DRAFT OF THESIS

Name : Syahfriati
Reg. Number : 20401107214
Faculty : Tarbiyah and Teaching Science
Department : English Education Department
Title :Improving the Vocabulary Mastery of the Ninth Grade
Students through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy at SMP
Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar
Consultant I : Dra. Hj. Mardiana.,M.Hum.
Consultant II : Dra. Nurjannah Yunus Tekeng., M.Ed.

A. Background

Vocabulary is one of the primary challenges faced students who learning

English as a foreign language. Since most of students still cannot understand what

they read or communicate with English language. The case relates of ninth grade

students at SMP Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar. Some students do not know the

meaning of words; therefore they have difficulty in explaining content of a text. They

also cannot reply a greeting well.

There are some aspects that make those students have low vocabulary. First,

they infrequently read an English text. Second, they do not feel like opening or

bringing a dictionary. Third, they rarely apply their vocabulary in their life. Fourth

the class climate do not support.

Those problems should be overcome as soon as possible because it will cause

further problems. For example, the students are not interested to study English. They

cannot attain the based competence standard in the syllabus and the students can gain

difficulty to pass an examination.

Accordingly, function of teachers as facilitator takes steps. The teachers

should create an interesting environment in learning. One of ways is using

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appropriate strategy. There are many strategies that can be used by teachers

nowadays and Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy merits attention.

Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy is developed by M.R. Haggard in 1982.

In this technique, students are required to choose a word in a text split out by a

teacher. The word has to important to each student. Then, a student explains why his

or her group chooses the word and what his or her group suggests about the word.

After that, students record their words in vocabulary notebooks, and the teacher

plans follow-up activities to provide additional learning experiences with the chosen

words (Ruddell,2005:167).
The brief description of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy steps above can

be concluded that this strategy encourages independent learning by allowing students

to self-select word to be studied. Besides that, selected words are important by

students, otherwise those words will abridge to be memorized. In addition, this

strategy directly relates with reading, thereby not only students vocabulary is

improved but also their knowledge is increased.

Based on the previous description, the researcher is interested to investigate

Improving the Vocabulary Mastery of the Ninth Grade Students through

Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy at SMP Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar

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B. Problem Statement

Based on the previous background, the researcher formulates problem

statement: To what extent does Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy improve the

students vocabulary mastery?

C. Objective of Research

Based on the problem statement previously, the researcher intends to find out

the extent of Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy can improve students vocabulary

mastery.

D. Significance of the Research

The findings of the research will serve as a source of information about a

strategy to improve students vocabulary and a positive contribution to the English

teacher and learner for teaching who concern about the language teaching and the

language process. Through Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy, students will get

excited about learning and actively seek knowledge because this strategy is

playfulness. For the reason that, the research is compatible to be carried out at SMP

Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar that the students require assorted strategy to enrich

their vocabulary.
E. Scope of the Research

This research is restricted to three different focuses. First, in terms of

discussion subject, this research is under the area of applied linguistics as it is in the

area of language teaching methodology in learning languages. Second, it focuses on

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the use a vocabulary self-collection strategy for improving students vocabulary. The

vocabulary will be spotlight to verb as part of word. Third, this research will be

performed at ninth grade students of SMP Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar

F. Operational Definition of Terms

McArthur (1992:1090) states that vocabulary comes from Latin,

vocabularium, a list of vocabulary words. Furthermore, Moss, et al (2008:18) notes

word mastery implies reaching a level of verbal ability at which you can both

recognize and comprehend words and use them frequently and appropriately. Judy S

Richardson, Raymond F Morgan and Charlene Fleener defines (2011:198)

Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy is a cooperative vocabulary activity that allows

both teachers and students to share word they wish to learn and remember.
G. Method of the research

1. Research Design

The method that will be used in this research is quasi-experimental

design in which two groups of students are involved. They are experimental

and controlled group. Pre-test will be administered before treatment and post-

test will be done after treatment to measure the treatment effect.

E: O1 X1 O2
C: O1 O2

(Suryabrata, 2009:102)
Notes:

E = an experimental group
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C = a control group
O1 = pre-test
O2 = post-test
X1 = treatment by using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

X2 = treatment by using conventional way (verbal explanation)

2. Population and Sample

a. Population

The population of this research is the ninth grade students at SMP

Islam Darul Hikmah Makassar in academic 2011-2012. It consists of

three parallel classes. They are IXA, IXB, and IXC. The number of

population is ..

