Get Smart Plus 4 Student's Book Year 4

USING eSTORYBOOK TO TEACH ADJECTIVES IN A PRIMARY
ESL CLASSROOM

THIVYAH A/P THIRUCHELVAN

PISMP Teaching English as a Second Language
Ambilan Jun 2018

INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU
KAMPUS IPOH

2022

USING eSTORYBOOK TO TEACH ADJECTIVES IN A PRIMARY ESL CLASSROOM
THIVYAH A/P THIRUCHELVAN

This action research report is submitted as a part of the requirement
for the degree of Bachelor of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS IPOH

MAY 2022

VERIFICATION OF SUPERVISOR

“I acknowledge that I have read this research report, and, in my opinion, this thesis
is sufficient in terms of scope and quality for the certification of the Degree of
Bachelor in Education Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL)”

Signature : ..........................................................
Supervisor’s name : MADAM TAN LOON SIM
Date : ..........................................................

i

DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK

“I hereby declare that the contents of the thesis entitled ‘Using eStorybook to teach
Adjectives in a primary ESL Classroom’ are my own work except for quotations and

summaries of each for which was acknowledged.”

Signature thivyah

: ......................................................

Researcher’s Name : THIVYAH A/P THIRUCHELVAN

Date : ......................................................

ii

DEDICATION
I dedicate my dissertation work to my family and close friends. A special feeling of gratitude
to my loving parents whose words of encouragement and push for tenacity ring in my ears.

Special for loved ones
Dearest father and mother,
Mr. Thiruchelvan and Mrs. Jayanthi
Who have given a lot of encouragements, moral and financial supports, blessings and
prayers that accompanied every step to carry out this study successfully.
Also, to the respected supervisor,

Madam Tan Loon Sim
For all the guidance and righteousness that are priceless.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to God for His mercy and grace for
allowing me to finally complete my action research successfully despite all the challenges
and barriers that l had to go through.

A big thanks to my whole family for having been there for me, and especially to my
parents (Mr. Thiruchelvan and Mrs. Jayanthi), for their unconditional love and their day-to-
day praying for me to be strong and patient. Without their support and cheering, I would not
have gotten up to this moment.

My gratitude goes to all the TESL Lecturers especially Madam Tan Loon Sim
(supervisor of thesis) who had been the source of moral encouragement and strength
throughout this action research. All her guidance throughout this research process is very
much appreciated. All aid and assistance from her will be remembered.

I am grateful to all of those with whom I have had the pleasure to work during this
and other related projects. My classmates and internship partner have provided me with
extensive personal and professional guidance and taught me a great deal about both
scientific research and life in general. I would especially like to thank Madam Kavitha
Veerasamy, the English teacher of the school and my mentor, who has taught me more than
I could ever give her credit for here. She has shown me, by her example, what and how a
good teacher should be.

Again, my deepest thanks and appreciation for the guidance, support,
encouragement and help in completing this action research.

iv

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the use of ‘eStorybook’ as a teaching and learning
strategy to improve adjectives among Year 4 pupils. A total of 5 participants from Year 4 in
SJK(T) Gunung Rapat were selected for the intervention of the ‘eStorybook’. This study
utilised action research as the research method. In this research, pre-intervention and post-
intervention tests, observation checklist and semi-structured interviews were used as
research instruments. The findings showed that the use of ‘eStorybook’ has increased the
understanding ability of the pupils on adjectives as there were improvements in the results of
post-test. The mean for the pre-test was 8% while the mean for the post-test was 96%. It has
been proven that there was an 88% of improvement in the tests' scores before and after the
intervention was conducted. Moreover, observation and interviews conducted showed that
the ‘eStorybook’ had improved pupils’ adjectives as well as created a meaningful and fun
learning environment. Results of this study have shown that the pupils chosen in this study
showed improvements in understanding of adjectives on the selected topic after the
implementation of the ‘eStorybook’.

