Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics in an Ubian Community of Malawali island

: A Study on the Impacts of Parent-Child Collaborative Learning Programme

1.0 Introduction

Learning the English language is not just about knowing the words and the ability to speak
in the language. It covers a lot of aspects similar to our first language acquisition. As Malaysian
pupils learn English as a second language in schools, they tend to exert disinterest towards learning
the language and many find this subject as a difficult one to master. Therefore, it is important that
motivation plays the role in language learning (Yunus & Abdullah, 2011)

Fortunately, the researcher has had an engaging English learning experience and now, as
an educator, having spent five years of training majoring in teaching of the English language to
primary learners, is determine to make English language learning enjoyable to our second language
learners. While most of the students in the city schools have easy access to technology, a stable
family economic status as well as the exposure from various media outlets, students in the rural
areas and their educational developments are often being overlooked.

According to Anderson (1985) reading is a skill necessary for children’s success both in
school and throughout life. The problems that the researcher always encounter when it comes to
teaching English to young children is that they possessed very weak foundational literacy skills, in
particular, the phonemic awareness and writing mechanics. One of the major contributing factors to
this emerging problem, is that they did not go through a formal early educational program;
preschool. Hence, the researcher is committed to rediscovering and reigniting multi-sensory
learning experience for the students to build their phonemic awareness at an early stage in order for
them to advance to a higher level.

The strategy of phonics is introduced in order to help pupils begin to read (MOE, 2011). The
remedial interventions for early ESL learners need to explicitly and directly include Phonemic
Awareness as one of the skills that are given emphasis, and with the recent discontinuation of the
LINUS programme under Government Transformation programme, Education director-general
Datuk Dr Amin Senin have urged that every school should have their own initiative to formulate own
programme according to the needs of the pupils, as headlined in New Straits Times (2018). Hence,
this research will serve as a pre-planned potential remedial program specifically targeted for rural
children whom have not received a formal kindergarten education to develop their literacy skills.
2.0 RESEARCH FOCUS

2.1 Problems Statements

Teaching is a learning experience, the researcher believes that through teaching, educators
are constantly learning about their learners and identifying their needs, their learning ability, their
learning styles, their strengths and weaknesses etc. Through this experience, educators are always
exploring new ways of teaching, new tools, new approaches, and new methods to cater various
learning styles, to improve certain aspects of weaknesses, to nurture talents, and in this research, to
solve preexisting problems. Therefore, based on teaching experience, the researcher has
encountered and observed relevant problems when it comes to teaching and learning English as a
second language to children in an Ubian community of Malawali Island.

2.1.1 The Emphasis of Phonemic Awareness and Phonics in the Curriculum Standard

The teaching of phonics in an ESL classroom is still relatively new in Malaysia. This has
divert away from the using whole language method in the previous National Curriculum Standard
before it was reformed to include the teaching of phonemes through phonics. Many of our
Malaysian students are left at the basic or below basic level of reading.
Students are not explicitly taught phonemic awareness and phonics. Instead, they think of
words as visual and memorize them as whole units.they tend to guess words using picture clues or
the beginning sounds in a word. Thus, when shifting from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”,
students do have the strategies to read unknown words.
Teachers are grown accustomed to what the LINUS programme requires them to teach.
In some cases, students may have been taught phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, but
only to the basic levels of blending and segmenting. The researcher has expressed a disagreement
because, while the LINUS programme and the current National Curriculum Standard cover two skills
in Phonemic Awareness, other skills that requires phoneme manipulations such as deletion,
addition and substitution are not being emphasized enough. The researcher believes that these
skills engage the learners’ cognitive skills in learning phonemes on a whole new level.
The remedial interventions for early ESL learners need to explicitly and directly include
Phonemic Awareness as one of the skills that are given emphasis, and with the recent
discontinuation of the LINUS programme under Government Transformation programme, Education
director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin have urged that every school should have their own initiative
to formulate own programme according to the needs of the pupils, as headlined in New Straits
Times (2018)
2.1.2 Socio-cultural Background and Socio-economic Status

