Learning vocabulary is overwhelming when the students do not have an effective vocabulary storage technique to improve the long-term memory in vocabulary mastery. In this research, keeping records technique is used. The purpose of the research is to find out the improvements when keeping records as vocabulary storage technique is implemented to improve long-term memory in vocabulary mastery and how the class climate is in the application of the technique in the fourth semester of Nursing Academy Trenggalek of the academic year of 2014/2015.
The approach of the research is Classroom Action Research. The research was done from the 5th of May 2015 until the 19th of June 2015 in two cycles using the following steps; identifying problems and planning the action, implementation/action, observation and reflection. Quantitative data were collected from the students’ tests’ scores, and qualitative data were obtained from the observation, questionnaires and interview. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive technique by measuring the means of the tests’ score while the qualitative data was analyzed using categorization, data synthesis, and data familiarization.
From the data analysis, keeping records as vocabulary storage technique has improved the long-term memory in vocabulary mastery with 25% improvement in all vocabulary aspects; spelling, pronunciation, meaning and use. The intensive drilling and students’ independence and freedom in recording vocabulary are very effective in improving their vocabulary skill. The class climate revolves around the relationship dimension in which the class cohesiveness improves, the personal development dimension in which the students had a good achievement in the post-test, and the system maintenance and change dimension in which the teacher could apply rules more efficiently and the students had more responsibility and discipline.
Despite the success of the action, the other researchers could improve the result of using keeping records technique by giving more practice in producing sentences, adding more grammar knowledge, and preparing sufficient time for students to record the vocabulary. The students are recommended to keep recycling the words outside classroom and enrich their vocabulary collection using different vocabulary sources.
Keywords: Keeping records, long-term memory, vocabulary mastery, classroom action research.