THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING WORD CATEGORIZATION METHOD IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING WORD CATEGORIZATION

METHOD IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY

ACHIEVEMENT AT SMPN 1 SEPUTIH SURABAYA

MUHAMMAD BIMA SURYA KESUMA

A Script

Submitted in a Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for S-1 Degree

The Department of Language and Arts Education The Faculty of Teacher Training and Education

UNIVERSITY OF LAMPUNG

BANDAR LAMPUNG

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i ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING WORD CATEGORIZATION METHOD IN IMPROVING

STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT

Vocabulary takes an important role in the context of learning new language. It is needed to form and to understand a sentence. Although someone has good ability in grammar but he does not master enough vocabulary, it will be useless. Many people realize that their limitation in vocabulary have made them difficult in expressing their ideas. Therefore, it is very important to know the words or vocabularies of English when we are going to learn English. The objective of the research was to find whether Word Categorization Method could significantly improve students’ achievement in learning vocabulary especially for the eighth grade students. The design of this research was Quasi-experimental reseacrh design . The population of the research was the second grade students of SMPN 1 Seputih Surabaya. The experimental class was 8E and the tryout class was 8D. The result of pretest and posttest were compared to see the significance. SPSS was used to see the significance level. It showed that the significance was less than 0.05. It means that the result of teaching and learning process before and after using the Words Categorization Method is not identical.Therefore, it can be said that the use of Word Categorization Method in teaching and learning process is effective enough to increase students’ vocabulary achievement

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LIST OF APPENDICES

1. The example of tryout Test ... 53

2. Answer key of Tryout Test ... 56

3. The example of Pretest ... 57

4. Key answer of Pretest and Posttest ... 59

5. Lesson Plan and Media ... 60

6. The example of Posttest ... 69

7. Distribution of students’ score in Tryout Test ... 71

8. Level of difficulty and discrimination power ... 72

9. Validity and reliability of Tryout test ... 73

10. Students’ gain score ... 76

11. r table (Simple Correlation Coefficient) ... 77

12. Result of data after been analysed by using SPSS ... 78

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I.INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Problem

Vocabulary takes an important role in the context of learning new language, the richer vocabularies that have been mastered, the easier the learners can express their ideas and understand other peoples’ talk. Vocabulary is needed to form and to understand sentences. Thornburry (2002:13) concluded the importance of learning vocabulary by saying that without grammar very little could be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing could be conveyed. Indirectly he said that vocabulary is more important than grammar. What has been said by Thornburry is true. Although someone has good ability in grammar but does not master enough vocabulary, it is going to be useless.

Many people realize that their limitation in vocabulary has made them difficult in expressing their idea. If someone does not know or understand the vocabulary, there are definitely many things that cannot be understood in the science of language. McCharty and O’dell (2007) said that although people have already known hundreds of English words, but to speak and to write in normal situations, they need at least 1-2.000 words. Therefore, it is very important to know the words or vocabulary of English when we are going to learn English.

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Some research has been done by those who interact in teaching vocabulary. The result of Nisa’s (2012:2) observation and interview with the fifth grade students of an elementary schoool in Bandung found that vocabulary is their main problem in learning English. Other researchers find almost the same problem. Herawati (2006:2) finds that the difficulty of the students of SMP Muhammadiyah 3 Bandar Lampung in understanding the sentences and texts is because of lacking vocabulary. Both of them try to solve the problem in vocabulary by teaching it by using picture. The result of their research actually can increase students’ achievement in vocabulary. The increase can be seen from the score of the two method: the conventional method and the method that was applied by Nisa and Herawati. It showed that the score of the students was higher when they were taught by using picture ( the media that was used by Nisa and Herawati)

If the conventional method is contrasted with their method, the result is lower because the students remain passive and lack of motivation to learn since they just memorize the words, which are taught by the teacher. The teacher just gives them the meaning or equivalent of the words in the source of language. The result of the conventional technique is usually the target language was very little to be used in teaching learning process, most of them taken up with their mother tongue. As the result, it makes the students become bored in learning English because it does not motivate them and also makes them become passive students in teaching and learning process which affect the result of their achievement. Therefore, they can conclude that their method can increase the students’ achievement in vocabulary.

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Dealing with the background above, the researcher tried to modify the method that had been used. The researcher combined picture with the researcher own method. This teaching method was called word categorization method. Therefore, before explaining further about Word Categorization Method, the researcher is willing to explain why it is called as method. Firstly, the researcher wants to give the definition about approach, method, procedure and technique. The definitions are taken from Harmer’s book (2001:78).