The Ubian ethnic community has become part of a minority group in Sabah for decades.
Their population can be found throughout coastal islands along the southern Philippines
archipelago, Sabah east coast and west coast, originally inhabited the archipelagos before
migrating to the coast on the mainland. The island of Tanjung Malawali is a small island which
makes up part of the much larger and more populated Banggi Island in Kudat. With populations of
around 300 residents on the island, the community live a distant life from the mainland civilisation
and only accessible via sea transportation. Consequently, their knowledge is limited to their
surrounding.
The majority of households does not possess a stable income as the community rely
mostly on small ocean fisheries. Poverty is one of the major factors why education among children
in the community are lagging. The majority of parents could not provide their children with access to
educational materials and media, which is why their children have very low to no basic literacy and
numeracy skills. They have very little access to telecommunication medium such as the internet,
television and computer due to the absence of electrical power source. The community has been
living with no electricity day and night for years and relying mostly on petrol fueled power generator
that only last for a few hours at most.
Teaching English to the community faces great difficulties as they prefer to communicate in
their mother tongue, making the English language not only their third but a foreign subject to
master. This is a common challenge faced by ethnic minorities to fulfill our National educational
demand to achieve bilingual proficiency in Malay and English after completing secondary school.
Clearly, cultural background and socio-economic status contribute to the challenges of teaching
reading skills among children in the Ubian community.

2.1.3 The Lack of Awareness

Educational development among the Ubian community in Malawali island is not seen as a
priority. They are more likely to invest their money to supplying their household. Parents themselves
have had years of no access to education, did not see its importance and often neglect their
children’s needs to attend school. Some of the children are frequent absentees, often times stayed
home to babysit their siblings whilst their parents are out doing chores. As for children who attend
school, doing homework is another difficulties as their parents whom have had no educational
background, are facing with the same learning difficulties.
The learning culture is seemingly absent among the community especially for parents and
youths. They devote the entirety of their time sustaining financially on a day to day basis. Therefore,
the lack awareness of early education especially among parents has been a preexisting problem as
children are gradually losing interest in learning, leading to a higher school dropout.
2.1.4 The Absence of a Formal Early Educational Intervention

There is no greater emphasis than the importance of early education among children.
According to Walden University, a child’s early years are foundation for his or her future
development providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning disabilities, including
cognitive and social development. A child’s critical period of language development is from birth
until six years old, it is very important for parents to make use of that period to expose and supply
their children with basic literacy skills, writing mechanics, prior to schooling.
The absence of a formal early educational intervention : kindergarten, in Malawali Island
has negatively affect their children’s literacy skills acquisition when they attend primary schooling.
These children demonstrate short term memory capacity and possessed very low to no basic
literacy skills especially in reading and writing. The majority of first and second graders are not well
equipped with the skills that their fellow kindergartners have been taught, and this has a prolong
effects when they transition from grade to grade. In reading skills, they demonstrate a poor
alphabetic knowledge and phonemic awareness. They faced difficulties in recognizing the letters,
both lower and upper case as well as the letter-sound knowledge, and it is more prominent when
they are asked to blend and segment CVC words. Consequently, apart from having very weak
writing mechanics, it affects their writing skill to an extent where they could not recall the shape of
the alphabets.
The greater impacts eventually has to be carried by the teachers who struggle to equip
their students with basic literacy skills whilst trying to finish the syllabus in time.

2.2 Research Focus

2.2.1 Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

The researcher has made an important distinction about the phonemic awareness itself
which is not to be mistaken for Phonological Awareness. It is “the ability to examine language
independently of meaning and to manipulate its component sounds” (Griffith & Olson, 2004). While
still related, Phonemic Awareness is not phonics. Phonics is a method of using code (sound and
symbol relationships) to recognize words. Therefore, it is essential to explicitly teach learners how
sound in words work (phonemic awareness) and those sounds connect to the letter they see in
prints (phonics).
 Phonemic awareness instruction does not replace phonics instruction, but rather, both
skills are necessary when teaching students to decode words accurately and automatically. It is
important to note that the instruction needs to be systematic, explicit and consistent. Educators
should help students understand the connection between phonemic awareness and phonics. For
early learners, instruction should teach them how to apply the phonemic awareness skills to print.
Hence, they can connect reading words as they blend the sounds of letters and vice versa.
Therefore, when they hear the sounds in words, they are able to use letter-sound knowledge to use
the appropriate grapheme(s) to represent the sounds.

