PROPOSAL

CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

Improving Student’s Motivation in Learning English Through Games

A. Introduction
English is one of the subject that is really important for everyone, especially students. In Indonesia,
English is studied by all students from pre school, elementary school, Junior High, Senior/Vocational
High school until university level. In the National Examination (Ujian Nasional) English is one of a
subject that must be followed by students beside Indonesian Language and Mathematic. Eventhough
that the ministry of National Education (Kemendikbud) has made a new curriculum (Kurikulum 2013)
that the proportion of students to study English is getting less, many schools especially private schools
still focus that how important is English. So some schools set the additional study hour for students to
study English. That is evidence that English is needed to study to face the globalization era.

B. Background of Study

A number of problems that come up by the students to improve their English are most of them think
that it is very difficult. English is not a mother tongue by most of them, so they don’t use and practice
their English every day at home, and many other reasons.

By analyzing those problems, teacher as a part of the component on student’s motivation should be
creative and make students feel fun in learning English. Probably one of the student’s problem to
improve their English is because of the teacher. So, that is why teacher should be creative to create
any kinds of games to encourage the student’s competence of English in the classroom.

One of the technique to deliver an interesting classroom is by giving or playing game. Game is used in
the learning process to make significant progress for student’s understanding. Sometimes student do
not realize that actually they are studying while playing games. Here is the key that games has
contributions to build student’s confident’s to study English. Everybody likes to play, everyone likes
to compete each other, everybody likes to have score and to become a winner.

C. Identification of Problems

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To identify the problems, the writer consider to write the important identification of problem
below:

1.      How to develop students’ motivation in order to get better learning environtment?

2. Does the technique of delivering games in the language class has many advantages
towards students’ English competence especially speaking skills?
3.      Can the technique of playing games also give benefit to other skills such as writing,
reading and listening?

D. Limitation of the Problems

The writer is going to do the classroom action research for students at Mitra Karya School.
He also wants to measure the student’s competence by using a number of games such as
spelling games, guessing games, hang man and some others to improve student’s
vocabularies. The writer is going to use games in the classroom of English as the
extracurriculer program.
In vocational school, there are many interesting aspects to study, but the writwr only focuses
on the effectiveness of games as ameans to teach vocabulary.

E. Objective of the Study

Based on the research problem, the purposes of the study are:
1. To describe the process of teaching vocabulary using games in Mitra Karya Vocational
School.
2. To describe the result of teaching vocabulary using games.
3. To evaluate the progress of student after they learn English using games.
4. To recognize how games be effective in learning English.
5. To find any other technique beside games can be applied in the class.

E.     Purpose of Study
Based on the reason above, through this proposal I want to prove and find out correlation that
the students’ vocabulary and speaking skill implication towards learning English and to help
myself and other teachers to motivate students and make them feel confident in learning
English.

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F.     Significance of Study
Hopefully after doing this research the students are able to increase their vocabulary and
speaking in learning English through variety of games, and they be able to apply with
learning together with his/her friends to arise self motivation to be better build the concept of
themselves, hopes it can dig the student’s interest in English because the research try to find
solution of the current problems.
In addition I hope students will be more attracted in learning English without under pressure
feeling and forced from the teachers, so they will be enjoy in learning English by increasing
their motivation, and for the teacher. The teacher can motivate students to encourage their
learning achievement through variety of games technique. Teaching English will be easier to
do if the students enthusiastic for learning English and feel fun, so, it is able to improve
student’s interest.
The research result can be applied for all English learning purposes to increase student’s skill.
It is not only for one teacher only but for all that has a similar problem in order to students be
able to improve writing , speaking, listening, and reading skills.
For the institution motivation can help students in general to develop their English
capabilities so the school gets the achievements and prestige among the education institution.
The research finding and build motivation so that improving students’ ability in increasing
their achievement, hoped, it can be followed by another teacher in teaching learning English
activity.

G. Benefit of Study
The witer expects that the research paper has some advantages in the theoretical and practical
application.
 The Theoretical advantages:
1. The result of the research paper can be used as input in English teaching learning
process especially in teaching vocabulary.
2. The result of the research can be used as the reference for those who want to
conduct a research in English teaching learning process.
 The Practical advantages:
1. The English teachers can use the result when they teach the students of
Vocational school in improving vocabulary.

