errors
and failures in implementation and their effects) and (vii) revision of general idea.
The procedure can be seen more clearly in the figure below;
113
Figure 1. Elliots model of action research (1991)

Phase 1: Observing and Reflecting
In this phase, I observed their responses and attitudes towards the teaching and learning in the
classroom. Based on their responses and attitudes, I reflected how my usual strategies affect their
learning attitudes and performances in the English Language subject. Furthermore, I examined
the effects they had on my instructional strategies and they were documented in my daily
reflections. Once I had explored and had a better understanding of these issues, I was able to
identify their areas of weaknesses in the language and narrowed them down to one major
problem that needs to be addressed without delay. The information for this phase was gathered
from the observations and reflections done during my daily lessons.
Phase 2: Data Collecting
I started collecting data in this phase to validate or confirm the problem faced by the pupils. This
phase included sessions of discussions with selected pupils and their English teacher,
administering of a diagnostic test, gathering documents that pertain to pupils background
collecting reflections done based on daily lesson plans in correspondence with the problem.
From the discussions with the pupils and their English teacher, I was able to receive answers and
responses to the key questions regarding the issue to further clarify the reasons why the issue
surfaced and its effects on the teaching and learning. Based on the reflections I had done during
my practicum, I was able to extract similar patterns or contents in correlation with the issue
being focused on. Gathering documents such as pupils personal profile as well as their previous
examination results gave me a clearer picture of their academic achievements, discipline and
behaviour in school. Moreover, I administered diagnostic test to determine the pupils main
weakness and settled on the research participants based on their test results.
Phase 3: Drafting and Designing Action Plan
Based on my reading, I had selected three strategies and arranged them in the order that I felt
will work best with my pupils based on some factors that I had put into consideration. The three
strategies arranged according to the action research steps were Readers Toolbox, Visualization
technique and using Post-it-Notes respectively. My first option was to use Readers Toolbox to
improve pupils reading comprehension skills. In the Readers Toolbox, a set of tools was
114

prepared to assist pupils in answering Wh-questions based on both linear and non-linear texts.
The tools were a magnifying glass, torchlight, map, stopwatch, screwdriver and a lock and key.
These tools represented different Wh-question, and they were; (i) magnifying glass who, (ii)
torchlight what, (iii) map where, (iv) stopwatch when, (v) screwdriver why and (vi) lock
and key how.
Apart from these tools, I had included Text Detective identification cards for the pupils, two
pencils and post-it-notes in each toolbox. I had prepared 9 toolboxes, in which one toolbox was
assigned to a pair. I made my decision to grant a pair one toolbox. This allowed them to instill
the value of co-operation and provide them with the prospect of sharing ideas and opinions with
one another. Mcleod (2007) mentioned that, Vygotsky believed that cognitive development
stems from social interactions from guided learning within the zone of proximal development as
children and their partners co-construct knowledge. The tools functioned as visual aid to the
pupils to improve their memory on how they answer the different Wh-questions. For instance,
the moment they come a question which starts with When, they immediately linked it to the
tool stopwatch. Once they were able to link the question to the tool, they would have a clearer
idea on how to answer the question, in which they were aware that the stopwatch symbolizes
time, and the question expected an answer that is associated with time, day, week, month or
year. Apart from that, it created a fun learning environment where pupils were given the
opportunity to deal with English texts in a more relaxed, stress-free atmosphere since pupils
themselves are given the role of text detectives. Aliza Ali, Zahara Aziz and Rohaty Mazjub
(2011) stated that play allows children to express themselves, develop social and cognitive skills,
mature emotionally, gain self-confidence and give them the opportunity to form and reform new
ideas in their mind.
Phase 4: Introducing and Implementing Readers Toolbox
I introduced and briefly explained about the Readers Toolbox to the participants to ensure that
they were aware of the aims of the Readers Toolbox and understood what was expected at the
end of the intervention. I also elaborated on what were included in the toolbox and how to use
the tools given. For every session in which the action plan was executed, I prepared a text,
whether linear or non-linear, as well as a standardized incomplete mind-map to be completed
upon using the Readers Toolbox to facilitate reading comprehension and answering of Whquestions. I guided pupils in using the tools through the first few sessions after the Readers
Toolbox is introduced to them. Once the pupils were comfortable with the technique, I allowed
them to use the toolbox independently with their designated partners. The steps in the activity
were the same; only that the teacher-guided activity was replaced by independent work including
reading aloud which was then substituted with silent reading. During these sessions, I monitored
their activity and progress, and guided only when necessary.
Phase 5: Monitoring of Research Action and Effects
In this phase, I started collecting information about the implementation of Readers Toolbox and
its effects towards my pupils. One way for me to monitor the effects of Readers Toolbox
towards my pupils learning was by checking their worksheets. The Readers Toolbox has a
positive effect on the pupils if there is an improvement in the quality of their work as well as the
accuracy of the answers to the Wh-questions. Apart from that, I administered pre reading
comprehension test and post reading comprehension test to compare their results for an
indication of progress. I also did a survey on pupils perception on the effectiveness of the
Readers Toolbox to answer Wh-questions.
115

Phase 6: Revising the General Idea
The findings I had gathered determined whether the implementation needed revision to further
enhance its effectiveness. In the earlier process, I decided that if I found the Action Steps 1
unpractical and inappropriate to my pupils level, I would proceed the next cycle with Action
Steps 2. However, I did not have any difficulties in implementing the first strategy, and with the
pupils utmost co-operation, I decided to proceed with the Readers Toolbox until the end.
1.
Measurement
Under the measurement method, I prepared a reading comprehension test together with the
scoring rubrics, based on the table of test specifications I had designed beforehand. The paper
consisted of four reading passages and there were five Wh-questions for every passage. The
paper consisted of passages in both linear and non-linear forms. The total marks for the paper
was 40, in which the final scores were given in percentage. The main rationale for the use of
tests in my research was that they allowed me to observe and evaluate pupils development more
evidently by contrasting test results before and after the use of Readers Toolbox. For the
assurance of construct validity in the assessment, I used the same test paper together to obtain
the post intervention results. The table of test specifications was vital to ensure that the test items
were corresponding to the intended purpose and design of the test. The topics chosen for the
texts in the paper were of the ones they have already learnt in school and the questions solely
focused on Wh-questions in open-ended format.
2.
Document Analysis
Another type of data I used in the research is document analysis, in which worksheets were
assessed to monitor pupils progress from time to time throughout the research cycle. Pupils
grasp of the reading comprehension knowledge and skills could be seen from the accuracy of
their responses towards the questions they encountered based on the texts given. Worksheets
completed were gathered to examine the problems they faced in reading comprehension. In the
course of the research action, pupils advancement in the skills was observed through the
worksheets done using the Readers Toolbox. Every worksheet used in the intervention would
include a text, whether in linear or non-linear form and relevant Wh-questions depending on the
contents of the text.
3.
Survey
I distributed a questionnaire to all the participants to discover and analyze their thoughts,
opinions and reactions towards the strategy I had implemented. For this type of data source, I
designed a Likert scale form of questionnaire in which participants had to respond to 5-response
options. The items were in both English and Bahasa Melayu to ease pupils attempt in
responding to the questionnaire. Item 1 to 5 placed emphasis on how the Readers Toolbox
benefited the pupils in terms of skills, and item 6 mainly focused on the effects of the Readers
Toolbox on pupils motivation. Abiding to the procedure, I first clarified the purpose of the
survey to enlighten them on why they were involved in the survey. After that, I explained every
item and requirement of the questionnaire with the pupils to ensure that they were certain of
what they were supposed to do.
116

4.
Interview
Besides that, at the end of the research cycle, I conducted focus group interviews to lessen time
consumption and I believed that it would lessen pupils anxiety during the session. I carried out
two sessions; in which I interviewed five advanced pupils during the first session and then
interviewed another five pupils from the low proficiency group. I used semi-structured questions
during the interview as I prefer the nature of a combination of guided and flexible interaction
with the participants. Participants responses in Bahasa Melayu were recorded in verbatim and
the translations for those responses were provided as well. A standard form was used for the
interview, in which I took notes of the information gained from every interview session. To
ensure that I did not leave out essential details of the interviews, I used a voice recording device
during the sessions, provided that participants grant me the permission to do so. The interviews
not only helped me in attaining more data for the research, but also provided a more robust
verification and justification for to corroborate the survey outcome.
1.
Descriptive Statistics in Analysis of Test Scores
Once I had finished scoring the papers, I made sure that every raw score was already converted
into percentage. I then tabulated their scores in percentage for a more structured presentation of
data to ease the processes in phase two and three, which included calculation and analysis. From
there, I started calculating the mean percentage as well as the percentage of increase and
decrease to obtain the required numerical data for analysis and interpretation. With the findings I
had based on their initial and final scores, I was able to make comparison between the two to
come to a conclusion about their performances in the tests. If the final result showed an increase
in their scores, thus it reflected the improvement and at the same time, the positive effect the
research action had on the target group.
2.
Analysis of Students Worksheets
The main role of worksheets in this research action was primarily to observe and monitor pupils
performance before treatment and their progress during and after treatment. I checked their work
on reading comprehension and evaluated based on the accuracy and quality of their answers. For
a more competent means of data analysis and interpretation, I scored every worksheet that was
given to them and recorded the scores for comparison from the first until the last intervention.
3.
Coding Interviews
To identify the recurring main ideas as well as key words, I first coded the textual data before I
could code the key words. For a more efficient management of transcriptions, I documented the
data gathered during the interviews in a template of a table with three columns. The first column
was used for numbering the lines in the transcription. The second column was for the
transcription of interview questions and pupils responses in both English language and Bahasa
Melayu. Finally, the third column was used to jot down the themes found in the responses. By
numbering the lines for the transcription, it was easier for me to quote the particular pupil and it
was more accessible for reference. In addition, the third and last column for listing themes was a
convenient and a well-organized method to examine and compare recurring themes found in the
pupils responses.
117

4.
Coding Questionnaire
I calculated the mean according to the pupils responses for every item in the questionnaire. To
facilitate the analyzing and interpreting of data, the responses and the mean were transferred into
a table. From the mean of each item, I was able to infer the pupils opinions towards the
Readers Toolbox.
Findings
i.
What is the effect of Readers Toolbox on Wh-questions?
The first research question focuses on explore the effects of using Readers Toolbox to answer
Wh-questions in open-ended format in reading comprehension. The methods applied in the
search for the answers of research question 1 are measurement and document.
Table 1: Comparison between Pre- and Post Reading Comprehension Test Mean Scores
N
Pre-Test
Post Test
%
18
(+/-)
46.17
53.22
7.06
Table 1 above displays the comparison of mean scores between the reading comprehension tests
administered before and after the intervention. As shown in the table, the mean score for the pretest is 46.17%. Following the treatment, the mean score is 53.22%. This signifies that there is an
increase of 7.06% in the mean score in regards to the pupils reading comprehension
performance. This indicates a commendable measure of suitability and efficiency of the
Readers Toolbox in helping the pupils to answer Wh- questions. Therefore, this suggests that
the Readers Toolbox has a positive effect on the pupils reading comprehension.
Table 2: Worksheet Scores for Intervention Sessions
Interv
INT.1 INT.2 INT.3 INT.4 INT.5
ention
Mean
86.42
91.37
70.38
68.14
79.17
%
INT.6
INT.7
INT.8
INT.9
55.56
61.81
87.09
70
Table 2 exhibits the scores achieved by the pupils during the nine interventions carried out using
the Readers Toolbox. As perceived in the table above, pupils are able to achieve average mean
scores of 50% to 90% throughout the nine sessions using the Readers Toolbox. Regardless of
the inconsistency shown throughout the nine intervention sessions, they were able to show
increment in their post reading comprehension results.
ii.
What is the view of pupils on the use of Readers Toolbox to teach reading comprehension?
The second research question is to examine the perception of pupils on the use of Readers
Toolbox to teach reading. This is to determine whether the pupils have a positive notion on the
Readers Toolbox after the nine sessions of intervention. In order to respond to the research
question efficiently, the two methods selected to collect the information required were survey
and interview.
118

Table 3: The Mean of the Survey Items
Items
I1
I2
I3
I4
I5
Average
3.56
3.78
3.61
Overal
l Mean
3.79
The table above shows the mean of the items stated in the survey conducted with the pupils of 4
Bestari. On the whole, the mean score attained is 3.79. There were assorted views towards the
idea of the Readers Toolbox as an aid in understanding texts. Ultimately, the pupils have a
positive perception on the use of Readers Toolbox to teach reading.
To further investigate and acquire pupils views on the Readers toolbox, I had also conducted
focus group interviews. By doing the interviews, I was able to gain more insights concerning
their notions on the strategy. Unlike the very rigid and constrained nature of a survey, I was able
to explore the pupils perceptions more profoundly during these sessions by asking them for
clarification for their expressions and responses. This would impart an immense support for the
findings I had obtained over the course of the research to answer the research question 2
effectively. There were four central themes that I had identified in the interviews, which
genuinely reflected pupils true feelings and views towards the strategy. They were fun learning,
the level of understanding of Readers Toolbox concept, memory enhancement and the
usefulness of the Readers Toolbox to aid reading comprehension skills among pupils. From the
two focus group interviews I had conducted, I was able to conclude that the pupils have a
positive perception on the use of Readers Toolbox in the classroom.
Summary and Conclusions
This study indicated that the Readers Toolbox facilitated in developing pupils skills in
answering open-ended Wh-questions. With the aid of the visual tools in the Readers Toolbox,
pupils found it beneficial to assist them in answering Wh-questions with more accuracy. As they
were able to answer the questions more accurately, this implied that they were capable in
recollecting on how to answer the different Wh-questions given based on the tools in the
Readers Toolbox. This indicated the truth in this statement; It is generally accepted that an
item studied as a picture will be better remembered than an item studied as a word (Oates &
Reder, n.d.). In short, Readers Toolbox enabled the pupils to remember the functions of the
Wh-questions, and simultaneously, comprehend the prerequisite to answer them correctly.
The findings exemplified that the pupils had a positive perception on the use of Readers
Toolbox to teach reading. Based on their opinions, they found the learning experience using the
Readers Toolbox enjoyable. The strategy allowed them to manipulate the toolbox and its tools
autonomously, which gave them a sense of control over their own work and learning. This was
in line with the account made by Scott & Ytreberg (in Shin, 2006), their own understanding
comes through hands and eyes and ears.
In the presence of such conducive and constructive atmosphere, pupils felt that their safety and
security were assured. This in turn generated an opportunity to lower their anxiety and provided
an ideal atmosphere for second language acquisition (Krashen, 1982). Briefly, based on the
pupils responses towards the Readers Toolbox, the strategy was able to increase their
motivation and lower their anxiety. This was in proportion to Stevicks (in Krashen, 1982)
statement, claiming that they will be more open to the input, and it will strike deeper, which
basically meant that the pupils would learn better and more productively.Using the Readers
Toolbox helped them to be more careful at their attempts in answering the questions and they
119

were able to answer the questions correctly. Therefore, the Readers Toolbox had brought
constructive changes in the pupils learning and optimized their learning experience as observed
in the research findings.
Based on my experiences, through thorough and critical thinking about the universal and very
flexible nature of the Readers Toolbox strategy, I had uncovered several feasible ways of
extending the research. Researchers can prolong the use of the strategy in their classroom,
perhaps up to a year of implementation; pupils would be able to demonstrate greater
improvements in reading comprehension and attain tremendous results. Teachers abroad had
long applied the Readers Toolbox in their teaching and learning, specifically in phonics and
they had positive notion on the strategy. Teachers or researchers can experiment with the
strategy within their classroom context. Researchers can opt to carry out the strategy in other
schools; whether in urban, suburban or rural schools. This would enable them to observe how
the Readers Toolbox can operate and work out in different school environments. Researchers
could apply the strategy in a homogenous classroom; possibly an all advanced group or a weak
group of pupils. This would put the Readers Toolbox effectiveness to the test and determine its
usefulness among diverse groups of pupils. Researchers could use the Readers Toolbox together
with ICT, to further enhance the efficacy of the strategy in order to cope with the children of
todays generation. Apart from that, researchers could also choose to implement the Readers
Toolbox strategy using a different action plan; steps that would and could work best with their
pupils.
References
Aliza Ali, Zahara Aziz, & Rohaty Mazjub.(2011). Teaching and learning reading
through play. Retrieved on February 3, 2014 from
http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj14(LIDDL)11/3.pdf
Joan Kang Shin. (2006). Ten helpful ways for teaching English to young learners.
Retrieved on February 3, 2014 from
http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/06-44-2-b.pdf
Joklova, K. (2009). Using pictures in teaching vocabulary. Retrieved on
February 3, 2014 from http://is.muni.cz/th/123676/pedf_b/Bachelor _ThesisUsing_pictures_in_teaching_vocabulary.pdf
Krashen, S.D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Retrieved
on March 25, 2014 from
http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf
Mcleod, S. (2014). Lev Vygotsky. Retrieved on February 8, 2014 from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html
Oates, J. M. & Reder L.M. (n.d.). Memory for pictures: Sometimes a picture a not worth
a single word. Retrieved on February 10, 2014 from
http://memory.psy.cmu.edu/publications/10Oates_Reder.pdf
120

