Cycle 1 Improving students' ability in using prepositions of place through total physical response (TPR) (a classrom action research at first grade of SMPN 10 kota Tangerang selatan)

1. Cycle 1

a. Planning

In this phase, the writer and the teacher made plan for each action based on the problems faced by the students in prepositions of place. First, arranging the action that would be done, in this case, the teacher and the writer decided to do two actions in every cycle. Second, preparing the lesson plan used TPR. It included the students‟ activities in each action. Third, preparing the media to support TPR. Fourth, preparing the observation sheet to observe the students ‟ and the teachers‟ activities in teaching learning process. It was used to see whether the action was in line with the lesson plan had made before or not. Fifth was preparing the post test 1 to collect the data; to know whether there are some students‟ improvement scores from pretest and posttest.

b. Acting

There were two actions in cycle 1. In this case, the writer and the teacher collaborated to implement the planned action. The teacher used TPR when he was teaching, meanwhile the writer observed the class condition. The first action of the cycle 1 was done on Wednesday January 12 th 2011. The teacher did the teaching learning process referring to the lesson plan. The teacher chose dialogue as the material at that time. First, before starting the activities, the teacher explained about the method used in teaching and learning process as briefly as possible. Because the students were in the beginning level, she explained in two ways, the students‟ native language and English as the target language. It was hoped to make the students had some ideas about what they had to do. She also provided some teaching aids to help students to know what they were going to demonstrate the activities. In starting the activities, the teacher demonstrate the activity of body movements that contain prepositions of place by using command. The examples of the commands given were “put your book on the table, sit down beside your friends , put your pen in your bag, stand up in front of your class, etc”. The teacher asks volunteers to pay attention very well. The teacher explained the procedures to volunteers and uttered some commands related to prepositions of place by performing them slowly and clearly. Second, the teacher repeated each commands for several times and then asked for volunteers to respond physically. If they could not do it, he performed it again so they could perform it like what she did. The rest of the students watched them. The teacher said a command containing the prepositions of place. The examples of the commands given were “put your book on the table, sit down beside your friends, put your pen in your bag, stand up in front of your class, etc”. Students respond to teacher commands through physical action. The teacher helped the students when they got difficulties in practicing the commands‟ teacher. The teacher checked the students at a glance. Does the body movement done by the students are correct in what are instructed by teacher. Third, the teacher gave handout to the students; the handout contained a dialogue text related to prepositions of place. The teacher played the tape containing the dialogue about prepositions of place. Students listened carefully and answered the points contained in the conversation. The teacher and students discussed together to answer the blanks contained in the conversation. See Appendix 1: 54-58 The second action of the cycle 2 was done on Friday, January 14 th 2011. Basically, in second action, the method of TPR was same as the previous action. The differences were the teacher focused on verb and other prepositions. First, the teacher gaved motivation to the students. The teacher helped the students to memorize the previous lesson by giving some questions. The teacher repeated the earlier material. Second, the teacher distributed handouts containing about prepositions of place. The teacher asks the students to do the exercises. The teacher and discuss joint exercises. The teacher asks to the students to enter their practice questions into their bag. The teacher gives the command of prepositions of place related with exercise they do. Then students respond to what was instructed by the teacher. The teacher checked the students at a glance. Does the body movement done by the students are correct in what are instructed by teacher. Third, the teacher asked to students‟ difficulties for teaching and learning activities. Concluded the lesson. And closed the lesson. See Appendix 2: 59-64

c. Observing

During the implementation of the teaching and learning process to improve students‟ ability in using prepositions of place through TPR method, the writer did the observation. The observation of cycle 1 was conducted in each action. The observer tried to notice all the activities in the physical classroom activity. In this case, the writer did the observation towards implementation of the action using checklist. The 1 st observation was done on Wednesday January 12 th 2001. In this phase, the writer observed not only the teacher‟s performance, but also the students‟ behavior during the teacher implemented the TPR method in teaching learning process. Related to the teacher‟s performance. As a whole, he had accomplished the task in line with the lesson plan had been made. He did the TPR method well. He also could encourage the students to follow his instruction, although not all of the students were excited. Some students still looked sleepy and chatted with his her friends. However, the teaching learning process was still under control as the whole. See Appendix 5.a: 75 6.a: 79 The 2 nd observation was done on Friday, January 14 th 2011. Basically, in 2 nd action, the implementing of TPR in the classroom was same as the previous action. The difference was the teaching learning activity focused on multiple choice exercise. The teacher was good in giving instruction to the students how to do the tasks. The students did not cheat or make some noise with their friends. The teacher together with the students disscussed the tasks well. The teacher apllied the TPR in the middle the tasks were discussed together. The teacher gave some questions and the students answered the teacher‟s questions. At last of the teaching learning activity, the teacher gave posttest 1 and the students did it very well. There was not cheating anymore. See Appendix 5.b: 76 6.b: 80

d. Reflecting

In this phase, the teacher and the writer discussed about the conclusion of implementing the action. They analyzed the students‟ achievement and progress based on their post test 1 score. Then, they tried to modify the action in order to make the students more comprehend of prepositions of place in sentences and in order to get 75 of the students in the class could pass the KKM 70 of the students who passed the KKM. Besides, they also tried to modify the teaching material in the lesson plan to be more interesting, so the students would be more excited to follow the lesson. Next, the teacher and the writer had to still reflect the improper implementation of TPR. Here the writer gave her perception of the teaching learning process. Then, the writer gave some solutions to solve the problems. First, the teacher still had difficulties in implementing TPR in the class. In this case, the writer suggested to the teacher to discuss some minutes before teaching learning process in implementing TPR. Second, in giving the explanation, the teacher was not clear enough and sometimes too fast, it made some students confused. To solve this problem, the writer suggested giving explanation more clearly and slowly. Third, the students should be encouraged to think critically. The suggestion was the teacher had to give more persuasion questions to the students, and then they had to analyze the teacher‟s questions well. From the reflecting phase above, there must be efforts to improve students‟ ability in using prepositions of place through TPR, although there was significant improvement in pretest and posttest of cycle 1. It had to be improved again in the next cycle.

2. Cycle 2