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H. TEORITICAL REVIEW

A. Learning habit
“Habits are safer than rules; you don't have to watch them. And you don't have to keep them,
either. They keep you.” Dr. Frank Crane’s Four Minute Essays (1919), as the teacher and or
researcher who willing to emphasize students to have enhancement motivation developing
learning habit is important one to be focus on problem solving, every student has different
habit each other, their habit has built since she/he was first elementary school, but not a little
number that have improved and be better, the learning habit also be able be seen by students
background, urban students has different motivation than the rural student motivation but this
condition is not warranty, because if we talk about motivation all always begin from inside
and environment, I do not know well which one that most dominant, depend on convergence
joining two theory that students has motivation from him/her self but also can be stimulated
from outside(Murip Yahya:2008), it has interrelation inside motivation and outside
stimulation in building students’ learning habit and also learning achievement.

B. Rewards and Punishment

Desire can be define as a interest of people to do something, students who have interesting in
learning language especially Learning English are became centre of watch to analyze,
learning English for some of people are too difficult and may be so very frighteningly, other
motivation theory mention that someone will do or not do because from outside stimuli like
punish and reward, in classroom condition occasionally students are enjoy and feel fun when
the teacher is friendly and often give an appreciation to the students, rewards are not always
as gift or thing but appreciating and reinforcement to students also are meant as the rewards,
but students also feel inconvenience if the teacher angry in classroom because of something
that maybe caused students or maybe own problem (personal experience). Rewards as thing
usually will build competitive atmosphere in the classroom if the teacher giving gift in good
moment, but it also will make students to be sitting pretty to the smart student, all thing has
negative and positive pint, but punish and reward are one of the way to build students
motivation.

I. Method of Research
Method of research in my proposal is using action research, what is action research? Action
research is a research tool that potentially facilitates growth and change in an individual or a
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group during the research process (Reason, 2004). A number of scholars have explored the
action research method and its application. Arhar, et al. (2001); McNiff, Lomax, and
Whitehead (1996); Stringer (1996); and Winter (1996) have indicated first that action
research is closely linked with theory and practice as well as reflection. According to the
preface to Hwang, Chen, and Yan’s (2002) Chinese version of Action Research for Teachers:
Traveling the Yellow Brick Road by Arhar et al. (2001), action research serves as a bridge
that the practitioner–researcher can use to connect research theory (the theoretical) and
practical action (the empirical).
Second, action research closely links researchers and research participants, including
colleagues, students, or administrators, to form a cooperative working community. During the
process of action research, teachers should listen to their students’ thoughts and feedback to
acquire useful data. Action research resembles cooperative teamwork because it connects the
teacher-as-researcher, students, and colleagues (Arhar et al., 2001) to practice educational
improvement.
Third, action research closely links personal growth and professional development in order to
change the researchers themselves, institutions, or society. When teachers conduct their
studies, they perform as primary researchers and practitioners; their research issues emerge
from their own concerns about what has occurred in their classrooms and among their
students (Burns, 1999). The process of action research derived from teachers’ engaging in
meaningful reflection and discussion with colleagues. In other words, its benefit lies not only
in the enhancement of the professional growth of teachers but also in the improvement of the
education of students (Wallace, 1998).

J. Place And Time of Research

The place of this research will be held in SMK MITRA KARYA, first and second grade of
students and it takes 35 students in each classroom, generally there are twice English subject
regular in classroom, each meeting 2 x 45 minutes, so in  a week 180 minutes, my research
will take about 4 weeks to observe and ask personal review (Michael J Wallace) from English
teacher who teach in that classroom and I will invite them to be engaged  in my research.

K. Procedure of Research
An action research in my study is going to two cycle, each cycle belong to four steps, identify
problem or diagnosing problem, plan action, action of research, evaluation. That are

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procedure of research, and I also make mind concept of research detailed with four phase that
will engage participants in my study.
The first steps: Problem identify, the purpose of problem identify is to understand why
students being lower learning motivation and attitudes in their English subject. From this
steps I should get main problems of students motivation.
The second one: plan action, arrange concept what  will I do in my research? It is include
arrange interview, motivation questionnaire before and after study, checklist likert scale,
qualitative data coding and descriptive data statistics.
Thirds: action, doing and action research, it is going to spend four week or a month,
collaborative research me and other teacher to give advice and data about students in that
class by giving checklist observation from teacher and also personal review.
Last: evaluate, after all research and study has been hold, I need help from other party to
evaluate gathering about my research, then I need second cycle to confirm and get best
answer of the problem, so from twice cycle of action research I hope I can obtain fix answer.

L. Population and Sample

The 35 students in this research, they belong female students, the number of 35 is an
estimation in one classroom, exactly first and second grade of office and administration
program. The reason why I choose that program because mostly the students are more
motivated to learn.