THE USE OF PICTURES-DICE WITH WORD CARDS AS A TOOL TO TEACH
VOCABULARY TO LOW-PROFICIENCY PUPILS
Nur Alisyah Naimah Sinin Abdullah
PISMP TESL January 2011
Camaraderie777@gmail.com
John Roy Chacko
Abstract
This action research examined the effect of using pictures-dice with word cards
as a tool to teach vocabulary to low proficiency pupils. This action research
also examined the effect of using pictures-dice with word cards on lowproficiency pupils motivation in learning vocabulary. This study involved four
Year 2 pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Merampong, Keningau. Pictures-dice
with word cards was used as a tool to teach vocabulary to low-proficiency
pupils. Data collection methods were measurement using test as instrument,
documents namely worksheets, observation using dichotomous checklist and
structured interview with the four participants. Data was analysed using mean
percentage derived from the participants pre and post-vocabulary test. The
difference of mean percentage between pre-test and post-test is +45%. Hence,
this suggested that the use of using pictures-dice with word cards as a tool in
teaching vocabulary has a positive effect on the participants vocabulary
performance as well as their motivation in learning vocabulary. As a
conclusion, this tool can supplement the existing method used by primary
teachers to teach vocabulary.
Key words: vocabulary, low-proficiency pupils, pictures-dice, word cards
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan penggunaan dadu-bergambar dengan kad
perkataan sebagai alat untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata kepada muridmurid berkemahiran rendah. Kajian tindakan ini juga mengkaji kesan
penggunaan dadu-bergambar dengan kad perkataan motivasi murid
berkemahiran rendah dalam mempelajari perbendaharaan kata. Kajian ini
melibatkan empat orang murid Tahun 2 dari Sekolah Kebangsaan Merampong,
Keningau. Dadu-bergambar dengan kad perkataan digunakan sebagai alat
untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata kepada murid-murid berkemahiran
rendah. Kaedah pengumpulan data ialah pengukuran menggunakan ujian
sebagai instrumen, dokumen iaitu lembaran kerja, pemerhatian menggunakan
senarai semak dikotomous dan temubual berstruktur dengan empat peserta.
Data telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan min peratus yang diperolehi
daripada markah peserta dalam ujian pra dan pasca-perbendaharaan kata.
Perbezaan min peratus antara ujian pra dan pasca ujian adalah + 45%. Oleh
itu, ini mencadangkan bahawa penggunaan dadu-bergambar dengan kad
perkataan sebagai alat dalam mengajar perbendaharaan kata mempunyai kesan
positif ke atas prestasi perbendaharaan kata para peserta serta motivasi mereka
dalam mempelajari perbendaharaan kata. Kesimpulannya, alat ini boleh
121

menambah kaedah sedia ada yang digunakan oleh guru sekolah rendah untuk
mengajar perbendaharaan kata.
Kata kunci: perbendaharaan kata, murid-murid berkemahiran rendah, dadubergambar, kad perkataan
Reflection of Teaching and Learning Experience
It was difficult dealing with pupils who barely could comprehend English language. These
pupils come from different backgrounds and most of them were Dusun. I could clearly gauge the
pupils proficiency from the first meeting I had with them. As a matter of fact, the first time I
entered the class some of them did not even greet me properly as they did not know how to
greet. Some of them just stood up and moved their lips without producing any comprehensible
words. It is undeniable that learning foreign language is really challenging. It happened not only
on young learners but also with adults. It is way difficult to learn when we do not have a good
foundation on that language. Looking at the pupils background, I believed this was what really
happened to most of them. After having a few teaching and learning sessions with the pupils, I
noticed that a number of pupils have extremely limited vocabulary to the extent that they did not
even understand simple instruction given in English language. I did not deny that most of them
were not proficient in the language but with some aids, some of them could slowly follow with
what I was trying to teach. Still, over time there were a few of the pupils who did not show even
that little progress I expected to see. The best response I got from these pupils was just yes-no
which sometimes did not even fit to be used as response for the questions I asked them. As a
result, I attempted to use visual aids such as pictures during the teaching and learning session in
order to overcome this problem. Nevertheless, I noticed that merely using merely pictures did
not help the pupils much. Still, the pupils showed better participation. Though most of them
responded in Malay language and some error-riddled English Language, I could feel the
excitement for learning among the pupils. I also utilised picture-puzzles in one of the lessons and
surprisingly, the pupils voluntarily put up their hands to get selected and solve the puzzles. The
activity did not end there as I further the lesson by asking the pupils what they can see or
understand from the picture they saw. I also discovered that most of the pupils were unable to
respond appropriately because they did not have the vocabulary. Consequently, I used word
cards in to help the pupils to describe the pictures. Therefore, I decided to combine the
application of pictures and word cards in order to teach vocabulary to the pupils.
Research Focus
The focus of this research was to examine the effect of using pictures-dice with word cards as
tool to teach vocabulary to low-proficiency pupils. Other than that, another focus of this research
was to explore the effect of using pictures-dice with word cards on pupils motivation in learning
vocabulary. Based on the survey and analysis of the problems, I discovered that the pupils have
problem in vocabulary especially in terms of memorizing the vocabulary they have learnt. Since
the pupils were visual learners, instead of using conventional method of using merely pictures, I
have decided to use pictures-dice with word cards as a tool to teach vocabulary to the pupils.
Research Objectives
This action research aimed to:
1. examine the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low-proficiency pupils
vocabulary performance.
122

2. explore the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low-proficiency pupils
motivation in learning vocabulary.
Research Questions
This action research was conducted to answer these research questions:
1. What is the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low proficiency pupils
vocabulary performance?
2. What is the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low proficiency pupils
motivation in learning vocabulary?
Target Group
I have selected four participants who were referred to as P1, P2, P3 and P4 from Year 2 Bestari
as the subjects for this action research; two males and two females. All of these participants were
eight years old, Dusun and come from poor family background especially in terms of socioeconomic status as well as education. The scores obtained in the pre-vocabulary test showed that
these four pupils were low-proficiency level. All of these participants obtained less than five
marks out of 20 in the pre-vocabulary test.
Implementation of the Action Plan
In this research, I used Kemmis and McTaggart Model (1988) as the basis for this research. This
model which is shown in Figure 1 consists of four phases which are plan, action, observe and
reflect.
Figure 1: Kemmis & McTaggart (1988)

1. Plan
Prior to the plan phase in the Kemmis and McTaggart model, I came up with the schedule which
was to be used throughout the research. During the plan stage, I started by preparing the pre and
post vocabulary test. I decided to use the same pre and post vocabulary test for the four
participants that I have selected earlier. Apart from that, I also prepared the materials including
the worksheets that I used during the ten intervention sessions with the pupils. I also prepared all
the instruments including observation checklist and structured interview questions.
123

2. Action
In the act phase, I conducted ten intervention sessions with the participants by using picturesdice with word cards as a tool to teach vocabulary. I took the four participants to the school
library and conducted the intervention session. I started the session by recalling the new
vocabulary they have learnt in the class previously. Then I assigned the participants in a circle.
In each round, each participant was given a chance to throw the pictures-dice and matched the
appeared picture with the correct word cards. This was repeated for all of the participants. I also
distributed a worksheet which consisted of matching activity at the end of every intervention
session. Throughout the ten intervention sessions, I also carried out four times of observation
using the observation checklist. This involved three observers including myself and two of my
friends which also from IPG Keningau campus.
After the tenth intervention session, I conducted post-vocabulary test with the four participants
using the same test as the pre-vocabulary test to do comparison. Apart from that, I also
interviewed the four participants using structured questions in order to get their feedback on the
intervention sessions they went through.
3. Observe
During this stage, I processed and analysed the data I have collected. Therefore, I interpreted the
data obtained.
4. Reflect
At this stage, I have reflected on the effect of using pictures-dice with word cards to teach
vocabulary to low-proficiency pupils. Furthermore, I also looked at the shortcomings along the
intervention as well as this study as a whole. This whole process enabled me to ponder on the
suggestion for improvements of the research in the future.
1. Pre and Post Vocabulary Test Analysis
The instrument was analysed using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics give a shorthand
way of giving lots of information. In order to analyse the data, I put each participants score in a
table and convert it into percentage as shown in Table 1. Next, I looked for the mean percentage
for both of the pre and post-test as displayed in Table 2 below.
Table 1
Participants Scores for Pre and Post-vocabulary Test
Participant
Pre-Test (/20)
Percentage (%)
Post-Test (/20)
Percentage (%)
P1
10
11
55
P2
15
13
65
P3
15
10
50
P4
20
14
70
124

Table 2
Mean Percentage for Pre and Post-vocabulary Test
Participant
Pre-Test (%)
Post-Test (%)
P1
10
55
P2
15
65
P3
15
50
P4
20
70
Mean percentage
15
60
The mean score allowed to make generation as mentioned in Mills (2003), In education,
perhaps the most common descriptive statistics used by the teacher is mean. It allows us to talk
in generalities and to compare how students in our class performed on average in comparison
to other students or over given a time period. Therefore, the mean percentage for both pre and
post-test is displayed in a form of a table. The purpose of the table was to make a clear
comparison between the pre and post-test.
2. Observation Checklist Analysis
I have done four observations throughout the intervention sessions in order to obtain data to
answer the research questions. The instrument used for this was a checklist. In each observation,
I have three observers. In order to analyse the data, at the end of each observation, I gathered the
checklist and looked for the total of Yes and No from each observer. Next, I look for the total
of Yes and No for each observer to find the mean. This was repeated for the all of the
observations. Subsequently, I prepared a table which I referred as Master Copy 1 and Master
Copy 2 as shown in Table 3 and Table 4 respectively to put the data I gained and processed from
all the four observations. Next, I used the scale as shown in Table 5 to analyse the mean
percentage for all of the observations.
Table 3
Master Copy 1
Observation 1
Observation 2
Observation 3
Observation 4
1
2
Yes
100
67
No
0
33
Yes
100
100
No
0
0
Yes
100
100
No
0
0
Yes
100
100
No
0
0
3
4
5
6
7
8
33
33
100
67
67
100
67
67
0
33
33
0
33
67
67
67
100
100
67
33
33
33
0
0
100
67
100
100
100
100
0
33
0
0
0
0
100
100
100
100
100
100
0
0
0
0
0
0
Items
Table 4
Master copy 2
Items
Mean percentage
(%)
Observation 1
Observation 2
Observation 3
Observation 4
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
71
29
79
21
96
100
125
Table 5
Scale of Motivation based on Mean Percentage
Percentage (%)
Interpretation
80-100
Very motivated
60-79
Motivated
40-59
Average
20-39
Less motivated
0-19
Not motivated
Source: Adapted from Mohd. Najib (1999)

Both of the Master Copy 1 and Master Copy 2 helped me to find for the mean percentage of the
items in the checklist for the three observers in all four observations. Finally, the mean
percentage of each observer for all of the observations is displayed in a form of bar graph. The
purpose of this bar graph was to see the changes from the first observation right to the final
observation which was the fourth observation.
3. Structured Interview Analysis
I interviewed the four participants in order to gain information in answering the second research
question. I used structured question as the instrument. The purpose of this interview was to
acquire the participants views and perspectives towards the use of pictures-dice and word cards
carried out throughout the intervention sessions. While conducting the interview, I have recorded
the session in order to help me to proceed with the verbatim. I need the recording as it was
impossible for me to jot down everything that we talked during the interview session.
Subsequently, I set the conversation during the interview session with each of the participant and
carried out with transcription. After that, I looked for the themes in each interview session as to
analyse and gain the information with regards to the participants perspectives in order to help
me answer the second research question.
4. Document (Worksheet) Analysis
I have carried out ten intervention sessions with the four participant using pictures-dice with
word cards as a tool to learn vocabulary. The instrument for the document method of data
collection was a worksheet (matching activity). I distributed ten similar worksheets to the four
participants throughout the ten invention sessions. After each intervention, I gave the four
participants the worksheet and asked them to complete the worksheet. Afterwards, I marked the
worksheet for all of the four participants. I put the participants scores in a table as shown in
Table 6.
126

Table 6
Participants Scores for Each Worksheet throughout Ten Interventions
Participant
INTERVENTION (/6)
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
P1
P2
P3
P4
After the tenth intervention session and all the scores were gathered in the table, I calculated the
mean. The purpose of finding the mean was to see the trends from the first intervention until the
tenth intervention. In order to display the data, I transferred it into a bar graph. It was easier to
see the trends by using the bar graph.
Findings
Research Question 1: What is the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low proficiency
pupils vocabulary performance?
Table 7
Comparison between Pre and Post Vocabulary Test of the Four Participants in Year 2B
Participant
Pre-test (%)
Post-Test (%)
% (+/-)
P1
10
55
+45
P2
15
65
+50
P3
15
50
+35
P4
20
70
+50
Table 7 shows the comparison between pre and post vocabulary test for the four participants in
the Year 2B. Participant four (P4) and participant two (P2) had the highest jumps. P4 scored
from 20% during the pre-test to 70% in the post-test while P2 rose from 15% during the pre-test
to 65% in the pre-test. Both of these two participants showed a positive increase of 50%.
Participant one (P1) had a positive increase of 45% which from 10% for pre-test to 55% for the
post-test. The lowest increment was participant three (P3) who get 15% for the pre-test and 50%
for the post-test. This showed the lowest increment of 35% compared to the other three
participants. On the whole, based on the comparison of the mean percentage for the pre-test and
the post-test, it showed a positive improvement of +45%. This indicated a positive progress on
the participants performance as a whole. Nevertheless, there were two participants, P1 and P3,
who only managed to have an increment below 50%.
127
7
6
5
P1
4
P2
P3
P4
2
1
0
Figure 2. Participants worksheet scores in each intervention

Figure 2 shows the scores of each worksheet for the four participants throughout the ten
intervention sessions. On the whole, it showed a positive improvement on the trends from the
first intervention session right to the tenth intervention session. P1, P3 and P4 obtained full score
which was six during the tenth intervention session compared to the first intervention session
where P1 scored two and both P3 and P4 obtained one respectively. P2 had the lowest score for
the tenth intervention session which was three. Nevertheless, P2 also has shown a positive
increment which can be seen throughout the trends of the ten intervention sessions. Though there
was an inconsistency of the trends for P2 throughout the ten intervention sessions, P2 showed a
positive progress as a whole. This can be seen through the P2s performance during the eighth
and ninth intervention session where a full score of six was obtained. P2 also managed to get
five during the tenth intervention session compared to the first intervention session where P2
only managed to get four out of six. The best performance out of the ten intervention session was
during the ninth intervention session where three out of the four participants obtained full score
which is six, while another participant acquired four. Nevertheless, from both of the findings,
that was measurement and document analysis, it indicated that there was a positive effect of
using the pictures-dice with word cards as a tool to teach vocabulary on the participants
vocabulary performance.
Research Question 2: What is the effect of pictures-dice with word cards on low proficiency
pupils motivation in learning vocabulary?
128

Table 8
Mean Percentage for the Items for Four Observations
Observations mean percentage (%)
Items
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
71
29
79
21
96
100
1. Participants
enriched their
vocabulary using
pictures-dice with
word cards.
2. Participants show
better participation
during the lesson
using pictures-dice
with word cards.
3. Participants
memorize new
words better using
picture-dice with
word cards.
4. Pictures-dice
with word cards
allows the
participants to spell
words correctly.
5. Participant shows
eagerness and
voluntarily matches
the picture on the
pictures-dice with
the correct word
card.
6. Pictures-dice
with word cards
enables the
respondent to use
their visual in
learning new
words.
7. Pictures-dice
with word cards
motivates the
129

participants to learn
new words.
8. Participants
actively engage
with the activity
using the picturesdice with word
cards during the
lesson.
Table 8 shows the mean percentage of the eight items in the checklist for four times of
observations. The first observation showed only 71 percent mean percentage for the eight items.
The mean percentage increased over time. It increased to 100 percent during the fourth
observation. It indicated that during the fourth observations, all of the three observers have seen
the anticipated attitudes in each item on the participants behaviours during the intervention
session. I have also conducted a structured interview with the four participants to help me in
addressing the second research question. The purpose of interviewing these participants was to
obtain their own point of view as the subject of this study who went through all the tenth
intervention sessions. Based on the data from the interview session, all of the four participants
gave positive feedback with regard to the tool used in learning vocabulary. I found that all of the
participants were really interested to learn vocabulary by using the pictures-dice with word
cards. Suka la. Boleh main-main. (pause) ada gambar-gambar. (P2/L12). Furthermore, all of
the participants could recall any five new vocabulary that they have learnt throughout the ten
intervention sessions, this also supported that the tool had a positive effect on the lowproficiency pupils motivation in learning vocabulary as a whole.
This study indicated that the use of pictures-dice with word cards tool had helped the lowproficiency pupils to learn vocabulary better. This can be seen from the comparison between the
mean percentage score for the pre and post vocabulary test. It showed that there was an increase
of mean percentage from the pre-vocabulary test and the post-vocabulary test among the four
participants. The use of visuals in the pictures-dice had assisted the participants to learn the new
vocabulary better in a sense that it helped them to generate more ideas in recognising and
memorizing the word cards. Thus, it reiterated what Chitravelu (2005) mentioned that early
vocabulary learning is best supported by visuals. It was easier for the participants to gain the
information from the visual they saw on the pictures-dice which stimulated them to choose the
correct word cards. Furthermore, Haycraft (1998) also emphasized that much of what we say in
any language is prompted by what we see or have seen around us. Hence, pictures-dice
promoted visual to the learner and make them remember the new vocabulary better.
Apart from that, the findings in this research also suggested that the participants were more
motivated to learn vocabulary by using the pictures-dice with word cards tool. The effect of the
use of pictures-dice with word cards as a tool to teach vocabulary to low proficiency pupils
motivation could be seen through the findings obtained from the observations checklists. During
the fourth observation which was the final observation, all of the observers put yes which
indicated that they have seen all the items among the participants. This suggested that the use of
130

pictures-dice with word cards has a positive effect on the participants motivation to learn
vocabulary. This was also supported by the feedback taken during the structured interview with
the participants after they have gone through all of the ten intervention sessions. All of the
participants gave positive feedback which stated that they enjoyed learning vocabulary using the
tool. This also suggested that the tool have motivated the participants to participate in the
teaching and learning session.
1. Longer time period
By adding the number of intervention sessions, it might help in gaining better results on the
participants performance. Furthermore, the participants will have better understanding on how
the tool is used if there is more intervention sessions conducted with the participants. Apart from
that, the data collected might be more accurate when there is longer time period to conduct the
study.
2. Incorporate ICT
In order to enhance the research, the tool could be coupled with the added-value of ICT to make
it more practical and interactive. Adding ICT in the research might result in creating greater
opportunity for the participants in learning. Instead of using the word cards, the tool could be
enhanced by using ICT such as PowerPoint presentation of Flash player so that the respondents
could choose the correct vocabulary in a more interactive way. It may be more appealing to the
participants and thus motivate the participants to participate in the activity
.
3. Try out the tool with different target group(s)
Another suggestion is to try out the tool with different target group which has a similar concerns
and issues related to vocabulary. To suit the proficiency level, the tool can be adapted by adding
the appropriate and suitable choices of pictures and words to suit the particular participants
proficiency level. This tool also can be modified by changing the pictures-dice with words-dice.
This can be done by putting the words on the dice instead of the pictures. Then the participants
will have to match the word with the picture cards. This kind of activity is suitable to be used for
participants who have basic foundation in the language since it focuses more on the word as the
stimulus.
References
Chitravelu, S. S. (2005). ELT Methodology Principles and Practice. Selangor Darul
Ehsan: Oxford Fajar.
Haycraft, J. (1998). An introduction to English Language Teaching. England:
Longman.
Kemmis & McTaggart. (1988). Bahagian perancangan dan penyelidikan dasar pendidikan:
Manual kajian tindakan. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit BPPDP:
Kementerian
Pelajaran
Malaysia.
Mills, G. (2003). Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall.
131

Mohd. Najib Abd Ghafar (1999). Penyelidikan Tindakan. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka:
Lumpur.
132
Kuala

THE EFFECTS OF USING BINGO GAME TO TEACH VOCABULARY
Nurfathiah Saliyana binti Salleh
saliyana.salleh@gmail.com
Gordian Pius
Abstract
This action research examined the effect of using Bingo game on pupils ability
to identify words. It also examined pupils views on the use of Bingo game to
learn vocabulary. The research involved four pupils of Year 2 Active in SK.
Kampong Biah. The technique used in this action research was Bingo game.
Data was collected through measurement with a test as instruments which was
administered prior to and after the intervention. Data was also collected
through document with worksheets as instruments. Data was also collected
through semi-structured interview questions. Test scores and worksheets were
analysed using percentage and mean percentage. The data from the interview
was analysed descriptively using content analysis. Findings indicated there was
an increased in mean scores of 55% after the use of Bingo game. This showed
that Bingo game had a positive effect on pupils word identification. Findings
from the interview also showed there was positive view on Bingo game. Bingo
game can be used as an alternative to teach vocabulary for primary pupils.
Keywords: vocabulary, word identification, Bingo game
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji kesan penggunaan permainan Bingo ke atas
kebolehan murid untuk mengenalpasti perkataan. Kajian ini juga mengkaji
tentang pandangan murid terhadap penggunaan pemainan Bingo dalam
mempelajari perbendaharaan kata. Kajian ini melibatkan empat orang murid
Tahun 2 Aktif di SK. Kampong Biah. Teknik yang digunakan dalam kajian
tindakan ini adalah permainan Bingo. Data dikutip melalui pengukuran dengan
ujian sebagai instrumen yang diberikan sebelum dan selepas intervensi. Data
juga dikutip melalui dokumen dengan lembaran kerja sebagai instrumen. Data
juga dikutip melalui soalan temubual separa berstruktur. Markah ujian dan
lembaran kerja dianalisis menggunakan peratus dan min peratus. Data
daripada temubual dianalisis secara deskriptif menggunakan analisis
kandungan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat peningkatan dalam min
peratus sebanyak 55% selepas penggunaan permainan Bingo. Ini menunjukkan
bahawa permainan Bingo mempunyai kesan positif ke atas pengenalan
perkataan murid. Hasil daripada temubual juga menunjukkan ada pandangan
positif ke atas permainan Bingo. Permainan Bingo boleh digunakan sebagai
alternatif untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata kepada murid sekolah rendah.
Kata Kunci: perbendaharaan kata, mengenalpasti perkataan, permainan Bingo
Reflections of Teaching and Learning
133

