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Tabel 1. The Schedule of the Research
This research was conducted at the third grade of SD Negeri Kalimacan, Kalijambe, Sragen in academic year 20092010. This class consists of 25 students.
They are 11 boys and 14 girls. Most of their parents work as farmers. Besides, like
the characteristics of other children, the children in this class love to play and talk to each other.
The reason in choosing the third grade as the subject of the research was because of their low vocabulary mastery, whereas the third grade is an
important step in the learning process at the elementary school.
B. The Method of the Research
The research was conducted as a classroom action research. It was conducted in collaboration with the English teacher of SD Negeri Kalimacan,
Kalijambe, Sragen in order to improve students’ vocabulary mastery using
contextual teaching and learning.
1. The Definition of Action Research
There are some definitions of action research proposed by experts. Wallace 1998: 4 states that action research is a way of reflecting on your
teaching or teacher-training, or management of an english department, or whatever it is you do in ELT. It is done by sistematically collecting data on your
5. 6.
7. Thursday, 4
th
March 2010 Thursday, 11
th
March 2010 Friday, 12
th
March 2010 07.15 a.m
– 08.25 a.m 07.15 a.m
– 08.25 a.m 07.15 a.m
– 08.00 a.m Cycle 2
Cycle 2 Post
– Test 2
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everyday practice and analysing it in order to come to some decisions about what your future should be.
Kemmis in Hopkins, 1993: 44 defines action research as: “... A form of self reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social
including educational situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of a their own social or educational practices, and, b their
understanding of these practice, and c the situation ins in which the practices are carried out. It is most rationally empowering when
undertaken by participants collaboratively, though it is often undertaken
by individual, and sometimes cooperation with „outsiders’. In education, action research has been employed in school based curriculum
development, professional development, school improvement programs, and systems planning and policy development.
Burns 1999: 30 says that action research is the application of fact finding to practical problem solving in social situation with view to improve the
quality of action within involving the collaboration and cooperation of researchers, practitioners and laymen. Bodgan and Biklen in Burns, 1999: 30
propose action research as the systematic collection of information that is designed to bring about social change.
Rapopot in Hopkins 1993: 42 says that action research …aims to
contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to the goals of social science by joint collaboration within a mutually
acceptable ethical framework. Mason and Bramble 1997: 42 say that action research is a research
which is designed to uncover effective ways of dealing with real world problems. The research is not confined to a particular methodology or paradigm. It may
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utilize qualitative or quantitative methodology or a mixture of both. Action research is distinguished more by attention than methodology.
Based on the definitions above, this action research is self reflected inquiry conducted by teacher researcher in the teaching-learning environment, to
gather information about the ways a teacher teach and how well their students learn
with view to improve the quality of teaching and learning process. This action research will be conducted in order to improve the students’ vocabulary
mastery by using contextual teaching and learning, develop teacher’s creativity in teaching vocabulary and improve teacher’s professionalism in teaching English. It
is also expected that the research effects positive change of the social and educational situation on the third grade class.
2. The Characteristics of Action Research