There are six basic skills in Phonemic Awareness that will be focused on, developed, and
assessed throughout the research intervention. These skills are;

Simple Learners are able to isolate the sounds in words, as

Phoneme Isolation in /b/ in “bear”, or /p/ in “soap”.
Learners are able to use of letter-sound knowledge to
Blending say each sound in a word like, /b/ /a/ /t/, then blend the
sounds together to read the word, “bat”
Learners are able to divide a spoken word into its sound
Segmentation components (phonemes) by demonstrating the finger
tap method, as in, “mad”, /m/ (tap), /a/ (tap), /d/ (tap)
Learners are able to add a phoneme to a given word to
Addition form a new word, as in, forming the word, “cat” by
adding /c/ to “-at”
Learners are able to form a new word from a word given
Deletion by removing a phoneme, as in, forming the word, “last”
by removing /b/ from “blast”
Learners are able to perform deletion and addition
Substitution simultaneously on a given word, as in, forming “kite from
Complex “bite” by removing /b/ and replace it with /k/

In the context of this research, the absence of early formal educational intervention within
the community of Malawali has led to a great number of preliterate children and adults. The
identified individuals demonstrated poor basic literacy skills such as the alphabetic knowledge and
phonemic awareness. Therefore, the teaching of Phonemic awareness and Phonics will be the main
focus skills that will be closely monitored, developed and assessed throughout the research
intervention.
2.2.2 Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is an educational methodology where learning involves groups of

students working together toward a common goal. It is based on the concept that learning is social,
so group members work alongside one another, talking and working through the learning process. If
implemented properly, collaborative learning session, learners are not only working on academics,
but social skills as well. Therefore, being able to successfully adapt collaborative learning into one’s
teaching and learning session will allow active participation of learners in the learning process.

The decision to include a collaborative learning between parents and their children as one
of the main focus of the intervention stems from the lack of awareness within the community of
Malawali Island. Parents play a key role in the social, emotional, and educational development of
their children. As such, the parent-child relationship is an important component of children’s learning
ecology. However, awareness is a demanding cognitive process that cannot be retained for long
periods. As parents’ involvement in children’s activities can have a drastic impact on their
development, retaining awareness in parents towards the importance of early education becomes
an important challenge especially among ethnic minorities in which educational development is
greatly affected by preexisting factors such as sociocultural background and socio-economic status.

In the context of this research, parent-child collaborative learning serves a pivotal role to
ensure effective teaching and learning of Phonemic awareness and phonics. In theory, it will have
an impact on the Ubian community of Malawali island’s perception towards the importance of
education. Therefore, the focus on the approach falls greatly on the community perceptions, its
possible long term effects, and initiatives to ensure its longevity.

2.3 Research Purpose

This research will contribute findings to existing papers on improving educational

development of indigenous minorities in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah. This research will benefits
not only educators who are currently teaching in rural areas and islands but also empowers these
communities through the access of quality education. As this research will be consisting of
preliminary assessment, a post-assessment, and a follow up assessment, we can predict the
retention of parent-child collaborative learning has on the awareness of early education within the
Ubian community of Malawali Island to come up with on going reinforcements to encourage on-
going collaborations and promote learning culture. Hence, this will make ways for more studies
done on other initiatives to improve the livelihood of indigenous minorities through educational
practices.
3.0 Preliminary Literature Review