Approach: this refers to theories about the nature of language and language learning that serves as the source of practices and principles in language teaching. An approach describes how language is used and how its constituent parts interlock – in other words it offers a model of language competence. An approach describes how people acquire their knowledge of the language and make statements about the conditions which will promote successful language learning. Method: a method is the principal realization of an approach. The originators of a method have arrived at decisions about types of activities, roles of teachers and learners, the kinds of material which will be helpful, and some model of lesson plan. Methods include various procedures and techniques as part of their standard fare.

Procedure: a procedure is an ordered sequence of techniques. For example, a popular dictation procedure starts when students are put in small groups. Each group then sends one representative to the front of the class to read (and remember) the first line of a poem which has been placed on a desk there. Each student then goes back to their respective group and dictates that line. Each group

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then sends a second student up to read the second line. The procedure continues until one group has written the whole poem.

Technique: is a concrete way that is used when the method is applied in the learning process. The teacher can change the technique in the same method. One method can be applied in any different techniques.

Based on the definition above, it can be said that Word Categorization is a method. The researcher conclude that word categorization as a method instead of approach, procedure, or technique because in the application of word categorization, the researcher has arrived at decisions about types of activities, the kind of material and also lesson plan. Besides that, why the researcher uses the term „categorization’ rather than classification is because in this method, the students divide the items in the same level. No group is higher than the other groups.

In applying the method at class, the researcher used clipping picture puzzle. This media was necessary because it helped to visualize the words. The application of this media was the combination of researcher and the students’ role. Therefore, the students take more roles in the learning process. The researcher is just as the facilitator in this method. The researcher explained how to use the method after explaining the material, and the students should finish their task after that. It needed an enjoyable way to make the student feel happy and interesting in learning a vocabulary. Huang (1996: 1) came to a conclusion that "learning through games could encourage the operation of certain psychological and intellectual factors which could facilitate communication heightened self-esteem,

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motivation and spontaneity, reinforcing learning, improving intonation and building confidence. Furthermore, clipping picture puzzle could be used as media to transfer the image of the real thing. It made the students easy to memorize what they had learnt.

According to Brown and Miller (1996) that one of the key aspects of memory performance is to learn the material from the general to the specific. They liken the information that is needed to learn as books in a book shelf. If someone simply shoves in one book after the next without any kinds of organizational structure, it is going to be very difficult to find one particular book (especially if there are hundreds of these). However, if someone organize the book according to topic and subtopics within each course, then it would be easier to find one specific book which they are looking for. By explaining the vocabulary to students by categorizing words can help them think about how words are related.

In the application of Word Categorization Method, the researcher prepared the clipping picture puzzle which was suitable with the materials that were taught. The materials that were taught were simple present tense and descriptive text. There were 4 themes that were used in delivering the materials, those were: health, flora and fauna, and travelling. The selecting of those materials and themes were adapted with the curriculum for the second grade of junior high school. The classes of words that were taught had been decided too. The research more focused on three classes of words, those were: noun, verb, and adjective. Those three classes of words were selected because they were commonly used in forming sentence.

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By using Word Categorization Method that was combined with clipping picture puzzle, the researcher hoped that the students be more interested in learning English, especially in learning vocabulary, so that their vocabulary achievement would increase.

1.2 Formulation of Problem

Regarding the background above, the researcher formulated the problem of the research as follow: “can word categorization method significantly improve students’ vocabulary achievement in SMPN 1 Seputih Surabaya?”

1.3 Objective

As stated in the background and the formulation of problem, the researcher stated that the objective of the research was to know whether word categorization method could significantly improve students’ achievement in learning vocabulary especially for the eighth grade students.

1.4 Uses

In relating to the objective, therefore the uses of this research are: 1. For teachers:

a. To improve the learning method to increase students’ vocabulary achievement.

b. To increase teacher’s professionalism through the research that has been done.

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2. For schools:

a. As the consideration in taking decision of improving students’ learning achievement.

b. To increase teacher’s performance.

1.5 Scope

This research was conducted at the second grade students of SMPN 1 Seputih Surabaya on the second semester. The vocabularies that were given were about Flora and fauna, travelling and health. Besides those four themes, the researcher also gave some verbs and adjectives that related to the topic. This research focused on the implementation of Word Categorization Method for teaching vocabulary using clipping picture puzzle media.

