Appreciation I would like to send my appreciation to the entire teacher in SK Mandor Aris Selalang for accepting me to do my teaching practicum

for three month. I also like to sent thousand thank you to all my fellow pupils who help me and cooperate with me during my practicum and not forget to my lecture who came and guide me all the way from the beginning until the end. Action Research title: Pupils Interest in Their Studies

Name: Xavier Anak Johi

School Name: Sekolah Kebangsaan Mandor Aris, Selalang Abstract This research was conducted for the main interest to find out the depth of pupils interest in their studies in this modern era. Pupils were highly interested in the latest technology compare to the era before ICT. So, the pupils sometime lost interest in their studies and play more with the computer at home or in the cyber cafe of the nearest available ICT service like the library. The research targets were pupils in SK Mandor Aris. Action will be taken in the class room by doing two different type of teaching and learning based on chalk and talk, and the used of ICT teaching. Evaluation was done based on pupils understanding on the lesson. The result of action research was nicely collected and the action had been done to gain the maximum performance of the pupils. Reflection of Teaching and Learning I feel very happy because I can found what happen to the pupils interest in their studies. With this topic I can found out the effectiveness of my teaching method. The pupils interests in their studies were steady decline by the every passing year and the development of technologies. Most of the pupils were using these technologies in the wrong way. They think that with these technologies they did not have to come to school and play with games in the computer or online game. This was the mind set that I would like to change in the pupils. Technologies could come in two terms of uses either for good purpose or bad purpose. Every evening, pupils will go to the nearest library to use the computer. At first I thought that they were learning how to use it but they use the computer to play game rather then 1

learning. Since then, the interests of the pupils in studied were low. Their education performance were steadily decline and cause problem for the teacher who oath to teach them to be a good persons. In my teaching and learning, I would like to find out what cause the pupils interests to decrease and how to bring it back to it maximum point. I will two type different methods that were by using chalk and talk and also the combination of ICT and chalk. From the pupils, they said it was fun playing with the computer rather then coming to school to listen to the teachers whom teach in the class. They even said that some of the subjects were boring and the teacher even sometime did not pay attention to them in the class during the discussions. I will try my best to change the pupils mind set with all the knowledge that I receive form the institute and also my previous knowledge on handle children in my previous job.

Research Focus This research was mainly focus on the pupils interests in their studies. The pupils studies interest were decline slow and the result were shown in their education performance. This research will be use to see what will happen when different method were used during the teaching and learning activities was done in the class room. Then the reaction or the respond of the pupils in the learning sessions will be taken down from each method. The focus of the research was to see how the effect of teaching on the pupils interests in their studies. There will two different type of method will be use to see whether there were any difference were made after teaching the pupils. These were the main focus of my research because without this I would never know the impact of the research to the pupils in their studies. With this research, I would know what will attract the pupils to be more interested in their studies. From this research, I will aspect that the pupils interests will be increase form the day before of each teaching and learning session in the class room.

Research Objective The objective of this research was to find out the interests of pupils in their studies. Now a day, pupils like to play then studying at home. As the day past by, the pupils interest in studies were slowly deceasing. The research was to find out what make the pupils interest rise and drop by using different technique of teaching. The result can be obtains by calculating the number of student involve in class discussion and class activities in groups.

Research Methodology In this research, I will apply two different method of teaching in the class so that I able to know how many pupils was interested in their studies. By using different method of teaching I will able to see the impact and effectiveness of the teaching method in the class. The first method that I will use is the conventional way of teaching, which is chalk and talk. This method of teaching is one of the oldest where it begin earlier then technology. Most of the instruments that were used in teaching were chalk and blackboard. Pupils were very highly focused at that era where there were no influences for the technology. So the interests in their studies were high. I will try to bring that situation back in this modern era which fills with technology. I will add some additional teaching material in the lesson that I will teach later. During the class discussions will observe how many pupils involve actively in the group discussion. I will take note of what that make them interest in the studies and also what make the pupils loss interest during and after the class. The second method of teaching that I will use is the combination of ICT and chalk and talk technique. I will tried to make the lessons in the class become much more interesting by teaching the pupils by showing simple ICT graphic depend on the topic that I teach and give explanation by using chalk and talk. I will see the influence of ICT in the pupils itself and their interest in their study. Action plan Each of the teaching technique or method will be conducted for about four (4) weeks period. The first four week of the practicum, I will use the conventional method that is chalk and talk. During this week, I will observe the behavior of the pupils in the class when doing group activities and also class discussion. I will take down note on the number of the participation of the pupils and also the correct answer that were given verbally in the class during the quiz activities. After all the observation on the chalk and talk method finish, I will began to use the combination of ICT and chalk and talk method. The action plan was the same as previous. It will be done within four week period. Note will be taken down from each activities and discussion that were done in the class. The result data will be taken from the active participation of the pupils in the class during teaching and learning sessions. After all the data had been collected, the analysis can be done.