Throughout my experiences in teaching English language for Year 2 Active, I realized that the
proficiency level of my pupils was in between low and average. The previous teacher said that
among the three classes, the class that I was teaching is the best. Based on the statement from the
teacher, I put high expectation on my pupils. However, during my lessons, I could see that my
pupils could not speak simple English and even understand simple Wh-questions. As time pass, I
noticed that my pupils could read (word recognition) but could not comprehend (word meaning)
the text they were reading. Some basic questions that I asked were How are you today? and
What day is today?, but they were unable to answer the questions correctly because they did
not understand its meaning. In my usual teaching, I often used picture cards to introduce
vocabulary and word cards to drill spelling in pre listening or pre reading stage. I believe
pictures could help pupils to acquire better understanding of the vocabulary. Once in a while, I
used language games such as hang-man, charades and Bingo, to introduce vocabulary. The
language games technique received positive respond from my pupils. Due to pupils insufficient
knowledge in vocabulary, it was difficult for me to continue my lesson as planned. Based on my
previous teaching experiences through my first and second practicum, I faced the same typical
problem in learning. Hence, I could generalise that most of the pupils in interior have very
limited vocabulary.
Research Focus
Based on what I had reflected, it shows that I have different problems in each skill. However,
what came to my main concern was the lack of vocabulary. Without the knowledge of
vocabulary, pupils could not listen to understand the gist of an audio recording, nor able to speak
fluently. Without vocabulary, pupils will not be able to comprehend a reading text, nor write
about anything. Pupils need to have abundance of vocabulary knowledge in order for them to
listen, speak, write, as well as to comprehend the content they are reading. Wilkin (as cited in
Milton, 2009), ...without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can
be conveyed. Thus in any language skills to be learnt, everything goes back to basic which is
vocabulary. As a language teacher, I need to accept my pupils weaknesses and find way to help
them to overcome their weaknesses. I found out that the most suitable alternatives to be used to
teach vocabulary to my Year 2 pupils was through language games. Learning language through
games had been introduced to all level of education. It was proven that games can help to lower
learners affective filter. I have decided to try out Bingo game as an alternative to teach
vocabulary. This is because my version of Bingo game is using pictures as a medium for pupils
to identify vocabulary.
In order to gather information on my problem, I discussed this matter with my mentor which was
also the Head of English panel. Then, I also discussed with the teacher teaching English
language previously in Year 2 Active before I took over the class. I also met the teacher who
kept all the pupils profiles and results. I looked at the personal details of each pupil in my class.
I went through their past performance in English as well as other subjects. And finally, I talked
to the pupils to ask about their opinion in learning English language. The information that I
collected has fortified the problem that I found in my teaching. Therefore, the focus of this
action research was to see the effect of using Bingo game on the teaching of vocabulary.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this action research were as follow;
a) To explore the effect of using Bingo game on pupils word identification.
b) To explore pupils views on the use of Bingo game to learn vocabulary.
134

Research Questions
The following research questions address the above objectives;
a) What is the effect of using Bingo game on pupils word identification?
b) What are pupils views on the use of Bingo game to learn vocabulary?
Target Group
This action research was carried out at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kampong Biah, Keningau,
Sabah. Every pupil in Year 2 Active had followed the English lesson based on the Kurikulum
Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR). Out of 23 pupils in Year 2 Active, four pupils were
purposely selected for this research. These pupils were selected based on their performance in
the diagnostic test as well as their result from the pre-examination English test. Three out of four
pupils are indigenous people in Sabah. There were two male and two female selected. Their
religions were Islam and Christian respectively.
Action Plan
In this section, I will explain about the implementation of action plan based on Kemmis and
McTaggart Spiral Model (1988). Figure 1 shows the cycle of Kemmis and McTaggart Spiral
Model.
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggart Spiral Model (1988)

There are four stages in every cycle. I had first plan the action, and then took action of what has
been planned. After implementation, I need to observe the changes of target group. Finally, I
have reflected on the findings obtained.
135

Table 1
Implementation of Action Research
No.
Phase
1
Before
o
Planning
o
2
Plan
o
o
3
Action
o
o
Observe
o
o
o
Reflect
o
o
Action
Identifying the problem
Gathering information
Listing possible
alternatives
Planning procedure of
intervention
Carried out pre-test
Carried out 10
interventions
Carried out post-test
Interview pupils
Assessing pupils
behaviour changes
Analysing data collected
Reflecting on findings
Duration
03.2.2014 07.3.2014
(5 weeks)
20.3.2014 20.4.2014
(4 weeks)
31.3.2014 15.4.2014
(3 weeks)
June August
The first phase to be completed was planning the action research. Based on Table 1 above, I
spent two weeks to reflect on my teaching practices and identified one main problem out of it.
After I found the problem, I started to gather information from the teachers, pupils and I gave
them diagnostic test to check their proficiency level. I analysed the diagnostic test results as well
as their pre-examination scores to select the target group. Then, I listed some possible
alternatives that I could use to solve my problem. I chose one alternative to be used as my
intervention. Finally, I planned the procedure to carry out my intervention.
Before I started my intervention, I administered a test to measure their early performance in
recognizing vocabulary. The action planned was not implemented as part of my daily lesson. I
took out my target group outside of my lesson to be intervened. Thus, I prepared a procedural
step to help in conducting the intervention systematically.
This Bingo game was similarly played as the regular Bingo game. To give pupils a general view
in playing Bingo game, I directed the game for the first three sessions. I asked pupils to arrange
the picture cards according to their preferences in the boxes provided on the Bingo board. I
chose one picture from my set of vocabulary and pronounced the word. Based on the
pronunciation heard, they chose a picture to represent the spoken words. Pupils were given 10
second to find the picture. After all the pupils said DONE, I counted one to three then pupils
raised their selected picture. This stage tested pupils ability to recognize the picture correctly.
The game continued until one of the pupils got BINGO. From the fourth intervention session
onwards, I asked pupils to play rock paper scissors to decide on their turn in playing the game.
The procedures were repeated but I was not participated in the game anymore. Pupils were
taking turn to pick a vocabulary and say it aloud. In this session, I acted as an observer to
observe their performance.
In between the implementation of the intervention, worksheets were given at interval. I prepared
five worksheets to be given in every two completed interventions. These worksheets would help
to support pupils learning. I administered another test to measure their performance in
recognizing vocabulary after going through the 10 times intervention. The content of this test
were different from the earlier test but the design was parallel to the pre-test paper.
136
Observe
In this stage, I observe the changes in pupils learning after the intervention. The observation was
based on the results of pre-test and post-test, worksheets scores and intervention scores. Further
details were explained in the findings for the first research questions. After I had completed all
the intervention sessions, I interviewed the pupils to ask about their views on learning
vocabulary through Bingo game. All of them gave positive feedbacks. Further details were
explained in the findings of the second research questions. While the intervention was in
progress, I also observed my pupils behaviour in my daily lesson. I noticed that pupils became
active during group activity. They also seemed motivated and confident in the lesson. In this
stage, I analysed the data collected and the data was presented and explained in the findings
section of this action research.
Reflect
I reflected on the effect of using Bingo game on pupils word recognition. The reflection of the
findings was written in the conclusion together with the summary and suggestions for further
research.
Methods of Data Collection and Instrument
1. Measurement
Measurement was used to collect data to answer the first research question. The instruments
used were test and daily scores. The test was developed by me based on the table of test
specification. After the test was designed, it was checked by my colleague, a lecturer from IPG
Kampus Keningau, my mentor which is also the Head of English Panel and verified by the
schools Senior Assistant. The test was administered twice. The test was administered, collected
and checked by me. Other than a test, I gave 25 marks to each pupils in every intervention. The
mark was used as a tool to measure their daily improvement. Mark was deducted for each
mistake made.
Document analysis was used to support data from the test given to the pupils. The instrument
used to collect data was daily worksheets. The worksheets were designed and checked by me. I
used the same format for every worksheet given. The format used was matching words to
pictures. The worksheets were not given every day. The interval for each worksheet was every
two interventions. The schedule was repeated until the post test was given. The worksheets
consisted of 20 matching questions. Pupils were given 15 minutes to answer.
3. Interview
Interview was another method used to collect data. Data collected from this method was to
answer the second research question number. The instrument used was structured questions. The
questions were prepared by me and it was checked by my lecturer and my mentor. There were
five questions in the instrument. The instrument was used to acquire pupils opinion about Bingo
game. I chose to interview all of my pupils because there were only four of them. I wanted to
find common theme from their interviews to answer my research questions. This interview was
conducted in a one on one session. I called out the pupil one after another at the computer
137

laboratory to carry out the interview. I chose the computer laboratory because it is conducive. I
recorded the interview session to help if I missed out some information. I have gained their
consent for the recording.

The data that I collected were analysed as follow.
1. Measurement
The data collected from measurement was analysed using descriptive statistic. The raw data
from the test was converted to percentage. From the percentage obtained for each pupil, mean
percentage was calculated. The mean percentage was a scale used to compare pupils
performance between pre-test and post-test scores. In order to ease my explanation, I displayed
the data using table and figure form.
The data collected from worksheets were analysed using descriptive statistic. The raw data was
calculated to find the mean score. The data was presented in figure and table form. This data was
used to support the data collected from measurement.
3. Interview
The data from interview was analysed through content analysis. The interview session was audio
taped. The audio was then transcribed into text. I read the transcription to find the codes. Based
on the codes, I had developed some common themes. The themes acquired were able to help me
to answer my research questions number two.
Findings
a) What is the effect of using Bingo game on pupils word identification?
The purpose of this research question is to see the effect of Bingo game on pupils word
identification. The data was collected through test, daily scoring and daily worksheets. The
finding was based on the comparison between pre-test and post-test mean percentage scores.
Table 2
Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test Mean Percentage Scores
Pre-Test
Post-Test
N
(%)
(%)
4
38.75
93.75
(%)
+55
Table 2 above shows the mean percentage for pre-test and post-test. The mean percentage for the
pre-test is 38.75%. Meanwhile, the mean percentage for the post-test is 93.75%. There is an
increase of 55% of the mean scores for pupils vocabulary performance. This indicates that
Bingo game has a positive effect on pupils performance in identifying vocabulary.
138
Mean Score

18.5
18
17.5
17
16.5
16
15.5
15
14.5
1
Worksheet
Figure 2. Pupils worksheets mean scores
The finding was also obtained based on pupils daily worksheets. Figure 2 shows the mean
scores of pupils worksheets. The mean scores show increment of pupils performance. The
highest mean score was during the fifth worksheets. The mean score for worksheet three shows a
decreasing number of 0.25.
Overall, based on the data obtained, all the respondents show positive increment in their ability
to identify vocabulary. Therefore, there is a positive effect of using Bingo game to teach
vocabulary.
b) What are pupils views on the use of Bingo game to learn vocabulary?
The purpose of this research question is to obtain pupils views on the use of Bingo game to
learn vocabulary. The data was collected through interview. Based on the transcription, I found
that the pupils enjoy learning vocabulary using Bingo game. This can be seen from the quotes as
follow, Ya. Ya. Ya.. Sebab dapat main., Suka. Sebab best.. Overall, based on the data
obtained, the pupils agreed that Bingo game is very interesting. Therefore, they have a positive
view towards learning vocabulary through Bingo game.
Conclusion/Reflection
The finding from first research question indicates that Bingo game had a positive effect on
pupils word identification. This can be seen from the significant difference between the mean
percentage of pre-test and post-test. Findings show an increase of mean percentage by 55% after
the use of Bingo game. The findings from this research question could not be compared to any
findings from past research done. This is because no research has yet study on the effects of
Bingo game on pupils learning.
The finding from second research question indicated that the pupils had fun using Bingo game to
learn vocabulary. This can be seen from the positive feedbacks given during the interview. All of
them like playing Bingo game and they could remember the vocabulary. They could accept
Bingo game as an alternative to learn vocabulary because it was fun, easy and interesting. The
finding was comparable to the comment from one of Seows students very good that he used
the game BINGO in one of the class to make the lecture more fun and interesting and also
facilitate our understanding in the topics.
139

Suggestion for Further Action
Based on the findings, the use of Bingo game to teach vocabulary had shown a positive effect on
pupils learning. Although the findings showed a positive effect, I believe that nothing is perfect.
Every methods and techniques used have its own strengths and weaknesses. One of the
weaknesses of this Bingo game was that the pupils could only identify the vocabulary based on
the spoken words. Pupils were not drilled on the spelling of the vocabulary. One of the strengths
of this Bingo game was that it used pictures as a medium to deliver ideas. Harmer (2007) stated,
pictures are extremely useful for a variety of communication activities, especially where these
have a game-like feel. I believe that this action research can be further improved to suit the
pupils need. Therefore, in the following sub topic, I had suggested ways to further improvise the
use of Bingo game. I suggested three ways to improve the use of Bingo game with a longer
duration of study, incorporating Bingo game with ICT and addition of spelling skill.
References
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English Language Teaching. England: Pearson
Education.
Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner. Geelong,
Australia: Deakin University Press.
Victoria,
Milton, J. (2009). Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition. Clevedon:

Multilingual Matters.
Seow, T. K. (2009). Two Strategies to facilitate Active Learning in Large Classes.
Retrieved 23 September 2014, from http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/brief/
Pdf/v12n4.pdf
140

USING HAND GESTURES TO TEACH PHONICS FOR YEAR 2 PUPILS
Nurhazwani Binti Mohd Nozari
waninozari@yahoo.com
Carl Martin Albert
Abstract
This action research examined the effect of the use of hand gestures on pupils
reading pronunciation. This action research also investigated pupils views on
the use of hand gestures as an aid to learn reading pronunciation. This study
involved 18 Year Two pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Apin-Apin, Keningau,
Sabah. The technique used in this action research was hand gestures. The data
was collected through a triangulation of data collection methods which were
measurement, documents analysis and interview. The instruments used were a
test which was given before and after the intervention, worksheets after each
intervention and structured interview questions. The test scores were analysed
using descriptive statistics, which were percentage, mean percentage and
standard deviation. The worksheets were also analysed using descriptive
statistics, which was mean percentage. The interview data was analysed
descriptively using content analysis. Findings indicated the mean percentage
scores increased by +34.55%. This showed that the use of hand gestures has a
positive effect on pupils reading pronunciation. Findings also showed pupils
view on the use of hand gestures to learn reading pronunciation was positive.
This study can be a guide for teachers to teach phonics to Year 2 pupils.
Keywords: Reading Pronunciation, Hand Gestures, Phonics
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini adalah untuk mengkaji kesan penggunaan gerak tangan
terhadap sebutan pembacaan murid-murid. Kajian tindakan ini juga dijalankan
untuk mengkaji pandangan murid-murid terhadap penggunaan gerak tangan
sebagai bantuan untuk belajar sebutan membaca. Kajian ini melibatkan 18
orang murid Tahun 2 dari Sekolah Kebangsaan Apin-Apin, Keningau, Sabah.
Teknik yang digunakan dalam kajian tindakan ini ialah gerak tangan. Data
telah dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan kaedah triangulasi pengumpulan data
iaitu pengukuran, analisis dokumen dan temu bual. Instrumen yang digunakan
ialah ujian yang diberikan sebelum dan selepas intervensi, lembaran kerja pada
selepas setiap intervensi dan soalan temu bual berstruktur. Markah ujian telah
dianalisis dengan menggunakan statistik deskripsif, iaitu peratus, peratus min
dan sisihan piawai. Lembaran kerja juga dianalisis dengan menggunakan
statistik deskriptif iaitu min peratus Data temu bual dianalisis secara deskriptif
dengan menggunakan analisis kandungan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan
peningkatan markah min peratus sebanyak +34.55%. Ini menunjukkan
penggunaan gerak tangan memberi kesan positif kepada sebutan pembacaan
murid-murid. Dapatan kajian juga menunjukkan pandangan murid-murid
terhadap penggunaan gerak tangan untuk belajar sebutan membaca ialah
positif. Kajian ini boleh dijadikan panduan kepada guru-guru untuk mengajar
fonik kepada murid-murid Tahun 2.
141

Kata Kunci: Sebutan Pembacaan, Gerak Tangan, Fonik
Reflection Of Past Teaching Experience
The struggles began during my third phase practicum as I tried to plan a reading lesson using
phonics. Since I have no experience of using this approach, it is understood that all the required
expectation did not go according to plan. It appeared that the lesson did not work well and the
pupils could not achieve the objectives I planned for the lesson. After allowing my mind to
contemplate for quite some time, I realised that I was not teaching them phonics. What I did was
parroting the pupils with sounds. They naively repeated the phonemes that I have articulated
without comprehending the purpose of doing it. The most upsetting part in this situation was
these pupils could not relate and see the relationship between the phonemes and graphemes.
Without recognising the relationship, it actually defeated the purpose of learning phonics for
reading. Hence, I need to use the most effective technique to teach phonics to these pupils.
Unfortunately, I was not able to impart the knowledge to the pupils using the right technique,
which then caused the pupils to be apathetic and were not interested to learn reading using
phonics.
Focus Of The Research
This action research is concerning on the pupils ability to read with correct pronunciation. The
focus of this research was to explore how hand gestures could aid me in the teaching of phonics
to the pupils of Year 2 Kreatif in Sekolah Kebangsaan Apin-Apin, Keningau. The suitable
technique used to teach phonics would subsequently improve the pupils reading pronunciation.
There are a number of reasons why I chose to study about reading pronunciation. First and
foremost, it is because the syllabus for Year 2 reading skill stated in KSSR (2011) focused on
sounds articulation as well as reading pronunciation. Secondly, without the ability to read, the
pupils will not be able to develop their skill in using the language. For instance, the pupils may
have the disadvantages to widen their vocabulary range compared to those who are able to read.
A person has to know how to read to be able to broaden his or her knowledge about many things.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this research are:
1. To explore the effect of the use of hand gestures on year 2 pupils reading pronunciation.
2. To explore pupils views on the use of hand gestures as an aid to learn reading
pronunciation.
Research Questions
The following research questions address the above objectives:
1. What is the effect of the use of hand gestures on year 2 pupils reading pronunciation?
2. What are pupils views on the use of hand gestures as an aid to learn reading
pronunciation?
Target Group
142

This action research was conducted for a group of Year 2 pupils in Sekolah Kebangsaan ApinApin, Keningau, Sabah. There were 18 pupils in my class (2 Kreatif) which consisting of ten
boys and eight girls. All of them were the participants for my action research. Generally, my
pupils could be classified as mixed ability pupils. The ranges of their reading ability varies, from
having very limited knowledge of the letters and sounds to being able to read fluently.
Action
In this research, I applied a spiral model by Kemmis and McTaggart (1998) as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggart Action Research model (1998)

This model consisted of four organised stages in one cycle; plan, action, observe and reflect.
Crucial to any successful action research is the framework or the action plan. Based on this
model, I conducted my study by adhering to the four steps.
1. First Stage (Plan)
An organised work schedule has been designed as guidance to conduct this study systematically.
In conjunction with that, all instruments including the table of specification, answer schemes, the
reading test, worksheets as well as the structured interview questions were designed at this stage
and have been checked and validated by both my supervisor and mentor.
2. Second Stage (Action)
At this stage, I applied the use of hand gestures to teach phonics for ten times during reading
lessons.The hand gestures were introduced during pre-reading stage. Firstly, I displayed the
graphemes of the day on the whiteboard. Next, I demonstrated the hand gestures to the pupils;
they imitated it while articulating the sound. For example, the hand gesture for the graphemes
ie is slitting the throat. So, while the pupils were imaginatively slitting their throats, they
articulated the sound /ai/. The use of hand gestures did not necessarily be used only during prereading stage. Whenever the pupils had trouble with their reading pronunciation, I would do the
hand gestures to aid the pupils to decode the words.
143

I administered a pre and post-reading test before and after the pupils have received the
interventions. Upon completed the tenth intervention session, post- reading test was
administered and the interview sessions with the selected pupils were carried out.
3. Third Stage (Observation)

This stage is also known as the data collection method stage. It was conducted simultaneously
during and after the implementation of the intervention. At this point, all data from the
instruments designed including pre and post-reading test, worksheets from each intervention and
the transcription from the interview sessions were collected, analysed and interpreted to answer
both research questions for this study. The data was analysed and interpreted precisely using
basic statistics and content analysis.
4. Fourth stage (Reflection)
The final step in Kemmis and McTaggart (1998) model is reflection. It was an essential stage as
the findings of this study were concluded and summarised.

