INTRODUCTION

ACTION RESEARCH is a rather simple set of ideas and techniques that can introduce you to the power of systematic reflection on your practice. Our basic assumption is that you have within you the power to meet all the challenges of the teaching profession. Furthermore, you can meet these challenges without wearing yourself down to a nub. The secret of success in the profession of teaching is to continually grow and learn. Action research is a way for you to continue to grow and learn by making use of your own experiences. The only theories involved are the ideas that you already use to make sense of your experience. Action research literally starts where you are and will take you as far as you want to go. STEPS IN ACTION RESEARCH STEP 1 : IDENTIFY PROBLEM + PLAN

Teachers often have several questions they wish to investigate; however, it is important to limit the question to one that is meaningful and doable in the confines of their daily work. Careful planning at this first stage will limit false starts and frustrations. There are several criteria to consider before investing the time and effort in researching a problem. The question should an important guideline in choosing a question is to ask if it is something over which the teacher has influence. STEP 2 : ACTION IMPLEMENT A SOLUTION

Using the information from the data collection and review of current literature, design a plan of action that will allow you to make a change and to study that change. It is important that only one variable be altered. As with any experiment, if several changes are made at once, it will be difficult to determine which action is responsible for the outcome. While the new technique is being implemented, continue to document and collect data on performance. 1

STEP 3 :

OBSERVE ( COLLECTING DATA, ANALYSIS DATA)

Analyze and identify major themes. Depending upon the question, teachers may wish to use classroom data, individual data, or subgroup data. Some of the data are quantifiable and can be analyzed without the use of statistics or technical assistance. Other data, such as opinions, attitudes, or checklists, may be summarized in table form. STEP 4 : REFLECTION

Discussion of effectiveness, solution and any other follow up action. Opportunities for teachers to evaluate themselves in schools are often few, and usually happen only in an informal manner. While the focus of action research is usually the students, educators can also investigate what effect their teaching is having on their students, how they could work better with other teachers, or ways of changing the whole school for the better. Conversations can take on a different focus from attempting to fix to arrive at understanding.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effect of teachers presentation in class so as to plan for more effective teaching strategy. To collect information concerning pupils achievement after teaching-learning activities, so as to interpret the result and take suitable action. To determine pupils strength and weaknesses in learning certain skill so as to plan for enrichment or remedial activities. To determine level of achievement and positions of pupils in the same class or different class.

HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

After implement my plan, students more understand about regrouping concept. They will know, why should do regroup operation and when should use it. Majority of student in this class have improvement and their post test result will be increase. May be the final result not effective 100% because have a few students still not remember multiply table properly.

IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND PLAN

Participants of my research involve Year 4 Gemilang students. Number of students in this class is 29 persons. However,. From my discussion with the Mathematics teacher and interviewed students, I can identify that have a few factors of this problems. I also try to identify that problem during my lesson and class activity, I detected have a few students not understood what is regrouping and when should they use the regrouping. He know to calculate the basic operation involving meter, centimeter and millimeter such as add, subtract, multiply and divide, but they cant find the final answer because not regroup when regroup case were needed. They just leave their answer without regroup, for example 30 centimeter 35 milimeter (30cm 35mm), this answer must regroup and the answer should be 33 centimeter 5 milimeter (33cm 5mm). I try to find the root cause why the students disabled to do regrouping technique, firstly because they not remember basic formula in conversion such as he didnt know how many centimeter in one meter, how many milimeter in one centimeter and vice versa. Secondly, they also confused when suppose to use regrouping. At the same time, they forgot to add at another side for regrouping.. They also confused between value of 10 and 100, because 1 meter equal to 100 centimeter and 1 centimeter equal to 10 milimeter. As a result, they will get the wrong final answer.

ACTION IMPLEMENT A SOLUTION

After read up what is action research, gaining knowledge, I understood about action research methodology and applications and ready to carry out this research. My research focus on weak students in Mathematics especially regroup concept in length topic. Im tried to find out the root cause why students cant do or not master in regroup operation or conversion unit of length. In this topic, have a few subtopics that need students to convert unit of length or regroup operation before get the final answer. For example, if value of centimeter more than or same to 1 meter, that mean 100 centimeter, so students should be subtract value of centimeter by 100 and add 1 to meter unit. In this problem, I choose a weak pupil that is the pre-test score below than 40%, separated them from the other students, and then conduct remedial class. During this class, I recall the 4

related previous lesson and tough start from basic thing, explained why should do the regroup operation and when should do this.. I also provide the basic formula related to length topic, relationship between meter, centimeter and millimeter. My formula showed in Figure 1. Every time, before start my lesson, I took around 5 minutes and choose weak students to ask about this formula. With this procedure, those students easier to remember and can use for regrouping. If they didnt remember that formula, I believe the disable to solve regrouping problem if needed. Besides, I gave extra homework or related exercise to them. These exercises include basic questions about regroup. Pass through this strategy, students able to identify why they should use regroup and when to use it. Then, I provided the same level questions as a post-test to all pupils in Year 4 Gemilang. From the result, I can see and analysis the data, and will know students abilities changes whether my strategies effective or not.

