Table 2.14 Oxford‟s VLS compared with Other Proponents‟ Concepts
Oxford‟s 1990:18-21VLS
Other Proponents‟ Similar Concepts
Direct strategies
Memory strategies
Creating mental linkages
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 memory strategy :
connecting words with personal experience, associating with its
coordinate, grouping words together to study them
Gu and Johnson‘s 1996 memory
strategy : encoding association Reviewing well
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 metacognitive
strategy : continuing learning words over time.
Employing action
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 memory strategy
: using physical action when learning a word.
Cognitive strategies
Practicing
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 cognitive strategy : written repetition
Analyzing and reasoning
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 determination : using
bilingual and monolingual dictionary
Catalan‘s 2003:63 using bilingual dictionary
Gu and Johnso n‘s 1996 cognative stategy
: using dictionary Creating structure
for input and output
Gu and Johnson‘s 1996 cognative
strategy : note taking
Compensatio n strategies
Guessing intelligently
Gu and Johnson‘s 1996 cognative
strategy : guessing by activating background knowledge, using linguistic
items
Indirect strategies
Metacognitiv e strategies
Centering learning
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 metacognitive
strategy: skipping or passing new word
Gu and Johnson‘s 1996 metacognitive strategy : selecting attention by
identifying essential words for comprehension.
Nation‘s 2001 : 218 planning :
choosing the aspects of word knowledge
Arranging and planning learning
Nation‘s 2001 : 218 planning :
choosing what to focus on and when to focus on it
Evaluating learning
Schmitt‘s 2000:207, Catalan‘s
2003:63 using bilingual dictionary, Gu and Johnson‘s 1996 using dictionary
Oxford‟s 1990:18-21VLS
Other Proponents‟ Similar Concepts
Affective strategies
Lowering anxiety
Egbert and Hanson-Smith 1999 that the use of CALL aims to let learners
work in an atmosphere with an ideal stressanxiety.
Reeves‘s 1997 web-based learning :
sense of audience
Self-encouraging
Reeves 1997 that web-based learning may reduce the power of the teacher to
learn a language, letting learners to conduct their own learning without
depending on the presence of the teacher, supporting learner autonomy
Social strategies
Cooperating with others
Schmitt‘s 2000:207 social strategy :
studying and practicing meaning in a group, asking classmates for meaning
Catalan‘s 2003:63 asking classmates
for meaning
The table shows that Oxford‘s concept of VLS is more complete than those four proponents in that it involves affective strategies which deal with the
concepts of CALL proposed by Egbert and Hanson-Smith
1999 and Reeves‘ 1997 web-based learning.
Moreover, Egbert and Hanson-Smith 1999 claim that CALL may provide conditions which support the optimal language learning environments: 1
learners have opportunities to interact and negotiate meaning, 2 learners interact in the target language with an authentic audience, 3 learners are involved in
authentic tasks, 4 learners are exposed to and encouraged to produce varied and creative language, 5 learners have enough time and feedback, 6 learners are
guided to attend mindfully to the learni ng process,‘ 7 learners work in an
atmosphere with an ideal stressanxiety level, 8 learner autonomy is supported. Hence, in this study the concept of Egbert and Hanson-Smith 1999 was used to
analyze the role of web-based crossword pu zzles to enhance the learners‘
vocabulary learning regarding the aspect of the design of crossword puzzles which uses web-based learning in CALL.
Another concept of web-based learning proposed by Reeves 1997 was also used to analyze the aspect of web-based learning of online crossword puzzles
to support the learners‘ vocabulary enhancement. A model of WWW based learning is presented as follows:
Figure 2.6 A Model of WWW-Based Learning Reeves: 1997
Reeves 1997 clarifies that a model of World Wide Web-based learning WWW-based learning comprises the opportunity to construct learning, task
ownership, sense of audience, collaborative support, teacher support, and metacognitive support. Opportunity to construct learning refers to the chances to
set the most appropriate learning style and strategy to learn a language. Task ownership emphasizes the importance of task ownership in situated cognition. It
means that WWW-based learning helps learners to get closer to learning tasks or authentic tasks needed to learn and to practice a language more and more. Sense
of audience deals with the feeling resulted from learning using WWW-based learning. Collaborative support refers to instructional strategies whereby learners
work together with other peers or groups. Teacher support means reducing the teacher‘s power to learn a language. Finally, metacognitive support refers to
learners‘ awareness of objectives, ability to plan, ability to evaluate learning strategies, ability to monitor progress, and ability to adjust learning behaviors to
accommodate needs. Finally, those three concepts are combined with the concepts of
vocabulary and online crossword puzzles in web-based vocabulary course mentioned in the theoretical review in order to clarify the aspects of online
c rossword puzzles which support the enhancement of learners‘ vocabulary
learning.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter is to present the method used to answer the research questions. It comprises the research method, research design, the nature of data,
research procedure, research setting, research population and samples, data gathering technique and instrument, data analysis, and trustworthiness of the
study.
A. RESEARCH METHOD
This study implemented mixed method research inasmuch as it gathered information from both quantitative and qualitative data in order to analyze the
subject matter of this study. The quantitative data were gained from the closed- ended questions of the questionnaire. It was used to provide descriptive numeric
data of the respondents related to the subject matter of this study. Meanwhile, the qualitative data were obtained from the open-ended questions of the questionnaire
and also gained from the interview, and the data functions both to clarify and to dig out further information gained from the questionnaire. According to Hansen,
Plano Clark, Petska, and Creswell 2005 as cited in Biber 2010: 3, mixed method research is the combination of methods which involves the collection,
analysis, and integration of quantitative and qualitative data in a single or multiphase study.