Keywords: eStorybook, adjectives, mean

v

ABSTRAK

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji penggunaan ‘eStorybook’ sebagai strategi pengajaran
dan pembelajaran untuk meningkatkan adjektif dalam kalangan murid Tahun 4. Seramai 5
orang peserta Tahun 4 di SJK (T) Gunung Rapat telah dipilih untuk intervensi ‘eStorybook’
tersebut. Kajian ini menggunakan kajian tindakan sebagai kaedah kajian. Dalam
penyelidikan ini, ujian pra intervensi dan pasca intervensi, pemerhatian dan temu bual
digunakan sebagai instrumen kajian. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan
‘eStorybook’ telah meningkatkan keupayaan pemahaman murid terhadap adjektif kerana
terdapat penambahbaikan dalam keputusan ujian pasca. Min bagi ujian pra ialah 8%
manakala min bagi ujian pasca ialah 96%. Ia telah membuktikan bahawa terdapat
peningkatan sebanyak 88% pada markah ujian sebelum dan selepas intervensi dijalankan.
Selain itu, pemerhatian dan temu bual yang dijalankan menunjukkan bahawa ‘eStorybook’
telah meningkatkan adjektif murid serta mewujudkan persekitaran pembelajaran yang
bermakna dan menyeronokkan. Keputusan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa murid yang
dipilih dalam kajian ini menunjukkan peningkatan dalam pemahaman adjektif mengenai topik
yang dipilih selepas pelaksanaan ‘eStorybook’.

Kata kunci: eStorybook, kosa kata, min

vi

TABLE OF CONTENT Page

Content i
ii
VERIFICATION OF SUPERVISOR iii
DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK iv
DEDICATION x
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT xi
ABSTRACT v
ABSTRAK vi
TABLE OF CONTENT vii
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES ix
LIST OF APPENDICES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

vii

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
4
1.1 Background of the study 7
1.2 Context of the study 8
1.3 Reflection of Teaching and Learning 9

1.3.1 SJK (T) Tanjong Rambutan 12
1.3.2 SJK (T) Gunung Rapat 15
18
2.0 FOCUS OF STUDY
2.1 Research Investigation 22
2.2 Preliminary Data Collection 22
2.3 Plan of Action
23
3.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
3.1 Research Objectives 27
3.2 Research Questions
37
4.0 RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS 38
39
5.0 IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH
5.1 Steps of Action 40
5.2 Data Collection Method 46
5.2.1 Pre-test and Post-test 49
5.2.2 Observation Checklist
5.2.3 Semi-structured Interview
5.3 Data Analysis Method
5.3.1 Pre-test and Post-test
5.3.2 Observation Checklist
5.3.3 Semi-structured Interview

5.4 Data Triangulation 55

6.0 RESEARCH FINDINGS 57
6.1 Research Question 1 59
6.2 Research Question 2 60
64
7.0 REFLECTION 66
71
8.0 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

9.0 REFERENCES

APPENDICES

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 PUPILS’ LEVEL OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PAGE
TABLE 2 PARTICIPATION DURING THE ENGLISH LESSONS IN THE 25
PRIMARY ESL CLASSROOM.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 33
41
TABLE 3 RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS’ PRE-INTERVENTION AND
POST-INTERVENTION TEST RESULTS

TABLE 4 THE MODE, MEAN, MEDIAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION

TABLE 5 FEEDBACK GIVEN BY THE OBSERVERS DURING THE 43
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVENTION PROCESS IN 47
THE TEACHING OF ADJECTIVES

TABLE 6 ANALYSIS OF CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION IN THE SEMI- 49
TABLE 7 STRUCTURED INTERVIEW FOR PARTICIPANTS 50
FREQUENCY OF EACH CODING IN OPEN-ENDED
QUESTIONS IN THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW FOR
PARTICIPANTS

TABLE 8 INTERPRETIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE SEMI-
STRUCTURED INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH 3
OBSERVERS. 54

viii

LIST OF FIGURES

KURT LEWIN’S ACTION RESEARCH MODEL (1946) PAGE
19

FIGURE 1

PERCENTAGE OF YEAR 4 PARTICIPANTS’ GENDER 25

FIGURE 2

IMPLEMENTATION OF PRE-INTERVENTION TEST 28

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4 ACTIONS OF IMPLEMENTING ESTORYBOOK 30
31
FIGURE 5 IMPLEMENTATION OF ESTORYBOOK 42

FIGURE 6 PARTICIPANTS’ PRE-INTERVENTION AND POST-
INTERVENTION TEST RESULTS

MEAN SCORE OF PARTICIPANTS’ PRE-INTERVENTION 44
TEST AND POST-INTERVENTION TEST
FIGURE 7

STANDARD DEVIATION OF PARTICIPANTS’ PRE- 45
INTERVENTION TEST AND POST-INTERVENTION TEST
FIGURE 8

TRIANGULATION OF DATA 56

FIGURE 9

ix

LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PAGE
72
APPENDIX B PRE-INTERVENTION TEST PAPER 74
79
APPENDIX C SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR
PARTICIPANTS 80

