USING SUBJECT PRONOUNS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA (SPIM) TO IMPROVE YEAR FOUR REMEDIAL PUPILS ACCURACY IN USING SUBJECT PRONOUNS

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Collection of Action Research Articles (TESL) 2017

141 USING SUBJECT PRONOUNS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA (SPIM) TO IMPROVE

YEAR FOUR REMEDIAL PUPILS‟ ACCURACY IN USING SUBJECT PRONOUNS TAN VI LER

MADAM ROSEMARY ANAK LAYAT PISMP TESL (SJKC) JANUARY 2014 INTAKE

viler_tan@hotmail.com ABSTRACT

This action research is carried out to investigate the use of Subject Pronouns Interactive Multimedia (SPIM) to improve Year Four remedial pupils‟ accuracy in using subject pronouns. The research participants comprised five Year Four remedial pupils in a suburban primary school in the west coast of Sabah. The research objectives were to explore the strategy that helped the Year Four remedial pupils improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns and to examine the benefits of using SPIM to enhance the mastery of subject pronouns among the pupils. McNiff and Whitehead‟s action research model which consists of five disciplined and systematic stages (observe, reflect, act, evaluate and modify) was adopted. Data was collected using pupils‟

worksheets, observational checklists and semi-structured interview. Data analysis was done qualitatively using tabulation and thematic coding. Findings revealed that SPIM could help the pupils improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns. Besides, the results showed that SPIM was able to develop pupils‟ understanding on the rules of subject pronouns, infuse a lot of fun elements as well as develop pupils‟ responsiveness and attentiveness in the teaching-learning processes. Future research on this issue can look into the use of SPIM as a whole-class activity, implementation of SPIM with the lower primary pupils and modification of SPIM as a self-learning tool.

Keywords: grammar, Year Four, subject pronouns, SPIM, benefits of SPIM

INTRODUCTION

English is taught as a second language in all Malaysian schools. According to Zhang (2009), it is laudable to put grammar in the foreground in second language teaching as the knowledge of grammar is the base of English language. Vague pronoun references and pronoun agreement errors are among the most commonly occurring grammar errors in students‟ texts (Gocsik, 2005).

From my teaching experience, I realised that both Year Three and Year Four pupils had difficulties in using subject pronouns. After reflecting, I could identify three causes for the issues concerned. The prime cause is first language interference.

Grammar in Malay language caused confusion among the pupils when they learned grammar in English language lessons. Besides, the pupils had less chance to practise English. They were only in touch with English during English language lessons.

Additionally, I often used mechanical drilling in teaching grammar. This caused boredom and demotivation among the pupils.

Based on my readings and teaching experience, I found out that using interactive multimedia could be one of the possible ways to overcome this problem as the pupils were attracted to the colourful illustrations and animations. They could also have direct contact with multimedia. Hence, I decided to use SPIM to improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns.

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142 FOCUS OF INVESTIGATION

Problem Statement and Issues

The focus of the study is discussed in Table 1 based on the criteria of significance, relevance to school, workability and practicality.

Table 1

Discussion on focus of study Focus of

Study Discussion

Significance Subject pronouns are essential to show who is performing the action of the verb, so it is fundamental to use them accurately.

Relevance to School

Common mistakes made by my pupils in subject pronouns include unclear references, gender errors and number errors.

Workability

Use of ICT enhances the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Workable multimedia presentation can be created using Microsoft PowerPoint as well.

Practicality SPIM is capable of being implemented as the school is equipped with ICT facilities such as LCD projectors and extension wires.

Preliminary Data

Preliminary investigation was carried out during the third phase of practicum. I first noticed the problem of subject pronouns in a writing lesson. When constructing sentences, many pupils wondered why “it” is used to refer to a handbag or a bracelet.

Next, this problem could also be identified when I taught possessive pronouns. Many pupils did not know how to link the subject of the sentence with subject pronoun.

Subsequently, I taught this grammatical item using Subject Pronouns Flashcards. The pupils were required to complete Worksheet A and their results were tabulated in Table 2.

Table 2

Pupils‟ results in Worksheet A

Grade Marks Number of Pupils Percentage (%)

A 80 - 100 4 9

B 65 – 79 14 32

C 50 – 64 21 48

D 40 – 49 3 7

E 0 – 39 2 4

Based on Table 2, I was confident that the problem of subject pronouns existed among the pupils. I selected the five pupils who got Grade D or Grade E in the worksheet as my research participants. They also revealed that they did not understand subject pronouns even though I had taught them using the flashcards because the subject pronouns were presented in an isolated manner. Evidently, Subject Pronouns Flashcards worked less effectively among the participants.

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143 Research Framework and Procedure

I applied McNiff and Whitehead‟s action research model (2006) as my research framework. I conducted one research cycle by adopting the five disciplined and systematic stages (as shown in Table 3).

