Improving the students’ vocabulary mastery through direct instruction (a classroom action research on the fourth grade of SD Negeri Pringanom 3, Masaran, Sragen in the academic year of 2009/2010)

Oleh :
Budi Setiawan - X2208508 - Fak. KIP

ABSTRACT It is essential to learn vocabulary in order to support the mastery of English skills. In fact, many of English learners of elementary level are often faced with the problem of vocabulary mastery. The most common factors that become the obstacles are the limited number of words mastered and the difficulty to memorize the meaning of the words. Therefore, it is necessary for the teacher to apply certain method or technique to solve those problems and make students interested to learn English. This research is aimed to know whether the technique of using Direct Instruction could improve the students’ vocabulary mastery and to describe what happens during the implementation of Direct Instruction in English learning at the fourth grade of SD Negeri Pringanom 3, Masaran, Sragen. This research is a classroom action research. It was conducted at SD negeri Pringanom 3, Masaran, Sragen. The writer conducted a classroom action research from February, 1 2010 until February 27, 2010 at the fourth grade of SD Negeri Pringanom 3, Masaran, Sragen in the academic year of 2009/2010. In this research, the writer used the fourth grade students as the subject of research. In conducting this classroom action research, the writer divided the action into two cycles and carried out in four steps namely; planning the action, implementation/action, observation and reflection. The data of the research were collected by using some techniques. They were qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Interview and observation were the techniques for getting qualitative data. They were in the form of recording and photographs. The data which were in the form of words from the result of interview was called as recording, while photographs were the authentic data in the form of visible pictures. The quantitative data included the written tests taken before and after the cycles were implemented. Then the writer compared the mean scores of each cycle from cycle 1 and cycle 2. The result of the research shows that Direct Instruction technique can improve the students’ vocabulary mastery. There was an improvement on the mean score of the test. In the first cycle it was 60. 68 and improved to 68. 10 in the second cycle. This technique could make the students pay attention to the lesson properly. It also improved students’ participation in learning vocabulary. They were not shy anymore and highly motivated to join the instructional process. The English teachers who want to apply direct instruction in English teaching should consider the lesson sequence that must be done orderly consisting of orientation, presentation, guided practice, structured practice and independent practice in order to make the instructional process run well.