1.6 Definition of terms

a. Word Categorization Method is the method that tries to increase students’ achievement in vocabulary by categorizing the picture based on the similarity of topic and category. For example categorize music instrument based on traditional and modern.

b. Clipping picture puzzle is the media that is used in the research. The form of this media is like a clipping where the students put the pictures based on their category.

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II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Concept of Vocabulary

There are so many general concepts of vocabulary. Manser (2010), on his book writes that vocabulary is:

a. Total number of words in a language b. Word known to a person

c. List of word with their meaning, especially at the back of a book used for teaching foreign language

Total number of words in a language means that vocabulary includes all of the words in a certain language. It is also need to be known by those who are willing to communicate with. The last, vocabulary of a foreign language should be completed with the meaning in order it can help the learners in understanding the words.

Vocabulary plays an important role when people want to communicate each other. Without vocabulary, it is impossible to make a conversation. Vocabulary is very important for the learners in learning a language. Learning language cannot be separated from vocabulary. Students who do not master a sufficient number of vocabularies are going to be fail in using language satisfactorily either in oral or

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written form. Harmer (1993:153) says that if language structure makes up skeleton of language, it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and the flesh.

Vocabulary should be mastered in language learning especially in teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Vocabulary can be presented or explained in all kinds of activities. According to Kridalaksana (1993) vocabulary represent: (1) Language component claiming all information about meaning and word usage (2) vocabulary mastery of the speaker or writer of a language. It consists of single word, complex word, compound word and idiom.

It is very important for us to learn about vocabulary. As said by Thornbury (2002:13) that without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. It means that before studying grammar, it is better for the learners to enrich their vocabulary first. In studying all language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), the learners should have enough vocabulary. It is very impossible for the learners to master those four skills if they have no vocabulary. The more vocabulary someone has, it is going to be easier to understand the utterance and writing of other people. If someone has been able to catch other people’s idea in foreign language, it is going to affect to the skills in expressing idea. However, it is not enough just to memorize the vocabulary, we have to understand it also.

Based on the statement above, it can be inferred that vocabulary is a very important part in learning languages. Without vocabulary, it is impossible for someone to communicate each other. By knowing vocabulary, someone can understand what other people talking about and it can help to understand about the

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material in teaching and learning process. It makes the learners easier to express their ideas when they have capability of vocabularies.

The vocabularies were adapted from the material of English book in the second semester of junior high school. The vocabularies that were taught in this research were nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The nouns and verbs that were taught includes three themes, they are travelling, flora and fauna, and health. The selection of the themes is adapted with the curriculum of the second grade students. Whereas those three classes of words were chosen because to make a very simple sentence, it is enough just by using three of them.

2.2 Concept of Teaching Vocabulary

According to Sardiman (2003:45) teaching is an activity to organize and to set the environment as good as possible and to connect it to the students, so the learning is going to occurs. In other word, it can be said, teaching as an effort to create conducive condition for the students to learn. In teaching vocabulary, the teacher must select the words which can be learned in limited time (once a week), which words should be chosen for teaching and which ones should be left out (Bismoko, 1976:64).It means that the selecting of vocabulary should be based on the theme and material that is still being learned.

According to Nation (1974:18), when teaching a word there are three things to be taught, those are:

1. Teaching the shape, or form of the word. 2. Teaching the meaning of the word and

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Teaching the shape or form means that the teacher should be able to visualize the word that is being explained. Besides that, the teacher should give the meaning of the word. The last statements above seem to imply that when teaching a word, the teacher must teach the students how to produce that word and the meaning of the words together. Then this research more focuses on the concept of teaching the meaning rather than the form of the word. Sometimes the students just know the vocabulary in English without knowing the meaning of the words.

Then, in teaching vocabulary, it is going to be better for the teacher to visualize the word. For example, teaching about music especially traditional music. The teacher can show the shape of Gamelan and teach how to play it. By visualizing the word, it is hoped that the students can understand and memorize it well.

Based on the ideas above, it can be said that the English teacher should teach not only the form of the words but also the meaning of the words especially the meaning of the words in the context, because if it is taught in unrelated words, it might cause misunderstanding.

For example

1. I have flat screen TV at my home 2. My brother in law lives in a flat

The two sentences above are the example of the words that have more than one meaning. In the first sentence, ‘flat’ means a surface of something whether in the second sentence, ’flat’ means a place for living. There are still many words that have more than one meaning. Therefore, it is very essential for the teacher to

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explain the words in context in order the students are not going to confuse and to misunderstand.