3.1 Related Learning Theories

According to Sulaiman Masri (2005), theory is the basis and framework of knowledge which
is a set of target concepts, definitions, evidence or proposition. They are systematically related to
each other about the phenomenon by establishing causal relationships between multiple variables
for predicting. Therefore, in this research, the theoretical framework is formulated heavily based on
the Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological theory and Gagne’s Learning Process Model, with close references
to Behavioral, Social, Humanistic, and Constructivism learning theories.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory consists of five environmental systems, ranging from

children’s interaction within family, peers, and adults to the cultural influence of the family and
society as stated by Mok Soon Sang (2008). In the context of this research, the emphasize of
learning environment is not only in the classroom but also outside the classroom. To ensure an
effective teaching and learning of phonemic awareness and phonics, the researcher will encourage
interactions between pupils and their respective families, peers and neighbourhood. Therefore, this
will highlight the important roles of the community and sociocultural on the learning development
within the community. Based on Theory and Model of Learning proposed by Gagne, learning
process is determined through aspects such as learning readiness, motivation, perception
conceptualization, memorising and learning transfer as stated by Mok Soon Sang (2008). In relation
to the research intervention, learners will be taught with the basic skills of Phonemic Awareness and
alphabetic knowledge to facilitate reading readiness and by doing so by taking incorporating various
teaching aids and appropriate teaching techniques through a collaborative learning with their
parents to create a meaningful and motivating learning experience.

In Pavlov’s Behavioural Conditioning Theory, satisfactory learning response is being

reinforced through the teaching and learning practices. The way a teachers teach and the way
target skills are being presented to the learners can have a great impact on their learning acquisition
whilst providing appropriate teaching materials. The theory is also supported by Bandura’s Social
Modelling Theory, in which states that teachers’ presentation should be skillful, clear, and
interesting so learners have the opportunity to apply the target skills in their learning development.
Bandura also believe in inspiring good role models among learners in and outside of the classroom.
Kohler’s Cognitive Theory emphasize the importance of teaching based on the learner’s ability and
existing skills, and organizing teaching activities to be presented in a clear step-by-step sequence to
the learners. In addition, Piaget’s Cognitive Learning Theory encourages teachers to encourage
their students to involve actively in the teaching and learning activities.
From a constructivism and humanistic perspective of learning theory, Carl Roger and
Lev Vygostky, highlight the importance of meaningful and useful learning experience. Both
encourage teachers to initiate learning that involves community outside of school. This initiative
will enable mutual trust and understanding among teachers, learners and parents to be fostered.

2.1.2 Related Past Studies

According to Maasum and Maarof (2012), the process of reading is a doorway to gain and
learn more knowledge. Smith, Simmons and Kame’enui (1998) stated that the ability to hear and
manipulate phonemes plays a causal role in the acquisition of beginning reading skills. However,
the education system in Malaysia still faces the issue of reading incompetency among students, and
this situation occurred because of failures in the early stages of reading as it is important skill for the
learners. (Tahar et al, 2010).

Tahar (2010) also established the importance of children acquiring early literacy skills,
with kindergarten and first grade being a crucial period to identify and remediate students who are
not on track to become proficient readers. A research conducted found out students who received
two years of kindergarten education performed better in reading, compared to students who
received only one year of kindergarten education. It also showed the level of reading skills with the
ability to read the syllable plays an important role and further concluded that teachers need to be
exposed to a variety of methods and techniques in order to carry out immediate rehabilitation. With
the help of an expert, teachers can learn the correct method for early detection and resolution of
their students’ reading problems (Tahar et al, 2010). Carnine and Grossen, (1993) point to
phonemic awareness as a predictor of early reading success as mentioned by Ghanaguru et al
(2002).
4.0 Research Objectives and Research Questions

4.1 Research Objectives

This research aims to:

i. Study the impacts of parent-child collaborative learning approach to teach phonemic awareness
and phonics.
ii. Find out the teachers’, parents’and learners’ receptions toward parent-child collaborative
learning approach .
iii. Explore other initiatives for long term impacts on the awareness of early education among the
Ubian community of Tanjung Malawali Island.

