period. In critical period, it was hypothesized that children acquired language much more easily than adults did because children experienced language
acquisition in critical period. Most of these students already had English when they were in the previous
grade of Elementary School. It meant that they, at least, already had some basic knowledge of English, for instance mentioning or naming concrete things around
them in English that related to their daily life. Having the background knowledge of English obtained from their previous grade, these students were eager to learn
English in their next stage of learning. From this reason, the researcher intended to implement a method namely Task-Based Learning in order to promote their
learning. The implication was that the researcher was able to investigate the phenomenon occurring during the research including what factors that influenced
the implementation of this method in real classroom setting.
C. Research Setting
This research took approximately seven months from July 2007 to January 2008. Data gathering was from the end July to the beginning of November 2007.
The next step, data analysis, began in November and ended in January 2008. The research was conducted in Kanisius Notoyudan Elementary School,
which was located in Yogyakarta. This elementary school had a number of students. The students were classified based on their ability and grades started
from the first grade to the sixth grade. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
D. Research Instruments
The instruments employed to obtain the data in this research concerned with the Research Questions RQ in chapter I. Those were how the possible
implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vo cabulary for the second grade students of Kanisius Notoyudan Elementary School was and what the influential
factors were that might have contribution to the implementation of Task-Based Learning. There were three types of instruments in this study, namely observation,
field notes, and semi-structured interview.
1. Observation
In this research, observation was used to gather data about learning activities in the classroom and what factors that might have contribution in
implementing the method, Task-Based Learning, to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of elementary school. Hence, this kind of instrument was
used to answer RQ 1 and RQ 2. Such observation under this study was employed in every single meeting so that data were obtained thoroughly during the
observation. Through the observation, the complete description of behavior in a particular natural setting was preferred rather than the numeric summary of what
was being investigated. The researcher employed participant-observation in this research. Thus,
the researcher employed recording devices to observe the events in classroom. This participant-observation entailed the observer to participate actively and
became the insider of the event that was observed. Accordingly, she experienced the same events as the participants. It was to say that the importance of natural
process of the observation needed to be kept. Hence, the presence of the observer or the use of such recording devices did not influence the natural process of the
observation. Besides employing video recording as one of the recording devices, the
researcher also employed observation sheet that was given to the teacher assistant in every meeting. It was done to minimize the subjectivity resulted from the
researcher’s point of view in interpreting the data later. Best 1970: 182 claimed that within observation, both reliability and validity of observation were improved
when observations were made at frequent intervals by the same observer, or when the observer recorded the observation independently by using such recording
devices. The observation that was aided by recording devices was utilized to
minimize errors that might result from faulty memory. In addition, the observer was able to see and hear the whole process in the classroom without being seen or
heard by the participants. The devices helped the observer to observe the events in holistic nature since it was out of reach to hold the teaching activities and the
observation at the same time.
2. Field Notes
In this research, field- notes were employed to record the data collected during observation. The researcher took notes on detailed event that was crucial to
the study in the field notes. Since every single event should be recorded through field notes, as a result, field notes were employed corresponding to Research
Question RQ, those were RQ 1 and RQ 2. Those were how the possible PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of elementary school was and what the influential factors were towards
the implementation of Task-Based Learning. Thus, it was to say that field notes were the verbalization of the observation. Field notes should be made as soon as
possible following the observation since the experience was still fresh in mind. The successful study relied on detailed, accurate and extensive field notes.
Field notes had two components, namely the descriptive part and the reflective part Ary, 2002: 431. In this study, the descriptive part included the
description of setting, participants and their reactions, and accounts of events. On the other hand, the reflective part included the observer’s personal feelings or
impressions of the events, and speculations about data analysis.
3. Interview
In this research, interview was used to obtain data that supported the phenomenon to be investigated such as learners’ opinion and feelings towards the
implementation of Task-Based Learning in teaching vocabulary. Hence, interview was used to answer Research Question RQ, those were RQ 1 and RQ 2.
Interview was employed since it was particularly appropriate when dealing with young learners to obtain greater insight into their experiences Best, 1970: 186.
An interview had the advantage of supplying in-depth information towards the participants such as the participants’ feelings and thoughts, the meaning of the
occurrence in classroom to the learners, and unanticipated issues under the study. Moreover, interview supplied any information that could not be obtained through
observation. Thus, it was used to verify the observation. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
In this research, the researcher employed semi- structured interview. In the semi-structured interview, the researcher had in mind a number of questions to put
to the interviewees, but did not have to fo llow any specific and predetermined order Grix, 2004: 127. It was to say that the questions to put to the interviewees
were not fully in the form of check- listed order. It referred that the researcher had already come up with questions in mind. However when such questions that were
out of the researcher’s concept arose during the interview, it could be revealed as long as it was critical to the research.