2.3 Concept of Teaching Method

The researcher has explained in the first chapter that word categorization is included to method. According to Harmer’s book (2001:78), method is the principal realization of an approach. The originators of a method have arrived at decisions about types of activities, roles of teachers and learners, the kinds of material that will be helpful, and some model of lesson plan. Jing Meng (2010:701) said that the traditional teaching method was a teacher centered one with learners sitting in rows facing teacher. This method makes the students cannot express their idea and makes them bored. The new method of teaching should be students centered which make the students get role as the main actor in the teaching and learning process.

The students have to be more involved in order they can feel an enjoyable situation of learning. Besides enjoying the process, the student are expected to have enough courage to show their difficulty in learning process, therefore the teacher can help to solve it. In this research, the researcher used word categorization method. This method gives big role for the students in the learning activity. Later in the application of this method, the researcher also combines it with an interesting media that is clipping picture puzzle. The researcher hopes that the combination of word categorization method and clipping picture puzzle can increase student’s vocabulary achievement.

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It is important to realize that teachers need to know different approaches and methods in delivering the lesson so that he or she can choose the one that makes teaching and learning process be more comfortable and easier for the students.

2.4 Concept of Word Categorization as a Teaching Method

In teaching vocabulary to the students especially for Junior High School students, it is important to use an interactive and entertaining method so that the students are not going to be bored and they can be more enjoy in teaching and learning process. The materials are easier to be delivered by using interesting method. One kind of the method that can be used is words categorization method.

Word categorization method is a method that helps the students in learning vocabularies. The term word here means the vocabulary that is taught to the student. The vocabulary that is taught depends on the theme and the material. Whether categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood. One idea compatible with Rosch’s family -resemblance hypothesis proposed that people learnt the characteristic features (or central tendency) of categories and used them to represent the category (Reed, 1972). According to this theory, categorization depends on the similarity. Therefore, the researcher defines the term categorization here as the categorization of vocabularies based on their characteristics. For example for flora and fauna theme, the vocabularies are divided by 2 categories that are flora and fauna, based on their kingdom. The researcher helps the students in categorizing the vocabularies.

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Therefore the student can know which one is flora member and which one is fauna member. When students participate in a word sort, they are classifying words into categories based on their prior knowledge and experience. According to Brown and Miller (1996) that one of the key aspects of memory performance is to learn the material from the general to the specific. They liken all the information that is needed to learn as books in a book shelf. If someone put one book after the next without any kind of organizational structure, it is going to be very difficult to find one particular book (especially if there are hundreds of them). However, if someone organize the book according to topic and subtopics within each course, then it would be easier to find one specific book that is being looked for. By explaining the vocabulary to students by categorizing words can help them think about how words are related.

2.4.1 Concept of Instructional Media

Learning and teaching foreign language needs patient, time, energy, creativity, and competence. The successfulness of the teaching and learning of foreign language including English is determined by a number of factors both linguistic and non-linguistic such as the students, the teacher, the methods, material and media or aids used. English teaching media is very important to help students acquire the language. There are many kinds of media that can be used by the teachers in the teaching learning process, but the teacher should be selective when choosing it. In this research, the researcher also use instructional media in a form of picture.

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In teaching learning process, pictures are usually used to help teachers to deal with task in actuating the teaching materials. The pictures that are used must suitable with the aim and the setting of the teaching and learning process. As Joshi (1959) states that visual aids are used to increase the effectiveness of classroom teaching-learning process. The image is a basic of learning of oral printed words usually mean nothing to the students until they translate them into mental image. By seeing the real image of the words that are given, the students are able to learn the words more quickly and accurately. It is quick because the words are in the forms of the interesting, not in the form of word that looks boring. In addition, it is accurate because the learners can see the real shape of the words that are given, so they are not going to be confused.

According to the statements above, it is clear that visual aids especially picture are useful to help teacher with the task of teaching language and can help the teacher to add variations, clarity and especially reality to the classroom situation. Oral printed words usually mean nothing to the students until they are translated into mental image.

Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that picture can accordingly be applied to accelerate the students’ understanding of certain words or activities than without using words Categorization method; therefore the using of words Categorization method can improve the students’ vocabulary in teaching and learning process.