APPENDIX D TRANSCRIPTION OF SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW 85
FOR PARTICIPANTS
88
APPENDIX E TRANSCRIPTION OF SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW 89
FOR OBSERVERS 92
101
APPENDIX F OBSERVATION CHECKLIST 103
105
APPENDIX G TRANSCRIPTION OF OBSERVATION CHECKLIST 108
111
APPENDIX H SAMPLE LESSON PLAN

APPENDIX I WORKSHEET 1

APPENDIX J WORKSHEET 2

APPENDIX K POST- INTERVENTION TEST PAPER

APPENDIX L PICTURES OF eSTORYBOOK

APPENDIX M CONSENT FORM

X

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. ESL English as Second Language PAGE
2. SJKT Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil)
4
8

xi

1.0 INTRODUCTION
This section discusses on the background of the study, the context of the study and

reflection of teaching and learning experience in my classroom. The research was carried
out during my second practicum at one of the National Type Schools in Ipoh.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Pattee (2017) stated that language is an abstract system of symbols and meanings.

There are numerous ways of transmitting symbols from senders to recipients either by
spoken, written or signal using body language. A language is an indispensable tool for
communication. This notion was supported by Pattee (2017) by stating that language helps
interact with people beyond countries, companies, communities and cultural groups. We use
language for different purposes such as to ask for directions, seek information, get to know
other cultures and expand our knowledge.

According to Zainuddin (2019), English is considered an international language that is
used widely by many countries and Malaysia is one of them. To add on, English is a
language used as a productive skill by countless people globally. In the Malaysian context,
our government had commenced the new National Educational Blueprint in which one of its
ordinances is enlightening about the significance of mastering English (Ministry of Education,
2012). This is done by introducing the “To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to Strengthen the
English Language” policy. This policy enables Malaysians to be multilingual and competent
in both languages.

1

English grammar includes tenses, adjectives, modals, adverbs, noun clauses, relative
clauses and others. Mart (2019) justified that several studies have shown that instructed
learners who got more form-focused grammar teaching achieve better results and progress
faster than those who do not get the same form-focused grammar teaching. Based on
Oxford Dictionary (2017), grammar is the whole system and structure of a language or
languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology sometimes
phonology and semantics.

According to the Curriculum Development Division (CEFR), the English language
curriculum is designed to help pupils to acquire the four basic skills which are listening,
speaking, reading and writing by the end of primary schooling. These skills are categorised
as receptive and productive skills. Grammar is incorporated into the four language skills. As
stated by the Ministry of Education as in Dokumen Standard Kurikulum dan Pentaksiran
(KSSR) which is the Document Standard of Year 4 CEFR 2019, grammar should be taught
in context and in a meaningful way. Besides, Saeli (2019) stated that grammatical errors that
go uncorrected become fossilized and lead to inappropriate use of grammatical rules and
transitions. Therefore, this proves that grammar teaching and learning in context should take
place repetitively so that the pupils will be able to use grammar rules correctly and able to
correct their own mistakes.

Campbell (2019) scrutinised that grammar learning requires multiple repetitions and this
is hassling, it also requires the perception of rules which may be difficult and abstract for
some children. There are too many rules that the pupils need to know about grammar and it
makes them feel bored. Moreover, Wasow (2021) indicated that the pupils were confused
about the grammar rules and they face difficulties using correct grammar in their writing,
reading and speaking. This clearly shows that grammar should be taught in a fun way and

2

not in isolation which would help the pupils to develop their interests in learning grammar
rules. Pupils need distinguished grammatical knowledge at different stages in their language
development. Pupils often find grammar is complicated and confusing with its’ differentiated
rules for various grammar items. In the Malaysian context of teaching the English language
is a huge challenge to teach grammar and it has been proven by many researchers based
on the problems that their pupils have encountered.

In the upper level of primary, grammar should be taught in context as well as notably so
that pupils would be able to learn the rules of grammar and how to apply these rules
correctly. Concerning that, adjective is a significant element in the grammar area which
helps the pupils to meet the objectives of the curriculum. Adjectives can be looked up as the
starter to all the grammar aspects and also in the skills in English Language learning.

Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making any writing and
speaking much more specific and more interesting. Adjectives are used to identify or
quantify individual people and things, they are usually positioned before the noun or pronoun
that are being modified. In other words, an adjective is a word used to describe a noun.
Some sentences may contain multiple adjectives. These words can add a more descriptive
flavour to a sentence.

