Task 3: Action Research Article

THE USE OF PICTIONARY GAMES TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE AMONG

YEAR FIVE PUPILS

SITI ATIQAH BINTI AZIZAN

Supervisor: En. Abd Wahab bin Sulaiman

English Language Department

IPG Kampus Perlis

sitiatiqaha@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This action research examines the issue of weak vocabulary knowledge among Year Five pupils
due to lack of motivation and interest in learning English. The focus of this study is to improve
the vocabulary knowledge by using Pictionary Games. The title of this action research is “Using
Pictionary Games to Improve Vocabulary Knowledge Among Year Five Pupils. The aim of this
study is to find out if Pictionary Games is an effective learning tool to assist pupils to understand
the vocabulary they encountered in the textbook. Pictionary Games that incorporate visual
stimulus will facilitate the learners to have better understanding and memory of the vocabulary
learnt. In this study, 6 research participants from Year Five of SRK Stella Maris (M) were chosen
to undergo the 6-weeks Pictionary Games intervention. Three research instruments have been
used in this study namely pre-test and post-test, observation checklist and survey (Likert Scale).
Based on the findings, it has been discovered that Pictionary Games is effective in assisting
pupils’ understanding of the vocabulary and increasing their interest to learn English.

Keywords: Pictionary Games, games, vocabulary knowledge, visual, intervention.

ABSTRAK

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Kajian tindakan ini mengkaji isu pengetahuan kosa kata yang lemah dalam kalangan murid
Tahun Lima disebabkan oleh kurangnya motivasi dan minat dalam mempelajari Bahasa
Inggeris. Tumpuan kajian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan kosa kata dengan
menggunakan Pictionary Games. Tajuk penyelidikan tindakan ini adalah "Penggunaan
Pictionary Games untuk Meningkatkan Pengetahuan Kosa Kata dalam kalangan Murid Tahun
Lima. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengetahui adakah Pictionary Games merupakan alat
pembelajaran yang berkesan untuk membantu murid memahami kosa kata yang mereka temui
dalam buku teks. Permainan Pictionary yang merangkumi rangsangan visual akan
memudahkan pelajar memahami dan mengingati kosan kata yang dipelajari. Dalam kajian ini, 6
peserta penyelidikan dari Lima Tahun SRK Stella Maris (M) dipilih untuk menjalani intervensi
Pictionary Games selama 6 minggu. Tiga instrumen kajian telah digunakan dalam kajian ini iaitu
pra-ujian dan pasca ujian, senarai semak pemerhatian dan tinjauan (Skala Likert). Berdasarkan
analisis dan intrepretasi data yang telah dijalankan, pengkaji mendapati bahawa Pictionary
Games berkesan dalam membantu meningkatkan pemahaman murid dalam kosa kata Bahasa
Inggeris dan meningkatkan minat mereka untuk mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris.

Kata kunci: Pictionary, permainan, pengetahuan kosa kata, visual, intervensi.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In learning of English language, the acquisition of vocabulary is a very important aspect.

Therefore, in primary school English classes, the acquisition of vocabulary becomes an
important factor. However, most of the learners will not immediately memorise the new words
they encounter. To be able to use the words, learners need to consolidate the word form and
meaning in their memory. In the educational context, teachers usually attempt a variety of
systematic strategies to facilitate the memorisation of the learners to learn new vocabulary.
Various literatures and researches have put forward the effectiveness of games and visuals to
achieve this cause. Therefore, the researcher attempts to explore the extend of the
effectiveness of Pictionary Games in enhancing vocabulary knowledge of primary school pupils.

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

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 Pictionary is a classic language game that is popular in the western culture. As implied in
its name, Pictionary involves the use of pictures or visuals to describe the words or vocabulary
that are targeted in the session. Other vital elements of Pictionary Games are guessing and
communication.

2.1 Stages of vocabulary knowledge

Vocabulary knowledge is vital for the young learners to learn English. With good vocabulary
knowledge, children will be able to communicate in the language in different functions. Other
than that, there are levels that authorities have set to show what it means to know the meaning
of a word. Shanker & Cockrum (2009), stated that “There are five levels of vocabulary
knowledge. They are;

1. A student has no recognition of a word. Indeed, she may never have seen it before.

2. A student has heard of the word (that is, recognizes that it is a word) but has no
knowledge of its meaning.

3. A student recognizes the word in context and has a vague understanding of its meaning.

4. A student knows well the meaning of the word in the context in which it appears.

5. A student knows the multiple meanings of the word (if they exist) and can actually use
the word in thinking, speaking, or writing.” (p. 1)

These levels suggested clear indicator for the teachers and educators to assess the learners’
prior knowledge and their effectiveness in learning new words. It is also helpful to provide focus
for the teachers to teach the vocabulary that pose difficulties for the learners.