X100

X10

m
100
MULTIPLY 1m 1cm = = 100cm 10mm

cm
10
DIVIDE 1cm = 0.01m 0.1cm 1mm =

mm m
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FIGURE 1 : RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN METER, CENTIMETER AND MLIMETER.

OBSERVE (COLLECTING DATA, ANALYSIS DATA)

i. COLLECTING DATA In my research, I collected 2 types of data to compare the students performances in class 4 Gemilang. My first data, I got from the pre-test result. This paper test has 20 questions focused on regrouping problems. The second data, I collected through post-test result also have 20 questions in the same level problem. Refer to the both result, I do the analysis, what are the students changes between before and after implementation of plan.

ii.

ANALYSIS DATA Table 1 showed the pre-test and post-test result of Year 4 Gemilang students.

From the pre-test result, we can see that, have 8 pupils got mark below than 40%. I took a few solutions onto this group and already stated in my implementation of action plan. After implemented what I planned, I conducted one more test and the marks showed in post-test result. Post-test result showed that have 3 pupils got below than 40 marks and the rest got 40 marks and above. For more clear, from Table 1, I produced Figure 2 to compare result between pre-test and post-test. During pre-test, have 8 pupils failed (marks below than 40%) that is 45.5%, but post-test result showed that this value decreased to 18.2% which is only 3 pupils failed. Despite have students still failed in post-test, but their mark showed increased also. For the example, in pre-test student A got 55%, in post-test he got 85%, this result increased as many 30%. The increasing percentage range of failed students is 5% to 25%. This value already proves that, totally students in this class have improvement in this topic because all of students have changed in their result.

name of

pre test

post - test

student

Prestasi test

revision 1 total marks ( /20) percentage 20% 25% 55% 90% 35% 30% 50% 45% 75% 30% 65%

revision 2 total marks ( /20) 7 7 17 19 10 9 12 15 16 10 18 percentage 35% 35% 85% 95% 50% 45% 60% 70% 80% 50% 90%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

19 21 54 95 32 32 45 40 53 22 51

4 5 11 18 7 6 10 11 15 6 13

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TABLE 1 : PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST RESULT

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no of student failed

pre-test post-test

0 1 test

FIGURE 2: NUMBER OF STUDENTS FAILED IN PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST

REFLECTION
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During my practicum training as long as 12 weeks ago, I got many new experiences and learnt new thing especially related to the student behaviors. I also have time to do action research focused on the regrouping operation of length. Actually, I have been facing students problem especially in academic aspects, but during thought length topic, I interested with problem of regrouping operation in units of length and highlight that problem as an action research topic. Actually this concept is very easy and simple but students take for granted and cant do during the exam. After I conducted many time extra class, drilled them with the many form of questions, students seemed more interested to involve in class activity because they are in a small group. They felt more confident to come forward and discuss about problems given. Teacher also can focus to all students during teaching and learning activities. Besides, I give them the formula or relationship between units of length in simple form. Student become easier to remember and can apply in problem solving. From the pre-test and post-test performance, the result showed that have improvement in students level. Student become more understand and majority of them know how to solve this problems. When I asked them about important formula of length, they no need to take long time for thinking about that. They able give the answer on the spot. When I asked problem to them, many of those student volunteer to give the solution. I can conclude that, my plans and strategy of action research quite effective and suitable for the teaching and learning activities next time. I said like that because, the students showed their improvement. This plans suitable to use in the next time and also can apply for the other topic or subject. I will find and try another effective way to contribute best students in academic.

REFERENCES
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http://www.eduplace.com/kids/wwf/index.html http://www.abcteach.com/index.html http://www.adeadet.org www.teachersnetwork.org info@teachersnetwork.org http://.madison.k12.wi.us/sod/car/carphases.html MOK SOON SANG- A PRIMARY EDUCATION COURSE IN MATHEMATICS FOR POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA (KPLI)

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