5.

0 ACTION CARRIED OUT

5.1 Action procedure

Action Research Cycle (Kemmis & McTaggert Model)

The action procedure that was used in this action research is Kemmis and
McTaggart model (2000). Based on the model above, there are two cycles must be
fulfilled to complete the research. The second style will have much more details in the
strategy and techniques to address any issue that arise in the first cycle so that better
result is achieve

Comic strip is needed to be used in stages. For the purpose of this action
research, two days will be use to introduce the necessary vocabulary such as object,
actions, people and setting of the poster used as the stimulus to prepare the targeted
group for sentence making process. That moment is crucial because it will allow them
to have more time to digest the vocabulary learnt and learned to make sentence more
effectively in the following day.

On the first attempt of the cycle of conducting the research, an A3 size of the
comic strip was shown to the participants. The teacher conducts a Q&A session with
the pupils about the picture. For example, what can you see in the comic strip?,
What do they say, Where do you think this conversation took place? will be asked.

These questions will be asked so that the teacher will have a clearer perspective on the
targeted groups prior knowledge. It gives the teacher better insight how to lead the
discussion on the right direction to prepare for the next step for the targeted group.
With the size of the class those who are sitting in the back maybe could not see the
comic strip pasted on the board. The comic strip will be the brainstorming session
more efficient if the students could see the comic strip and the script in it more clearly.
Apart from that the script is numbered. The teacher will draw the student attention
towards the numbered ones and opposed drawing line from the objects. This will make
the session more systematic so that everyone is focusing on the same thing. This will
make the pupils job easier because they will brainstorm by following the numbers.

During the brainstorming session, the pupils will be asked to read the
numbered script correctly and asked to write the words that they already know together
as the teacher listed them on the board. After identifying which vocabulary the pupils
did not know, the teacher will add in new vocabulary. In this session, the pupils will be
asked to write the vocabulary in the A4 paper for their future reference and revision.
The next step after this session is brainstorming the action words found in the comic
strip. The method of drawing the lines from the script of the comic strip is to
differentiate the action vocabulary and object vocabulary. Similar to the first step the
student will be given chance to spell the action words and the teacher adds in the new
action words that they are not familiar with. At the end of the session a word chart will
be created. This will be beneficial for the pupils because they can constantly refer to
the comic strips and brainstormed for the next step of Comic Strip in teaching and
learning.
Before the end of the day, the pupils will be given with a fill-in-the-blank
exercise. The passage and the sentence are also related to the comic strip. This step
allows pupils to get an insight on using brainstorming vocabulary meaningfully in
content. This process will allow the student to have opportunity to learn different
writing patterns indirectly as a complete exercise. This last step on the first day is
spelling drill. The targeted group will be asked to spell the vocabulary. This is to
enhance the pupil memory on the vocabulary that they had learnt in order to prepare
them for the next stage.

On the second day, the focus of the technique is teaching the targeted group to
construct sentence by using the vocabulary listed previously. The same comic strip
used in the first day will be pasted on the board. Before the session start, pupils will be
asked to spell the vocabulary individually. After that a word table would be pasted in
which case it categorized it into groups, who (people/subject found in the comic strip),
what (the action and object), where (place) and when (possible time the scene take
places in the comic strip). In this step, new vocabularies are introduce to the pupils
which is people or subject, time and place setting of the comic strip will be
brainstormed with the pupils. This categorization is to facilitate the pupils for the next
step of constructing sentence. The word table also helps the targeted group in
recognizing simple sentence structure, which is subject-verb-object (SVO), clearly. It
will easily let pupils to choose vocabulary they want and construct a sentence with it.

