412
IMPROVING VOCABULARY MASTERY BY COMBINIG WORD SEARCH GAME AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY AT
THE FIRST GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP YP PGRI 4 MAKASSAR
Roswita Sawu Kriong1, Rita Roswita Duyo 2, Nadya Nurhidayah N3
1STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: [email protected]
2STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: [email protected]
3STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The objective of the research was to find out if the combination of Word Search Games and Cooperative Learning Strategy improves students' vocabulary at the First Grade Students' SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar. This research used a pre- experimental method. The population of this research was the first grade of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar in academic 2022/2023.
This research involved twenty students and used a purposive sampling technique in one class. The result of data analysis showed that there was a significant difference in students' vocabulary mastery, where the students' score in the post-test was higher than their score in the pre-test (75,75≥ 53) and the result of the t-test was higher than the t-table (5,86≥2,093). Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that using Word Search Games and Cooperative Learning Strategy improves students' vocabulary mastery.
Keywords: Word Search Game, Cooperative Learning, Vocabulary Mastery
INTRODUCTION
Language is one important things in this world. Language is used as a toll of communication. Language is used by human being to express thinking and idea in society.
By using language everyone in this world be able to communicate each other. Finochiro in Hadjon (2013) stated that language is the system of arbitrary, vocal symbol which permits all people in a given culture or other people who have learn the system of it culture, to
communicate or interact. There are many of language in this world, and everyone spoken by their language, but there is one language which used as and international language, that is English.
According to Leo (2013:7) in non English speaking countries, teaching in English has also became a trend to keep up to international development education. English as an international language is used in countries throughout the world, including Indonesia. In Indonesia English is taught at school from elementary school, junior high school and senior high school, to university school as foreign language. Therefore, English become important into days era as means of transferring science. Technology, art, culture, and maintain good language with others countries.
Based on the researcher is observation to SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar, the researcher found that the students during have any problems and difficulty in mastery vocabulary and the students were still not fluent in English words. It happens because the students have lacked in prior knowledge or experience with the vocabulary, the students only memorize words for a moment and cannot recall words in the other times, the student difficulty in
413 conceptualizing vocabulary and most of the students not brought a dictionary, lacked of motivation.
Based on the problem, the researcher wanted to help the students to overcome the problem. In this researcher by choosing combining Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy to teach vocabulary. This game, the researcher hope the students interested in learning what they are learning. This games is hopefully make the students more focus in learning an avoid student bored in learning. Enable them to acquire new experiences with in a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson. Word search games can be used an alternative to motivate vocabulary learning that will give many advantages for teacher and student either. Therefore the researcher wants to conduct a research entitle Improving Vocabulary Mastery By Combining Word Search Games and Cooperative Learning Strategy at the First Grade Student SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
The objectives of the research is to find out whether the combination of Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy improves students vocabulary at the First Grade Students SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
Ma’rufah (2013), Improving the Vocabulary Learning of Class B Grade VIII Students of SMPN 2 Kampunglaut Through Cooperative Learning in the Academic Year of 2011/2013.The result of the researcher showed that, the used of cooperative leaning strategy is believed to be effective to improve students vocabulary motivation and students vocabulary learning in the aspect of form, meaning, and used. The students get better motivation in learning English especially in vocabulary learning.
Fitria (2015) found that there was significant difference after teaching vocabulary using Word Search Game. Thus it can it be said that Word Search Game could to improve students vocabulary mastery of the seventh year students of MTS Tariqiyatul Himmah in the academic year of 2013/2014.
Ahmad (2013:80) states that Vocabularies is the owning system communication of participants which are organized from sound or phonology regularly to syntactically governing and utilizing to express or to interpret the utterance occurred in communication.
Vocabularies are total number word which (with rules combining them) make a language. In short , it can be said that is a group of which are arrange in such a way to construct the meaning for making a language. On of the linguistic concepts that must be include in learning English language is vocabulary. It means that vocabulary plays an important role in language.
In learning a language someone will learn the words of the language so that he or she can communicate with other.
Munawarah (2013) in her thesis also defines vocabulary as the words that should know in order to communicate effectively. Meanwhile, according to Cemeron (2001), vocabulary is not simply about learning words, but it is actually much more than that. It is also about learning chuncks and finding words inside them.
Vocabulary mastery is very important is learning English. With a large vocabulary, it will help students learn the four basic skill of English, they are reading, speaking, writing, and listening. Without having large vocabulary, the students will be impossible to easy to study it. And without having many vocabulary it is impossible to make sentence in communication and express their feelings.