However, adjectives do not simply have to describe an object, they can also be used in
order to describe something that is not tangible. A good example of this is the use of
adjectives to talk about someone's personality. Adjectives are a great way to appeal to the
senses by describing visual aspects, taste, smell, sound and emotional or non-physical
attributes. In general, an adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun such as
person, place, thing or an idea.

3

Adjectives dive into the intricacies of an important part of the speech which the second
language learners in a primary ESL classroom learning since the lower-level primary.
However, primary school pupils face severe difficulties in understanding and remembering
the correct adjectives to describe a noun. This is due to the pupil’s unfamiliarity with the rules
that govern the language and the application of the rules in natural use. Due to this, I
decided to work on using the correct adjectives to describe a noun. Thus, this research is
aimed to improve the weakness in using the correct use of adjectives by using eStorybook
as an intervention.

1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

I was the researcher and also a Semester 9 teacher trainee who is majoring in Teaching
of English as a Second Language (TESL) course in Teachers Training Institute Ipoh
Campus. As what has been outlined as the core requirement in our bachelor’s degree
programme or commonly known as Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan (PISMP)
Teaching English as a Second Language, teacher trainees are required to complete two
phases of practicums. Thereupon, I had experienced two phases of practicums. The schools
that I had been to complete my practicums were urban and suburban schools. I had been to
SJK(T) Tanjong Rambutan during the first practicum for three months. Meanwhile, I
completed my second phase of practicum in SJK (T) Gunung Rapat for another three
months. During both practicum phases, I had the experience of teaching Year 3, 4 and 5
pupils. According to Thalho & Gomos (2020), knowledge and training in conducting action
research should be exposed to teachers as it is a technique of self-practice to develop while
attending issues in the teaching and learning processes and to improve the quality of
education in schools. Therefore, the research aims to execute an action to improvise a
pertinent learning difficulty found in the researcher’s class.

4

As mentioned, I completed my second phase of practicum in SJK(T) Gunung Rapat from
28th June 2021 until the 1st of October 2021. This is the school that was assigned to me to
conduct the research. The school was a National Type and the predominant race was
Indians. The school is in an urban area in Ipoh and has recently shifted to a new building
which is also nearby the previous location of the school. It encompassed 150 pupils and 15
teachers. The school has access to some fairly adequate facilities such as a library,
computer class, canteen, remedial classrooms and a field.

I was assigned to teach English for Year 4 and Year 3 throughout my practicum at
SJK(T) Gunung Rapat. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, home-based Learning and Teaching
(PdPR) classes were carried out. I was allocated 6 periods to teach English per week. Four
periods were assigned to me to teach Year 4 meanwhile another two periods to teach Year
3. I conducted my classes via online platforms such as Google Meet, Google Classroom
and Zoom meetings. I chose participants from Year 4 which consisted of 18 pupils. The
pupils were of mixed ability in which 4 pupils were categorised as advanced, 6 pupils were
categorised as intermediate and 8 of them were low level. The pupils had distinguished
learning styles such as visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. So, I incorporated various teaching
strategies and techniques in my lessons to cater for the needs of the pupils.

During one of the classes which were conducted via Google Meet, I discovered that most
of the pupils of Year 4 were unable to describe nouns. For instance, the pupils of Year 4
were unable to describe the characters which they have learnt from a story. Besides, the
pupils face difficulties in understanding and utilizing adjectives learnt through stories
effectively in their speaking. In addition to this, I also noticed that the pupils do not present a
full concentration throughout the lesson as they are not attentive in reading printed
storybooks. As the proficiency level of pupils in English is interrelated to motivation,

5

unfocused pupils’ proficiency is being affected due to the concerned issue. This is because
motivation acts as one of the contributing factors to lower the passing rate in English as most
of the pupils are not motivated in learning a language that differs from their mother tongue.
According to Wigfield & Gladston (2019), motivation acts as one of the contributing factors to
lower the passing rate in English as most of the pupils are not motivated in learning a
language that differs from their mother tongue. Consequently, pupils should be motivated
intrinsically by the teachers to ensure that they obtain success in learning a language that
will be beneficial for them in the future.

Along with it, I also discovered through my experiences in both the practicum schools
that pupils’ usage of their mother tongue was another factor that affected their proficiency
level in English. Based on my experiences in both the schools, the pupils were from poor
socio-economic background families. Therefore, they seldom use English to communicate
with each other. Ab Manan et al. (2017) advocated that one of the biggest problems
encountered by second language (L2) learners is they tend to use their mother tongue in a
second language. Moreover, conversing too much in their mother tongue had influenced the
level of proficiency of the pupils in English. This is known as the interference of the mother
tongue in language learning. Interference is the influence of one language and other
linguistic essences upon another’s phonology, grammar and vocabulary. In addition to this,
poor socio-economic status also affects the academic performances of pupils as low
economic status had prohibited the parents to have full access to resources that support
their children’s education. This statement is vindicated by Neuman & Moland (2019) as they
stated that poor families have inadequate or limited access to community resources that
promote and support children’s development and school readiness.