Research data This data were taken based on observation of the pupils behavior in the class during teaching and learning by using the two methods below: 1. The use of chalk and talk method. 2. The use of two combination of ICT and chalk and talk method. Teaching method Teaching by 1 The pupils were The The pupils interest in their class and studies in weeks 2 3 pupils The pupils focus Only 4 10 pupils actually and

using very interested in interest in their and interest in the were

chalk and this week lesson. starting to drop. studies where only listen talk

Almost 50% of Around 40% of 15 pupils are focus interested in their the pupils the pupils were in their studies studies.

participate in the active doing the where there rest of group discussion. group and activities the class start to discussion do something else in the class. pupils The pupils that The pupils were asking

together Teaching by ICT chalk The pupils were The

using very interested in interest in their were actually like actively and this week lesson. studies

increase the lesson increase question and this 20 pupils time almost the class

Almost 50% of by 10% from the where the pupils previous class.

out of 29 pupils in whole

participate in the group discussion.

class were actively participated in the ask know question about to class discussion. the

topic that I teach.

ICT and Chalk and talk week 4 week 3 week 2 week 1 chalk and talk

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

The bar chart above shows the changes of pupils behavior during the teaching and learning sessions.

Research Analysis In this modern area, there more technology are develop and been produce for the use in our daily life. Sadly, this technology were wrongly use and some of it is take for granted. Like the computer for example. We normally use it to do and type in our document and some reading material for our daily work. When the kid used the computer, normally we thing they will used it as the way we do but it was the opposite. They use it for play game sometime for several hours in a day. This will effect their daily activities mostly studies. Before I started my research, I was wondering whether the student nowadays is still interested in their studies. With the increase of the technology, I was thinking they will be more interested with the studies but unfortunately I was wrong when more and more student keeps on skipping classes and act more valiantly and bullying their schoolmates. I was puzzle at the moment when the discipline cases keep on increasing rather then decreasing. I will use my teaching practicum to find the answer. Hopefully, I will get the answer that in about the student interest in their studies. I was send to a small village in Selalang in the district of Sarikei. I do my teaching practicum in one of the school located there. It was SK Mandor Aris. This school was build on a hill with enough facilities including the ICT. On the first week of my teaching days, I was shock when I find out that the student interest in their study was very high. I was amazed for a moment thinking that there were no problems in about their interest about study. But later on found out that, the student interest increase out of sudden because of me as still training teacher. For the first week, I try to get information about the student behavior of the student in the class during the teaching and learning process by the school teacher. No doubt, that the student interest in the study is low even in the rural area. I have to gain more information and clue for my research, so I when into one of the class teaching after asking for permission to enter his class during science subject. During the observation, I was able to pick up a few things. Firstly, the students were not in total focus when the teaching and learning process begins. They always look at me who sit at the back of the class. They were quite curious about me. Secondly, the student did not receive any praise for the teacher when the students answer the teacher question correctly. Last but not the least, the student always talk and play among themselves and mostly about the games that they play in the computer. From there, I was able to know that student mind was filled with the activities that they play yesterday evening. I started my search for answer when I was teaching in the second week. I found out that the students were highly focused on me but not on my teaching. I try to be very strict 6

when I was teaching. The student suddenly lost interest and stared to fear me and always try to find a way skip the class. That was happened when I teach the year 3 student but I manage to bring the situation under control. It was different when I teach the year 5 student. There were only a few students that were interested. Most of them started to play around with friends and disturb other. I scolded them and they stared to listen. The student interests in study were very high. It was not easy to gain the year 3 student to learn. At first, I do some simple activities with the student about the topic that they were going to learnt like the external feature. I brought the whole class out of the class to the school surrounding. The students were very excited to know what they are going to do. When I told the students look carefully on the plant and ask the student what they could see at the plant. They were eager to answer and always to point out the part which they told me. After one month, the student interests suddenly become less then they were normally. I was curios when this happen. I was only yesterday that the mood is high to learnt but today gone like the mist in the high noon. I tried to find out what happen during that day. But I was clueless on how it dropped. Later I found out there were some misunderstanding among the student itself and cause uneasiness during the teaching and learning process. This happened in both the classes that I teach for the whole three month. In the other hand, the year 5 students have brought out different case in my quest for answer about the student interest in studies. Most of the student came to class only for the sake of schooling but not to gain knowledge. Some of them were so active until they cause me headache when teaching. Some students like to talk much and tell joke. I was stunned when this happen in my first month of teaching. As strict as it was, there were only a few who were take note from about the topic they learnt. Some were merely try to keep their eyes opens. I tried to analyze the situation by doing to different type or ways of teaching. In the second month of my practicum, I was preparing my lesson by using the all system or conventional way of teaching. I applied this to the classes, year 3 and year 5. When I teach year 3 by using the conventional way, I found out that the pupils were able to stay focus in the class for about ten minutes or less. After that, the pupils will tried to gain my personal attention by doing thing or normally by asking what am I doing last night or disturbing their friends. I tried to ignore by asking the whole class to keep quite but that only last for a few second during my lesson. The result was totally different when I teach year 5 pupils with the conventional ways. The pupils were highly focus and asked a lot of question about the thing that they do not understand and thing which they wanted to know the truth. I was happy to teach and tell them the truth and fact which they can see at their surrounding. I sometime brought the unknown item or thing that they curious about in their first lesson. They were very happy to find out something new. I used this method for about 3 week in my second 7