2.2 Vocabulary and Malaysia’s English syllabus

Ministry of Education (2014) stated “The English language curriculum for primary
schools aims to equip pupils with basic language skills to enable them to communicate
effectively in a variety of contexts that is appropriate to the pupils’ level of development” (p.6). To
convey effective messages, learners need to have a wide range of vocabulary knowledge. This
is because; they need to know the exact words to be used to express the intended ideas or
messages. In order to achieve the aim, Ministry of Education has introduced a section of word
list to the new curriculum. Ministry of Education (2014) stated that, the word list for Stage 2
pupils is divided into 3 sections, they are; a list of High Frequency Words that pupils need to
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master by the end of Year 6, a suggested list of words that will help pupils acquire vocabulary
related to various themes and content introduced in stage 2 and a list of suggested mathematics
and science terms (p.53).

2.3 Pictionary and vocabulary learning.

A group of researcher from IPG Kampus Tun Hussein Onn (IPTHO), have conducted
research entitled “The use of e-Pictionary in Vocabulary Instruction. Rafiah, Yee & Kee (2016)
discovered that, “the use of e-Pictionary to teach vocabulary has helped the participants to
remember the names of the pictures shown as they can see the characteristics, colours and
special features of the pictures.” Other than that, Shirtha, Ujang & Sudirman (2014) stated in
their research that, “Students’ vocabulary achievement significantly increased after the
implementation of Pictionary Game in teaching vocabulary.” The researches have shown that
Pictionary Games in any version is effective to increase students’ performance in learning
vocabulary.

3.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

3.1 Research objectives

This research aims to improve participants’ vocabulary knowledge through Pictionary Games.

The specific objectives of this research are;

1. To find out if Pictionary Games assist the pupils to understand the vocabulary.

2. To find out if Pictionary Games will increase pupils’ interest in learning the language.

3.2 Research questions

There are several questions that need to be answered throughout this research, they are;

1. Does the Pictionary Games helps the pupils to understand the vocabulary they
encounter in the textbook?

2. Does Pictionary Games increase the pupils’ interest to learn the language?

4.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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 This action research is a quantitative study. The research instruments used to analyse and
interpret data are pre-test and post test, observation checklist and Likert scale. This action
research utilised the Model of Action Research by Whitehead and McNiff (2006) to solve the
problem faced by the researcher which is pupils have weak vocabulary due to lack of interest in
learning English.

Figure 1: The action research cycles based on Whitehead & McNiff (2006)

Meanwhile the action plans and procedures for the intervention are as follows.

Figure 2: Action plans

5.0 DATA COLLECTION

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 The methods used to collect data to see the effectiveness of the intervention are as follows.
Firstly, document analysis (pre-test and post test), observation (checklist) and asking questions
(Likert scale).

5.1.1 Pre-test and post-test.

Table 1

Result of the tests

Increment
Pupils Pre Test Grade Post Test Grade Increment
Percentages
1 34% E 86% A 52% 60%

2 43% D 54% C 11% 21%

3 49% D 66% B 17% 26%

4 54% C 83% A 29% 34%

5 69% B 74% B 5% 8%

6 86% A 100% A 14% 14%

Median 52% 79% 5.5 24%

Mean 56% 77% 7.5 27%

Stdv 0.188406 0.161544627 0.188406

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 Figure 3: Result of Pre-test and Post-test

The average score for the pupils before intervention took place is 56%. 56% is considered
as the satisfactory score. However, after intervention the average score of the pupils increased
to 77% which considered as the good score. The increase in mean showed that the Pictionary
game intervention is effective in helping the pupils to understand the vocabulary they encounter
in the textbook. From the result, the researcher can deduce that pupils are having better
knowledge in vocabulary because there are an increase number of correct answers given by the
pupils. Every pupil showed improvement in the tests because at least 5% increments were
recorded in the post-test from the pre-test. The highest increment recorded in 52% who is
obtained by Pupil 1. Other than that, there is an increase of numbers of pupils who acquire the
highest band. In the pre-test only one pupil managed to score A, but after the intervention three
pupils managed to put themselves in A grade. Meanwhile, the standard deviation of the score in
pre-test is 0.188406.