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2.4.2 Concept of Clipping Picture Puzzle

Besides the method that was applied, the media that was used also took an important part in this research. The name of the media was clipping picture puzzle. As stated by Allen (1999: 107) that teachers should increase the use of concrete contexts when possible (pictures, artifacts). Clipping is the cutting activities or cutting certain sections of newspapers, magazines or other sources and then arranged in a particular system in some fields._{The researcher has} modified the clipping that was used here. The modification is in the content of the clipping itself. If commonly the contents of clipping are the articles from newspaper or magazine, but here the contents are pictures that relate with the material and the theme of the learning process. The sources are some pictures that have been prepared before by the researcher.

The next step of using it was just the same as the common clipping, arranged the picture in some categories. The pictures that were used based on the material and the themes that were taught. The themes of the picture are travelling, flora and fauna, and health. Whether the term puzzle, word puzzle comes from the English language meaning disassembly, media puzzle is a simple media played disassembly._{The researcher called the media puzzle because the student could} disassembly the picture that has been put and put other to replace it. By using picture the students know the shape, form or situation of the word that is still being discussed. They also enjoy the process of delivering it, because it is not just in a form of word but in a form of image. The using of picture media to support the word categorization method is also be caused not all vocabulary that is given

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has been seen by students. The researcher hopes that the students do not only know the vocabulary in meaning but also can explain the definition and all characteristics of the target words.

The form of clipping picture puzzle is like a clipping and the cover is made as interesting as possible. The content of this clipping is depending on the material that is given. However, the arrangement of the content is almost same in each material. This media can be said as the development of using picture media, but in this media the pictures are arranged based on their categories and put in a clipping. The arrangement of the clipping has designed by the researcher. The students just need to put the words in their categories. Indirectly the students have to know the meaning of each word before categorizing it however the way.

2.5 Teaching Procedures

In applying the method, the researcher used the following steps:

1. Dividing the class into groups of 4-5 students in each group and each of them has 1 set of blank paper (to patch the picture).

The researcher divided the class into some groups which consisted of 4-5 students in each group. The distribution of the groups’ member could be done by random way.

2. Explaining the material

The first step was the researcher explained the material that would be given. For example the material was about simple present tense. Therefore the researcher should explain the simple present first before going to the theme.

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After explaining the material the researcher gave the theme that was flora and fauna as the example.

3. Instructing the students to write some themes in different page of papers. It related to the media that was used by the researcher. Clipping picture puzzle consisted of some themes during the treatment. The themes were like having been explained before. Therefore in each meeting, the theme of the vocabulary was different depends on the material.

4. Instructing the students to categorize the picture based on their category. It became the core of word categorization method. The students categorized their picture (the pictures are the vocabulary that have been given) based on the instruction and guidance of the researcher.

5. Evaluating the result of students’ clipping

The researcher evaluated the categorization that had been done by the students. It was done with the students in order they knew the mistakes that had been made.

2.6 Advantages and disadvantages

This method helped the students to think about how words were related. The researcher gave the example of using the words in a sentences. It was done in order the students knew how to use those words. It was proved by the improvement in the students task’s in making sentences. Besides that, this method could interest and stimulated the students motivation, it was proved by the activity of the students that tended to be more active in the learning process than usual. The researcher knew it because when the researcher conducted the treatments, the

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teacher was in the class and told that. It was suitable with the theory stated by Joshi (1995) that the using of visual aid could increase the effectiveness of classroom teaching and learning process. But this method had weakness too, it was rather difficult to visualize the verb in picture.

2.7 Theoretical Assumption

There are three components of language, namely phonology, grammar, and vocabulary. Vocabulary is one important part in learning a language, because without vocabulary it can be so difficult to communicate with each other. Students who do not master a sufficient number of vocabularies are going to fail in using language satisfactorily either in oral or written form. It means that the ability to use English in daily life needs the mastery of adequate vocabulary.

In this research, the researcher focused on teaching vocabulary by using method that was called words categorization method. The researcher assumed that the representative of words categorization method in the class had some advantages. Besides, it can be more easily handled in the class and represent real thing, because the media that was used is clipping picture puzzle. Picture could also help the students to get the correct word. Therefore, it was easy to study vocabulary and improve the students’ achievement of vocabulary.

2.8 Hypothesis

Based on the frame of thinking above, the writer formulates the hypothesis as follows: There is a significant improvement of students’ vocabulary achievement after being taught by using word categorization method.

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III. RESEARCH METHOD

This research was quantitative research. And in conducting the research, the researcher used quasi experimental method. This experimental method dealt with only one group, the experimental class. The data that was obtained was number (score) that were assessed and analyzed by using statistical analysis.