According to Notion (2015:25), there are two kinds of vocabulary in relation to the language skill of reading, listening speaking and writing. They are receptive and productive or passive and active vocabulary. Receptive or passive vocabulary refers to the words that
414 native speakers and foreign learners recognize and understand but hardly ever use, it is used passively in either listening and reading. Productive or active vocabulary is utilized actively either and speaking or writing. Learners listening vocabulary is generally larger than speaking vocabulary. Productive vocabulary is utilized actively either in speaking or writing.
Listening vocabulary is generally larger than speaking vocabulary while reading vocabulary is relatively larger than writing vocabulary.
In conclusion mastering vocabulary, including receptive and productive vocabulary ones is important. The learners need to master receptive vocabulary in listening and reading.
Kind of Vocabulary
a) NounNoun is defined as a groups of words that is the names of person, place, things, activity or quality or idea. Adjective.
b) Adjective
Adjective is defined as a word which describes or gives more information about noun or pronoun.
c) Verb
The verb is the most complex part of speech. It is varying arrangements with noun determine the different kinds of sentence statements, question, commands and exclamation.
The Definition of Word Search Game
Hidden word game or word search game is find the hidden word in the grid the term bellow the grid are clues to help the students find the hidden word. Word can appear horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, forwards or back word. word search game is made up of a large grid of seemingly random letters. According to Dunlap (2013:35) there are some steps that the teachers have to do:
1) The teacher can prepare the word search in advance and either write in on the board or make photocopies to distribute to students. The teacher can also write a list of the words used.
2) Make a grid with hundreds of letters
3) Word will be hidden inside the letters, write horizontally and vertically (can also be backwards and diagonally). Here is an example a puzzle with the words “ school” and
“learn”.
S O C K L E N S
C T H A E W Z R
H X O C A I N Q
O C A S R S L H
415
O D H R N H K V
L O V E F I H O
Figure 2.1 example of Word Search Game
4) The students should circle the words when they find them. They can cross the words off from the list when they find them and continue until all the words are found. For example, the words in the puzzle above spell “ We love to learn in school.”
5) These words can also from a jumbled (mixed-up) sentence that the students need to unscramble.
6) The task can be completed individually or in small groups.
Moreover, Patterson (2007) in her article entitled “How to Play Your Own Word Search Puzzles” explained there are some steps to play with word search game:
a) Step 1: Make a list of words you will include in your word search on a piece of printer paper. The words may all fit into a theme, such as dinosaurs or medical terms, or they may just be a collection of words.
b) Step 2: Fill in piece of graph paper with your words by writing one letter in each box on the paper. Write words going across, down and diagonally. You may even make some of the words going backwards for a more challenging. Write the words in all capital letters so as not give away their location within the word.
c) Step 3: Fill in the rest of the graph paper with random letters, again with all capital letters.
d) Make an equal number of copies of the words list, one of each person who will be doing the word search. Staple one words list to each word.
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is a kind of teaching strategies that commonly used in the classroom. According to Brown (2001:47) cooperative learning is one strategy that involves students to work together to pairs or groups and they share information.
Combining Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy
Combining Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy is the best way as a tool, strategy, ad method when teaching vocabulary. In this part the researcher is uses Word Search Game grids and than all grids will be given all word, but in this case the word that will be searched is a nouns but the word that will be put on the grid are combination all several verbs and nouns. The researcher use cooperative learning, because cooperative learning is a challenging method and strategy for the students, because they need to find nouns from several words that have been combine.
Conceptual framework
Based on the conceptual framework above, the researcher explains that:
1. Input: refers to students learn English vocabulary
2. Process: refers to teaching English using Incidental Vocabulary Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning to Improve Students Vocabulary Mastery.
416 3. Output: refers to the students achievement
D. Hypothesis
Hypothesis is a tentative statement about the outcomes of a research. It can be accepted or rejected depending on the statistical analysis that is done. The hypothesis on this research can be formulated as follows:
1. Ho: The use of Word Search game and Cooperative Learning Strategy do not improve the students vocabulary mastery First Grade Students SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
2 Ha: The use of Word Search game and Cooperative Learning Strategy improve the students vocabulary mastery First Grade Students SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
METHOD
In this research, the researcher used a pre-experimental design with one group pre-test, treatment, and post-test. Pre-experimental was the samples from of the research. In pre- experimental either one group or several group was observed after several interventions or treatments are considers to cause changes. It aimed to know whether Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning strategy can improve students vocabulary mastery of First graded SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
The population of this research is the first grade students of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar in the academic years 2022/2023. It consists of two classes namely A Class which consisted of 20 students and B class which consisted of 20 students. So the total number of population was 40 students. The research used a purposive sampling technique. The research took VII A class that consisted of 20 students. The total number of the sample were 20 students. The researcher choose this class because, they have low skill in vocabulary mastery. The research used vocabulary test used in pre-test and posttest. The test consist of 40 question in which multiple choice consist of 20 question for pre test and 20 question multiple choice for post test.