4.2 Research Questions

The research questions are:

i. What are the impacts of parent-child collaborative learning approach to teach phonemic
awareness and phonics?
ii. What are the teachers’, parents’and learners’ receptions toward parent-child collaborative
learning approach ?
iii. What are initiatives for long term impacts on the awareness of early education among the Ubian
community of Tanjung Malawali Island?

5.0 Target Group

In conjunction to the preliminary findings, this research will be conducted on selected

participants aged seven to twelve of Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Manawali, Banggi, whom
demonstrate poor phonemic awareness due to not receiving a formal kindergarten educational
program prior to transitioning to primary schooling. Criteria of selection for all participants are purely
based on continuous monitoring and observation of their academic performances and that they had
not undergone clinical diagnosis for signs of dyslexia. Throughout the intervention, participants are
to
attend a parent-child collaborative learning session thrice a week for an hour each time outside of
school hours and are conducted for a period of ten weeks. All aspects of the intervention will have
to be mutually agreed by both the teacher and the parents.

6.0 Theoretical Framework

This section will display the conceptual framework that will be used in this study.

Teacher

Mastery of
Skills

Learners Parents

Motivation

Teaching Meaningful Explicit

Materials Learning Instructions

Learners Parents

Target Skills

Teacher
7.0 Developing Actions

7.1 Models for Action Research (Lewin’s Action Research Spiral)

This research will be conducted based on Kurt Lewin’s model of action research. The

researcher chose this model because the procedure is cyclical in nature and is intended to foster

deeper understanding of a given situation (Goh Lay Huah, 2012). By using this model, the

researcher will be able to learn in depth about the preexisting difficulties faced by EFL learners

clearly and evaluate the sociocultural impact of proposed actions or intervention on the awareness

of education within the Ubian community of Malawali Island. From then on, targeted impacts of the

intervention is evaluated for future reinforcement.

Figure 1 Lewin’s Action Research Spiral

Based on Lewin’s action research spiral, the researcher has come out with a plan to carry out the

action research as shown in figure 2.

Reflect
● Observation
Observe ● Document Analysis
Through Teaching Practices ● Diagnostic Assessment
● Pre Interviews
● Literature Review

Planning for Action

Act ● Teaching Phonemic
● Intervention Awareness and Phonics
● Post-assessment ● Parent-Teacher
Collaborative Learning

Evaluate
● Assessment results
Modify
● Teacher’s Reflection
Amend plan for future
● Follow-up Assessment
reinforcement
● Post Interviews
● Observation

Cycle 2, 3 and so on

Figure 2.
7.2 Action Plan

Action Plan Data Gathering

Stages Rationale
Steps Methods

● To assess the
1. Identifying the problems through learner’s
teaching and learning practices. phonemic
2. Planning a Diagnostic Assessment awareness and
Observe in which will then be conducted by alphabetic
the teacher to assess participants’ knowledge
phonemic awareness level and ● To gain initial
alphabetic knowledge. observation prior
to research
intervention. ● Diagnostic
● To organize a Assessment
systematic and ● Field Notes
1. Preliminary investigation through
structured plan ● Media
fact finding by reading journals, and
for the Recording
recent studies based on the
intervention to ● Document
problem statements.
be carried out Analysis
2. Carry out observation, document
based on the ● Reflective
analysis and diagnostic test to
preliminary journals
Reflect determine the preexisting problems
observation.
in current situations.
● To prepare
3. Doing a preliminary literature review
teaching
to discover methods of intervention.
materials that
4. Find out how the intervention will
will engage the
improve learners to overcome the
learners
problem.
 1. Held a formal meeting with the ● To build mutual
parents and their children to trust and
introduces the intervention. understanding
● Field notes
2. Provide and present a clear plan on between parents
and teachers of ● Media
how the intervention will be carried
what to be Recordings
out.
expected for the ● Formative
3. Carry out the intervention according
Act intervention assessment
to plan.
● To monitor and tools
4. Facilitates the learning method
observe changes ● Reflective
closely and provide guidance when in social situations
journals
completing the tasks. ● To monitor
5. Carry out continuous formative learners’ progress
assessments throughout the
intervention