3.1 Research Design

In conducting the research, the researcher used quasi experimental method. This experimental method dealt with only one group, the experimental class. The experimental class was the class which got treatments through Words Categorization Method that was presented by the researcher. The class received pre test, treatments which were done three times, and post test. The result of pre test and post test was compared to know the significant.

The design was presented as follows:

G: T1 X T2

G : Experimental class T1 : Pre-test

T2 : Post-test

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3.2 Research Population and Sample

The population of this research was the eighth grade students of SMPN I Seputih Surabaya. Because it was impossible to use the whole class as the experimental class, therefore the researcher chose one class as the experimental class. The selection of the research sample used simple random sampling. After using dice to determine the research population, the researcher got 8Eas the experimental class and 8D as the tryout class.

3.3 Data Collecting Technique

Several techniques were employed to collect the data of this study, these included: administering the pretest and posttest. Through these techniques, necessary information about the use of word categorization method was expected to be obtained. To know the validity, reliability, discrimination power and difficulty level, the researcher used try out test. The analysis of those four aspects was used in making the items for pretest and posttest. The next step was comparing means of pre test and post test to see the significance.

3.3.1 Research Instrument

The Instrument was a tool used by the writer in the research. In this research, the researcher used a test to get the data about students’ vocabulary mastery after being given the treatment. The test was about vocabulary. The vocabularies that were used in the test related to the following themes: health, travelling, flora and fauna. The number of items for pretest and posttest was just the same, that was 30 items.

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3.3.1.1 Pre – Test

Pre-test was conducted before presenting the treatments to know how far the students’ vocabulary mastery. The researcher used multiple choices because by using this test, the target vocabulary was easier to be measured. The total number of the test was thirty items. The items were based on the materials that would be taught in the class. The materials were about flora and fauna, travelling, season and health. The questions that were given were in the kinds of multiple choices. The answer was the vocabulary that related with the material. For the “health” topic, there were so many kinds of vocabulary related to it, for example oculist, surgeon, veterinarian, etc. In this research, the researcher used the pre-test to get the data about vocabulary mastery in any classes of word like noun, verb, and adjectives. The example of pretest could be seen in Appendix 3.

3.3.1.2 Post – Test

After the teaching program was done for three meetings, the posttest was conducted in order to know the progress of students’ vocabulary mastery after being taught by using Word Categorization Method in the treatments. The type of post test was multiple choices test which consisted of thirty items. The question for posttest was just the same as pretest. The different was just in the number of item that had been changed. The example of posttest items could be seen in Appendix 6.

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3.3.2 Research Procedure

This research was based on the following procedures:

3.3.2.1 Administering The Try-Out Test

It was conducted to measure the validity, reliability, difficulty level and discrimination power of the items that would be used in pretest and posttest and to make sure whether the test was good or bad for students. The test was tried out to the students whose level is equal to the sample of the research. In this case, it had been chosen 8D. It was administered to find out the quality of the test before it was used, whether the items were good or not in validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and the discrimination power. This exam used multiple choice test consisted of 40 items to be done in 80 minutes. The maximum score was 100.

3.3.2.2 Administering The Pre-Test

Pretest was the test that was done after the tryout test. After the items in try out test were analyzed, the items would be repaired to be used in pretest. The researcher administered the pre test in order to find out the students’ basic ability before treatments. The subject of pretest was the experimental class that was 8E. In this test, the researcher asked students to do the objective test that consisted of thirty items.

3.3.2.3 Conducting Treatments

Treatments were the application of the method that was used by the researcher in the class. Treatments were done after conducting pretest. It was done in order the

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researcher could compare the result before and after conducting the treatments. In this case the treatments conducted in three meetings. It required eighty minutes for each meeting. In each treatment, there were different sub topics that were presented. The themes that were used are health, flora, fauna, and travelling. The selecting of the themes was adapted with the grade of the students in experimental class and the curriculum of the recent textbooks.

3.3.2.4 Administering The Post Test

The post test administered after treatments. This test was used to know whether the treatments could significantly improve students’ vocabulary achievement or not. In this test, the students were asked to do the multiple choice test that consisted of thirty items. The items were not different with the items that were used in pretest item, but the researcher just changed the number of the questions.

3.3.2.5 Analyzing The Test Result (Pre Test And Post Test)

After scoring students’ work finished, the researcher compared the result of pre test and post test to see whether the score of post test higher than pre test and to see the correlation of the two items.

