ENHANCING THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION AND THEIR VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT BY USING INDIVIDUAL PICTURES AT SMPN 3 BALUNG

Abstract

This research was a classroom action research. It was intended to enhance the eighth grade students’ participation and their vocabulary achievement by using individual pictures. The research subjects were the students of class VIII E at SMPN 3 Balung in the 2014 academic year. This class was chosen because it had the lowest mean score of the vocabulary test. Besides that, teaching vocabulary by using individual pictures had never been conducted. The English teacher of the eighth grade students had employed the simple teaching activity, such as giving explanations, doing exercises in the students’ guide book (LKS) or asking the students to memorize the word meaning, and the teacher used the things around the class only as the media to demonstrate and describe the material of the subject. The teacher also added that most of the students were relatively passive in the English teaching and learning process. The enhancement of the students’ participation and their vocabulary achievement were analyzed quantitatively. In this research, the observation and vocabulary test were used to get the primary data, while interview guide and documentation were used to get the supporting data. This research was carried out in two cycles and each cycle was done in two meetings and one meeting for vocabulary test. Each cycle covered four stages that included the planning of the action, the implementation of the action, classroom observation and evaluation, and data analysis and reflection. Based on the results of the vocabulary test, the percentage of the students who got score ≥65 in the vocabulary test in cycle 1 was 71.4% or 25 of 35 students. It had achieved the target success in this research that was 70%. However, the actions were continued in cycle 2 to measure the consistency of the students’ vocabulary

xiv achievement. In cycle 2, the percentage of the students who got score ≥65 in the vocabulary test in cycle 2 was 85.7% or 30 of 35 students. It means that the percentage of the students’ vocabulary achievement enhanced from 71.4% in cycle 1 to 85.7% in cycle 2. Therefore, the success criteria of this research that was ≥65 had been achieved, and it proved that the use of individual pictures was helpful to enhance the students’ vocabulary achievement in teaching vocabulary. Based on the results of the observation, the percentage of the students’ participation in cycle 1 was 54.5%. It means that the target of the success in this research had not been achieved yet. Therefore, the observations were continued to cycle 2. Based on the results of observation in cycle 2 showed that the percentage of the students’ participation increased from 54.5% in cycle 1 to 77.1% in cycle 2. It indicated that the use of individual pictures could enhance the students’ active participation in the learning process. Thus, it is suggested to the English teachers to use individual pictures as the media in teaching English especially in teaching vocabulary to enhance the students’ participation and their achievement.