In order to obtain the detailed data, interview under this research was aided by recording devices for future use. It was meant to reduce distraction if the
researcher fully took notes during the interview. The use of such recording devices also benefited the researcher that was to provide a verbatim record of the
responses.
E. Data Gathering Techniques
In this sub-chapter, the researcher explained how such data were gathered under the research. Since a variety of instruments was employed in this research,
the data gathering technique was a cyclical process. It referred to deduction process, meaning that such data were obtained from general to specific process.
The cyclical process was attained through employing observation, field-notes, and interview. The data obtained were relevant to the research such as learning
activities, learners’ opinions and feelings, and what factors that might influence PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
the implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of elementary school.
1. Observation
The researcher employed participant-observation in this reesearch. Within this type of observation, the researcher interacted with the participants. The main
purpose of such interaction with the participants was to build a deep understanding on the learners’ opinions and reactions and to see whether there
were factors that influenced the implementation of Task-Based Learning in teaching vocabulary as shown in the learning experiences.
This observation used recording devices, namely a video recorder and observation sheets, for future analysis. The researcher used the video recorder
since it was quite difficult to carry out teaching activities and observation at the same time. Besides, observation sheets that were given to the teacher assistant
each meeting helped the researcher reduce the subjectivity. Hence, the recording devices helped the researcher a lot to keep the original data later in the data
analysis. The importance of keeping the participants unaware of being observed
should be taken into consideration. It was done by utilizing a recording device, a video recorder. The video recorder was set in such a way that the students were
not aware that they were being observed. By doing so, the participants behaved naturally during the learning activities. Hence, the natural process of the
observation could be kept. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Question guidelines were considered important in gathering the data under the research. To answer these questions, it needed to hold observation in every
single meeting. Nonetheless, the researcher gained such guidance on the implementation of Task-Based Learning and the supporting or inhibiting factors
that had contribution to the learning activities during the implementation. The question guidelines could be summarized in the following table.
Table 3.1. Question Guidelines for Observation
No. Questions
1. How is TBL possibly implemented in this study?
2. Could each TBL phase be carried out as suggested in its literature?
3. What alteration should be adjusted in TBL implementation to make it
possibly be implemented in the second grade of elementary school?
2. Field Notes
Field notes that were made from observation should be a verbatim record of the responses. It was made as soon as the single observation was accomplished
to keep the original data obtained from the observation. In this research, field-notes referred to descriptive part and reflective part.
In the descriptive part, field-notes were made on the setting of the research, participants and their reaction, and events occurred during the observation. In
elaborating setting of the research, the researcher took notes on the setting of time and place in accurate way. In describing participants and their reaction, the
researcher elaborated the participants’ background, for instance their age, gender, and their educational background. It also occurred on the learners’ reactions
towards the implementation of Task-Based Learning when they learned vocabulary. Such events that were considered important should also be field-
noted, for example teaching learning activities needed in analyzing the data later. Thus, field-notes should be elaborated accurately and extensively. On the other
hand, in the reflective part, the researcher elaborated her feeling, opinion, or impression towards the learning activities and the most possible implementation
of Task Based Learning in the classroom.
3. Interview
Interview employed in this research was semi-structured interview. The researcher had already had the concept of the questions to be asked to the
participants but not in detailed way. When there were questio ns that were out of the researcher’s concept arose during the interview that was critical to the
research, it also could be revealed to the participants. The interview employed open-ended questions. It was used to gain the
deep insight on the participants. The researcher formulated the interview questions when the observation was done. The researcher was able to probe any information
from the participants either their opinions or belief towards the implementation of Task –Based Learning when they learned vocabulary. Hence, the researcher was
able to obtain such information about the influential factors during the implementation. This interview later was referred to triangulation in analyzing the
data. In short, data gathering techniques would be presented in the following
table. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Table 3.2. Data Gathering Techniques Type of instrument
Data obtained Method
Observation • The possible implementation of TBL
• Influential factors towards TBL implementation
Field observation
Field-notes • The possible implementation of TBL
• Influential factors towards TBL implementation
The elaboration of the accounts in classroom
descriptively and reflectively
using coding system Interview
• The possible implementation of TBL • Influential factors towards TBL
implementation Semi -structured interview
F. Data Analysis Procedure s
Data analysis was the process of systematically searching and arranging the interview transcript, field notes, and other materials that were accumulated to
increase own understanding of them and to enable the researcher to present what the researcher had discovered to others Bogdan, 1982: 145. Therefore, in this
sub chapter, the researcher presented how the obtained data were analyzed through organizing the data, synthesizing the data, and interpreting the data.