3.4 Try Out Test

Before the instrument used in the research, the researcher administered try out test to investigate the validity, reliability, difficulty level and discrimination power of the instrument. Try out test comprised forty multiple choice questions related to the materials. The test materials were adapted from several textbooks used in the

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eighth grade of junior high school. The test was administered in 8D before the pretest. The example of tryout test could be seen in Appendix 1. There were some considerations needed in order to find out the quality of the instruments such as: validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and discrimination power of the test.

3.4.1 Validity and Reliability Test

In the research, data was the most important one, because it represented the variable that was researched. It had function to prove the hypothesis. Whether the data was true or not, it influenced the quality of the research. Whereas the true or not of the data depended on the instrument of the research. To examine the instrument, the researcher used four criteria: validity, reliability, difficulty level and discrimination power. In this chapter, the researcher would explain about validity and reliability first, the last two criteria would be discussed later.

3.4.1.1 Validity Test

Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure. It is vital for a test to be valid in order for the results to be accurately applied and interpreted (Kendra 2010:46). It meant that the test measure what was claimed to measure. To know the validity of the test, in this research, the writer compared the r value and r table :

If r value > r table, the item was valid but if r value < r table, it would be not valid. Besides that the researcher also saw the validity from content validity, construct validity and internal validity.

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a. Content Validity

According to Weir (1990:22) content validity concerned with whether the test was sufficiently representative and comprehensive for the test. Content validity could be found by relating the material of the test with the curriculum for Junior High School. It meant that the test was designed based on the curriculum in the school. In this case, to know whether the instrument had fulfilled the criteria of content validity the researcher had checked in Competence-based English Developing competencies in English for grade 8 junior high school Grafindo media pratama. The researcher had also consulted the instrument test to the English teacher at the school that had been chosen as a place for research.

b. Construct Validity

Still according to Weir (1990:22), construct validity concerned with whether the test was actually in line with the theory of what it meant to know the language. Construct validity focused on the kind of the test that was used to measure the ability. It meant that the test item should really measure the student’s vocabulary mastery. In this case whether to know the instrument had fulfilled the criteria of construct validity the writer consulted the instrument test to the English teacher at the school that had been chosen as a place for research. The table specification was as follows:

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Table Specification.

Health Flora and

Fauna

Travelling Total

Noun 10 8 7 25

Verb 2 2 5 9

Adjective 1 1 4 6

Total 13 11 16 40

The researcher wanted to increase students’ vovabulary achievement by using a method named word categorization method. This method was supported by a media named clipping picture puzzle. Actually, at least there are four aspects in vocabulary : verb, noun, adjective and adverb. But in this method, the researcher wanted to give more portion in noun because the media was more suitable to visualize noun rather than other classes of word. As can be seen from the table above.

3.4.1.2 Reliability Test

According to Cronbach (1971) reliability referred to whether the test was consistent in its scoring and gave us an indication of how accurate the test scores. In other words, the reliability was a test that was consistent and dependable. To obtain the reliability of the instrument, this study used SPSS to analyze the reliability of the test. The steps to run the reliability in SPSS were as follows:

Class of word Theme

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Entering the data Analyze Scale Reliability Analysis. The criteria of Reliability test were:

0.81 – 1.00 = Very high 0.61 – 0.80 = High 0.41 – 0.60 = Sufficient 0.21 – 0.40 = Low

0.0 – 0.20 = Very low (Gronlund, 1982:126)

3.4.2 Difficulty Level and Discrimination Power

Besides validity and reliability, the researcher tested the instrument that would be used in pretest by using difficulty level and discrimination power too. Those two would be discussed one by one.

3.4.2.1 To Find Difficulty Level

Difficulty level was used to make sure that the instrument was not too easy and difficult for the students. The formula was :

LD = R N Where:

LD : level of difficulty

R : number of students who answer correctly N : total number of students

The criteria are:

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LD = 0,30 – 0,70 = satisfactory LD > 0,70 = easy (Oller, 1979)

3.4.2.2 To Find The Discrimination Power

Discrimination power would make sure that the instrument could discriminate the upper group and lower group. The formula was :

DP = U – L ½ N Where:

DP = Discrimination power

U = The number of upper groups students who answer correctly L = The number of lower groups students who answer correctly N = Total number of students

The criteria are: 0,0 – 0,20 = poor 0,21 – 0,40 = satisfactory 0,41 – 0,70 = good

0,71 – 1,00 = excellent ( Brown,1998)

3.4.3 Result of Try Out Test

The try out test was given to know the quality of the test as the instrument of this research. The try out test consisted of 40 items in multiple choice form. The data gained from the try out test were analyzed to decide the level difficulty,

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discrimination power, the reliability and validity of the test. Concerning with the validity, reliability, level of difficulty and discrimination power it was finally decided that the result showed 30 items were good and the rest (10) items were bad and should be dropped. The lowest score in the level of difficulty was 0.17 and the highest score was 0.73 while the lowest score in the discrimination power was 0.00 and the highest score was 0.53. To see the complete data of level of difficulty and discrimination power, it can be seen in Appendix 8.