month of my practicum. The result really stunned where the pupils interest varies when I teach different topics during those three weeks. After that I change my way of teaching by using unconventional ways by applying research and exploration plus with the used of ICT. I started with the year three pupils. The pupils were highly interest during the learning sessions. They were interested in the action of the video or power point. I had to stop the presentation to ask the pupils what they understand from what they saw earlier. Surprisingly, they were able to answer the entire question correctly. They were able to remember what they had learnt for that particular day. Later, the pupils started to ask if they can see the video after each class. I was gladly to do it again in each class. Since that day, I teach the by using video presentation. I also received the same respond when I used ICT and learning material in the form of presentation. They easily remember what all the important part of the lesson. When I teach them about light, they able to answer my entire simple quiz that I had prepare for them to test their understanding. All of them were able to give correct answer. They were able to know how the light move, how does shadow form and also that light were able to be reflected by shinny object. In the next lesson, before begin teaching; I gave the student a simple quizzes to refresh their mind to see if they still remember what they learnt. Surprisingly, they were able to remember it well. Same goes for the year three pupils. I was amazed by the improvement in their interest of studies. In the both situation, I able to analyze the interested of the pupils based on two different technique of teaching. By using the conventional method of teaching by using chalk and talk, the pupils easily lost their interest in their studies. These happen because there was nothing in front of the class were able to attract their intention and increase their interest in their studies. That why the chalk and talk method were not suitable for the pupils who were only attract to animation for level one pupils which consist of year one to year three pupils. But it is still suitable for level two pupils which consist of year four until year six pupils. At these stages, they able to imagine thing in their mind better then the level one pupil. As for the used of ICT method, the teaching and learning when smoothly where the pupils were concentrating and tried to absorb all the information that there were in the presentation. This will increase their interest in their studies. When teaching by using video presentation, the pupils will be amazed by the movement of the picture. As result, pupils interests were affected by the way of the teacher whom was teaching the class will attract the pupils the most by using ICT equipment. It goes well with 8

my early prediction where the pupils interest actually increase when there were media presentation for the lesson. Since the education are developing in this modern era, all teaching add are also in form of the latest format. From this research, I know that the pupils interests are affected by their surrounding and also the way of the teacher teach in the class. In the modern era, pupils are more influence by technologies and the teaching method has to change. This will bring back the pupils interests in their studies back up to it maximum performance.

Reflections When doing this research, I felt happy yet at the same time I felt very sad. I obtain a lot of data when try to search for the answer to my problems. I found out the pupils interest in their studies were affect not only the method that were used in teaching and learning technique but also the behavior of the teacher towards the pupils and also the environment. Sometime the teaching and learning session become very bored where the pupils were teach in only one method. This will cause the pupils interests in their studies will soon decrease and also affect their performance in their exam or studies. Thats why when teaching in the class the combination of two or more element when teaching will bring the pupils interest back up. This does not mean that the old method of teaching by using chalk and talk will not attract the pupils. Sometime it will bring the pupils interest to the maximum level. This is all depending how the teacher uses the tools given to teach his pupils. Sometime too much use of ICT or technology to teach will bring the pupils morals down in their study without proper use of it. The result that I have obtains during the teaching practicum were not enough to know the depth of the pupils interest in their studies. If there were given longer time, I will try to find another factor that will have an effect to the pupils interests in their studies rather then the teaching method data only. During the research, I was only thinking how to make the class livelier then before. This is because that when the teaching and learning session begin, it must be fun and easy for the pupils to understand. With this ambition of mine, I try to fine out whether my teaching method changes the pupils interests in their studies and it did. There were still a lot different factor to be considered, like the environment, their friends influence, and the class conditions. This research also done in different ways possible but my main focus was still the same. I found out that no matter where the teacher teach, the interest of the pupils do not change if the teaching method was fun and can deliver the correct information to the pupils. There was one time during my teaching and learning session by using ICT method alone just to fine the suitable way to teach and put in this research but it wont last long. The pupils interest start to decrease by the next day because there were no explanation and translation of language between the pupils and teacher.

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Sometime too much use of ICT will also cause the pupils interest in studies when the same image and media where use in teaching. This happen a lot when a teacher werent able to find the media that suitable based on the pupils level of understanding. I felt happy with the result that I was able to obtain from the teaching practicum in SK Mandor Aris for about three month.

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Conclusions As conclusions, I was able to find out that the pupils were more interested I the learning activities when I used the ICT and chalk method of teaching. This prove that the pupils like to be in the class when the teacher were using beautiful and funny media to teach the pupils whether the pupils were in level one of the learning stage or in the level two of the learning stage. Most of the pupils agree that when the teacher teach in the class by using ICT or multimedia for the topic like Light, Food chain and Food web. This media can be found easily either in the form of video game that they know especially Pocket Monster Game. Pupils understand better when there were multimedia involve in the teaching and learning process.

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Reference/ guide media Action Research, Eileen Ferrance, LAB at Brown University the Education Alliance222 Richmond Street, Suite 300 Providence.

www.teachersnetwork.org/tnli.

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