The quantitative approach was used to show the kinds of vocabulary learning strategies through the puzzles employed by the students gained from the
64
closed-ended questions of the questionnaire. Accordingly, this study took the primarily data using quantitative approach through the questionnaire. Creswell
2003: 18 mentions that quantitative approach is one in which the researcher primarily uses positivist claims for developing knowledge, employs strategies of
inquiry such as experiments and surveys, and collects data on predetermined instrument that yield statistical data.
In addition, the qualitative approach is beneficial for this study to get as detailed data as possible to achieve better understanding of the subject matter
experienced by the participants. Thus, the questionnaire was designed completed with two open-ended questions to provide chances for participants to express their
opinion freely. Furthermore, this study conducted interview to the participants to verify their opinion given in the questionnaire, and it may create opportunities to
the researcher to dig out more deeply the participants ‘ opinion related to the
subject matter of this study. Creswell 2007: 18 states that qualitative research design leads the researcher try to get as close as possible to the participants being
studied.
B. RESEARCH DESIGN
This study applied survey as the research design inasmuch as it provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, opinions of a population by studying a
sample of the population. Hence, it is considered appropriate to conduct survey for this study inasmuch as the goal of this research is to obtain factual information
related to the learners‘ behavior in a web-based vocabulary class which used crossword puzzles to learn vocabulary. The general intention to conduct survey is
to obtain a clear illustration of conditions, attitudes, andor events of an entire population at a single point of time, and it is done by collecting the samples of the
population Nunan: 2009. Furthermore, surveys are appropriate to find out the clear description of ‗the factual questions‘ of attitude and behavior of the
population. This study used survey since it was used to obtain data about the students
‘ point view of what vocabulary learning strategies which the students employed
through the puzzles, and how they conducted those VLS. Hence, this study not only has the quantitative data gained from the questionnaires to represent the
learners‘ behavior to conduct vocabulary learning strategies using the puzzles but also has qualitative data gained from the interviews and the open-ended questions
of the questionnaires to support the quantitative data in order to provide clearer illustration of the issue.
This study applied cross-sectional design since it is conducted to examine ‗current attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and practices of the students who learnt
vocabulary through online crossword puzzles. Creswell 2012:377 defines attitudes, belief, and opini
ons as individuals‘ manners to think about issues, while practices refer to ‗their actual behaviours‘. He 2012:377 also claims that cross-
sectional survey design is the most popular form of survey design used in education. To conduct this study, a researcher collects data at one point in time.
C. RESEARCH PROCEDURE
In order to conduct survey, a researcher needs to carry out some steps. Jaegar 1988:307 as cited in Nunan 1992: 140 suggests that in survey, a
researcher merely observes the subjects without doing anything to them. Nunan 1992: 141 explains further eight steps to conduct survey: 1 define objectives, 2
identify the target population, 3 literature review, 4 determine sample, 5 identify survey instruments, 6 design survey procedures, 7 determine reporting
procedures, and 8 write the report. Being in line with Jaegar, Cresswell proposes similar steps to conduct a
survey research. This research applied eight steps proposed by Creswell 2013:403-404 to accomplish survey research systematically. First of all,
determining the best design to use was done. The second step was identifying the research questions or hypotheses. After that, it involved identifying the
population, the sampling, and the sample. Before developing or locate an instrument, the researcher conducted determining the survey design and data
collection procedures. The next step was administering the instrument. Then, analyzing the data to address the research questions or hypotheses was done. The
last step was writing the report.
Table 3.1 The Steps to Conduct Survey Research Creswell : 2013 : 403-404
Step 1 Decide if a survey is the best design to use Step 2 Identify the research questions or hypotheses
Step 3 Identify the population, the sampling, and the sample Step 4 Determine the survey design and data collection procedures
Step 5 Develop or locate an instrument Step 6 Administer the instrument
Step 7 Analyze the data to address the research questions or hypotheses
Step 8 Write the report
To conduct the first step which was deciding the best design to use, it was decided to apply a survey research in that the objectives of the study was
describing the attitude of certain population at that time, and also investigate their opinions regarding the subject matter of the study. It was in line with what Nunan
1990 suggests that the general intention to conduct survey is to obtain a clear illustration of conditions, attitudes, andor events of an entire population at a
single point of time, and it is done by collecting the samples of the population. This study was intended to describe the vocabulary learning strategies through the
online crossword puzzles employed by undergraduate students, and also illustrated the factors most significantly encouraged the students to learn
vocabulary using the puzzles. In fact, this study was a part of a big project conducted by another researcher, B.B Dwijatmoko, who designed the website and
the online crossword puzzles applied in this study. He intended to investigate the contribution of the puzzles in vocabulary web-based class particularly the
effectiveness of learning vocabulary using the puzzles, while this study aimed to illustrate the VLS applied by the learners through the puzzles and described the
factors which most significantly encouraged them to learn vocabulary through the puzzles. Hence, these studies were under one umbrella.
The next step was identifying the research questions, so two questions were formulated. The first question was to describe how the students explored
their vocabulary learning strategies using the puzzles, and the second question was to find out what factors which most significantly supported them to learn
vocabulary through the puzzles.