To see the table of validity, it could be seen in Appendix 9. To find the validity of the test,the researcher compared the r value and r table. If r value was higher than r table, therefore the item was valid but if the r value was lower than the r table, the item was not valid. To get the r value, the researcher used Pearson Formula in Microsoft excel whether the r table could be seen in Appendix 11.

To find out the reliability of the test, the researcher used SPSS. The computation of the data showed that the reliability of the test was 0.74, which means that the reliability (r) was high since the range of this criteria was 0.61 – 0.80 (Complete table of the reliability can be seen in Appendix 9). It indicated that this instrument would produce consistent result when administered under similar conditions to the same participants, and in different time.

3.4 Data Analysis

There were some steps in analyzing the data, firstly the researcher would score the pre test and post test, then the data would see whether it was normal distributed or not, and for the last was hypothesis testing that would be done by using SPSS.

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3.4.1 Scoring Technique

As mentioned earlier, the test was in the form of multiple choice questions. If it was compared with other format, the multiple choice format could be used to assess a greater variety of learning target (Nitko and brookhart,2007:152). In scoring students’ result on the test, the researcher used “Arikunto’s formula”. The highest score would be 100.

The formula was: S = R _{X 100} N

Where:

S = The score of the test R = the total of the right answer N = number of items (Arikunto, 2007)

3.4.2 Normality Test

The normality test was a test that was used to know whether the data was in normal distributed or not. It was counted by using SPSS. After knowing the data was normal distributed or not, it can be continued by determining the testing procedure whether parametric or non parametric. To run normality test, the steps were as follows:

Entering the data analyze Descriptive Statistics Explore.

To see the normality, it could be seen in three ways; variants coefficient, Skewness ratio, and Kurtosis Ratio.

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3.4.2.1 Variants Coefficient

The data was called as normal distribution data if the variants coefficient < 30 %. This value should be counted first with this formula:

Variants Coefficient = Std Deviation x 100 % Mean

3.4.2.2 Skewness Ratio

The data was called as normal distribution data if the Skewness ratio was in the range of -2 until 2. The formula to count this was as follows :

Skewness ratio = Skewness Skewness Std.error

3.4.2.3 Kurtosis Ratio

It was almost the same as Skewness Ratio. The data was called as normal distribution data if the range was between -2 and 2. The formula was:

Skewness ratio = Kurtosis Kurtosis Std.error

3.4.3 Hypothesis Test

This test was used to test whether the hypothesis proposed by the writer accepted or not. To test the hypothesis, the researcher used SPSS. The steps were as follows:

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Entering the data Analyze Compare means Paired samples T-test. The writer’s hypotheses are:

Ho: There is no significant improvement in students’ vocabulary achievement before and after being taught through word categorization method.

H1: There is any significant improvement in students’ vocabulary achievement before and after being taught through word categorization method.

While the criteria of the test were:

If the significant > 0.05, Ho is accepted, but if the significant < 0.05, Ho is refused.

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V. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion

After finishing the implementation of Word Categorization Method in SMPN 1 Seputih Surabaya, the researcher can conclude that the students’ vocabulary achievement is increase. They can achieve more vocabulary, it can be seen from the questions in the test that can be answered correctly. The increasing of score as many as 22.69 % and the significance that is less than 0.05 shows that the implementation of Word Categorization Method can significantly improve students’ vocabulary achievement.

5.2 Suggestion

In reference to the conclusion above, the researcher proposes some suggestion as follows:

5.2.1 Suggestion to the Teacher

a. From the result, the score of the students are not really satisfying. Therefore, the teacher can still improve the students’ vocabulary achievement. The teacher should help the students increase their score by giving more explanation.

b. The teacher should find the method that can more interest the students to learn English

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5.2.2 Suggestion to the Other Researchers

a. In this research, the treatments were done three meetings. Other researchers can spend more time in giving the treatments to the students so that they can get enough exercise.

b. In this research, the researcher gives bigger portion to Noun, therefore the next researcher should try to equalize the portion of each class of word.

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