6

Concerning the issue addressed, the purpose of the study is to investigate the errors
made by Year 4 pupils in using the correct adjectives in the meantime to improve their
understanding and remembering of adjectives. Four instruments of data collection were
adopted in this study namely diagnostic tests to select the participants, pre and post-
intervention tests, observation checklist and structured interview. To improve pupils’
adjectives as L2 learners in the primary ESL classroom in a selected topic, an intervention
named eStorybook has been designed.

1.3 REFLECTION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Mohan (2019) explicated that practicum has been considered as a site where trainee
teachers practice the art of teaching in a real school context with student teachers assigned
to one teacher and class for a specific block of time. Based on this, it can be stated that
practicum helps the trainee teachers to apply the skills, theories, input acquired at their
tertiary level with the use of effective teaching aids in the real classroom. In my case,
completing my two phases of practicums eventually helped me to conduct the research at
ease by using the experience gained during the practicums. As indicated previously, I have
completed two phases of practicum during my sixth semester and seventh semester.
Throughout these two phases of practicum, I had the chance to identify my strengths and
weakness in teaching in the primary ESL classroom, especially in this 21st-century learning.
Moreover, I was also able to identify a few problems faced by the second language learners
in National Type schools.

1.3.1 SJK(T) TANJONG RAMBUTAN
I scheduled to carry out this three months of practicum in SJK(T) Tanjong

Rambutan. It is located in a semi-urban area in Perak. This school consisted of 320
pupils and 19 teachers. SJK(T) Tanjong Rambutan is classified as Band 3 according

7

to the performance of the pupils. I was assigned to teach Year 3 and Year 4 pupils
with mixed abilities who come from different social backgrounds. . It was my first
experience in conducting teaching and learning in the real classroom setting. Due to
my lack of experience in dealing with primary school pupils, I faced many problems in
terms of language usage, communication and classroom management. Some of the
pupils in the class had difficulties in interacting using the English language because
they tend to use their mother tongue often. The pupils’ reluctance to use the target
language made me emphasize the importance of language with them. I did not speak
in my mother tongue for the three months of practicum in order to ensure the pupils
to speak in the English language with me whenever they communicate inside or
outside of the classroom. This was the only way where the pupils learned to
communicate in the second language.

Besides communicating in the mother tongue, I also identified some other
issues concerning the pupils during the teaching and learning process. Grammar was
one of the central issues addressed by me during the first phase of practicum.
Grammar is very important as it serves to provide information that aids the reader’s
comprehension. According to Horvath (2019), the theory of grammar is necessary as
it helps us understand how texts work. Based on my observation, I noticed that most
of the pupils faced difficulties in using correct vocabulary in their writing as well as
speaking. Additionally, pupils were not able to use the correct adjective to describe
any nouns as they do not have a wide knowledge of adjectives. They tend to use
their mother tongue or incorrect vocabulary in their writing and speaking to describe
any nouns. Thus, this issue has brought to a wide discussion on how to overcome
the problem that the pupils make in using the correct adjectives during the process of
second language acquisition.

8

1.3.2 SJK(T) GUNUNG RAPAT
I utilised the experiences gained from the first practicum to complete the three

months of the second phase practicum successfully in SJK(T) Gunung Rapat. This
time the environment and the teaching-learning process were a bit different
compared to my first practicum school. First of all, PdPR classes were conducted
due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, I did not get a chance to meet the pupils in
real as all classes were conducted online for the period of three months. Moreover, I
mentioned that the environment during my second phase of practicum in SJK(T)
Gunung Rapat is different compared to the previous school as most of the pupils
were not able to speak English fluently. The pupils’ proficiency level in English was
extremely weak and only a few of them can be categorised as intermediate and
advanced.

I encountered the same problem when teaching Year 4 pupils in this school.
Whenever I asked questions in the class, the pupils tend to use their first language
(L1) to respond to the questions asked. Meanwhile, some of the pupils be likely to
keep quiet and did not give any response as they were afraid to communicate in the
second language (L2). I noticed that the pupils were more comfortable
communicating in their mother tongue during the teaching and learning process.
Thus, I decided to take immediate action as I have done during my previous
practicum. I did not talk or utter a single word in any other language besides the
English Language during my lessons in the classroom as well as outside the
classroom throughout the three months I taught them. This made the pupils
somehow try to speak only using the English language.