1. Analyse the data collected ● To reflect the

2. Reflect on action that has been effectiveness of
implemented and based on the the intervention
Evaluate data collected. used.
● Post
3. Provide answers for the research ● To identify
assessment
questions strength and
● Field notes
weaknesses for
● Media
future
Recording
improvement.
● Semi-
● To plan for the
Structured
1. Evaluate the strength and next course of
Interview.
weaknesses during the intervention intervention to
Modify ● Follow up
period to make improvements. reinforce on-
assessment
2. Plan the next course of intervention going
collaborations
for long term
effects.
7.3 Data Collection Method
In this research, both qualitative and quantitative data are recorded using these instruments :

7.3.1 Cumulative Assessments : Assessments will be conducted to assess participants’

phonemic awareness and alphabetic knowledge. The assessment will consist of a diagnostic
assessment, a post-assessment and a follow-up assessment several weeks after the
intervention (to monitor the retention of the targeted skills of the participants which is valuable
to determine long term effects of the collaborative learning). Results from the pre and post
assessment s will be compared for improvements and progress, and the follow-up
assessment results will determine the retention of the targeted skills and interpret the
outcomes of the parent-child collaborative learning.

7.3.2 Documents Analysis : Preliminary data on the learners learning difficulties will be
extracted from their PBD assessment reviews, exercise books, and worksheets etc
throughout their learning prior to the intervention being implemented. Throughout the
intervention, the learners’ progress will be closely monitored. As this is an on-going
assessment, the document analysis will be on their formative assessment tools, project-based
assessments, drawing or sketches, as well as worksheets, depending on the current topic or
skills that are being drilled. Additional data regarding on the implementation of Phonics and
Phonemic Awareness will be derived from teachers’ lesson plans based on the National
Curriculum Standards and the now discontinued LINUS Programme.

7.3.3 Field Notes, Video or Audio Recordings and Photographs : Throughout the cycle
implementation, the researcher will be recording observational data through the use of field
notes, media recording and photographs, paying close attention to individual progress, the
changes in behavior of the participants, their level of engagement mid-lesson, factors that
might play a role in affecting individuals’ actions and the overall social situation.

7.3.4 Semi-Structured Interviews : Semi-structured interviews is conducted to find out the

participants’ receptions towards the intervention used. To ensure the validity of the recorded
data, the researcher will be interviewing, the parents, the learners, and the teachers.
Additional, interviews may be conducted to randomly selected members of the community.

7.3.5 Teacher’s Reflective Journal : Reflective practice is a crucial element in action

research (Goh, 2012). Reflection emphasizes on learning through questioning and
investigation. It is essential in helping the teacher to develop better understanding of his
actions and on what he knows and does. In addition teacher reflective journal is very essential
 as the channel for the teacher to reflect on certain events situation based on her point of view.
It is also can be served as the best way to reflect on own strengths and weaknesses as well
as come out with a plan or suggestion to better improve his or own practice by addressing the
issue that came out during the previous intervention throughout the process of accomplishing
this action research.

Finally, the researcher specify the learning outcomes after each implementation and make
improvements. The data collected will be analysed by the researcher and compare the data with the
criteria of success:

a) The research will be completed when all the participants are able to identify all 44 basic
phonemes either via auditory or visual.
b) The research will be completed when all the participants are able to master all six levels
of Phonemic Awareness.
c)The research will be completed when all the participants are ready and motivated to initiate
another collaborative intervention to develop other literacy skills.

Based on the data analysis, the findings are interpreted in light of how successful the parent-
child collaborative learning approach has been. At this point, the problem will be re-assessed and
the process begins another cycle of intervention with a new target skills. This will continue until the
criteria of success are met.
7.4 Data Analysing Method

7.4.1 Qualitative Data Analysis

Lewins, Taylor & Gibsbs (2005) states that qualitative data analysis is the range of

processes and procedures whereby we move from the qualitative data that have been collected in

some form of explanation, understanding or interpretation of the people and situations we are

investigating. It can be done by analysing the data based on the content,pattern and dilemma

analysis (Somekh,1996). In the context of my action research this kind of data analysis method will

be very helpful in aiding me to develop insight towards my finding.

