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B. Theoretical Framework
By looking at the Indonesian curriculum 2006 which is implemented in teaching and learning process, the researcher should be able to understand various
types of recount texts. The researcher decided to use a recount text which became the basic in making the materials in the teaching and learning process. Hammon et
al. 1992 state that a recount text is both spoken and written text. In learning recount, the students must learn the language features of recount. One of them is
simple past tense. Simple past tense is part of the grammar that can be considered to be the most difficult thing that must be learnt by the eighth grade students of
SMP N 3 Klaten. However, grammar learning should be given enough attention and great importance in the classroom as stated by Chen 2009.
Based on the observation, the eighth grade students of SMP N 3 Klaten faced difficulties in understanding the past forms of irregular verbs. It could be
seen that the students could not write the correct past forms of irregular verbs in filling the blanks in a recount text. It became the
teacher’s responsibility to help students master grammar especially the simple past tense.
Knowing the real condition in the class, the researcher used flash cards to improve the
students’ irregular verb mastery. The researcher used a theory of flash cards proposed by Charles 2009. Flash cards are especially useful for
memorizing vocabulary words and their definition, dates in history, and their significance, and picture artwork or other items that they will be responsible for
identifying. In order to apply the strategy of flash cards, the researcher conducted classroom action research
based on Kemmis and McTaggart’s model 1988: 14.
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There are four stages which are used to conduct the research using flash cards, namely planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The researcher put the stages
of acting and observing into one step. Through the condition in practicing the strategy of flash cards, most of the
students could not memorize the past forms of irregular verbs which they had learned before. It is caused by every student having their own capacity in
memorizing the past forms of irregular verbs. After the flash cards are implemented in the teaching and learning process, the researcher is going to see
w hether students’ irregular verb mastery has improved or not. In this research,
flash cards were being concerned to improve the students’ irregular verb as the
theory proposed by Charles 2009. In conclusion, by applying the strategy of flash cards in the research, it was expected that the student could increase their
irregular verb mastery.
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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methodology used in the research. To achieve the objective of the research, the writer applies the following methodology which is
divided into six sections: 1 research method, 2 research setting and participant, 3 research instruments, 4 data gathering technique, 5 data analysis technique,
and 6 research procedure.
A. Research Method
In this study, the researcher employed classroom action research CAR as the research method. Kemmis and McTaggart as quoted by Nunan 1992: 18 state
that action research is a group of activity and a piece of descriptive research carried out by the teacher in his or her own classroom, without changing the
phenomenon under investigation. This classroom action research was conducted to overcome the problem encountered in class and to help the teacher increase the
quality of learning and teaching process. In this research, the researcher conducted CAR based on Kemmis
McTaggart’s model 1988: 14. According to Kemmis and McTaggart 1988, action research process shows a self-reflective spiral of planning, acting,
observing, reflecting, and re-planning as the basis for understanding how to take action to improve an educational situation. There are two cycles applied in
conducting this research through action research. The figure of action research cycle is on the next page:
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