Furthermore, I discovered that Year 4 pupils lacked a thorough understanding
of proper grammar usage. They often used structures that were unfathomable and
ungrammatical when speaking in English. This showed that they had very limited

9

vocabulary and little knowledge in grammar as the use of English among them was
minimal. Elicited from this, I realised that the pupils require drilled activities so that
they would be able to communicate the language using the correct grammar rules.
This idea was supported by Kaharuddin (2018) who claimed that patterns and drills
form an essential part of lesson material for teaching and learning English at primary
levels. That being the case, I tried using various types of strategies to teach grammar
in context namely incorporated in four language skills which are listening, speaking,
reading and writing. Language games, quizzes, worksheets and other fun-filled
activities were some of the strategies used to develop the pupils’ language skills.
Maylani (2021) justified that the power of games and play to facilitate deep and
meaningful learning where the most productive and motivating learning experiences
are taking place outside the school through playing and participation where pupils
enjoy learning via having a sense of their progression and where the learning is
relevant and appropriate. This notion was fact-based as the Year 4 pupils enjoyed
my lessons because of the language games that were enjoyable and engaging which
motivated them to learn grammar without boredom.

However, I realised that some of my pupils were having problems with
grammar, especially adjectives. In order to perform certain language tasks such as
speaking and writing, basic grammatical rules need to be mastered by the ESL
learners according to their level as in CEFR. The use of adjectives becomes the main
problem encountered by the pupils in my Year 4 class. This problem occurs in both
speaking as well as writing tasks. This brings negative impacts on the pupils as they
face a lacking of self-confidence, self-esteem in speaking and writing. If the pupils
continue to make simple mistakes in adjectives despite being in Year 4, it might give
them a big effect on their assessment scores and academic performances. Hence, I
carried out a diagnostic test to assess the pupils’ level on the research that I do on
adjectives which come under grammar teaching for the upper-level primary pupils.

10

From the results of the diagnostic test, I found that some of the Year 4 pupils were
very average and had poor proficiency in understanding and remembering adjectives
that were being thought in certain topics. Due to the issues stated above, I designed
an intervention called ‘eStorybook’ to improve pupils’ adjectives using stories.
‘eStorybook’ is a technology application that is well-positioned to help teachers
overcome some of the obstacles to productively using technology in their
classrooms. eStorybook is defined as combining traditional means of telling a story
with different types of digital multimedia such as images, audio and video. Above and
beyond, Nevo (2018) mentioned that interactive storybooks can also be a powerful
tool in the classroom when implemented to improve adjectives. Therefore,
eStorybook evinces the strategy to be used as an intervention to enhance adjectives
among pupils.

11

2.0 FOCUS OF STUDY

This section consists of a research investigation that was related to the correct usage
of adjectives as well eStorybook as a strategy in improving pupils’ adjectives. In addition,
preliminary data collection and plan of action which were planned in order to improve pupils’
adjectives were discussed in this chapter. This research was implemented based on Kurt
Lewin’s model (1946) and associated with Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development theory (1978)
and Krashen’s Input Hypothesis theory.

2.1 RESEARCH INVESTIGATION

The focus of my action research was therefore twofold which were to enhance pupils’
adjectives using eStorybook and to use eStorybook to increase pupils’ attention span in
primary ESL classroom. Besides pupils’ poor knowledge of adjectives, lack of interest,
motivation as well poor attention span during lessons is also a problem encountered during
the teaching and learning process which lead to the worsening of the progress made by
pupils in mastering adjectives. According to Walgermo (2018), a pupil’s interest is centred on
the development of a certain skill. The main challenge in education is in sustaining the
learner’s attention while disseminating the information about the topic. Attention span is the
amount of concentrated time one can spend on a task without becoming distracted. Most
educators and psychologists agree that the ability to focus attention on a task is crucial for
the achievement of one's goals. The Online Macmillan Dictionary (2017) defines attention
span as the length of time that you can pay attention to one thing without becoming bored or
thinking about something else. Grabbing pupils’ attention is always the first step in any
lesson. It is important to arouse pupils’ interest and attention to ensure the objectives of a
lesson is achieved. Failure in getting pupils’ attention will also result in many other issues
such as poor academic achievement, misbehaviour, off-task behaviour and so on. I had
identified that there was a lack of responses from pupils whenever I used storybooks to

12

teach grammar during the teaching and learning process. The pupils’ reaction was not up to
my expectation. As well, some of the pupils were indifferent and did not show interest to read
the stories. After some consideration, I concluded that it was owing to a lack of interest in
printed long stories.