Table 3

Five disciplined and systematic stages of McNiff and Whitehead‟s action research model

Stage Actions

Observe  Preliminary investigation was carried out.

 Five pupils were selected as the research participants.

Reflect

 The issue of concerned was reflected and the causes of the problem were identified.

 I decided to create SPIM, which comprised four parts (Let‟s Learn, Let‟s Enjoy, Let‟s Try and Let‟s Revise) to rectify this problem.

Act

 Three 60-minute lessons with the implementation of SPIM were carried out.

 Data was collected during the lessons.

Evaluate  The collected data was analysed to evaluate the use of SPIM in improving the participants‟ accuracy in using subject pronouns.

Modify

 The exercises and worksheets were modified by increasing the level of difficulty.

 Modifications were also made in SPIM by adding some sounds in the four parts and adjusting the speed of the video.

OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS Objectives

1) To explore the strategy that helped the Year Four remedial pupils improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns.

2) To examine the benefits of using SPIM in enhancing the mastery of subject pronouns among the pupils.

Research Questions

1) What is the strategy to improve the Year Four remedial pupils‟ accuracy in using subject pronouns?

2) What are the benefits of using SPIM to enhance the mastery of subject pronouns among the Year Four remedial pupils?

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

The five research participants were selected based on purposive sampling method.

Three of them are boys and another two are girls. They are at the age of ten. Their first language is Malay language. They come from low-income families and show lack of motivation in their studies. Their English proficiency level is low and they hardly practice English beyond the English language lessons. They also learn English at a slower rate as compared to their peers in the class.

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144 METHODOLOGY

Implementation of Action

Three lessons were carried out by implementing the strategy of SPIM. I used the same procedure (as shown in Figure 1) in every lesson except presentation stage.

Figure 1. Procedures of using SPIM in teaching subject pronouns

I first introduced the seven subject pronouns. Next, during the presentation stage of Lesson 1, the participants were guided to generalise the rules of subject pronouns by looking for the information (person, number and gender) from the pictures and sentences in “Let‟s Learn”. However, during Lesson 2 and Lesson 3, they watched and sang along with the video containing the rules in “Let‟s Enjoy”.

During practice stage, the participants took turn to do three types of exercise (Cloze, MCQ and Match) in “Let‟s Try”; each exercise was done in each lesson. During production stage, they completed the worksheets individually. I had prepared three worksheets; one for each lesson. I checked their answers on the spot and they corrected their mistakes. Before the lesson ended, they revised the rules by identifying the person, number and gender of the subject pronouns in “Let‟s Revise”.

Data Collection Methods Document Analysis

I collected the data using pupils‟ worksheets. According to Stringer (2004), samples of pupils‟ work are a wonderful resource for providing highly informative, concrete visual information. In this research, worksheets were administered after every lesson for assessment purpose. Hence, I collected all the completed worksheets and recorded the participants‟ results.

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145 Observation

I carried out observation to collect the relevant data as teachers are the active participant observers of their teaching practice (Mills, 2014). Nevertheless, I should know exactly what I want to observe during the lessons. Thus, I prepared an observational checklist which listed out the aspects that I was going to focus on during observation. I also videotaped the process and the video recordings aided me in filling in the checklists.

Semi-Structured Interview

I conducted semi-structured interview to interview the participants after all three lessons were carried out. There were five questions being asked and they responded in Malay language. I audio taped the conversation so that I would not miss out any information. I also observed their non-verbal language. After that, I translated their responses into English language.

Data Analysis Methods Tabulation

I used tabulation to analyse the participants‟ results in the worksheets. Summarising and presenting data in tabular form aids in data reduction through careful data display (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2011). Therefore, the participants‟ results in the worksheets were presented in table form so that I could compare and contrast the participants‟ performance with ease.

Thematic Coding

Thematic coding was used to analyse the data collected from observing and interviewing the participants. Burns (2010) suggested that thematic coding enables researcher to identify similar information. I identified the similar responses from the observational checklists and interview feedback. The information was then coded into four themes which answered my research questions.

Data Interpretation Method

I used triangulation to interpret and validate my findings. Researchers often employ triangulation to check the accuracy of the research as the information draws on multiple sources, individuals or processes (Creswell, 2012). I collected my data through document analysis, observation and interview. I then analysed the data qualitatively using tabulation and thematic coding. The data could be triangulated as it came from various sources. The evidence would not show biasness because it came from both teacher and participants. In this regard, more convincing and trustworthy findings could be provided.

FINDINGS

Strategy to Improve Pupils‟ Accuracy in Using Subject Pronouns Implementation of SPIM

SPIM was able to help the participants improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns. Based on Figure 2, the participants‟ average marks increased greatly throughout the four worksheets. They could get better results in the subsequent worksheets even though the level of difficulty increased. Besides, the participants gave positive responses during interview. They believed that they had improved in the usage of subject pronouns after going through three lessons with the implementation of SPIM.