1. Measurement
Measurement was the main method used in this study. The instrument used for this method was
a test. The test was administered twice during the process of this research, before and after the
intervention. Pre-reading test was administered before the implementation of the intervention.
The purpose of pre-reading test was to collect data on the pupils prior knowledge in reading
pronunciation. The test was conducted individually to collect pupils respective performance.
The test was divided into two parts, paper one and paper two. Paper one was to test pupils prior
knowledge in phonics whereas paper two was to test pupils prior knowledge in phonemic
awareness or in other words, their reading pronunciation.
2. Document
Another method used was document. In this method, the instrument I analysed was the pupils
worksheets. In order to see the effects and the progress of the intervention on pupils reading
pronunciation, two worksheets were given after each intervention. The first worksheet (P1) was
to test on the pupils phonics skill while the second worksheet (P2) was to test on their phonemic
awareness.
3. Interview
Interview was the third method used in this study. This method was used to collect data to
answer the second research question. This was the most suitable method to probe and collect the
data which was beyond the pupils performance in the tests. The instrument used in this method
was structured questions. After considered the fact that some of the pupils have low proficiency
level in the language, I opted to use purposeful sampling to get the data from the pupils who
could understand and respond to the questions asked in the interview. Each interview session
consists of six items.
144

Analysis And Interpretation Of Data
1. Measurement
The instrument used in this method was a test. The instrument was analysed using descriptive
statistics. The pre and post-reading test consist of two papers. Each paper carries 50% of the total
marks. The total marks or the raw scores for each the test was analysed in percentage. This data
was used to measure the effect of my intervention. Therefore, in order to see the comparison
before and after the intervention, I analysed it using mean percentage. If the mean for postreading test is higher than pre-tests mean, that means my intervention gives positive effect
towards pupils reading pronunciation and vice versa. Besides that, I would also like to explore
the effect of this technique on minimising the gap between advanced and average pupils. In other
words, I intended to measure the variability in a group. For that reason, I analysed the percentage
score for both pre and post-reading test separately using standard deviation (s.d). Presuming, the
(s.d) value for post-test is smaller than pre-test that clearly displayed the gap between advanced
and average pupils on reading pronunciation has been minimised.
2. Document
The instrument used for this method was worksheet. The data obtained from this instrument was
analysed using mean percentage. From the mean percentage, I was able to measure the pupils
development on reading pronunciation throughout the implementation of the intervention. I
could easily portray the effect of hand gestures technique on pupils reading pronunciation by
displaying the difference mean percentage between each intervention. Conclusively, the data
obtained could portray the pupils progress in reading pronunciation throughout the process of
the implementation of the intervention.
3. Interview
Six structured questions were asked to obtain pupils views on the use of hand gestures as an aid
to learn reading pronunciation. The audio data was transcribed and analysed descriptively using
content analysis.
Findings
1. What is the effect of the use of hand gestures on pupils reading pronunciation?
The first research question was imposed to investigate thoroughly whether this technique gives a
positive or negative effect on pupils reading pronunciation. The data was collected using
measurement and document methods. In addition to this, the instruments used to collect the data
were test and worksheets.
Table 1
Comparison Between Pre and Post Reading Test Mean Percentage
No. of Pupils
18
Pre Reading Test (%)
Post Reading Test (%)
Significance (%)
80.22
+34.55
45.67
145

Table 1 shows the comparison between pre and post reading test mean percentage. There is an
increase of +34.55% in mean scores for pupils performance after receiving the intervention for
ten sessions. Initially, the pupils average score before receiving the interventions is 45.67%
which then increased to 80.22% after using hand gestures to aid their reading pronunciation.
Broadly speaking, the increment indicates that hand gestures has a positive effect on pupils
reading pronunciation.
Table 2
Year 2 Kreatif Individual Performance in Pre and Post Reading Test
Pupil
Pre-Test
(%)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
54
60
30
18
88
10
85
14
57
16
36
81
78
54
66
9
14
52
Mean
45.67
Standard
Deviation
27.83
Post-Test
(%)
95
93
87
38
100
30
99
63
79
70
93
97
91
96
98
55
65
95
80.22
Standard
Deviation
21.82
(%)
41
33
57
20
12
20
14
49
22
54
57
16
13
42
32
46
51
43
34.55
Table 2 above shows the pupils individual performance for pre and post reading tests. Even
though based on Table 1, it shows that the use of hand gestures has a positive effect on pupils
reading pronunciation, but if we look in detail, the pupils levels of increment are varies. Pupil 5
shows the lowest level of increment that is only +12 %, while Pupil 3 and Pupil 11 show the
highest increment by +57%. The range of their increment level differs around 45%.
Table 2 above also shows the standard deviation for both tests. The standard deviation seems to
decrease about -6.01sd. The s.d value for pre reading test is 27.83 decreases to 21.82. This
146
Mean Percentage (%)
suggests that the dispersion of pupils ability to read after the use of hand gesture is smaller
compared to before the received the intervention. Hence, this technique is able to minimise the
gap between these pupils.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
10
Intervention
Figure 2. Pupils performance mean score after each intervention

Figure 2 above shows Year 2 Kreatif pupils performance mean score after each intervention.
Based on Figure 2, there was an increment of +45% from the first to the last intervention.
Distinctively, the mean score during first intervention is 45% increases to 90% at the tenth
intervention. This increment clearly indicated that the use of hand gestures gives positive effect
on pupils reading pronunciation.
The pupils of Year 2 Kreatif have shown improvement in their reading pronunciation based on
the increment of mean percentage in pre and post reading tests as well as in their mean score for
each intervention. The use of hand gestures gives positive effect on pupils reading
pronunciation which reflects the improvement of my teaching practice on phonics.
2. What are pupils views on the use of hand gestures as an aid to learn reading
pronunciation?
This question is imposed to explore in detail what are pupils perception and interpretation
towards this technique. It is whether hand gestures gives positive or negative impression to the
pupils of Year 2 Kreatif. The data was collected using only one method that was interview. In
addition to that matter, the instrument used to collect the data was six structured questions. Only
five out of 18 pupils were selected to be interviewed. From this interview, I conclude conclude
the three themes emerged to answer my second research question. These themes represented the
pupils views towards the use of hand gesture as an aid to learn reading pronunciation.
The first theme was this technique made it easier for them to remember the sounds. This means
that hand gestures act as a bridge to relate the gap between the sounds and the letters. The
following comment illustrated that this technique could assist them to recall the sound when they
read.
YesSebab sia bulih ingat gaya itu bila sia baca, (Pupil 5: Lines 16 & 18)
YesBecause I can remember the gestures when I read, (Pupil 5: Lines 16 & 18)
147
The second theme that emerged by the use of this technique was reading lesson became more
enjoyable. The pupils found that this technique was enjoyable and fun throughout the lesson.
Pupil made supporting comments toward this question such as this:
YesSebab siok bha Miss. Sinang (Pupil 2: Lines 20 & 22)
YesBecause it is fun, Miss. Easy, (Pupil 2: Lines 20 & 22)
The third and the final theme was their desire for their teacher to use this technique as well. The
following comment illustrated the pupils response indicating that they want other teachers to
use this technique:
Yes (Pupil 1: Line 31)
Conclusively, this technique gives positive impression on the pupils.
Summary/Reflection
In this paper, I have presented a technique that can be used by all ESL teachers to teach phonics
in regards with pupils reading pronunciation. This technique needs nothing more than just a pair
of hands and a set of specific gestures. There are two objectives for this research. One is to
examine the effect of the use of hand gestures on pupils reading pronunciation and second is to
discover pupils views towards this technique. Several conclusions can be drawn from the study
of the use of hand gestures to teach phonics for Year 2 pupils.
First, the results of pre and post reading tests indicated that the pupils profited from the use of
hand gestures as an aid for them to read with correct pronunciation. Their mean percentage
increases by +34.55% after receiving ten intervention sessions using this particular technique.
The findings obtained from document analysis were also illustrated pupils positive
improvement in reading pronunciation. The pupils mean score after each intervention were
somehow inconsistent for the first six interventions. One possible explanation for the cause of
these inconsistencies is the fact that there were some inevitable extraneous factors influencing
the pupils and the process throughout conducting this research. Regardless of that issue, the
pupils performance still has improved. The initial mean percentage increases from 45% to 90%.
In conclusion, the use of hand gestures to teach phonics for Year 2 pupils gives positive effect on
pupils reading pronunciation.
It is interesting to note that, as of the numerical are data concern, it does illustrate the positive
effect on the pupils reading pronunciation, yet it also important to assess the value of this
technique from the pupils point of view. Three themes emerging from this interview indicated
that the pupils have positive views towards the use of hand gestures as an aid to read with correct
pronunciation. I have discovered that not only the pupils found it is easier for them to learn
reading using the hand gestures, they also thought that the use of hand gestures makes learning
to read much more enjoyable and fun. Furthermore, the pupils agreed and supported the idea of
having other teachers to use this technique as well.
The findings I obtained from my research are somewhat in line and agreed with the findings
from one of the researches done concerning to phonics. Bast (2013) concluded in her research
that students need to have phonics integrated into their reading program. Bast believes students
who have strong phonics instructions will help them to understand the phonetic patterns thus
make it easier for them to decode words in reading.
148

Finally, I wish the use of hand gestures will motivate other Malaysian English teachers to start
teaching reading pronunciation or beginning reading using phonics approach. I presume these
teachers are intimidated with this approach because they do not have enough exposure about
phonics. For that reason, I hope this technique can be further developed and expose to Malaysian
teachers to encourage them to use phonics in the teaching of reading pronunciation or beginning
reading.
Suggestions For Further Research
The suggestions I propose are to broaden my research into something bigger or more practical to
the others. These suggestions are based on the current needs and trends in education globally.
1. The Use of Hand Gestures on Pupils Spelling Skill
Since the use of hand gestures allow the pupils to see the sounds, this technique has high
potential work to teach spelling to the pupils. When each gesture represents one sound, the
pupils will not have the difficulty to recall the letters of that respective sound and spell the whole
word correctly.
2. The Use of THRASS Phonics to Teach Reading Pronunciation
THRASS Phonics is an acronym stands for Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skill.
THRASS is a revolutionary approach to teaching of English that provides learners...with
handwriting, reading and spelling skills (Place, 2009). According to Ritchie (2014) this approach
has a chart that was design as a teaching tool with 44 phonemes of spoken English and 120 most
common graphemes of written English. In conventional phonics approach, the teacher will
introduce the phonemes based on the graphemes written. Contrary to THRASS, all possible
graphemes are introduced based on that particular phoneme with pictures as the examples.
3. The Use of Hand Gesture as a Sensory Educational Xbox Game
Xbox sensory games have been invented approximately eight years ago. The integration of
movements in pupils learning can be twice as fun. This technique can be an idea for another
creation of educational sensory game. It will provide the opportunity for pupils to learn reading
in a creative way and promotes self-learning to improve their reading pronunciation skill.
References
Bast, J. (2013). Integration of Phonics into elementary reading programs. DegreeBachelors
Thesis, Dominican University of California, California.
Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (Eds). (1998). The action research reader. (3rd Ed).
Geelong. Deakin University Press.
Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah. (2011). Dokumen Standard Bahasa Inggeris SK Tahun 1
dan 2. Ministry of Education.
Place, J. (2009). Teaching handwriting, reading and spelling skills. Retrieved 5 July
from http://www.memory4teachers.co.uk/channels/presentations/ Thrass/
149
2014,
Ritchie,
D.
(2014)
About
THRASS.
http://www.thrass.com.au/about-thrass
150
Retrieved
July
2014,
from

THE USE OF PICTURES LISTENING MAP TO TEACH LISTENING SKILL
Siti Haziah Binti Raduan
siti.haziah91@gmail.com
Carl Martin Albert
Abstract
This action research studied the effect of Picture Listening Maps on pupils
performance in listening skill. This research also studied the effect of
Pictures Listening Maps on pupils interest in listening activity. Four pupils
from Year Two in SK Binaong were involved in this research. The strategy
used in this research was Pictures Listening Maps to teach listening skill. The
Pictures Listening Maps consisted of the combination of visual and graphic
organiser which were the bubble maps. This strategy was used as the
stimulus to the audio played during listening skill activity. The data was
collected using measurement, document analysis and interview. The
instruments used to gather data were pre-test and post-test, daily worksheet
and structured interview questions. The pre-test and post-test was analysed
using percentage and mean percentage. Findings indicated that there was
positive effect on the use of Pictures Listening Map on listening skill activity.
The mean score based on the pre test and post test had an increase of 20%.
Finding also showed that pupils were interested in using the Picture
Listening Maps based on the response given during the interview. This
strategy can be an alternative for teachers to improve the listening skill for
the primary ESL classroom.
Key words: Listening skill, Pictures Listening Map, graphic organiser.
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini mengenalpasti kesan Pictures Listening Map ke atas
prestasi murid dalam kemahiran mendengar. Kajian ini juga mengenalpasti
kesan Pictures Listening Map ke atas minat murid dalam aktiviti-aktiviti
mendengar. Empat orang murid dari tahun dua di S.K. Binaong , Keningau
menyertai kajian ini. Strategi yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah Pictures
Listening Map dalam bentuk peta buih untuk mengajar kemahiran mendengar.
Pictures Listening Maps ini terdiri daripada kombinasi visual dan pengurusan
grafik. Data telah dikumpul dengan menggunakan pengukuran, dokumen dan
temubual. Instrumen digunakan mengumpul data adalah ujian yang telah
dijalankan sebelum dan selepas intervensi, lembaran kerja dan soalan temu
bual berstruktur. Skor ujian telah dianalisis menggunakan peratus dan min
peratus, Skor min peratus bagi pra ujian adalah 72.50% dan pasca ujian adalah
92.50% yang menunjukkan peningkatan 20.00%. Lembaran kerja dianalisis
menggunakan peratus dan min peratus. Data daripada temubual dianalisis
secara analisis kandungan diskriptif. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa
murid-murid berminat dalam menggunakan Pictures Listening Map. Dapatan
kajian juga menunjukkan bahawa terdapat kesan positif ke atas penggunaan
Pictures Listening Map untuk aktiviti kemahiran mendengar. Pictures Listening
151

Map boleh menjadi satu alternatif untuk guru-guru mengajar kemahiran
mendengar dalam kelas Bahasa Inggeris sekolah rendah.
Kata kunci:Kemahiran mendengar, Pictures Listening Map, pengurusan grafik.
Reflection on Teaching and Learning Experience
The first time I teach listening skill in Year 2 Dinamik, I used traditional method of teaching
which was talk and chalk to teach this skill. I found out that, the pupils were not listening
attentively and they were not able to understand what I am saying. I felt like I was talking alone
although there were few pupils that could respond to what I said. However, they still responded
to me but in Malay language. Besides that, my pupils tend to keep on repeating the same
questions to me and this cost me a lot of time to explain the same thing to them. With their level
of listening skill, I was so worried that they could not understand my instructions and the content
taught throughout my lesson. I realised that most of the time when I gave instruction or delivered
the lesson content with chalk and talk method, the pupils seemed to have difficulty in
understanding the meaning of the words that they hear, either verbally or recorded audio. Most
of the time, I noticed that they were struggling hard when it involved listening lesson. I asked the
teacher who taught the class previously about the pupils ability in comprehending listening
activity in the class. Based on the information given by their previous English language teacher,
the pupils had very short attention span and they were not able to understand English Language
well.The teacher also told me that I should try using pictures as an aid to accompany the audio
recording. It was because they would be able to understand better if the teacher used pictures to
teach them previously.When the pupils were not able to understand of what they had listened to,
their attention and interest diverged to other task which they would absorb with their own affairs
such as talking with friends, going out to the toilet continuously and some of the pupils would
keep on disturbing their friends.
Research Focus
The research carried out focused on how to improve pupils ability to become an active listener
and their interest in participating during the teaching of listening skill using the Pictures
Listening Maps. I figured out on what should be done in order to overcome the problem in the
teaching of listening skill during English language lesson. As the pupils were introduced with
the use of visual aids during the lesson previously, I extended the use of visual aids for the
teaching of listening skill. I used the Pictures Listening Map which was the combination of
pictures and graphic organiser to improve the pupils performance and gain their interest during
listening skill activity. It was important for the pupils to acquire and be familiar with what they
listen to in order to further their understanding on other English language literacy skills.
Research Objectives
The objectives of the research were:

1. To study the effect of Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in listening skill.
2. To study the effect of Pictures Listening Map on pupils interest in listening activity.
152

Research Questions
The research questions were:
1. What is the effect of using Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in listening
skill?
2. What is the effect of using Pictures Listening Map on the pupils interest in listening
activity?
Target Group
The target group for the research was the Year Two Dinamik of SK Binaong Keningau, Sabah.
There were four pupils involved in this research. Three of them were males and one female. The
pupils were of eight years old ages. The pupils were from three different races which two of the
participants were Dusun, Chinese and Murut. The involvements of the four pupils for the
research were based on the achievement of the task given during the teaching and learning
activities of listening skill in the classroom. Based on the pupils achievements on tasks given
during listening lessons, they were indeed weak in acquiring the listening skill. Although the
four pupils were able to respond my questions given to them as a whole class, they cannot
answer my questions when it required individual response on what they may have understood
based on the audio played during the listening activity. They showed interest during the lesson
but easily distracted because of peer influence, short attention span, talking with friends and
doing other works during the lesson.
Implementation of Action Plan
The research conducted was based on the Stephen Kemmis and Robbin McTaggart (1988) cycle
model. The model consisted of four cycles which were plan, act, observe and reflect.
Figure 1: Kemmis and McTaggart Cycle Model (1988)
153

4. Survey and Analysis of the Problem
In order to obtain for further details of the problem that I had in my teaching and learning of
listening skill, I discussed with the class English language teacher, the LINUS teacher, and based
on the work done by the pupils. Besides, I also observed the pupils respond and involvement
during the listening skill lesson. I also collaborated with the English language teacher who
taught the class previously on the pupils performance and proficiency level in English language
skills. According to the teacher, the pupils were of average level in their proficiency level for
English language. In addition, out of the 22 pupils in the class, there were slow learners group of
pupils which they were not able to understand the English language lesson.
From the collaboration I managed to secure the teaching strategy that was being used by the
teacher to teach the pupils in order to create a better understanding of the content of the lesson.
Based on the discussion, the teacher used teaching aids such as pictures cards and graphic
presentation with visual to teach the class. To further confirm with the numbers of pupils that
were having difficulty in their proficiency level, I also conducted a discussion with the LINUS
teacher in the school whom also the class teacher. According to the teacher, the pupils that I had
asked about were under LINUS program and they were attending the remedial class. The pupils
that scored low marks and did not achieve the target marks were also among the pupils that have
short attention span during the lesson.
5. Planning
I started the first phase of the cycle which was planning based on the teaching and learning
strategy in the classroom. I carried out my lesson on the teaching of listening skill using various
strategies. There were self delivery of the content of the lesson, audio recording with picture
cards, big book and only audio recording. The pupils at first showed their interest and
participation throughout the lesson but towards the end of the lesson, they were easily distracted
and getting bored. Although they were able to listen to the audio and look at the pictures
provided as stimulus, the pupils would do their own works as they were getting along with the
lesson. When completing the activity distributed, they still talked to their friends and this
allowed them to make mistake and failure in being an attentive listener. Based on that, I came
out with a plan on gaining the pupils attention on listening attentively, their interest and their
performance in the teaching and learning of listening skill in the classroom by using the Pictures
Listening Map to teach listening skill.
I used a schedule that I have prepared as a guideline which allowed me to carry out the
interventions using the Pictures Listening Map to teach listening skill smoothly and well
organised. This study had been carried out within the twelve week of my practicum and the
interventions on the use of Pictures Listening Map for listening skill activity had been conducted
for ten times. The topics that I covered during the interventions were based on the Year Two
KSSR textbook.
6.
Action
I started the action on the use of Pictures Listening Map for listening skill based on the schedule
that I had planned. Pre-test on listening skill was given to the pupils based on the topic that I
taught them previously during the lesson. The test was conducted for 30 minutes in the
classroom in order to identify the pupils performance during the listening activity. It was also to
decide whether the pupils still remembered what they had learnt during listening skill activity
that was taught previously.
154