Moreover, as advocated by Krashen’s theory of Language Acquisition, the tendency
of pupils to use their first language in a second language is high (Sun,2019). As a
consequence, pupils in this situation are more likely to replace adjectives with other words in
their mother tongue or totally neglect adjectives in both oral and written tasks. Language can
only be acquired by associating with the environment in which the language is in incessant
use. The contributing factors which lead to a lack of practice are pupils use their mother
tongue to communicate their needs and they are not being exposed to English settings
except using it during English lessons. Even though during English lessons, some teachers
tend to use the Direct Translation Method to teach English as they feel it is easy for pupils to
understand the lesson taught. As a consequence, pupils do not get adequate exposure to
use English language skills in the classroom setting.

I noticed a discrepancy between the pupils who were classified as advanced,
intermediate, and low-level in the diagnostic test that I conducted on Year 4 pupils. The
advanced ones did not have any problems in understanding and remembering adjectives on
the topic that I have given. However, the weaker ones struggle to choose the correct
adjectives from the simple story that have been given. As stated, some pupils do not
understand the meaning of the adjectives used in the story. Proper usage of adjectives is
important for efficient communication between people with different first languages in the 21st
century. English fills the role as a second language that all the L2 learners must learn, yet
more focus appears to be given to grammar.

13

There were some standards used to evaluate this research that benefits me, pupils,
teachers and the school. The first one was administrability. Administrability is the ability of
the test or tool to manage easily. The intervention was carried out with the whole class but
the focus was on the selected participants for the research. It was easier to collect the
important data for this research because I focused on the participants in the teaching of the
correct usage of the adjectives for the selected topic using stories. Furthermore, the
research is significant for both the pupils and teachers in the school as it enables the pupils
to use the adjectives in their daily communication correctly. This shows that the proper
usage of adjectives was necessary to help the pupils to achieve perfection in their language
skills, especially in speaking and writing. Also, the strategy of using the intervention was to
build the rapport between the teacher and the pupils, increase the pupils’ interest and
motivation to learn without any barriers to improve their ability in using correct adjectives.

On top of that, collaboration is another utmost aspect of this research as
collaboration acts as a guide throughout this research. I toiled together with my supervisor,
my cooperating teacher and the English teacher of Year 4. I had collaborated with my
supervisor who helped me by giving adequate guidance along the process of implementing
this research. The guidance given by the supervisor ensured that the research was executed
on the right track. Besides, I interviewed the English teacher of Year 4 to recognise the
problems faced by the pupils in using adjectives. He helped me in identifying some pupils
who are very weak in using grammar and provided me with some details on why pupils are
unable to speak and write sentences using the correct adjectives to describe any nouns. The
collaboration with the English teacher helped me a lot in collecting information regarding the
pupils’ proficiency level in using correct grammar, especially adjectives. I also had a
discussion on my research with the cooperating teacher and also the school management
who were willing to guide me and give cooperation whenever needed for my research.
Therefore, effective ways had been discovered in order to monitor the pupils to understand

14

remember adjectives. The intervention, ‘eStorybook’ helped the pupils to increase their
ability in using adjectives meanwhile benefitting the school and other English language
teachers to try the intervention in their classrooms. As well, eStorybook is practical as I can
conduct the intervention during the reading lessons without interrupting the flow of the lesson
or unit which is being taught as the intervention is created in the context. Finally, the
research was fundamental to the school, teachers as well the pupils.

2.2 PRELIMINARY DATA COLLECTION

I carried out a preliminary investigation in order to identify and validate the issue as well
as the cause of the issue. I used three types of data which are diagnostic test, unstructured
interviews and pupils’ work. These types of data helped me to collect information to confirm
the research problem. Moreover, the primary instruments of data collection in this study were
used to investigate the factors that contribute to the pupils’ inability in using correct
adjectives. The data was collected through valid intervention methods as mentioned above
from the participants of this research in SJK(T) Gunung Rapat. These types of data helped
me to collect information to confirm the research problem. Besides, a discussion with the
Year 4 English teacher, my cooperating teacher and my supervisor have dissected and
chosen appropriate topics for the pupils so that they could understand, remember along with
using the adjectives learnt correctly. Hence, the teaching of adjectives using stories as a
medium via ‘eStorybook’ has been chosen and pupils will be assigned worksheets based on
the topic.