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146 Figure 2. Research participants‟ improvement in subject pronouns

Benefits of SPIM

Development of Pupils‟ Understanding

SPIM helped the participants develop their understanding of the rules of subject pronouns. Figure 3 proves that the participants showed positive development in understanding the rules of subject pronouns after learning this grammatical item through SPIM. They had grasped the rules, so they were able to remember and apply the rules when doing worksheets. During interview, they were also able to list the rules of different subject pronouns.

Figure 3. Development of research participants‟ understanding on the rules of subject pronouns

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147 Infusion of Fun Elements

SPIM had an infusion of fun elements which attracted the participants in learning subject pronouns. Referring to Figure 4, the participants smiled, grinned or laughed when watching the video and they sang along with the video excitedly. Furthermore, they enjoyed doing the exercises on the laptop and they waited eagerly for their turns to click or type the answers. They also responded positively towards SPIM during interview. All of them liked SPIM very much as there were many fun elements in it.

Figure 4. Infusion of fun elements

Development of Pupils‟ Responsiveness and Attentiveness

SPIM developed the participants‟ responsiveness and attentiveness during the lessons with the implementation of SPIM. Figure 5 shows that the participants became more responsive and attentive instead of getting bored or demotivated even though they had gone through three lessons with the same strategy. They also became more attentive and independent when doing worksheets. Moreover, during the interview, the participants revealed that they had participated more in the lessons with the implementation of SPIM as compared to other teaching-learning processes in the classroom because they had the chance to use laptop in learning.

Figure 5. Development of research participants‟ responsiveness and attentiveness in the lessons

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148 DISCUSSION

Strategy to Improve Pupils‟ Accuracy in Using Subject Pronouns Implementation of SPIM

SPIM was the strategy that could help the participants improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns. English language learners usually have a positive attitude towards ICT especially in the process of learning this language (Shalini Jayanthi & Vijay Kuma, 2016). By incorporating ICT in the lessons, the participants were more motivated in learning. Let‟s Learn enabled them to generalise the rules. Let‟s Enjoy gave them opportunity to enjoy the video. Let‟s Try allowed them to do different exercises on the laptop. Let‟s Revise enabled them to revise the rules. Each part of SPIM played an equally important role which helped the participants in learning subject pronouns.

Benefits of SPIM

Development of Pupils‟ Understanding

SPIM developed the participants‟ understanding on the rules of subject pronouns.

Corder (1973) as cited in Celce-Murcia (2001) suggested that a combination of deductive and inductive approaches produces the best result in grammar teaching.

Subject pronouns were taught inductively when the participants derived the rules from the sample sentences containing the target forms. The rules that learners discover for themselves will fit their existing mental structures, which in turn make the rules more memorable (Thornbury, 1999). Meanwhile, subject pronouns were taught deductively in the video as the rules were presented explicitly. This approach gets straight to the point, so it allows more time for application (Thornbury, 1999).

Infusion of Fun Elements

SPIM had an infusion of fun elements. According to Bass (2000), interactive multimedia is an effective and powerful tool in education. It can create a fun learning environment and provide a more engaging learning experience to the pupils. In this research, SPIM was created based on the pupils-centred approach which catered to needs and interests of the participants. Different media such as text, graphics, moving images, audio and video were integrated into SPIM so as to attract their attention in learning.

Several parts were also designed in SPIM so that they could engage in various activities.

Development of Pupils‟ Responsiveness and Attentiveness

SPIM developed the participants‟ responsiveness and attentiveness in the lessons.

According to Weimer (2014), teachers should use a variety of instructional approaches to develop pupils‟ attentiveness in the teaching-learning process. SPIM was able to provide the participants with more chances to take part in the activities as it possessed the features of interactivity and user control over the delivery of information. Apart from interacting with the teacher and among themselves, the participants could interact with SPIM by clicking on the mouse or typing on the keyboard. In addition, SPIM managed to transform them to active participants as they were given alternatives to make decision in the learning process under my guidance.

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149 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

I have three suggestions for further research. First of all, it is recommended that SPIM is carried out as a whole-class activity so that the other pupils can improve in the usage of subject pronouns. SPIM is also suggested to be implemented with the Year Three pupils so that they can build a strong foundation in grammar. Moreover, SPIM can be modified as a self-learning tool so that the participants can become independent learners.

CONCLUSION

SPIM was the strategy that helped the research participants improve their accuracy in using subject pronouns. The benefits of SPIM in enhancing the mastery of subject pronouns among the participants include 1) development of pupils‟ understanding, 2) infusion of fun elements, and 3) development of pupils‟ responsiveness and attentiveness.

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