The first intervention was taken into action on the 1st April 2014 after the pre-test of the listening
skill. The interventions were conducted outside the hours of teaching and learning of English
language subject. Co-operation and consent from the subject teacher during that particular time
had helped me a lot in completing this study on the use of Pictures Listening Map to teach
listening skill. I carried out the intervention by first explaining to the pupils about the listening
activity using the Pictures Listening Map. The Pictures Listening Map was a graphic organiser
which was the bubble map. The bubbles were left blank as the pictures were pasted on it after
each audio played. This enabled the pupils to keep track on what was on the audio played.
After that I let the pupils pasted the pictures which were related to the audio played on their own.
The four pupils took their turn to paste the pictures on the bubble map. Worksheet was given
after the intervention had been conducted. The pupils need to tick the correct pictures on the
worksheet given based on the audio played. The steps taken on the use of Pictures Listening
Map to teach listening skill was continuously taken until the tenth intervention session which
was on the 23rd April 2014.
Post test was given to the pupils on 24th April 2014 followed by an interview. The post-test given
to the pupils covered the topic which was similar with the pre test. The time taken for the pupils
to complete the test was thirty minutes. As they had completed the test, I continued with the
interview.
The interview was conducted with the four pupils. The questions that I asked were five
structured questions which were on their interest on the use of Pictures Listening Map during
listening activity.
Data Collection Method and Instrumentation
4. Measurement
This method was used to answer the research question number one which was on the effect of
using Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in listening skill. Based on the research
question one, I collected the data on the pupils improvement of their performance during
listening skill activity.The instrument that I used was a test which I conducted before and after
the interventions. The number of questions that was prepared for the test was twenty questions
which the pupils need to tick on the correct pictures while listening to the audio recording
played. Each correct answer given one mark and the total mark for the test was twenty marks. I
further referred and checked the test design with the English language panel. After it was
approved, I administered the test twice which was for pre-test and post-test. The pre-test was
conducted on 31st March 2014 while the post-test was conducted on 24th April 2014. Both pretest and post test was administered during the last thirty minutes of the lesson on that day.
5. Documents
I used documents as my second data collection method to answer the first research questions
which was on the effect of using Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in listening
skill. Pupils worksheets were selected as the instrument for documents data collection method.
There were ten worksheets that I had prepared on my own. Each worksheet was given after each
intervention which was carried out for ten times. The worksheets were related with the topic
used while using the pictures listening maps. The pupils need to tick the correct picture based on
the audio played. The number of questions prepared on the worksheets was aligned with the
numbers of bubbles map used on the Pictures Listening Map. Each worksheet was given one
155

mark for every correct answer and the marks gathered by the pupils throughout the intervention
carried out were used to kept track on the improvements that they achieved.
6. Interview
Interview was used as my third method of data collection method for this research. This method
was used to answer the second research question which was on the effect of using Pictures
Listening Map on the pupils interest in listening activity.The instrument that I used to conduct
the interview was structured questions. I pointed out five structured questions to identify the
pupils interest on the use of Pictures Listening Map in listening skill activity. The interview was
conducted after the post test. The questions that I posted to the pupils were also prepared in
bilingual as the pupils had difficulty in understanding the English language.
i) Analysis of Measurement Data
Measurement was the method of data collection used to answer the first research question. Pre
test and post test were given to four pupils in order to find out their performance in listening skill
using the Picture Listening Map. The data gathered from the pre test and post test would be
analysed using percentage and mean percentage. Both data would be compared in order to
determine the participants performances in listening skill using the Pictures Listening Map.
ii) Analysis of Documents
Documents were also used as the second method to collect data in order to answer first research
question. I distributed worksheets to the participants after each intervention which I carried out
for ten times. The worksheets given to the participants was based on what they had learnt using
the Pictures Listening Map for listening skill activity. Each worksheet done would be given
marks and analysed using percentage and mean percentage. The marks analysed showed the
participants performances after each intervention carried out. This data collected from the
worksheet also act as the supporting data to answer the first research question.
iii) Analysis of Interview
The third data collection method that I used to answer the second research question was
interview. It was carried out in order to find out the pupils interest in using the Pictures
Listening Map for listening skill activity. I had prepared five structured questions before the
interview being carried out. I interviewed the pupils as I completed the post-test on listening skill
which was on the 24th April 2014. The responses from the interview session were written in
notes and transcribed individually. It also analysed through content analysis and descriptively.
Findings
i.
What is the effect of using Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in

listening skill?
Research question one that I have posed in this study aimed to identify the effect of the use of
Pictures Listening Map on pupils performance in listening skills. This research question also
explored the pupils improvement in their listening skill while learning English Language.
156

Table 1
Pupils Pre-test and Post-test Marks
Pupils
Pre-Test (%)
Post-Test
(%)
+/(%)
1
2
3
4
Mean (%)
80
75
75
60
72.5
100
90
95
85
92.5
+20
+15
+20
+25
+20
Table 1 shows the comparison between the pre-test and post test marks after using Pictures
Listening Maps. The mean marks for the pre-test is 72.50%. The mean marks for the post-test is
92.50%. This indicated there is an increase of 20% of mean marks in listening skill
performances. Pupil with high increase is pupil number four which has an increase of 25%. This
shows that the use of Picture Listening Map has a positive effect on the pupils listening
performance.
I also use document analysis based on worksheets that I have given to each respondent
immediately after I have carried out my intervention using the Pictures Listening Maps. I have
given marks for each worksheet given in percentages and record the marks earned by each
respondent. The marks that obtained by each respondent showed the effect of using Picture
Listening Map in their listening skill performance throughout the ten times intervention done.
Table 2
Pupils Worksheets Marks
Marks (%)
Pupils
1
2
3
4
Mean
W1
60
40
20
40
40
W2
20
40
60
60
45
W3
50
50
17
67
46
W4
40
40
40
100
55
W5
60
60
80
60
65
W6
80
80
80
60
75
W7
60
80
80
80
75
W8
67
83
83
67
75
W9
100
100
100
100
100
W10
100
100
100
100
100
Table 2 shows the marks obtained by the pupils from the worksheet given after each
intervention carried out. This shows that the pupils have improved on their listening skill
performance towards the end of the intervention done. It also indicates that there was a
positive effect on the pupils listening performances after the use of Pictures Listening
Map.
Based on the marks obtained by each pupil on the worksheets given, it showed decline
between the second to the sixth worksheet and increased in marks at the end of the
intervention carried out. The decrease may possibly due to the topics that were used in
the implementation of the Pictures Listening Map. Some of the pupils may not be able to
understand and caused them to lose focus in listening attentively. Moreover, the decline
shown by the participants also might be because of confusion while listening to the
157
audio played. However, the pupils were able to show improvement in their
performances in listening skill towards the end of the intervention carried out where all
the four pupils managed to get 100% for the worksheet given on the ninth and tenth
intervention. This indicates that there is indeed a positive effect on the pupils
performance on the use of Pictures Listening Map.
ii.
What is the effect of using Pictures Listening Map on the pupils interest in
listening activity?
The second research question that I have posed in this study was designed to examine the pupils'
interest in using the Pictures Listening Map in learning listening skills. It was also to
acknowledge the pupils determination in listening attentively using Pictures Listening Map.
This research question also aimed to identify the positive and negative effect on the use of
Pictures Listening Map on the pupils interest. To get the answer to this question, I conducted
interviews with four pupils using structured questions. From the interview conducted I
recognized that there was a positive effect on the pupils interest on the use of Pictures Listening
Maps. This was based on the themes that I have identified from the first question which was Do
you like learning listening using Pictures Listening Map? (L1-L2). The theme that I had
identified based on the answers given by all the four pupils was like. This showed that there
was a positive effect on the pupils interest on the use of Pictures Listening Map for listening
skill activity. The following were the responses that indicated the interest of the pupils on the use
of Picture Listening Map in learning listening skill:
Yes teacher. (P1, L4)
Ya teacher. (P2, L4)
Suka teacher. (P3, L4)
Saya suka teacher. (P4, L4)
Based on the findings from the interview that I had conducted, it indicated that the use of
Pictures Listening Map have brought in a positive effect on the pupils interest and was able to
attract their attention to listen attentively during listening activity. A compilation of pictures
were used as a support to the audio played and this had enable the pupils to understand the audio
played and yet creating interest amongst the pupils in using the Pictures Listening Map for
listening activity.
The finding showed an increase on the respondents performance level based on the pre test and
post test given. The worksheets given after each intervention also showed the increase on their
performance during listening skill activity using the Picture Listening Map.
However, the findings from these two results cannot be compared with any study that ever done
before on the use of Pictures Listening Map in listening skills activity. This was because this
study was the first study that I did in school and it had been modified based on the current
graphic organizers being used in school which is known as I THINK.
The pupils also gave feedback on their interest on the use of Picture Listening Map during
listening skill activity. This showed that the use of Picture Listening Map helped them during
listening activity with pictures and graphic organisers that made them easy to understand the
content that delivered in the audio played.
158

In the teaching of listening skill, the use of visual materials and graphic organisers would be able
to help the pupils to think and be imaginative on what they have listened to. This was proven by
Ewy, (as cited in Gottileb, 2006) whom mentioned that graphic organiser and visual frameworks
were powerful instructional assessment tools for all students. They were particularly useful for
English Language learners whose English language proficiency precluded them from expressing
their conceptual knowledge through language. Graphic organiser invited English language
learners to communicate the same key ideas in less intimidating, less language driven, and more
relevant ways.
In conclusion, the use of Pictures Listening Map as implemented in this study has proven to
become an alternative to teach listening skill in the classroom. The pictures based and graphic
presentation based strategy does affect the pupils performance and interest in learning listening
skill. This is based on an online article that mentioned and confirmed that visual aids could help
make the teacher instruction meaningful for students. It also helps the teacher to reach the
objectives of the language skill taught. Clear pictures, graphs, or models multiply the students
level of understanding of the material presented, and they can be used to reinforce the message,
clarify points, and create interest. Even though there is not much research done on listening skill
activity, the Pictures Listening Map can be recommended for the practice in teaching and
learning for listening skill based on the research that I had carried out.
The use of Pictures Listening Map can be implement in developing other language skills such as
reading and speaking instead of using it to teach listening skill. With the use of pictures as
supported aids in the teaching and learning session, it will create better understanding of the
content taught. Longer period of time for example four month will help the teacher to look in
detail on the information needed for this study. Besides that, more time is available to implement
this study on the use of Pictures Listening Map to teach listening skill. This will provide chances
for the teacher to make improvement on the weaknesses of the study in order to efficiently
overcome the problem that faced. Other than that, the teacher can create a fun learning
environment by playing game as well as a meaningful learning by integrates it with ICT. This
Pictures Listening Map can be one of the supportive aids in teaching and learning as the pictures
brings benefits to all the young learners in conveying the meaning of words and audio listen to
especially for language learning.
References
Agensi
Inovasi Malaysia (2011) I-Think. Retrieved

http://www.ithink.org.my/Home/Page/AboutUs
on 20 February 2014 from
Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English language learners: Bridges from language

proficiency to academic achievement. California: Corwin Press.
Koshy, et al. (2010). Kemmis and McTaggarts action research spiral. What is
Action
Research?. Retrieved 28 February 2014, from
http://www.sagepub.com/upmdata/36584_01_Koshy_et_al_Ch_01.pdf.
Zhang, Y. J. (2000).Warm-up Exercise in Listening Classes. The Internet
Journal,
Vol.
VI,
10.
Retrieved
11
August
2014
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Zhang-ListeningWarm-up.html
159
TESL
from

THE USE OF PUPPETS IN TEACHING VOCABULARY
Teo Hock Bing
teohockbing@gmail.com
Abstract
This action research investigated the effectiveness of using puppets to teach
vocabulary. The research also studied the pupils participation in the class with
the use of puppets in learning vocabulary. A total of five Year 4 pupils from SK
Magatang Keningau were participants in this study. The strategy used in this
research was puppets to teach vocabulary. Data was collected through
measurement and the instrument was a test used prior to and after the
intervention and observation using a dichotomous checklist during intervention.
Data from the test scores was analysed descriptively using percentage and mean
percentage. Data from the dichotomous checklist was analysed descriptively
using percentage. Findings indicated the mean percentage for post-test was
significantly higher compared with the mean percentage of pre-test with an
increase 70.7%. This showed that using puppets had a positive effect on pupils
vocabulary performance. Findings from the checklist indicated the participants
were actively involved in the class with an average Yes of 73% for each item.
The use of puppets can be an alternative way to teach vocabulary to primary
school pupils.
Keywords: Vocabulary, Puppets, Low Proficiency Pupils
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini menyiasat keberkesanan menggunakan boneka untuk
mengajar perbendaharaan kata. Kajian ini juga mengaji penyertaan murid
dalam kelas dengan penggunaan boneka untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata.
Seramai lima orang murid Tahun 4 dari SK Magatang Keningau telah
mengambil bahagian dalam kajia ini. Strategi yang telah digunakan adalah
penggunaan boneka dalam mengajar perbendaharaan kata. Data telah
dikumpul dengan melalui pengukuran dan instrumen yang digunakan adalah
ujian sebelum dan selepas intervensi, dan pemerhatian dengan menggunakan
senarai semak. Data dari ujian telah dianalisiskan secara deskriptif dengan
menggunakan peratus dan min. Data dari senarai semak telah dianalisiskan
secara deskriptif dengan menggunakan peratus. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan
bahawa peratus min untuk pasca ujian telah bertambah baik dengan ketara
apabila berbanding dengan peratus min pra ujian dengan peningkatan 70.7%.
Ini telah menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan boneka menpunyai kesan yang
positif terhadap prestasi perbendaharaan murid. Dapatan kajian daripada
senarai semak menunjukkan bahawa murid telah terlibat secara aktif dalam
kelas dengan peratus Yes 73% untuk setiap item bagi tiga kali permerhatian.
Penggunaan boneka dapat menjadi satu cara altenatif untuk mengajar
perbendaharaan kepada murid sekolah rendah.
160
Kata Kunci: Perbendaharaan Kata, Boneka, Murid Tahap Penguasaan Rendah

Reflections on Past Teaching Experience
Based on my observation, my pupils in class 4B do not have good mastery of English language.
During the first day I entered the class, I asked them to introduce themselves and tell me their
hobbies. However, some of them could not even introduce themselves properly, or tell about
their hobbies. I gave them a simple diagnostic test to test their language proficiency, and I
discovered that they have problems with spelling too. Some of them did well in the test, but they
remained silent when I asked them questions during the teaching and learning activities. They
know the words, but they have problem in speaking and they are not confident.
After the first day I entered the class, pupils approached me and requested me to use Bahasa
Melayu because they could not understand English. I discovered that the pupils are not
motivated to learn English and they think that English is not an important subject. I tried to use
pictures to teach vocabulary to attract their attentions, but they lost their interests faster than I
expected. Even those who seemed to pay attention were not able to do the given worksheet. I
was disappointed as many of them could not answer or spell correctly. I also noticed that pupils
were bored with my teaching strategies and were not motivated unless I teach using fun and
exciting activities such as games using interesting teaching aids besides pictures. This kept them
engaged and motivated in the lesson.
Furthermore, I noticed that my pupils have very limited vocabulary. During a lesson, I asked
them what is the English word for sayur, and none of them were able to answer. However, the
best pupil in the class attempted, and to my astonishment, he could only remember vege
without table, and he pronounced the vege as vg. I was so shocked and slightly
demotivated for some time because of this.
In order to devise strategy to solve the problems, I decided to try the puppet strategy which is not
commonly used in schools especially in Malaysia. Puppet strategy is an interesting strategy
because young learners usually loves puppet and the use of puppet can gain their attention easily
in class. The teacher should be well prepared before applying puppets to the pupils. They should
choose puppet that match the topic, vocabulary or structure they learn. To conduct the
appropriate ways in delivering the materials by using puppet, I had planned some procedures of
using puppet as basic guidelines for my research.
In a nutshell, in order to overcome their weaknesses in learning vocabulary as well as motivate
them to learn, I would like to try the puppet strategy to see its effectiveness. Children generally
love puppet and the use of puppet will surely bring some changes in their attitude towards
learning vocabulary and also strengthen their memory. Puppet strategy is interesting and can
make the pupils enjoy their lesson and thus enhance their understanding of the new words they
have learnt.
This research focussed on pupils achievement in learning English vocabulary by using puppets.
According to Harmer (2001), teaching vocabulary is a major part of the teachers art.
Vocabulary is basic component in learning a foreign language. Generally children like puppets,
so they are highly motivated to learn vocabulary and to memorize words that the children watch
161

from puppet performance. Furthermore, puppet will make the pupils feel relaxed and fun. In this
study I wanted to examine the effectiveness of teaching vocabulary by using puppets in primary
school (for the Year 4 class at SK Magatang). I wanted to analyse whether teaching vocabulary
by using the puppet was more effective to improve the pupils achievement in vocabulary.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this action research were:
1. To investigate the effectiveness of using puppets to teach vocabulary.
2. To observe the pupils participation in the class with the use of puppet in learning
vocabulary.
Research Questions
The research questions for this action research were:
1. What is the effect of using puppet to teach vocabulary?
2. How is the pupils participation in the class with the use of puppet in learning
vocabulary?
Target Group
The target group for this research were 5 pupils from SK Magatang Keningau which is located in
Kampung Magatang Keningau. They were from Year 4 Bestari which consisted of 17 pupils.
However, only 5 pupils who were poor in English were chosen for this action research. They
consisted of 3 male and 2 female pupils. The subjects for this study were chosen based on 3
factors. Firstly, the pupils have never been taught by using puppets, so it was a challenge for
them. Secondly, in mastering vocabulary, the pupils often found difficulties and it was hard for
them to memorize. Thirdly, the pupils needed a new way or method to learn English in general
and vocabulary to be specific.
My action research was based on Kemmis and McTaggart model (Kemmis and MacTaggart,
1988).
162
Figure 1. Stephen Kemmis action research model

The model consists of four phases, which are reflect, plan, action and observe. The four phases
will form a cycle.
1. Plan
After identifying the problem or issue that I wanted to focus, I went to the second phase which
was planning. In this phase, one of the important elements was to figure out the suitable
intervention to overcome the problem. Since I have decided vocabulary as my focus area, I had
to plan the actions to be carried out in this research.
2. Action
After the planning stage, the following phase was action phase. During this phase, I carried out
my action plan. First and foremost, I observed the pupils condition in the class and checked on
the documents to identify their main problem. Then, I related their problem to my teaching
strategies that I have been using all these while. Before carrying out my intervention, I
conducted a pre-test. The pre-test was just to test their vocabulary before the intervention. After
that, I started my intervention which was the puppet strategy. The interventions were carried out
for 10 times. For each intervention, I taught the pupils 6 vocabulary words according to the
topics I have designed.
3. Observe
After the intervention, I observed the pupils change of behaviour towards the mastery of
vocabulary. The observation was carried out together with a check list. Furthermore, I also
observed the difference in the marks of the pre-test and post-test. An analysis of data was carried
out for this.
4. Reflect
163