The procedures of collecting data were follows the steps below. They were pretest, treatment, and post-test.
1. Pre-test
Before give treatment, the researcher gives a pre-test to the students. The researcher will give the vocabulary test to the students, it consist 20 number of multiple choice for 60 minutes. It aimed to know the students vocabulary prior knowledge
2. Treatment
After giving pretest, the researcher conduct the treatment. It had done for four meeting, each meeting is held for 90 minutes. The procedured of conducting the treatment are as follow:
a) The researcher gave introduction about the important of learning English.
b) The researcher gave explanation about word search game and cooperative learning strategy to students.
c) The researcher divide students into groups to work together in order to achieve common goals in learning.
d) The researcher prepare a list word search.
e) The researcher make a list of word in the table according to the material.
417 f) The researcher make a grid with hundreds of letters.
g) The words will be hidden inside the letters written horizontally and vertically (can also backwards and diagonally).
h) The researcher ask the students to look for words in the table and look for the meaning of the word.
i) The students should circle the words when they find them. They can cross the words off from the list when they find them and continue until all the words are found.
j) After the students circle the words , the researcher check the result of the work made by the students whether the students were in accordance with the material in the text.
3. Post test
At post test the students was given test. It aim to measure the students improvement in learning vocabulary.
RESULT AND DISCUSION Result
The findings of this research was dealing with the students score of pre-test and post- test, the mean score of pre-test and post- test, scoring classification of the students score and hypothesis testing of paired sample. To find out answer of question in the problem statement in the previous chapter the researcher administrated two kind of test they were pre-test and post-test.
Table 4.2 The Students Rate Percentage of Pre-test
NO Categories classifying Number of
students
Percentage %
1 Excellent 96-100 0 0
2 Very good 86-95 0 0
3 Good 76-85 1 5
4 Fairly good 66-75 1 5
5 Fair 56-65 6 30
6 Poor 36-55 11 55
7 Very poor 0-35 1 5
TOTAL 20 100
Based on the table above, students pre-test score were classified into several criteria, dealing with students assessment system, the classification, score percentage, were presented as follow:
From this data it can be seen that there was one student (5%) of 20 students who get a good classification score, one student (5%) of 20 students fairly good classification score, six students (30%) of 20 students fair classification score, the score was dominated by poor classification where 11 students (55%) of 20 students got a poor classification. And one student (5%) 0f 20 students got very poor classification. None of them get excellent and very good classification.
418 Table 4.3 The Students Rate Percentage of Post-test
NO Categories Classification Number of students
Percentage
1 Excellent 96-100 0 0
2 Very good 86-95 1 5
3 Good 76-85 6 30
4 Fairly good 66-75 13 65
5 Fair 56-65 0 0
6 Poor 36-55 0 0
7 Very poor 0-35 0 0
TOTAL 20 100
Based on the table above, students post-test score were classified into several criteria.
The score of students post-test was classified toward some criteria. In the relation to the students scoring system, the researcher would like to identify and the classification, score, and percentage of the students post-test result. The analyzing result in presented in the frequency, classification, and percentage of the students post-test. Dealing with students assessment system, the classification, score, percentage, were presented as follow:
Table 4.4 The mean score of the students in pre-test, post-test and gain
Test Mean score
Pre-test 53
Post-test 75,75
Gain 22,75
Based on the table 4.4 above, the mean score of students pre-test was 53 from the total score of 1,060 and the mean score of post test 75,75 from the total score of 1,515. The mean score of gain was 22,75 from the total score was 455. It was revealed an increasing score it is proved by the students post-test showed that there was a slight improvement from pre-test and posttest. It could be concluded that the mean score of post-test was greater than the mean score of pre-test. This means that using Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy could increase the students vocabulary mastery at the first grade of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar. The result of the mean score could be seen in the following graphic.
419 Graphic 4.3 Mean Score Pre-test, Post-test, and Gain
By looking the graphic 4.3 above, the mean score of the students in pre-test was 53 from the total score 1,060 was indicated fairly while the mean score of post-test was 75,75 from the total score 1,515 was indicated as good score and the mean score of gain was 22,75 from the total score of 455. So the mean score of post-test was higher than the mean score of pre-test.
From the analysis above, the researcher concluded that there was significance different between pre-test and post-test score of the students vocabulary ability after implementing the vocabulary material test noun and verb by using Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy at the first grade Students of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
4. T-Test Value
Finding out the significance difference between pre-test and post-test were significantly difference at the level significance 0,05, with the degree of this 19 (df=N- 1=20-1=19).