After categorizing the vocabulary, the pupils will be guided in constructing

sentence. The pupils will be required to refer to the picture and the word table in the
process in order to make it meaningful and related to the sentences based on the comic
strip. Few examples will be given by the teacher so that pupils will understand the
function of the vocabulary listed and sorted in the process. In this step, the teacher will
emphasizes on the mechanism of writing which is capitalization and punctuation. The
pupils will also be indirectly introduced to present continuous tense and SVO sentence
pattern through the use of examples given. Lastly pupils will ask to construct two or
more sentence based on their proficiency level.
After the first cycle of the action research during my practicum, the result
showed that further modification has to be made in order to adapt to the need of the
targeted group so they could achieved good quality in writing. There are arrows drawn
from the comic strip to show the action vocabulary in the script. The first cycle was
very messy and confusing for the student. It has to be systematic but what I see was
unsystematic and disorganized. Apart from that, the result showed pupils are not wisely
able to choose correct vocabulary for making a sentence based on a comic strip. The
incorrect choices of verb and adjectives was shown because the pupils could not
available to differentiate the incorrect choice of verbs also showed that the pupils are
not able to differentiate the word class of the vocabulary under what category
(actions and object)

To refine it, one of the modifications was made for the second cycle is
labelling action dictionary in alphabets table. This is to ensure the student to be more
organized when they have a brainstorming session with the pupils. The comic strip will
also be crowded with markers that my confused the target groups. With the action
labelled in alphabets tables and numbered objects the brainstorming session can be
conducted more systematically. In addition, the pupils can also easily refer to the
labelled and numbered vocabulary to aid them in their writing process.
Another modification will be done on the second day of the implementation
which is using different colors in writing the subjects, verbs and object vocabulary
when categorizing them in the word table. This allows the teacher to explain to the
pupils the sentence pattern that they expected to write in the next step more clearly.
The color-coded vocabulary in the right position of the sentence structure SVO so
that the sentences constructed will be more comprehensible and meaningful with
minimal grammatical error so that it will not affect the meaning and the idea of the
sentences hugely.
After two cycles, a test will be given to the targeted group. The test will be
held the same time with the vocabulary introduced in the two cycles. The group will be
given a test paper containing comic strips. The target group will ask to spell eight
numbered object in the picture. Afterwards they are required to construct four
sentences by using seven numbered objects meaningfully and related to the picture.
5.2 Data Collection
Observation

Data Triangulation

Document Analysis

Interviews

In order to support this research, qualitative data will be used to analyze the
findings. Three data collection methods that are going to be used are observation,
document analysis and interviewed.

5.2.1 Observation
The first data collection for this action research is observation. Observation
plays an important role in this intervention as it will provide me a better insight on how
pupils respond to the technique used in helping them to develop their vocabulary to
improve their writing skill. During implementation, and observation sheet as Table 5.1
below will be used. Another teacher trainee will also be observing the implementation
to get the extra insight and giving extra input for me.

Table 5.1 Obeservation during Implementation

Comic Strip
Date:
First day
Target Group Vocabulary
Remembered
Repertoire

Vocabulary

Time:
Second Day
Ability to use vocabulary in
sentence construction

Able to spell

Unable to spell

Introduced

Yes
*Sentence
constructed

No
*Sentence
is constructed

is

comprehensible not
and meaningful

comprehensible
and meaningful

After the implementation, a journal will be written. The aspects that will be
focus in the journal are the targets group responses to the task and the improvement
shown before and after introduction of Comic Strips. At the end of this
implementation, all of the aspects will be analyzed in terms of the difference shown by
the pupils between two cycles.

5.2.2 Interviews
An interview will be conducted with the targeted group. It will be conducted
after two cycles of action research have been conducted. The interview will be done in
group. It will also be done in Malay and Sarawak Malay so that pupils are able to give
their feedback since they are not fluent in English. The focus of the interview will be
on pupils perspective on the activity that was conducted whether they are able to
improve their sentence writing and develop their vocabulary. How the comic strips
help them in developing their vocabulary.

5.2.3 Document analysis

Document analysis will be a part of the data collection method. The pupils
written exercise will be taken picture and worksheet given will be collected for further
analysis on pupils improvement in their writing. An instrument as Table 5.2 will be
used in analyzing the pupils products to get a better insight on the results of the action
research.