After I analysed the data and recognised the effects of my intervention, I reflected my
intervention sessions and identified my strengths and weaknesses. Conclusions were drawn to
see whether my research questions were answered or not.
Data Collecting Methods and Instruments
1. Measurement
The first method of data collection that I used was measurement. This method was used to
answer research question 1. The instrument used was a pre-test and post-test. The purpose of
giving a pre-test is to know the pupils ability in mastering English vocabulary before
conducting this study. 60 multiple-choice questions were tested based on the following topics:
clothes, land transportation, sea and air transportation, things in playground, things at the beach,
occupation, flowers, birds, animals, types of fish. After the pre-test, I did my intervention by
using puppet to teach them vocabulary. Then the post-test was administrated after I had carried
out all the 10 interventions.
2. Observation
My second method of data collection was through observation. This method was used to answer
research question 2. The instrument used was a dichotomous checklist. During the process of my
intervention, I observed the pupils reaction or response towards the use of puppet in teaching
and learning process. The checklist was used to help me to focus on the area that I wanted to
observe.
1. Measurement
After collecting the raw score of pre-test and post-test, I analysed the overall mean score. The
mean score analysed to determine the change in the pupils performance before and after the
intervention. Furthermore, I calculated the difference between the pre-test and post-test of each
participant to find out if the intervention has been successful so that it can be applicable to all the
pupils.
P= R x 100%
N
P= Percentage
R= Score Achieved
N= Number
Figure 2. Conversion of scores into percentage
164

Figure 2 above shows the conversion of scores into percentage. After I obtained the scores of the
tests, I analysed them and converted the scores into percentage. The purpose was to compare the
pupils performance during pre and post tests.
Mean score of pupils
The mean score= X x 100%
n
X = pupils mark
n = number of the pupils
The mean score of the pre-test and post-test result = X x 100%
n
Figure 3. Calculation of mean score

2. Observation
The observation was done using a dichotomous checklist. As it was a dichotomous checklist, the
response was to be either Yes or No. I calculated the circle in each response to determine the
pupils reactions or response towards the use of puppet in learning vocabulary.
Findings
1) What is the effect of using puppet to teach vocabulary?
The method used to answer this research question was measurement. The instrument used was
pre and post test. The scores were converted into percentage and the mean score was calculated
to compare the results.
Table 1
Comparison of the pre and post test result
Participant
Pre-test (%)
Post-test (%)
25
98.3
73.3
16.7
71.7
55
13.3
90
76.7
18.3
93.3
75
8.3
81.7
73.4
Mean
16.3
87
70.7
165

Based on Table 1, a significant improvement can be seen after the intervention carried out using
puppet to teach vocabulary. Participant A scored the highest marks in the post-test which was
98.3%. Participant C showed the most improvement with a total of 76.7%. Participant B had the
least improvement, which was only 55%. Participant D scored the second highest mark, which
was 93.3%. Participant E was the weakest among the participants in the pre-test, but in the posttest scored 81.7% thus showing an achievement of 73.4%. All the participants showed
improvement of about 70% except Participant B. The overall mean of 70.7% achievement shows
that using puppets to teach vocabulary has been successful.
2) How is the pupils participation in the class with the use of puppet in learning
vocabulary?
The method used to answer this research question was observation. The instrument used was
dichotomous checklist. The amount of Yes and No by 3 observers in 3 interventions was
analysed and the average of the items was calculated to see the effectiveness of the strategy.
166
Table 2
Comparison of Observation 1, 2, and 3
No.
Item
Pupils
enthusiastically raised
their hands to answer
the question.
Pupils followed my
instruction carefully.
Pupils could
pronounce the
vocabulary given.
Pupils tried to
pronounce the new
words they learnt
carefully.
Pupils participated
actively during the
lesson.
2
3
Observation
1
Yes
No
0
100
Observation
2
Yes
No
100
0
Observation
3
Yes
No
100
0
Average
(%)
Yes No
67 33
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
33
67
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
67
33
73
27
Mean
Table 2 shows that the pupils were involved actively during the intervention using puppet to
teach vocabulary. For Item 1, the average Yes was 67% while the average for No was 33% as
most of the participants raised their hands enthusiastically to answer questions during the 3
interventions. For Item 2, the average Yes was 100% while the average for No was 0%.
This indicates that all the participants followed my instructions carefully and did everything I
told them to do during the 3 interventions. For Item 3, the average Yes was 33% while the
average for No was 67%. This shows that not many participants could pronounce the vocabulary
given correctly during the 3 interventions. For Item 4, the average Yes was 100% while the
average for No was 0%. This shows that all the participants tried their best to pronounce the new
words they learnt carefully during the 3 interventions. As for Item 5, the average Yes was 67%
while the average for No was 33%. This again shows that the participants participated actively
during the 3 interventions. Overall, the average for Yes was 73% while the average for No was
37%. This confirms that the participants were motivated and interested to learn new vocabulary
when the teacher used puppets to teach vocabulary.
Summary/Reflection
Based on the findings, I have drawn the following conclusions. The pupils mastery of
vocabulary related to clothes, land transportation, sea and air transportation, things in
playground, things at the beach, occupation, flowers, birds, animals, and fish have improved
after using the puppets to teach them vocabulary. This is supported by the significant increase in
the result of the post-test (87%) compared with the pre-test (16.3%).
The pupils participated actively and could understand and remember new vocabulary when the
teaching was done using puppet. They looked forward to the class and enjoyed learning in a non167

threatening environment. After the intervention was carried out, the pupils had better rapport
with the teacher. This relationship gave a positive effect to them. They enjoyed learning
vocabulary because of the new method used which was never done before.
According to Wallace (1982), the aim of teaching vocabulary is to make it easy for the teacher to
formulate materials, which will be used to teach the pupils. He also stated that the teacher must
choose words which the pupils need for communication. In this research, I had chosen 60 words
which were objects the pupils will encounter in their real life. One of the reason pupils can
remember the vocabulary easily was because the vocabulary was presented in a meaningful
situation and pupils can relate them to their daily lives.
Puppet is a wonderful toy as mentioned by Gwin (as cited in Reyhner, 1997) and it can be
manipulated by an operator to teach kids and adults all kind of things. The findings show that the
puppets are effective visual aids used for teaching strategy, especially in teaching vocabulary.
Puppet can give an element of fun to learners. By inserting humorous elements, puppets are
intended to attract pupils attention.

Based on the conclusion above, the following suggestions are offered. First, the use of puppet in
teaching should be done frequently and recommended for teaching English, especially to teach
children around 7 to 10-years-old in order to attract them and motivate them to learn English.
Therefore, further research should be done on this. Second, a teacher should do further research
in using various types of puppets and various skills besides teaching vocabulary.
Thus, the use of puppets should not be limited to teaching vocabulary only. It can be used for
teaching other skills such as listening. For example, pupils can ask and answer questions during
listening and speaking session by using puppets. They can mimic different sounds too to make
the lesson more interesting. Puppets can be used to teach reading too. For instance, during
reading aloud session, teacher can use puppet as the conductor. Pupils can be instructed to read
louder when the teacher raises the puppet high and read slower when the teacher lowers the
puppet.
In a nutshell, the puppet strategy is a very flexible strategy and can be applied to other skills or
even other subjects. Hopefully, more studies on teaching English using puppets can be
conducted in the future and puppet strategy can become a more teacher-friendly strategy to be
used in the classroom.
References
Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of english language teaching. Longman : Essex.
Reyhner, M. (1997). Play with a puppet. New York; Mc. Graw-Hill Book Company.
Wallace, L & Marry, C (1982). Vocabulary building and word study. New York: Mc.
Graw-Hill Book Company.
168
THE USE OF WORD MAP AS AN INSTRUMENT TO WIDEN VOCABULARY

KNOWLEDGE OF YEAR 2 PUPILS
Tiffany Anak Gimbun
tiffanysayang1991@gmail.com
Carl Martin Albert
Abstract
This action research is about the investigation of how far pupils could
understand English Language that they learnt through the use of word map. It is
also about the use of word map as an instrument in widening their vocabulary
knowledge. The participants of this action research were Year 2 pupils
comprising of eighteen pupils, seven females and eleven males. The technique of
teaching that I used in this action research was word map. Word map is a
teaching technique that allows pupils to know a word and then identify other
words associated with the word. The data collections employed in this research
were, such as documentary analysis, measurement and interview. The
instruments used were test (pre and post), worksheets and interview questions.
Data was analysed based on the result of these three instruments; worksheets
were analysed using scores; tests scores were analysed using percentage; and
the interviews were transcribed descriptively. The result of one of the research
question show that the mean scores increase 15.56% from the test scores. This
shows that all the pupils involved were keen to the action research. The
summary of this action research was that the use of word map in teaching and
learning process shows that it has positive effect towards pupils vocabulary
knowledge. Further recommendation of the teaching strategy is the use of
picture word map. It is also expected that this teaching strategy to be carried
out for initiating autonomy in learning the English language outside classroom
situations.
Keywords: Word Map, Vocabulary
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan adalah untuk menyiasat bagaimana murid-murid ini memahami
Bahasa Inggeris yang telah mereka pelajari melalui penggunaan peta
perkataan. Ia juga adalah untuk menyiasat penggunaan peta perkataan sebagai
teknik yang menggalakkan murid-murid untuk meluaskan pengetahuan
perbendaharaan kata. Kajian tindakan melibatkan murid-murid Tahun 2 yang
terdiri daripada lapan belas orang murid, tujuh orang perempuan dan sebelas
orang lelaki. Teknik pengajaran yang telah saya guna dalam kajian tindakan ini
adalah peta perkataan. Peta perkataan adalah suatu teknik pengajaran yang
membolehkan murid-murid mengenal sesuatu perkataan dan seterusnya
mengenal perkataan lain yang berkaitan dengan perkataan tersebut. Kaedah
pengumpulan data melibatkan kaedah triangulasi iaitu analisis dokumentari,
pengukuran dan temuduga. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah ujian (pra dan
pos), lembaran kerja dan soalan temu bual. Data dianalisis berdasarkan kepada
169

keputusan tiga instrumen; lembaran kerja dianalisis menggunakan skor; ujian
skor dianalisis menggunakan peratusan; dan temu bual ditranskripsikan secara
deskriptif. Hasil daripada salah satu daripada soalan kajian menunjukkan
bahawa skor min meningkat 15.56% daripada markah ujian. Ini menunjukkan
bahawa semua murid-murid yang terlibat berminat untuk penyelidikan
tindakan. Rumusan kajian tindakan ini menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan peta
perkataan dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran mempunyai kesan positif
terhadap pengetahuan perbendaharaan kata murid. Strategi pengajaran yang
dicadangkan untuk memantapkan peta perkataan ini adalah dengan
menggunakan peta perkataan bergambar. Strategi pengajaran ini juga boleh
digunakan untuk memulakan autonomi dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris di
situasi luar bilik darjah.
Kata Kunci: Peta Perkataan, Perbendaharaan Kata
As I reflected, the results from the research questions should be taken into consideration. The
Year 2 class that I taught, I could design word map activities accordingly to accommodate
pupils learning style and strategy preferences in English language classrooms. Moreover, I
could also promote the less preferred strategy preferences discreetly to assist pupils overall
development in language learning. For example, since some of the pupils likes to draw, I should
not neglect this area in teaching and learning. Instead, I should advise pupils on the importance
of acquiring vocabulary knowledge, and at the same time develop an exercise that involves their
favourite act. I should have suggested that teaching these pupils to widen their vocabulary
knowledge according to task-based approach which will accommodate pupils with different
preferences. With this approach, every pupil can able to contribute according to their thinking
patterns to complete word map tasks given by the teachers over a few lessons. Above and
beyond, I should be innovative, creative and bold to create stimulating vocabulary language
learning situations as to promote and enhance pupils vocabulary language development as well
as their individual development in all aspects that include mental, emotional, social and
psychological developments.
This study is to determine whether the word map can help me to teach vocabulary more
effectively. Based on the problems identified, word map is the method used to widen English
vocabulary knowledge. The idea of word map method is obtained through the discussion with
my supervisor, which was after I carried out a diagnostic test to make sure that the pupils of
Year 2 facing vocabulary knowledge problem. Therefore, I have decided to implement the word
map in the study. This study focused twofold: first, to use word map to obtain pupils feedback
on their learning effectiveness and second, to enable them to improve their vocabulary
knowledge.
Research Objectives
The objectives of conducting this research are:
i)
To investigate how far pupils understand English Language that they have learnt
through the use of word map.
ii)
To investigate the use of word map as a technique in encouraging learners to widen
their vocabulary knowledge.
170

iii)
To identify the problem faced while using word map as a tool in teaching skills
during ESL classroom.
Research Questions
The questions of this research are:

i)
ii)
iii)
To what extent do the participants understand the English Language that they learnt
through the use of word map?
How is the use of word map in encouraging participants to remember words and
their meanings?
What are the problems faced while using word map as a tool in teaching English in
primary ESL classroom?
Target Group
My target group was the Year 2 pupils, aged eight years old. The pupils proficiency level and
vocabulary knowledge was intermediately low. The pupils were mixed into one class. There
were eleven males and seven females. The majority race in the class was Dusun, where there
were twelve of them. Meanwhile, the minority races in the class were three Kadazan pupils, one
Chinese pupil, one Malay Brunei pupil and one Malay pupil. Looking at their religion, there
were ten of the pupils were Christians and eight of them were Islam.
This study is based on cycle model Stephen Kemmis and McTaggart 1988.
Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggarts (1988) Action Research Model

This model has four phases: planning (Plan), action (Action), observing (Observe) and reflection
(Reflect). The model is executed repeatedly until the problem is fully resolved.
171

1. Overview of the Initial and Preliminary Analysis
For more information about the issues identified earlier, I interviewed the English teacher of the
particular class. Interviews with a total of three pupils were also carried out. In addition, I also
conducted measurements using pre-test and post test to investigate how far pupils could
understand English Language that they have learnt through the use of word map. Besides that, I
used worksheets as the document analysis to investigate the use of word map as a technique in
encouraging learners to widen their vocabulary knowledge. The outcomes of interviews,
measurements and document analysis have helped me to get information on the problem
focused. This is also supported by the results of diagnostic tests indicating that most pupils in the
class were having low vocabulary knowledge.
2. Plan of Action
In the planning stage, I decided to implement the word map as a strategy to widen vocabulary
knowledge. This method was scheduled to be run twelve times. However, only eight
interventions have been carried out. I also prepared the instruments that would be used to collect
data of this action research. Instruments comprised tests and worksheets. Furthermore,
interviews with structured questions were also designed to get more detailed information about
the study.
3.
Actions
Measurement methods used to determine the effectiveness of word map for pupils vocabulary
knowledge. Measurement instrument used was a pre-test and post-test. The pre-test contain three
sections while the post-test contain seven sections. Both of these tests include read and match
questions, blank filling questions, tick and cross questions and circle the correct answer
questions. Pre-test given before the implementation of the intervention and post-test is given
after the exercise intervention. Both tests have the dissimilar content, plus the post-test is a bit
difficult from the pre-test. The pre-test contain twenty-two items while the post-test contain
thirty-five items. There are eight worksheets that I have prepared for the pupils every time the
activity of teaching and learning methods based on word map.
Data Collection Procedures and Instruments
1. Measurement
Measurement methods used to determine the effectiveness of word map for pupils vocabulary
knowledge. Measurement instrument used was a pre-test and post-test. The pre-test contain three
sections while the post-test contain seven sections. Both of these tests include read and match
questions, blank filling questions, tick and cross questions and circle the correct answer
questions. Pre-test given before the implementation of the intervention and post-test is given
after the exercise intervention. Both tests have the dissimilar content, plus the post-test is a bit
difficult from the pre-test. The pre-test contain twenty-two items while the post-test contain
thirty-five items. There are eight worksheets that I have prepared for the pupils every time the
activity of teaching and learning methods based on word map.
Document analysis is an instrument which I carried out during every intervention. I have carried
out eight interventions. For each of these interventions, I have made worksheets to collect
172

pupils scores. The worksheets provide the information on the nature of the lessons carried out in
the English language classroom. It analyzed the progress of the pupils after the interventions. It
is also detects the improvement in pupils vocabulary knowledge. The worksheet is made based
on the topic during the lessons. Some of the worksheets consists ten or more exercises as its
challenge pupils vocabulary knowledge after the lesson.
3. Interview
An interview with the English teacher whom I replaced the class for this practicum purpose was
carried out. The interview was carried out in an informal setting in the school library. The focus
of the interview was to gather information needed concerning the pupils participation, feelings
and enjoyment learning vocabulary. It also helps gather information regarding the insight of the
whole process of my teaching and learning and the tool used, word map. The interview session
was transcribed in the findings and the appendix. I have also made interviews with three selected
pupils for the purpose of this study. The interviews were carried out on different days. It was
carried out during the recess hour. The three selected pupils were all mixed ability group. Simple
made questions were given to the pupils. The pupils were allowed to use Bahasa Melayu to
answer the questions. The interview findings were transcribed.
iv) Data Analysis of Tests and Worksheets
For the first research question, I have used the instrument in the form of measurement using pretest post-test. Data of both these tests analyzed using percentage and mean percent. The data
used to see the effectiveness of word map by comparing percentage and mean percent for both
tests. I also use the documentary analysis in the form of worksheets to reinforce my findings.
Worksheets were analyzed using scores. The scores have been collected to make comparison.
v) Data Analysis of Structured Questions
Structured interviews with a total of six items were used to identify the problems faced while
using word map as a tool in teaching English in primary ESL classroom. The interview was
transcribed descriptively.
Findings
i)
To what extent do the participants understand the English Language that they learnt
through the use of word map?
The first research question is to investigate how far pupils understand English Language that
they learnt through the use of word map. To answer this question I have been using tests
findings.
173