After post test, the standard deviation recorded is 0.161544627 as compared to pre test
which is 0.188406. The scores spread out narrower in the post test. As the mean score increase
(56% to 77%), this signifies that even though pupils showed improvement in their vocabulary
knowledge, they are still performing and progressing in their own pace. Other than that, the
standard deviation also showed that pupils have managed to close their performance gap after
the intervention. This progress is beneficial to encourage continuous motivation in the learning
process.

5.1.2 Observation checklist

Table 2

Comparison of pupils’ participation in the lesson for three interventions

Pupils’ name Before intervention During intervention After intervention

(Pseudonym)
Yes No Yes No Yes No
Pupil 1 √ √ √
Pupil 2 √ √ √
Pupil 3 √ √ √

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Pupil 4 √ √ √
Pupil 5 √ √ √
Pupil 6 √ √ √

Based on the observation, the researcher recorded the comparison of pupils’

participation in the English lesson during the three phases of interventions which are before
intervention, during intervention and after intervention. “Student engagement with learning tasks
is considered higher when the learner is interested in that task”. (Carmichael, Callingham, Hay
& Watson, 2010). Active participation is an indicator of pupils’ interest in the learning process.
The pupils are said to participate when they volunteer to give answers or respond appropriately
to the teacher’s instructions and taking part in the group activities actively. The observations
were recorded three times during the English lesson within the period of intervention. Based on
the table, before intervention, only two out of six pupils participated in the lesson. During
intervention, the numbers of active participants increase to four out of six pupils. Finally, the
number of active participation is all six pupils after the intervention. Hence, it is concluded that
the number of participation gradually increases along with the progress of intervention. This
means the intervention has produced positive result on increasing the interest of the pupils in
learning English language.

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 5.1.3 Likert scale

Table 3
Result of the Likert scale before intervention
Total
Totally Disagree Agree Totally
score
Items n disagree agree
( P x pt)
1 pt 2pt 3pt 4pt
(*/24)

1. English is a fun subject. 6 0 0% 4 67% 1 17% 1 17% 15

2. My favourite subject is English 6 1 17% 4 67% 1 17% 0 0% 10
3. I always participate in the activities
6 0 0% 2 33% 2 33% 2 33% 16
during English lesson.
4. I like to do English tasks in the
6 3 50% 0 0% 2 33% 1 17% 13
classroom
5. I like to read English books. 6 3 50% 3 50% 0 0% 0 0% 9
TOTAL SCORE OF INTEREST 63/120
MEAN 1.4 23% 2.6 43% 1.2 20% 0.8 13% 12.6

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 Total
Totally Totally
Disagree Agree score
Items n disagree agree
2pt 3pt ( P x pt)
1pt 4pt
(*/24)
1. English is a fun subject. 6 0 0% 2 33% 3 50% 1 17% 17
2.My favourite subject is English 6 1 17% 4 67% 1 17% 0 0% 12
3.I always participate in the activities
during English lesson. 6 0 0% 3 50% 1 17% 2 33% 17
4.I like to do English tasks in the
classroom 6 2 33% 0 0% 3 50% 1 17% 15
5.I like to read English books. 6 3 50% 3 50% 0 0% 0 0% 9
TOTAL SCORE OF INTEREST 70/120
MEAN 1.2 20% 2.4 40% 1.6 27% 0.8 13% 14

Table 4
Result of the likert scale during intervention

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Table 5

Result of Likert scale after intervention

Totally Totally Total

Disagree Agree score
Items n disagree agree
2pt 3pt ( P x pt)
1pt 4pt (*/24)
1. English is a fun subject. 6 0 0% 2 33% 2 33% 2 33% 18
2. My favourite subject is
6 1 17% 1 17% 2 33% 2 33% 17
English
3. I always participate in the
6 0 0% 0 0% 3 50% 3 50% 21
activities during English lesson.
4. I like to do English tasks in
6 0 0% 1 17% 2 33% 3 50% 20
the classroom
5. I like to read English books. 6 1 17% 1 17% 2 33% 2 33% 17
TOTAL SCORE OF INTEREST 93/120
MEAN 1.2 20% 1.8 30% 2.2 37% 0.8 13% 18.6

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Before intervention

Based on the result tabulated, the pupils are moderately interested in learning English.
This is because, the result showed that the total score of interest is only 63 points. Meanwhile,
the mean is 12.6, whereby the ideal score is 120.