M.     Instrumentation
For this study I use instrument that has two approach, qualitative and quantitative approach,
instruments for qualitative are:
Interview: beside using questionnaire I also interview them for knowing their motivation and
their desire in learning English and relate their answer switch to result of previous semester
so will be found first answer and knowing directly from students
An example for interview question below:
1.      When you first time learn English?
2.      Do you like English?
3.      How often do you read English book or other literature? Etc.
Questionnaire: this method using through survey model provides some basic, my survey style
combine  between Likert Scale and question survey, Likert scale that provided question has a
range 1 up to 5 point to give honest answer about students motivation and his/her ability in
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English, each point has weight from 1-5 with value; poor, low, average, good, strong /
Excellence. hopefully this method obtain real answer from participants,.Likert Scale like
below:

1.      How do you like English 1 2 3 4 5

2.      Do you speak fluently 1 2 3 4 5
3.      How is your reading ability                             1 2 3 4 5
4.      How is your listening ability                            1 2 3 4 5
5.      How is your writing ability                              1 2 3 4 5
6.      How about your desire learning English          1 2 3 4 5
7.      Willing to improving English skill                   1 2 3 4 5

Checklist: the teachers and English teacher will be engaged into this research by giving
personal review ( Wallace:1980) and observation checklist as gather obtaining research,
personal review will be written by the teacher based on checklist observation and telling more
explanation about the points that has been given, so that to complete all research as
consideration in research finding, and it also will be evaluated into twice cycle.

N.     Data Analysis and Interpretation Technique

The technique to analyze data is by using two approaches, interpretive approach and statistic
approach, for qualitative approach are like below:
Interview: Patton (1990) claimed that the strategies for analyzing interviews should begin
with individual case analysis, then cross-case analysis. I used an inductive approach to
develop coding categories by reading through individual students’ interview notes repeatedly,
and certain patterns presented to inform my inquiry to the study. The inductive approach
provides a systemic set of procedures for analyzing qualitative data that can produce reliable
and valid findings (Thomas, 2006). I paid considerable attention to analyzing different
answers from different people to common questions throughout this study.
Observation checklists.  Observation was one of the common ways for this researcher to
provide more practical and richer information for the action research study (Tomal, 2003). I
noted individual students’ behaviors on the observation checklists, making a tally mark and
computing the mean score so that accurate numerical responses were clarified. For example,
half the students worked on an assignment for another class or slept in the EFL classroom.
The observation checklists were used each time the researcher reviewed the video recording
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and completed the observation checklists. In addition, two EFL teachers also helped fill out
the observation checklists when they occasionally visited the researcher’s class with totally
three times. Finally, I identified the most frequent behaviors and then made analysis and
interpretation.
Personal Review:  for analyzing data, I also write daily observation about review classroom
condition in daily activity in the classroom, this is a sign of the action research, answering
problem by describing condition of the subject, and look holistic problem so that get answer
as well as and real applicable into classroom, this research also giving treatment to the subject
in order to improving their motivation, it will be described in quantitative approach.
This research are gathering two combination, so it needs statistic analysis, in my study need
to know about correlation  between motivation and students achievement so it uses t-test  with
quantitative approach, like below:
Quantitative approach In the quantitative approach, the results of the t-Test on students’
pretest and posttest motivation questionnaires and repeated-measures analysis of variance for
comparing all  subjects measured during different testing times were analyzed quantitatively,
this is using formula;
                                                : value t observation or t count
                                                : difference mean count result
                                                   S : standard deviation
                                                    n: sample
In this study, the t-Test can be used to determine differences in students’ motivation to learn
English and performance before and after the instruction. In the first step, data were counted
according to participants’ responses to 35 items. Mean and standard deviation were presented
by running the t-Test. In this way, the researcher analyzed the results to determine any
significant differences with respect to survey responses before and after instruction.

O. Bibliography
Modul Pendidikan dan Latihan Profesi Guru, Karya Ilmiah dan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas
(Bandung 2014).
Modul Pendidikan dan Latihan Profesi Guru Bahasa Inggris (Bandung, 2014)
A.S. Hornby. (1994). Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary. Fourth Edition. Oxford University
Press.
Alison, McGrath Peirce. And Lank, Elizabeth. (2010). Developing Learning Habit Journal.
www.think.plus.com.
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Dornyei, Zoltan. (2001). Teaching and Researching Motivation. Malaysia; Longman
Moore, Ian. Learning English through Games. www.ehow.com