Number of Student
Class %
(N)
X1
X2
X3
Total 100

b. Sample
The researcher will use the systematic random sampling;

therefore, sample of the research will be consisted students. Then,

those students will be divided into two groups; .. students as an

experimental group and students as controlled group.

The researcher will use the purposive sampling technique because

of considering the time limit and financial supports. In this case, the

researcher will choose two classes among three classes. Preferred classes
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are classes where the students have low vocabulary achievement based on

pre-test result.

The researcher will apply purposive sampling. There are some

considerations so the researcher chooses purposive sampling. First is

limitation of time and financial by the researcher and students. Because of

having a long way distance between students homes and school, students

need vehicles to go schools. Applying purposive sampling, the students

have to not

3. Research Variable

This research has two variables. The dependent variable of this

research is the students vocabulary mastery (Y) and the independent

variable is the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy (X).

4. Instrument of Research

The instrument used in collecting data is writing test. The test uses as

pre-test and post-test. The pre-test is used to find out the students prior

knowledge on English vocabulary before they are given a treatment, while

the post-test is used to know the students achievement on English

vocabulary mastery after giving treatment.

5. Procedure of Collecting Data

The procedure by using Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy will be

described as follow:

1. Pre-test
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The researcher will do an observation at school. It intends to know the

students prior knowledge in vocabulary mastery. Then, the researcher

will explain about Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy.

2. Treatment
The researcher will teach vocabulary by Vocabulary Self-Collection

strategy as follows:
1) Students are divided into small group and split out a text.
2) After reading, student groups will be asked to find a word that they

would like to study or learn more. Students are to be prepared to:

a. Identify the word in context
b. Tell where they found it in the context
c. Tell what they think the word means
d. Tell why they think the word is important to the topic and should

be on the class vocabulary list.

3) The group appoints one student to act as a leader whose role is to

keep the discussion moving as they focus their talk on the words they

have selected.
4) The group leader uses the group chart to record the word.
5) After the small group discussion, the teacher brings the groups

together for a class discussion.

(Ruddel,180:2005)
3. Post-test
The researcher will apply post-test to find out value of the

treatment. The aim of post-test is to compare the students achievement

before getting treatment and after getting treatment.

6. Technique of Data Analysis

In analyzing the data, the researcher employs some steps as follows:

1. Scoring the students correct answer of pre-test and post-test

a. Multiple choice test

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W
S 1= R
n1

b. True-false
S 2= R W

c. Completion
S 3= R

d. Matching test
S 4= R

Notation:
S = Score
R = The sum of right answer
W = The sum of wrong answer
n = The total options
(Purwanto, 2009: 64-67)
2. Total Scoring the students correct answer of pre-test and post-test
Total score = S1 + S2 + S3 + S4

(Purwanto, 2009:68)

3. Calculating the rate percentage of the students scores

R
x 100
P = MS

Notation:
p = percentage
R = raw score
MS = maximum score
(Purwanto, 2009:102)
4. Classifying the student score into following criteria:
The mean score of the students is classified into five levels as follows:

NO Rate of Percentage Correction Categories

1 86 100 % Very Good
2 76 85 % Good
3 60 75 % Fair
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4 55 59 % Poor
5 < 54 % Very Poor
(Purwanto, 2009:103)
5. Calculating the mean score of two tasks (pre-test and post-test) by using

the mean formula as follows:

X
X
N

Notation:
X = The mean or arithmetic average of the score
X = The sum of all score
N = The total number of subjects
(Gay, et al 2006: 320)

6. Finding out the standard deviation of the students pre-test and pos-test by

applying this formula :

( X ) 2 ( X ) 2
SS1 = X12 N1 SS2 = X22 N2

s.d1 = SS 1
N1 s.d2 = SS 2
N2
Notation:
SS1= Sum of square of experimental group
SS2= Sum of square of control group
X12 = The sum of scores of experiment group
X22 = The sums of scores of control group
N1 = Number of students of experimental group
N2 = Number of students of controlled group
S.d1= Standard deviation of experimental group
S.d2= Standard deviation of controlled group
(Gay, et al, 2006:349)
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7. The writer use t-test to know whether there is significant different

between the two groups before and after giving the treatment, t-test

including as follows:
t=

Notation:
SS1 = the sum of the square of experimental group
= the sum of the square of control group
SS2
n1 = the total number of students of experimental group
n2 = The total number of students of control group
X1 = mean score of experimental group
X2 = Mean score of control group

(Gay, et al, 2006:349)

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