%A SRI LESTARI 1013135007
%J Digital Library
%T IMPROVING STUDENTS VOCABULARY MASTERY BY USING
ROSSWORD PUZZLE GAME AT THE FIRST GRADE OF SMA PGRI 1
BATANGHARI
%X The existence of vocabulary is considered important since it should be acquired to
express or share ideas to other people effectively. Crossword puzzle game is
regarded as one of the effective game in learning vocabulary. Nation (1074:253)
states that puzzles are teaching techniques, which bring the learners' motivation. It
combines teaching students' definitions by giving the students experience in
writing the words they are learning, which is an effective part memorizing
vocabulary.
From the researcher is experience of English teacher at SMA PGRI 1 Batanghari,
it was revealed that the students could not do reading exercises well because they
had lack of vocabulary. Most of them got difficulties in understanding the content
of the text. They spent a long time to consult the dictionary to get the meaning of
most of the words in the text. It is such a waste of time so that the students cannot
answer all of the questions. It also happened that most of the students were
reluctant to speak because of their limited number of vocabularies. They often felt
frustrated when they were asked to tell or express something.
In line with the problems above, the researcher conducted a classroom action
research at the first grade of SMA PGRI 1 Batanghari. The subject of? this
research was class X which consisted of 35 students. The teacher was the
researcher. The objectives of this classroom action research are to find out
whether crossword puzzle game is able to improve the students' vocabulary
mastery especially in noun, verb and adjective to improve the quality of the
teacher's teaching performance and to improve the students' participation during
the teaching learning process while crossword puzzle game is implemented.
This research was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of planning,
action, observation, and reflection. The researcher used indicators dealing with the
learning product which covered the students' participation during the teaching
learning process and the teacher's teaching performance. To collect the data of the
3
learning product, the writer used vocabulary test as the instrument and to collect
the data of the learning process, the writer used observation checklist. The
indicators showed that 70% of the students had to gain score 66 or more, the
teacher had to reach score 80 in the teacher?s teaching performance and 80% of
the students had to be actively involved 90% of the teaching learning process.
Students' vocabulary scores at cycle I showed that only 21 students (60%) could
get score > 66. Meanwhile, after cycle 2 had been conducted, there were 28
students (80%) who passed the KKM (Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal). For the
learning process, that was, the students' participation during the teaching learning
process, at cycle I, there were 23 students (66%) who followed -80`% of the
teaching learning process and 32 students (91%) who followed >80% at cycle 2.
Meanwhile, for the teacher's teaching performance, the teacher achieved score 65
at cycle I, and achived score 81 at cycle 2.
Referring to the result of the research above, it can be concluded that crossword
puzzle game was successful in improving the students' vocabulary mastery, the
students' participation during the teaching learning, process and teacher's teaching
performance at the first grade of SMA PGRI 1 Batanghari.
%L eprints18706