Table 1
Comparison between Pre and Post-Test Scores of Year 2 Inovatif Pupil
Pupils
Pre-Test
Post-Test
% +/A
59
63
+4
50
+46
51
54
+3
32
+28
71
91
+20
40
55
+15
40
50
+10
54
64
+10
29
56
+27
77
95
+18
23
27
+4
73
77
+4
23
37
+14
40
59
+19
38
43
+5
43
95
+52
74
75
+1
64
66
+2
44.88
60.44
+15.56
Table 1 above shows the comparison between pre and post test scores after the interventions.
There are seven pupils has an increase below 10% in their post test after the intervention. The
others, there are six pupils has an increase below 20% and exact in their post test after the
intervention. The table also shows that three pupils have an increase below 30%, while one pupil
has an increase below 50% and 60%. This suggests that the intervention has a positive effect on
the pupils vocabulary performance.
ii) How was the use of word map in encouraging participants to remember words and
their meanings?
174
The second research question is to investigate the use of word map in encouraging participants
to remember words and their meanings. To answer this question I have been using worksheets
findings.
Table 2
Comparison between Worksheet Scores for all 8 Interventions of Year 2 Inovatif Pupil
Pupils
Interventions
I1
I2
I3
I4
I5
I6
I7
I8
11
17
17
12
10
17
12
11
16
12
10
17
12
18
12
16
12
15
12
18
12
11
14
11
17
12
10
17
10
15
10
11
18
18
11
11
15
10
11
12
11
11
13
11
5.61
5.27
3.00
10.00
16.11
4.61
4.88
10.83
Table 2 above shows the comparison between worksheet scores for all eight interventions of
Year 2 Inovatif pupil. According to the table, shows that there are different mean scores for all
175

eight interventions. This is because there are different scores requires for each worksheets.
Based on the mean scores, 37.50% of it has an increase of 10 to 16 points. Plus, 62.50% of it has
an increase of 3 to 5 points and above. This suggests that the intervention has a positive effect on
the pupils vocabulary performance. As you can see, there are ups and downs of the pupils
scores. Perhaps there is possibility that the pupils face fatigue during class. This is the matter that
I need to consider during the interventions. Most interventions that I carry out were after the
recess. Usually, pupils face fatigue towards the end of the class hour. They were easily disturbed
by the environment and exhaustion.
iii) What were the problems faced while using word map as a tool in teaching English in
primary ESL classroom?
The third research question is to identify the problems faced while using word map as a tool in
teaching English in primary ESL. To answer this question I have been using interviews findings
and it was transcribed descriptively. A sample of one transcribed interview is shown below:
Based on the interview with Pupil A, Pupil A clearly understands what the teacher asked her.
Structured questions have been used. The first question was used as a warm-up question for the
pupil. As for the second question, the teacher started to know that Pupil A likes the English
class. When it comes to the third question, Pupil A started to express her feelings that learning
English was a little bit hard for her. She said that:
Yes (pauses) but sedikit susah. (PA/9)
The fourth question was asked to know what the reason Pupil A likes to learn English.
Quoted that:
Emmm (pauses) sebab dia best! (smiling) (PA/9)
Pupil A expressed her thoughts after long pauses. Although her expression was short,
every single answer gave me a positive feeling about the intervention.
The next question was about how far the pupils understand on what the teacher teaches
in class. It was a little high order thinking question. The pupil respond was:
Emmm (pauses) yes tapi kadang-kadang ada yang susah. (PA/13)
The last question was about how likely the pupils were in favour with the teachers
teaching method. Quoted that:
Yes! (smiling). (PA/16)
It was noticeable that the pupils keep on responded with the word yes. This indicates
that the pupils were comfortable with the teaching method. However, it was noticeable as well
that the pupils had little negative effects from the teaching. Difficulties in learning English as a
second language cannot be deniable as the pupils first language acquisition was in Bahasa
Melayu. Therefore, the way of teaching was not a problem. It was the pupils background change
the fact that they can actually acquire English language.
Summary/Reflection
This study seeks to address issue related to the topic of the research which is the use of word
map as an instrument to widen vocabulary knowledge of the Year 2 pupils. Vocabulary is an
important aspect for consideration since the Level One pupils needs to improve their English
Language. Most of the pupils in the class that I taught for this study were having intermediately
low proficiency level in English and lack of vocabulary knowledge. This factor influenced the
pupils level of success in learning and acquiring English as their second language.
The focus of the study is to determine the use of word map enable the pupils to improve their
vocabulary knowledge. It also aims to investigate how far pupils understand English Language
that they learnt through the use of word map. Plus, another focus is to investigate the use of word
176

map as a technique in encouraging learners to widen their vocabulary knowledge. Even more, it
also concentrates to identify the problem faced while using word map as a tool in teaching skills
during ESL classroom.
This study manages to bring about the positive learning effect to the pupils. They were able to
cope with the difficulties of using this word map method to improve their vocabulary
knowledge. Plus, the findings also show that the pupils did improve a lot, not to say drastically
but in a modest escalation.

By doing this study, I hope to give some light to other teachers as well as teacher educators who
concerns with the pupils vocabulary knowledge in English as a second language. In advance, I
also hope that this word map method enable to create better understanding and treatment to the
pupils English language in the future. Below are few suggestions:
1. Manmade picture word map
It creates achievement by reaching the purpose of making the pupils to understand
words of English Language better with the use manmade picture word map.
2. For Year 1 and Year 3 pupils
Besides Year 2, this study also brought up encouragement of the other participants to
remember words and the meanings through the usage of word map.
3. Label things in class or any other school area
This study additionally discovers the word map method need to be improvised so that
the teaching and learning would produce excitement and enjoyment. The reason for this
improvisation is to create a different atmosphere in the classroom.
References
Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui. (1997). Vocabulary acquisition: Research bases. In Simmons,
D. C. & Kame'enui, E. J. (Eds.), What reading research tells us about children with
diverse learning needs: Bases and basics. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching . Edinburgh: Pearson Longman.
Ruth Gairns, S. R. (1986). Working with Words: A Guide to Teaching and Learning
Vocabulary Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers. Cambridge University
Press.
177

THE USE OF MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING READING
COMPREHENSION
Yip Jun Seng
PISMP TESL Januari 2011 Intake
Lock_key88@yahoo.com
Abstract
This action research investigated the effectiveness of mind mapping technique in
teaching reading comprehension. This research also studied participants
motivation on learning reading comprehension through mind mapping
technique. This action research involved 16 participants in Year 2 at SK Bunsit,
Keningau. The technique used in this research was mind mapping to teach
reading comprehension. Data was collected through measurement, observation,
and documents. The instrument for measurement was a test used before and
after the interventions. The instrument used for observation was a checklist. In
addition, data was collected through worksheets. Data from the tests,
worksheets and checklist was analyzed descriptively using percentage and mean
percentage. Findings indicated that mind mapping technique has positive effect
on the participants reading comprehension whereby the mean percentage
increased by 41.8%. Findings of the observation also indicated that the
participants were motivated on learning reading comprehension through mind
mapping technique as the percentage in the checklist showed positive result.
Thus, the mind mapping technique can be considered in primary schools as an
alternative tool to teach reading comprehension.
Keyword: Mind mapping, Reading Comprehension, Motivation
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan menyiasat keberkesanan teknik peta minda dalam pengajaran
bacaan kefahaman. Kajian ini juga mengkaji motivasi murid kepada
pembelajaran membaca pemahaman melalui teknik peta minda. Kajian
tindakan melibatkan 16 murid di Tahun 2 di SK Bunsit, Keningau. Teknik yang
digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah peta minda untuk mengajar bacaan
kefahaman. Data dikumpul melalui pengukuran, pemerhatian, dan dokumen.
Instrumen pengukuran adalah satu ujian yang digunakan sebelum dan selepas
campur tangan. Instrumen yang digunakan untuk pemerhatian adalah senarai
semak. Di samping itu, data dikumpulkan melalui lembaran kerja. Data
daripada ujian, lembaran kerja dan senarai semak dianalisis secara deskriptif
menggunakan peratusan dan min peratusan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan
bahawa teknik peta minda mempunyai kesan positif ke atas murid-murid
kefahaman membaca iaitu peratus min meningkat sebanyak 41.8%. Hasil
pemerhatian juga menunjukkan bahawa murid-murid telah mendorong kepada
pembelajaran membaca pemahaman melalui teknik peta minda sebagai
peratusan dalam senarai semak yang menunjukkan hasil yang positif. Oleh itu,
teknik pemetaan minda boleh dianggap di sekolah rendah sebagai alat alternatif
untuk mengajar bacaan kefahaman.
178
Kata kunci : Peta Minda, Pemahaman bacaan, Motivasi

Reflections on Teaching and Learning Experience
I have taught Year 2 class several times. I faced many problems during my lesson. I had problem
in teaching reading comprehension. I realized that the way I was teaching the reading lesson was
not effective. Usually, I show the reading text and then I guide my participants to pronounce the
difficult words and read the whole text. After that, I will drill them to read aloud several times
and then ask Wh-questions so that it will be easy for me to provide them explanations. By doing
this, I could test their understanding and make sure that my participants are well focused and
paying attention to me. Thus, it caused my participants to become fatigue and they were
demotivated to read and pay attention during the lesson. Sometime, I had to spend a lot of time
for drilling and explanation. So I did not have enough time for the worksheets. I had no idea on
how to explain the reading text to my participants. Participants were having trouble in
comprehending the text that they have read. Some of them could not understand the text even
after detail explanation. Based on my observation, participants can read aloud and remember the
pronunciation of difficult words very well, but when it comes to Wh-questions they could not
answer me at all. They could read aloud with correct pronunciation, but they could not
understand what they have read. As they were not able to understand the reading text and they
did not enjoy the reading lesson. Therefore, I had to explain many times to make sure that they
can understand the content, yet they were unable to complete the worksheets prepared for them.
Usually, I display the reading text on the whiteboard, read and explain. After that, I use marker
pen to highlight the keywords or the characters in the text and provide further explanations.
Then, I conduct group activity for the reading session. Such as, chain reading, get a participant to
point at the text and the rest read, or shared reading. I wish to improve my participants reading
comprehension. According to the National Reading Panel (NRP), a group formed by Congress in
1997, "Reading comprehension is very important to the development of children's reading skills
and therefore to their ability to obtain an education."
Focus of The Research
I carried out a few lessons with the year 2 participants and I noticed that they are very weak in
their reading comprehension. They could not understand what they have read. Being able to read
aloud with excellent pronunciation, intonation and stress alone is not enough but should be able
to understand the content of what is being read. I noticed that they were not able to remember
the content of what have read. Every time after I have explained the content of the reading text
to them, they tend to forget what I have explained very fast. So, I realized that it would be more
effective if they can jotted down notes based on my explanations. Therefore, I decided to use
mind mapping for intervention. Through mind mapping, they can write down their thoughts and
understanding related to what they have read in the form of various graphic organizers which
can be summarized later. Thus, indirectly I can improve their reading comprehension as well as
memorization. I observed the participants reading, checked their workbook, and interviewed
with a few teachers about the participants reading ability. My finding showed that the
participants reading comprehension was getting worse and need to be rectified. The root of the
problem is the participants weak language processing skill in reading. Some participants have
weak language processing skills for higher-level syntax. In higher grade, the written syntax
becomes longer and more complex. They also have problem with the vocabulary. Year 2
participants have very limited vocabulary. Whenever they encounter any new vocab, they just
stop and are unable to process the meaning. They are unable to put the words together to form
179

meaning. Besides that, reading for comprehension requires the ability to hold information in
memory across sentences, in order to derive overall meaning from a paragraph or passage. This
indicates that they are weak in memorizing.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this study were:
1. To investigate the effectiveness of mind mapping technique in teaching reading
comprehension on participants.
2. To observe participants motivation on learning reading comprehension through mind
mapping technique.
Research Questions
1. What is the effect of mind mapping technique in teaching reading comprehension on
participants?
2. Are the participants motivated to learn reading comprehension through mind mapping
technique?
Target Group
I was assigned to teach the Year 2 class. There were 22 participants in the class, consisting of 8
boys and 14 girls. Table 1 shows the class profile of the Year 2 participants. Most of them of are
Dusun ethnic, which is the majority ethnic group in Sabah. Besides that, there was a Kadazan
female and a Malay male in the class. That makes it multicultural class. During this research, I
selected 16 out of the 22 participants based on the result of the diagnostic test result. It showed
that they have problem in reading comprehension. Therefore, I chose them to be my subject in
this research. There consists of 6 male participants and 10 female participants.
This research had been done according to the Stephen Kemmis dan McTaggart model 1988.
Figure 1: Model Kemmis & Mc Taggart,1988

180

This Model has four phases. There are Plan, Action, Observe and Reflect. The four phases will
form a cycle.
1. Reflect
The first step is the reflecting phase. Before I proceed to my intervention, I reflected on my
previous teaching and learning session. This was to find out the main problem about my teaching
in the class. After the problem is identified, I believe it is important to solve this problem before
becoming more serious. Besides observing the class, I also discussed the issue with my mentor,
colleagues and other teachers who are teaching in the particular class.
.
2. Plan
After identified the problem or issue that I wanted to focus, I moved on to the second phase
which is plan. In this phase, one of the important elements is to figure out the suitable
intervention to overcome the problem. Since I have decided my focus area is on reading
comprehension, so I have planned for the interventions and strategies that I have carried out in
order to complete my research.
3.
Action
First of all, I observed the participants condition in the class and checked on participants
documents to see what their main problem is. Then, I related their problem to my teaching
strategies that I have been using all these while. Before carrying out my intervention, I have
administered a pre-test. The test is just focusing on the reading comprehension only. I checked
on their understanding about the text by asking MQA questions. Next, I started my intervention
by using mind mapping technique. The intervention has been carried out 10 times during the
reading lesson. It was designed according to the topic and the teaching content. For each
intervention, I prepared a mind map- flow chart worksheet. For the very first intervention, the
selected participants filled in the worksheet under my guidance. Hints were provided and
participants required to fill in the mind map by looking for the main point. After the intervention
was carried out, I administered another test - Post-test that was the same as the pre-test. This is
given to note the changes in reading comprehension amongst the target group before and after
the intervention. The marks obtained was compared with the pre-test to measure if there is any
improvement.
4. Observe
After the intervention, I observed on the participants changes of behaviours towards the reading
comprehension. The observation was carried out together with a checklist. I have requested my
mentor, Miss Connie and my friend Geoffrey Lim to observe and fill in the checklist for me. To
ensure the observation outcome is reliable. Furthermore, I also noted the difference in the marks
of the pre-test and post-test. An analysis of the data was carried out. Finally, I checked the
participants daily worksheets to see if there were any improvements.
7. Measurement
The first method I used was measurement. I prepared a pre-test to identify the weak participants
and to double check if there is a serious problem among the Year 2 participants related to
181

reading comprehension. Besides that, I also prepared a post-test to measure the effectiveness of
my interventions as well as to measure how much my participants have improved. After that, the
result of this test has been collected and analyzed. The result was tabulated and analyzed.
8. Observation
The second method of data collection method was bservation. I prepared a dichotomous
checklist. The items listed were chosen accordingly in order to narrow don my focus area. When
the item meets the participants response, a tick is given. At the end of the observation, the
number of ticks for the Yes and No counted and converted to percentage. I requested the
help of my mentor, Miss Connie and my friend, Geoffrey Lim to do the observation to ensure
the reliability of the outcome of the observation.
9. Documents
The third method of data collection was documents. During the lesson, I gave worksheets as my
intervention. After that, I checked on the worksheets and the scores were noted.
1. Measurement
I have conducted test to collect data. Data collected from the test analysed by using the mean
percentage. Data collected from the test was used to compare the Pre and the Post test in order to
observe the improvement made by the participants
2. Observation
Observation had been done by using the dichotomous checklist. The Instrument that I used was
analysed in mean percentage.
3. Documents
I also analysed the worksheets given to the participants to support my research findings. Scores
from the worksheets were analysed by using mean percentage.
Finding
1. What is the effect of mind mapping technique in teaching reading comprehension on
pupils?
The first research question is to examine the effect of mind mapping on improving participants
reading comprehension. In order to answer this question, I have conducted Pre and Post test.
182

Table 1
Comparison of the Pre and Post-test.
Participants
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Mean Percentage
(%)
Pre-Test
(%)
10
30
20
40
20
20
20
30
20
30
40
20
20
30
20
30
Post-Test
(%)
60
90
70
70
60
50
60
80
60
70
70
60
50
80
60
80
+/(%)
+50
+60
+50
+30
+40
+30
+40
+50
+40
+40
+30
+40
+30
+50
+40
+50
25
66.88
+41.88
Table 1 shows the comparison of score between the pre and Post-test. The finding shows a
significant changes in score collected from the participants test result. Mean percentage for Pretest was 25% and 66.88% during the Post-test. This shows that the improvement made by the
participants were 41.88%. As a whole, the mind mapping technique shows that it helps to
improve participants reading comprehension.
183

Table 2
Worksheets Score
Pupil
s
L8
100
L9
75
L10
100
Mean
Percentage
(%)
68.3
L1
33
L2
25
L3
50
L4
75
Worksheets
L5
L6
L7
50
75
100
67
50
75
75
100
100
100
100
100
100
86.7
33
25
50
50
75
100
75
100
100
100
70.8
33
50
50
50
75
75
100
100
75
100
70.8
33
50
75
75
50
75
100
100
100
100
75.8
33
75
50
75
75
100
100
100
100
100
80.8
33
50
75
75
75
75
100
75
100
100
75.8
67
75
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
94.2
33
50
50
50
75
75
100
75
100
100
70.8
33
50
50
75
75
75
100
100
95
100
75.3
25
25
50
50
50
50
100
100
75
52.5
33
50
50
75
75
75
100
75
100
75
70.8
33
50
50
50
75
100
50
100
75
100
68.3
33
50
50
75
100
100
75
100
100
100
78.3
67
50
75
75
100
100
100
100
100
95
86.2
33
25
25
50
50
50
75
75
100
75
55.8
Table 2 is the scores collected from the worksheets that I distributed to the participants. Finding
shows that the murid H got the highest mean score compare to the other participants with mean
percentage, 94.2%. The lowest mean percentage achieved by the participant K, participant K
only got 52.5%. As a whole, other participants managed to achive the mean percentage in the
range of 52.5% to 94.2%. The mind mapping technique has successfully improved the 16
participants reading comprehension.
2. Are the pupils motivated to learn reading comprehension through mind mapping
technique?
The second research question of this study is to observe participants motivation on learning
reading comprehension through mind mapping technique. Table 3 and 4 show the analysis of the
observation using the checklist that was done during the first and the final intervention. The final
184

analysis were tabulated as shown in Table 4. The data in these two tables were collected based
on the total number of ticks in the yes and no column for both the observations.
185

Table 4
Observation for the Final intervention
Table 3 shows negative feedback, 100% No for all the items from all the three observers
during the observation for the first intervention. While, Table 4 shows 100% Yes for all the
items in the dichotomous checklist from the three observers. It shows that participants have been
motivated to learn and enjoy the reading lesson as their reading comprehension have improved.
As a result, the mind mapping technique has good effect on the participants and able to motivate
the participants.
The first finding in this research shows that there was improvement made by the participants
throught the implementation of Pre and Post-test. Worksheets given also indicates the
improvement in reading comprehension from time to time. The finding was in tandem with the
statement given by Norhashimah, Subadrah and Yahya (2006) that the reading comprehension is
the ability to explain things that have been read. From the findings analysed from the test, it
shows that participants were able to understand the reading text content and able to choose the
correct answer during the Post-test.
The second finding also reveals positive effect in term of participantsmotivation during the
reading lesson. Before this, participants were demotivated, were not interested with my lesson
and did not complete the worksheets, but now, the situation is totally opposite. This finding
agree with the statement that to Bletsas (2011), the information through mind map is structured
186

in such a way so it can help your brain work faster. When the participants understand the content
of the reading text, they enjoyed and motivated to read. At first, the participants were unable to
complete the worksheets, because they felt the worksheets were very difficult and they did not
understand the reading text. After I applied the mind mapping technique, there were seldom any
blanks could be found in the worksheets.
From this action research, it was discovered that mind mapping technique generated
participants motivation during the reading lesson. Grabe (1991) mentioned that reading in not
merely a receptive process of picking up information from page in word-by-word manner. It is
true that participants should not just read it because the teacher told them to read, but they
themselves want to read. The mind mapping technique helped the participants to have a better
understanding about the reading text. Moreover, the findings showed that mind mapping
technique motivated participants to complete their worksheets given. As a result, the Year 2
participants reading comprehension problem have been solved.
It is recommended that this research should be carried out over a longer period of time. Since
reading comprehension is a complex process and not all the participants can get it done in a short
period of time, therefore the result might be more accurate if this research can proceed for a
longer time. Hence, the teacher-researcher may conduct this research for a year in order to
thoroughly analyze participants improvement in reading comprehension. The use of mind
mapping technique is not only applicable to teach reading comprehension, but it is also available
to teach writing skill and improve penmanship. When fill in the mind mapping, the participants
are require to write the information in the mind map. Therefore, the teacher may emphasize the
participants to write in complete sentence so that it can improve the participants writing skill.
Besides that, the teacher might emphasizes the participants to write neat and nicely, it can
improve their penmanship. The use of mind mapping technique to teach reading comprehension
is not only applicable to weak participants but it is also available to all participants no matter
weak or good participants. This is because mind mapping technique makes the reading
comprehension become easy and able to motivate the participants.
References
Bletsas, F. (10 February, 2011). The Importance of Mind Maps. Retrieved 7 March
2014, from http://my-mind-maps.com/
Grabe, W. (1991). Current development in second language reading research.
TESOL Quarterly,25(3), 375-406
Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (1988) The action research planner. Melbourne.
Deakin University.
National Reading Panel (2000).Teaching Children To Read. Retrieved from 2 March
2014, from http://www.circlesolutions.com/nrp/faq/faq.htm#1
Norhashimah, Subadrah & Yahya. (2006). Mengajar dan belajaran Bahasa Melayu
penyerapan kemahiran bernilai tambah. Tanjung Malim: Universiti
Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
187