Within this data analysis, trustworthiness in qualitative research was ensured through cyclical process by the use of a variety of instruments for
instance observation, field- notes, and interview Ary, 2002: 451. This process incorporated credibility the truthfulness of the phenomena that was intended to
describe, dependability the extent to which variation could be tracked or PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
explained by using data triangulation, and conformability the extent to which the research was free of bias in the procedures and the data interpretation.
The first step of data analysis procedure was to formulate a rough assumption on the phenomenon investigated while observing. The guideline of the
assumption was the research question i.e. how the most possible implementation of Task-Based Learning in teaching vocabulary was and what the influential
factors during the implementation were. Such phenomenon that was out of the assumption might ascend, so the researcher should be aware of this phenomenon
i.e. to leave out the insignificant features, which were not related to the research. The second step of data analysis procedure was to verbalize observation
into field- notes. The main purpose of field-notes was to obtain the verbatim data under the research and to exclude the insignificant one. The data obtained then
were coded to each category. Coding as cited in Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2000: 283 had been defined by Kerlinger 1970 as the translation of question
responses and respondent information to specific categories for the purpose of analysis.
Developing a coding system covered several steps such as searching for regularities and patterns as well as for topics that the data covered, and writing
down words and phrases to represent these topics and patterns Bogdan, 1982: 156. In this step, the researcher attempted to find out links and connections
among categories that had been made. There were several coding categories under this research. The followings were the coding categories in this research: setting
codes general statements that were made to describe the subject, the setting, and PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
how the setting fitted in the community, perspectives of the learners ways of thinking that the learners shared which were not as general as their overall
definition of the situation but indicated orientation toward particular aspects of a setting, process codes sequences of events, changes over time, and passages
from one kind of status to another, activity codes regularly occurring kinds of behavior, and strategy codes techniques, ways, or tactics to accomplish teaching
learning activities. Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2000: 283 proposed that in coding, a piece
of transcription the researcher went through the data systematically and wrote a descriptive code by the side of each piece of datum. The following was the
example of coding system within this research. In this meeting, the class started using the book “A Set of
English Vocabulary Materials for the Second Grade of Elementary School Students” that we had agreed on the previous meeting. We
began the first part on Good Morning My Friends. I still remembered that in the previous meeting Miss Nana gave them some expressions of
greeting. I planned to recall their memory on those expressions.
At the beginning of the lesson, I asked them in bahasa Indonesia “Siapa yang suka nyanyi?” Surprisingly, almost all of them
raised their hands, except some students sat behind folding papers and chatting in Javanese busily. I got closer to them and repeated what I
said. “Aku bisa nyanyi lho Miss...”, one of them replied.
Knowing that not all of my students really liked singing, I attempted to attract their attention by moving my body through some
simple gestures while singing. I noticed that at first they only stared at me. They even did not sing or move their bodies. I realized then that
my students did not know yet what to do. I should have explained them beforehand. I asked them to repeat after me both the song, line
by line, and the gestures. I noticed it worked It took quite long, though.
After singing the song, I tried to explain them about greeting expressions such as good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and
good night. While explaining, I had to use both bahasa Indonesia and English.
MT
-
OM PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
While observing, often the same phenomenon reappeared. The same phenomenon, which reappeared, then was categorized in one set to make the
interpretation of the data easier. The occurrences, which were related to such factors that influenced the implementation of this method, were used as the
guidelines of interview questions. The third step of data analysis procedure was to transcribe the interview
results. The interview results that were examined referred to what was suggested by Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2000: 282. The steps were the followings: 1
Generating natural units of meaning i.e. participants’ statements within interview 2 Classifying units of meaning i.e. participants’ opinions or feelings towards the
implementation of Task- Based Learning to teach vocabulary 3 Structuring narratives to describe the interview contents 4 Interpreting the interview data. In
interpreting the data, the researcher should extract meaning and insight obtained from the data. It was essential that the researcher told what the important finding
was, why it was important, and what could be learned from it. It was used as triangulation that was to verify the data. In other words, the researcher
investigated whether the data collected with one procedure or instrument confirmed with the data collected using different procedure or instrument Ary,
2002: 436.
G. Research Procedures