During intervention

Based on the result tabulated, pupils showed positive changes in their perception of
learning English. In other words, pupils are getting interested to learn English. This was proven
by the total score of interest obtained through the Likert scale. The total score for this phase is
70 with a mean of 14. Hence, there is 7-points increment of score compared to the previous
survey.

After intervention

By this time, there is an increase of total score for this item. This is because; the total
score of interest has increased dramatically from 70 points to 93 points. There is 23-points
increment of the total score. Meanwhile, the mean of the interest score after intervention is 18.6.

6.0 RESEARCH FINDINGS

The research findings will answer the research questions outlined.

The first question is:

Does the Pictionary Games helps the pupils to understand the vocabulary they encounter in the
textbook?

This action research found out that the intervention was effective to help the pupils to
understand the vocabulary the encounter in the textbook. Pupils have managed to score an
average of 27% increment in their post test score as compared to their pre test score. This
figure shows that, pupils have improved their understanding of the targeted vocabulary. The
intervention was done on the targeted vocabulary but not any random vocabulary. Hence, the
intervention will be helpful for the pupils to answer their examination questions since the
questions are formulated based on the textbooks. However, the result will not reflect pupils’
actual abilities in using English. This is because, vocabulary in the textbooks are limited and
only relevant in certain occasions.

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 Then, the second question is:

Does Pictionary Games increase the pupils’ interest to learn English?

The action research found out that the intervention has produced a positive result in increasing
pupils’ interest in learning English. The objective was confirmed through two research
instruments. One is observation checklist and another one is Likert scale. Observation checklist
was used to determine the pupils’ participation in the lesson before, during and after
intervention. Participation is a helpful indicator to determine pupils’ interest level. Based on the
checklist, there is an increased frequency of participation for the three phases of interventions.
Other than that, the analysis for the Likert scale showed impressive changes of pupils’
perception towards English lesson. Pupils responded more positively to the items as the
intervention went by. There was increment of the interest score recorded by the researcher
through this instrument.

7.0 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

To improve the intervention the researcher can integrate the use of Information and
Technology to the game. Teacher can create a mobile application that can be customised to the
pupils’ and syllabus need or utilise the available Pictionary application on Play Store or Google
Play. This improvement will benefit more pupils but the current research participants will require
longer time to adapt to the game systems and suitable devices will be needed to implement the
intervention.

Other than that, if the timeframe for the Cycle 1 is longer, there will be more content that
can be presented in the intervention and the game will be more complex and challenging. As
suggestion, teacher can use the intervention to do flipped classroom. For examples, instead of
teacher pre-teach the vocabulary, they are going to look for the meaning of the targeted
vocabulary independently at home and in the classroom; teacher will test their understanding
through Pictionary Games. Hence, instead of mere understanding, the researcher can see to
what extend the intervention is effective to provide vocabulary retention of the research
participants as well.

Other than that, the researcher can introduce the “token system” as addition to the game
procedures. Even though, token acts as extrinsic motivation that do not usually last longer, but it
will be effective to prolong the pupils’ interest to play the games.

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8.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, prior to the research objectives and questions, the intervention has been
proven to be effective as it meets the objectives outlined and answered well to the questions
listed. Therefore, the Pictionary Games as an intervention is highly potential to become effective
teaching aids and to supplement the English lesson. However, it is imperative for the involving
practitioners to ensure that the intervention is carefully planned and implemented according to
the pupils’ needs for maximum performance of the intervention.

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REFERENCES

Carmichael, C., Callingham, R., Hay, I., & Watson, J. (2010). Measuring middle school students’
interest in statistical literacy. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 22(3), 9-39.
Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ914118.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2014). Kurikulum Standard Sekolah rendah: Dokumen Standard

Kurikulum dan Pentaksiran. Putrajaya: Bahagian Pembangunan Kurikulum.

Rafiah Abdul Rahman, Yee, B.C., & Kee, L.L. (2016). The Use of e-Pictionary in Vocabulary
Instruction. The English Teacher, 45(3), 144 - 158. Retrieved from
journals.melta.org.my/index.php/tet/article/download/387/273

Shanker, J. L & Cockrum, A. W. (2009). Locating and correcting reading difficulties (9th ed.).
London: Pearson .

Shirtha El Rusyda, Ujang Suparman & Sudirman. (2014). Teaching Vocabulary Through
Pictionary Game To First Grade Students Of Smp Al-Kautsar. Retrieved from
http://download.portalgaruda.org/article.php?article

Whitehead, J & McNiff, J. (2006). Action research: Living theory. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

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