THE USE OF GUESS AND GO GAME TO DEVELOP PUPILS VOCABULARY
Yohanieca Joseph
firstbullet182@gmail.com
John Roy Chacko
Abstract
This action research investigated the Guess and Go game as an effective
technique in encouraging the pupils to develop their vocabulary. This action
research also examined the effectiveness of Guess and Go game to motivate and
encourage pupils to learn vocabulary. This action research involved four Year 4
pupils in SK. Binaong, Keningau. Data was collected through measurement with
the instrument of a test; document analysis namely worksheet, and observation
with dichotomous checklist. Test score was analyzed using mean percentage.
Document analysis was analyzed using percentage through worksheet in every
intervention whereas the dichotomous checklist was analyzed using a
percentage scale. Findings indicated that Guess and Go game had an effect on
developing vocabulary. The mean percentage for the test specified the
improvement in the respondents performance. The mean percentage showed an
increase of 65% in which the mean percentage for pre-test was 22.5% whereas
the mean percentage for post-test was 87.5%. This strategy could help teachers
to improve the development of vocabulary and can be considered to teach
vocabulary at primary level.
Key words: Vocabulary, Guess and Go, Motivation, Development
Abstrak
Kajian tindakan ini bertujuan untuk menyiasat permainan 'Guess and Go'
sebagai teknik yang berkesan dalam menggalakkan murid-murid untuk
mengembangkan perbendaharaan kata mereka. Kajian tindakan juga mengkaji
keberkesanan permainan Guess and Go untuk mendorong dan menggalakkan
murid-murid untuk mempelajari perbendaharaan kata. Kajian tindakan
melibatkan empat orang murid Tahun 4 di SK. Binaong, Keningau. Data
dikumpul melalui kaedah pengukuran dengan menggunakan ujian; analisis
dokumen iaitu lembaran kerja dan pemerhatian dengan menggunakan senarai
semak dikotomi. Skor ujian dianalisis dengan menggunakan peratusan min.
Analisis dokumen telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan peratusan melalui
lembaran kerja dalam setiap intervensi manakala senarai semak dikotomi
dianalisis menggunakan skala peratusan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan
permainan Guess and Go mempunyai kesan kepada pembangunan
perbendaharaan kata. Peratusan min bagi ujian yang dinyatakan peningkatan
dalam prestasi responden. Peratusan purata menunjukkan peningkatan
sebanyak 65% di mana peratusan min bagi ujian pra ialah 22.5% manakala
peratusan min bagi ujian pasca adalah 87.5%. Strategi ini dapat membantu
guru-guru untuk meningkatkan pembangunan perbendaharaan kata dan boleh
dipertimbangkan untuk mengajar perbendaharaan kata di peringkat sekolah
rendah.
188

Kata Kunci: Perbendaharaan Kata, Permainan Guess And Go, Motivasi,
Perkembangan

Based on the experiences that I gained during practicum phases, vocabulary teaching relies on
drilling to get the pupils to produce the correct pronunciation of words. Traditionally, vocabulary
instruction has focused on having pupils look up word meanings and memorize the words. This
teaching approach, however, provides only superficial and short-term learning of words. Pupils
simply memorize word meanings frequently have trouble applying the information in definition
and often make mistakes about the meaning. Thornbury (2002) stated that to ensure long-term
recall and retention, new knowledge should be integrated to the pupils prior knowledge;
language games are a good option to integrate the knowledge. Therefore, the pupils need
exposure to a variety of activities that challenge their thinking and promote meaningful learning.
As an English language teacher, I have always wanted the pupils to enjoy the lesson. I want the
pupils to realize that English language is fun and they can enjoy the language during the process
of teaching and learning. Based on my experience throughout the practicum phases, I noticed
that the classes that I took over for English lesson often thought the subject as difficult. They had
this particular mindset of thinking English language is very difficult to learn and that mindset
can hardly be changed unless they realize the fun of learning the language intrinsically. Greenall
(1984) added that, language games provide an opportunity for the pupils to try out their newly
acquired competence in a context where they feel psychologically secure. This is because the
pupils are less likely to be bothered by the fear of making mistakes because the consequences of
inaccuracies and misunderstanding are not stressed in the game. Pine and Boy (1977) believed
that, the learning process involves meeting the challenge of new experiences, and therefore,
necessarily involves making mistakes. Hence, the making mistakes are not a taboo in the process
of learning for the pupils. I strongly agree with this statement.
As most of them have always been taught with worksheet alone, they could not feel the fun in
the language. They thought that learning English language was only for the examination purpose
and they could not acquire the main purpose of learning English; to be able to use the language
to communicate. Badariah (1999) stated that a dull and boring lesson will cause the pupils to feel
bored and the learning objectives will hardly achieved. The process of teaching and learning
should not be tedious for the pupils to ensure that the learning objectives are all fulfilled.
The issue with the pupils perspective about English language really concerned me starting from
the first phase of practicum. Even in a good class, the pupils were not able to achieve excellent
result, what more in applying the language in their daily lives. Thus, I tried to attract their
attention towards the language before increasing their confidence to participate in the teaching
and learning process.
Focus of Research
This study is to examine the effectiveness of the Guess and Go game to improve the mastery of
vocabulary of the target group. Based on the identified problem, the Guess and Go game was
implemented in order to help the target group to develop their vocabulary. There were many
useful information obtained through discussion with the teachers and pupils from that school.
Therefore, I decided to implement the Guess and Go game in this action research. This
189

research focused on reviewing the effectiveness of the Guess and Go game in helping the
target group to develop their vocabulary. Other than that, it is also focused to examine its
effectiveness in motivating the target group to learn new vocabulary.
Allen (1983) pointed out that it is useful to provide the pupils with words for classroom
language just at the early stages of the learning. Apart from that, it is important for the teacher
to predict what words the pupils need to know for talking in their everyday life as well as the
things around them. When such words are learnt, the new language can immediately be put to
use. (Allen, 1983) We can pronounce badly and make grammatical mistakes but there is no
escape from learning words.
One of the criteria affecting my choice of words is the frequency in which the particular item is
used in common language. There are many words can be found in English language, therefore
the researcher needs to ensure that the researcher is choosing the suitable words for the pupils to
learn. In general, the words which are most commonly used are the ones the researcher should
teach first.
Research Objectives
This action research aimed to:
1. Explore Guess and Go game as an effective technique in encouraging the pupils to
develop their vocabulary.
2. Explore the effectiveness of Guess and Go game to motivate and encourage pupils to
learn vocabulary.
Research Questions
The research questions for this action research were:
1. Is Guess and Go game an effective technique in encouraging the pupils to develop
their vocabulary?
2. Does the Guess and Go game motivate and encourage the pupils to learn vocabulary?
Target Group
The target group for this research is four pupils from Year 4 class in SK. Binaong, Keningau. All
of the participants were boys. Two of them are Murut and another two are Dusun. Three of the
participants were very passive whereas the other one was in a meaningless involvement during
English lesson. Based on their previous marks for English lesson, they were among the weak
pupils
190

Action Plan
Figure 1. Action Research Model by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)

Figure 1 shows the Action Research Model by Kemmis and McTaggart (1998). There are four
phases in this action plan namely plan, action, observe and reflect. It started on the first week
which was on the 30th January 2014. The whole process continued until the final phase which is
the reflection phase which ended on the 11th week.
1. Survey and Analysis of the Problem
The first week I came into the class, some of the pupils were using English language to
communicate with me. Their English command was good even though they had few
grammatical mistakes but the message was there. I was glad to see the activeness of the pupils in
that class. Therefore, I thought I can do something challenging for my intervention. Then, I
realized that there were few pupils in that class that were very passive. I could not recognize
them during the first week because the active pupils overshadowed their existence. That was
when I knew that I need to do something to make them feel motivated in learning English as
well as lowering their affective filter to learn English language (Krashen, 2005).
The class that I was given to take over was a good class. Even though the class was not the first
class for Year 4 but they were actively involved in most of the activities I conducted, except for
the few passive pupils. They were so quiet during my class and often avoiding the eye contact
with me. I noticed that one of the passive pupils always lowered his head. He did not want to see
the whiteboard in most of the times.
Based on the identified issue, I talked to the teacher in that particular school as well as to the
pupils in that particular class to get a clearer view about the issue. In addition, I also observed
the attitudes and behavior of the pupils during this stage. Through the experience I gained from
the teaching and learning process for English lesson, I found that it was difficult to teach the four
language skills when the pupils were not able to master the basic foundation of learning English;
vocabulary.
191

2. Planning
In the planning stage, I decided to implement the Guess and Go game to help the participants
to develop their vocabulary as well as motivate them in learning the English language. The
Guess and Go game was scheduled to be run nine times. At this planning stage, I prepared the
instruments for each data collection method to collect the data. Instruments include tests and
worksheets. I also used the observation method as one of the data collection method and the
instrument was a dichotomous checklist.
3. Action
After the planning stage was done, I used the Guess and Go game to improve the participants
vocabulary development. Prior to the implementation of the interventions, I have been guided by
the observation checklist and rubric checklist with the help from my practicum partner and my
mentor as the observers during the intervention. Before the observation, I explained about the
items in the observation checklist to ensure that the three of us had the same view and
understanding of the items requirement. I provided a worksheet for every intervention for the
participants as another instrument to collect data for this action research. After completing all the
nine interventions, I conducted the post-test for the participants to see the improvement in their
performance. The test items were the same with the pre-test items to ensure that the
improvement was clear.
Data Collection Procedure and Instruments
1. Measurement
Measurement was used as one of the data collection method to answer Research Question
number one (1). The instrument for this method was a test. The test was designed by me based
on a Table of Specification. The test consisted of one section to measure the pupils performance
in their mastery of vocabulary. The section focused on the vocabulary recognition and I used
matching as the type of item on the test. It was a simple test yet able to measure the pupils
performance in the specific area.
2. Observation
Observation was one of the methods of data collection that I used to answer the research
question number two (2) regarding motivation of the target group to learn new vocabulary. The
instrument for the observation was a dichotomous checklist. I asked my practicum partner and
my mentor to be the observers for three times throughout the interventions.
3. Document
Other method to collect data for this research was a document analysis. I observed the subjects
performance in each intervention using a worksheet. The data from this method was used to
answer the second research question. The participants showed a good improvement according to
the mean percentage shown in each of the intervention.
192

Analysis and Interpretation Of Data
i)
Test Data Analysis
I have used a test as an instrument to collect data for the second research question. The test
conducted was a pre-test and a post-test. Both of the results from the test were analyzed using
percentage and mean percentage. The data obtained is to show the effectiveness of the Guess
and Go game by comparing percentage and mean percent for both tests.
ii)
Observation Checklist Analysis
Observations using checklists and rubrics checklist was done in this study. The instrument for
this method was analyzed using mean percentage. It is to see the effectiveness of the Guess and
Go game in helping the participants to develop their vocabulary.
iii)
Document Analysis
I used document analysis method to accomplish the first objective for the research. Throughout
the nine intervention sessions, the participants showed a significant improvement through their
performance in the worksheets in each intervention. Furthermore, the participants also showed
positive attitudes throughout the intervention sessions.
Findings
i)
Is Guess and Go game an effective technique in encouraging the pupils to develop

their vocabulary?
The first research question is to see whether the Guess and Go game was an effective technique
in encouraging the pupils to develop their vocabulary. Therefore, to answer this research
question, I used the methods of observation and document. The instrument for observation was a
dichotomous checklist whereas the instrument for document was worksheets.
193
Comparison of Yes and No Percentage

between 1st, 6th, and 9th Intervention
Yes
No
100
77.78
50
50
22.22
0
Intervention 1
Intervention 6
Intervention 9
Figure 1: Comparison of yes and no percentage between 1st, 6th, and 9th intervention
Figure 1 shows the comparison of yes and no percentage between first, sixth, and ninth
intervention. Observation 1 was conducted during intervention 1. The percentage of Yes and No
for the first observation was both 50%. The percentage of Yes for the second observation during
intervention 6 increased to 77.78% whereas the percentage of No decreased to 22.22%. The final
observation during intervention 9 was 100% for Yes.
Mean % for Every Intervention

95
92.5
92.5
77.5
62.5
60
47.5
35
22.5
Figure 2 Mean % for every intervention

Figure 3 shows the mean % for every intervention. The mean % for the first intervention was the
lowest with 22.5%. The mean % has increased to 60% for the second intervention and was able
194

to reach 95% for the third intervention. The mean % decreased to 35% in the fourth intervention
due to new pictures being added to the Guess and Go game. The mean % has increased to 62.5%
in the fifth intervention and it continued to increase to 92.5% during the sixth intervention.
Seventh intervention shows that the mean % has decreased to 47.5% due to the same factor in
fourth intervention. It increased by 30% in the eighth intervention which is 77.5% and finally
reached 92.5% for the last intervention.
ii)
Does the Guess and Go game motivate and encourage the pupils to learn
vocabulary?
The second research question is to see whether the Guess and Go game was able to motivate
and encourage the pupils to learn vocabulary. Therefore, to answer this research question, I used
the methods of measurement and observation. The instrument for measurement was a test
whereas the instrument for observation was a dichotomous checklist.
Pre-Test and Post-Test Graph

Pre-Test
100
Post-Test
100
90
60
50
20
10
Subject 1
Subject 2
10
Subject 3
Subject 4
Figure 4 Scores for Pre-Test and Post-Test

Figure 4 shows the scores achieved by the four subjects for pre-test and post-test. The score for
the pre-test for subject 1 was 50%. The score then increased by 50% which was 100% for the
post-test. Subject 2 had the lowest score for pre-test which is 10%. The score then increased to
100% for the post-test. Subject 3 was able to achieve 20% for the pre-test and the score
increased to 60% for the post-test. The score of the pre-test for Subject 4 was also the lowest
which is 10% and has increased to 90% for the post-test.
Summary/ Reflection
The use of Guess and Go game to develop participants vocabulary was proven effective through
the findings stated in this action research. I noticed that the four participants were very eager in
playing the game. They did not feel pressured to learn new vocabulary because they were having
fun while doing it. As stated by Singer (1973), through language game, it can build the
confidence for the pupils to have a meaningful learning. Therefore, play or playing, in
195

general, can be defined as the activity that can trigger the happiness of the participants to have a
meaningful learning. In other words, during the Guess and Go game, the participants were not
simply play because they wanted to achieve something but they wanted to feel the experience. It
is a good teaching and learning strategy to be used in different level of performance. Nazri
(2010) also agreed that language games are a good method to help the pupils to conquer the
language skills whether in written or oral form. It can help to develop the pupils vocabulary as
well as the four language skills.
I believe that learning English should be in a fun way. There are many ways that a teacher can
do to make learning English more meaningful and fun; Guess and Go is one of the examples. It
can be considered as a learner-centered approach that fit the purpose of learning English in a
meaningful and fun way. At first, I thought learning English should be done in a formal and
conservative ways. Then I realized that every person has different learning styles especially
young learners. In other words, the way I learnt English was not the same like the way the
participants learnt the language. I like formal education and can accept chalk and talk approach
at the age like this because I can comprehend knowledge, but these young participants, they
were still at the age of having fun. If possible, they want to have fun and enjoy everything in
their life without worries. Therefore, they were not able to understand the importance of learning
English language due to the lack of awareness about it.
In order to ensure that the participants do not take too much time to guess the picture, then we
can make out a rule that stated the time limit to guess the picture. By doing this, the participants
will not try to waste their time to over think of the word from the picture. The teaching aids can
be modified into a larger scale than the original one. The board I made for the Guess and Go
game was the size of a mounting board which can also be considered as a good size, just that it
can only fit four participants in one time. If the board was larger, then more participants can play
together. Apart from the size of the game board, the quantity of the board can also be multiplied
depending on the number of participants. The more participants mean the more boards should be
done. It will not serve its purpose if there is only one game board for more than five participants.
Not forgetting the pictures in the Guess and Go game, it can be adjusted to put whatever pictures
we want to paste. The difficulty levels of the pictures are adjustable if the frames on the board
are made of plastic. It will be easier for us to stick the pictures on it. The Guess and Go game did
not take too much time to complete one game. Thus, we can try to add a fun bit of excitement in
between the game. For example, put a mission in the middle of the board. So, when the
participants encounter that part, they need to complete their mission before they can move to
another picture. This will surely bring more excitement to the participants.
References
Allen, F. A. (1983). Techniques in Teaching Vocabulary. New York: Oxford University Press.
Pine, G. J., & Boy, A. V. (1977). Learner Centered Teaching: a Humanistic View.
Colorado: Love Publishing.
Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988). The Action Research Planner. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin
University Press
Tarigan, H. G., (1984). Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Sastera. Bandung: Angkasa.
196
197

Pismp Tesl Ambilan Januari 2011 PDF

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Deskripsi Asli:

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Pismp Tesl Ambilan Januari 2011 PDF

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

1

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

AHMAD RAZKI BIN SEDI

TIC-TAC-TOE IN TEACHING FORM OF WORDS

AILEEN MUJAN ASIM

THE USE OF PICTURE DICTIONARY IN

DG. SYAFIQAH BINTI AWANG

THE USE OF CUSTOM MADE COMPOSITE

FRANSCESCA ANAK FRANCIS

USING PICTURE MIND MAP TO TEACH

GEOFFREY LIM FU CHIEN

THE USE OF TRIPLE LINE TEMPLATE TO

GEVIANA GLADYSHA ANAK

THE USE OF VOCABULARY CLOCK GAME TO

JENNY LU CHEN FEI

THE USE OF SPELLING JAR AS A TOOL TO

THE USE OF BOOM CARDS GAME IN

KONG SUK CHING

THE EFFECTS OF USING HAND PUPPETS ON

MAZIZIANA ANAK DAVID

THE USE OF COLOURED-RULED LINES FOR

MELANIE ANAK JERRY

THE USE OF BINGO TO TEACH VOCABULARY

NUR ALISYAH NAIMAH SININ

THE USE OF PICTURES DICE WITH WORD

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

THE EFFECTS OF USING BINGO GAME TO

NURHAZWANI BINTI MOHD

USING HAND GESTURES TO TEACH PHONICS

SITI HAZIAH BINTI RADUAN

THE USE OF PICTURES LISTENING MAP TO

TEO HOCK BING

THE USE OF PUPPETS IN TEACHING

TIFFANY ANAK GIMBUN

THE USE OF WORD MAP AS AN INTRUMENT

YIP JUN SENG

THE USE OF MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN

THE USE OF GUESS AND GO GAME TO

TIC-TAC-TOE IN TEACHING FORM OF WORDS TO LOW PROFICIENCY

osa kata. Oleh itu, ia menunjukkan Tic-Tac-Toe mempunyai kesan positif

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Figure 1. Action Research Model by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Pre and Post-Test Data Analysis

What is the effect of using Tic-Tac-Toe on pupils spelling?

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

What is the opinion of pupils on the use of Tic-Tac-Toe?

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Longer duration for the research

Integrate Tic-Tac-Toe with ICT

Apply Tic-Tac-Toe in other language skills

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Figure 1. Kemmis and McTaggarts Action Research Model

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014

Prosiding SeminarPenyelidikan Tindakan, 1 2 Oktober 2014