Table 3
Data Analysis Method
Source of Data Interpretation
1. Observation Checklist Likert Scale
2. Interview - Semi- Transcription using online text
structured analyzer (sporkforge) ---> Thematic
Focus group interview Coding according to criteria to
answer my RQ.
3. Teacher’s Reflective Journal Thematic Coding
4. Students ’work Pattern /Error Analysis

The data obtained based on likert scale and comment from observation checklist which is

done by the second observer will be analysed based on several aspect to evaluate the

effectiveness of the intervention.As for the recorded data from the focus group interview, it was

transcribed and put into theme that can answer my research questions.Teacher’s reflective journal

also is written down after each intervention and throughout the process of teaching and learning . It

was categorized under few aspects that researcher wished to focus.In addition to that the

researcher also conducted error analysis to find out the most frequent errors committed by in their

writing so that he can plan and come out with other strategies to overcome it. Students’ test is

analysed accordingly to find the pattern of pupils mistake in writing simple sentences.
 7.4.2 Quantitative Data Analysis

I decided to use descriptive statistics to analyse the data that I have collected for the

context of my stud,. Goh (2012) states that descriptive statistics presents quantitative data in

measures like percentages, frequency, mean, standard deviation and in forms like graphs, charts

and tables. Hence it will useful in helping me to facilitates answer for my research questions.

Table 4
Data Analysis Method
Source of Data Interpretation
1. Pre-Assessment Comparison of score
2. Post- Assessment Analytic Marking

Pupils’ test were marked based on analytic marking scheme to obtain the test score. Then

the score from both assessments are compared to monitor pupils progress as well as level of

mastery by as well as to assess the effectiveness of the intervention (RQ2).

7.5 VERIFYING DATA

7.5.1 Triangulating the Data

Data triangulation is the practice of using multiples methodologies or data sources to

verify the findings of an investigation and prove its credibility (Goh,2012).In order to ensure the

reliability and validity of my research findings, I also triangulated the data to gain more reliable and

valid results in this research. Triangulation involved the conscious combination of quantitative and

qualitative methodologies as a powerful solution to strengthen a research design where the logic is

based on the fact that a single method can never adequately solve the problem of rival causal

factors (Patton, 1990). This is due to the fact that data triangulation reduces biases and increase

confidence in reporting my research. By cross-referencing data from different sources and looking

for the common denominator as evidence, I can provide a clearer and more convincing

understanding of the issue.

Figure 8
sample of data triangulation has been made by the researcher

Interview

Observation
Students’ Work And Teacher Reflective
Journal

Figure 2 : Triangulation of Data

The figure above showed on how the data complement each other in order to gain a
valid and reliable data. In this research, observation is very important to see changes made by the
respondents. The respondents may answers the test correctly and got high marks in the test but
there will be possibility that some of them cheats during the test. So with the observations done
from the teacher with the help of the second observer, it will shows how the pupils progress and
improve from time to time. In this research, the researcher made an observation for each
intervention to reflect on the effectiveness of the intervention. So, he could see his respondents’
progress and that made his data contain high validity and reliability. For the test that was held
before and after the intervention, it must tally with the students’ work and teacher’s observations.
7.6 Scheduling for Action Implementation

No IMPLEMENTATION
ACTION
. PERIOD
Reflection on teaching and learning and identify
1.
research focus
2. Submit the research proposal
Preparation for Research Implementation
 Action Plan
 Implementation steps
3.
 Determining the data collection techniques and
Instruments
 Determining the data analysis procedures
Action Research Implementation
4.  Implementing cycle 1
 Implementing cycle 2 and so on
5. Monitoring the action and data collection
Writing the research report
 Draft 1
6.  Editing
 Reviewing
 Draft 2 and so on
Sharing the research findings
7.  Seminar Presentation
 Journal Publication
8. Planning for follow -up action research
Adapted from A Practical Guide to Writing Your Action Research (Goh, 2012)
8.0 Bibliography