Table 4.5 The t-test of students vocabulary achievement
Variable t-test value t-table
X2-X1 5,86 2,093
Table 4.5 above showed that t-table was smaller than t-test value of the students reading where the value of t-test was 5,86 and t-table 2,093. It showed the students t-test was higher than t-table. It can be concluded that there is significant different between the result of students pre-test and post-test.
5. Hypothesis Testing
To find out the degree of freedom (df), the formula used is as in the following : 53
75,75
22,75
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
pre-test post-test Gain
mean…
420 Df = N-1, where ( N=20)
Df = 20-1 Df = 19
For level of significance p= 0,05 and Df = N-1 (19)
For the level significant (p) = 0,05 and the degree of freedom (df) =19, the value of t- table is 2,093. The value of t-test is 5,86. The value of t-test is greater than the value of t-table (2,093). Comparing with the t-test value, it can be concluded that there was a significant difference between the result of pre-test and post-test score of students vocabulary achievement after learning by Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy. It means that the use of Word Search Game Cooperative Learning Strategy could increase the students vocabulary ability. It means that the null hypothesis (H0) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (H1) is accepted.
Discussion
In this part, discussion deals with the interpretation of findings associated with using Word Search Game and Cooperative Learning Strategy to improve students’ vocabulary mastery at the first grade students of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar. The researcher found that the students score in pre-test and post-test was different. It showed that the total of students;
score in pre-test (X1) was 1,060 and the total score of students post-test (X2) was 1,515. The gain of students score between pre-test an post-test ( X1,X2) was 455 and square of gain (D2)was 11,825, it can be indicated that the students total score of post-test was higher than the total students score of pre-test after they had been thaugt by word search game and cooperative learning strategy. In the pre-test and post-test, it can be seen from 20 students the minimum score in pre-test was 35 and in the post-test the minimum score was 70, meanwhile the students maximum score in pre-test was 80 and post-test was 95. It means that, there was increased students score in vocabulary mastery. From poor into good, it was signifies that classification of students score was increasing and came into better category score from poor to good. It also indicated that there were an improvement in students score. In pre-test the rate percentage and frequency of the students in vocabulary mastery by using word search game and cooperative learning Strategy where 1 students ( 5) was classified good,1 students (5) classified fairly good, 6 students (30) classified fair, 11 students (55) classified poor, and 1 students (5) classified very poor.
Based on the results students score above. It was found that the students vocabulary in a learned was gradually increasing. It was that there was a good impact of Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy toward increase of students ability in vocabulary.
All of the result of instruments after accomplishing the classroom action research revealed the good result from improve students vocabulary with Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy as media in teaching and learning vocabulary. The students admitted that they were interested in this strategy.
They felt easier in did vocabulary test. The students look motivated and confident in learning vocabulary. Considering the explanation above the researcher concluded that the researcher was successful and the Combining Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy is effective way to increase students vocabulary and to strengthen students memory
421 about words. The increase of students ability in vocabulary can be supported by increase of students score of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
CONCLUSION
Conclusions
Based on the result of the data analysis, it could be concluded that the result of the test that the students were thought using Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy has successfully increased the students vocabulary mastery, and they got higher score than before. The total score in pre-test was 1,060 and the total score in post-test was 1,515. The mean score of the students pre-test was 53, while in the post-test was 75,75. For the level significance 0,05 and the degree of freedom (Df) = 20-1 and t-test value was higher than t-table value was (5.86≥ 2.093) so the alternative (H1) was accepted and the null hypothesis (H0) was rejected. It can be concluded there was significance differences between the result of pre-test and post-test which indicated that Using Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy could help the students in build up their vocabulary.
Furthermore Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy can strengthen students memory about words. It is effectively in teaching vocabulary at VII Class of SMP YP PGRI 4 Makassar.
Suggestion
Based on the above conclusions, the researcher would like to suggest. It i known that the use of Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy on students vocabulary mastery provided a good increase. So Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy is the one of choices to increase students vocabulary Mastery. After concluding the research, the researcher wanted the teaching and learning process to be better than before, some suggestion that can be offered next researcher based on the research findings.
As the result of study reveals that the use of Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy, the researcher suggest the following things :
1. It is suggested to English teacher to use of Combining Word Search Game And Cooperative Learning Strategy in teaching and learning process especially in teaching vocabulary.
2. It is suggested to English teacher to use the interesting environmental to teach vocabulary to the students.
3. The teacher should invite and raise the students interest and motivation in learning by manipulating various ways in presenting productive ability, include teaching vocabulary.
REFERENCES
Achamad, Syarifudin. (2013). ‘ Developing English Vocabulary through Meaningful
Learning Approach; ISSN, 1948-5425.
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