15

2.2.1 DIAGNOSTIC TEST
I have conducted a diagnostic test (Appendix A) to identify the pupils’ ability to use

adjectives correctly. From the result of the conducted diagnostic test, I discovered that low-
levelled pupils do not have a wide knowledge of adjectives and tend to choose adjectives
incorrectly in the test given. The pupils do not understand the printed story given and answer
the test on adjectives by randomly choosing any answers. Conversely, advanced category
pupils did not face any difficulty in answering the test on adjectives based on the printed
story given to them.

2.2.2 UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEW

I used the unstructured interview to acquire information on pupils’ problems in using
adjectives. I prepared an unstructured interview with the English teacher of Year 4 to probe
for a deeper understanding of the pupils’ proficiency level. From the conducted interview, I
realised that the pupils have problems in using adjectives as they often communicate in their
mother tongue. As well, the pupils have set their minds that understanding components of
grammar and its rules are challenging. Therefore, the pupils give up before even trying to
attempt it. I was also told by the English teacher during the interview section that some of the
pupils bring their homework to their tuition teachers where they are being spoon-fed with
answers straightaway. As a consequence, the pupils are not making enough effort
themselves in doing their homework.

16

2.2.3 PUPILS’ WORK
The next data that I used to collect information for preliminary investigation is

document analysis. Kipfer (2018) explicated that evidence of pupils’ learning can be in many
forms and it is recommended to use those which demonstrate visibly the development of
pupils’ understanding. Thus, I gathered pupils’ work for this research as preliminary data.
Pupils’ work serves as a medium to recognise pupils’ achievements. Scrutinization and
analysation of pupils’ work provided me with a clear idea of the problems and obstacles
faced by pupils in acquiring the grammar rules, especially adjectives. I noticed that half of
the class had problems in understanding and remembering adjectives that they have learnt.

17

2.3 PLAN OF ACTION (RESEARCH MODEL)

Action research differs from other research because the process is a cycle. The cycle
leads research participants to new questions upon which they act, observe, and reflect, thus
creating the cycling effect. Furthermore, action research is also synonymous with Kurt
Lewin’s (1946) work who scrutinised action research as spiral, dynamic and collaborative
(Altrichter,2020). For the purpose of this research, I used the action research model by Kurt
Lewin (1946) as a guideline to carry out the focused research. I selected this model because
it is a meticulous and straightforward model as supported by Clark (2020) which is deemed
appropriate to be used as a step-by-step basis for his research. Kurt Lewin’s Action
Research Model (1946) drew four basic important steps in an action research cycle
consisting of plan, act, observe and reflect (Johnson,2020). Crosby (2021) believed through
recurring cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting, researchers will be able to
execute changes needed for social improvement. A more detailed view of Kurt Lewin’s
action research model is illustrated in Figure 1.

18

PLAN

REFLECT ACT

OBSERVE

Figure 1. Kurt Lewin’s Action Research Model (1946)

Based on the model shown in Figure 1, I ranged my research with this model as the
basis of my research. I believed that implementing the stages stated in the model, would
help me to conduct my research successfully and achieve the objectives of this research
as well. On the contrary, I also felt that my teaching strategies could be improved by
implementing stages in this model during the process of this research.

19

1. PLAN

The first stage is planning. The planning of the research was crucial as it requires
careful planning, organized and structure in order to achieve the objectives of teaching
and learning. At the planning stage, I conducted the pre-intervention test (Appendix B)
on adjectives under the topic ‘Amazing Animals. The pre-intervention test was carried out
based on the diagnostic test that was administrated on the pupils of Year 4 earlier. The
pupils of the research were chosen based on the diagnostic test scores. Then, the
participants sat for the pre-intervention test in this stage. The pre-intervention test was
carried out before the implementation of the intervention, ‘eStorybook’.

2. ACT

The next stage of this model is the act stage which involves the implementation of
the intervention planned during a lesson. At this stage, I prepared an intervention named
‘eStorybook’ to enhance the teaching of adjectives on the story selected for the theme
Amazing Animals for the Year 4 pupils. I conducted the action which was eStorybook
according to the schedule that I had planned to ensure a smooth process in carrying out
this intervention. The action was implemented throughout the reading and writing lesson
for four weeks.

After the implementation of the intervention, a post-intervention test (Appendix K)
was carried out for the pupils. The post-intervention test was the same test that was
designed for the pre-intervention test with a slight modification where the items have
been reshuffled. The post-intervention test will reflect on the pupils’ understanding of the
story based on the scores obtained by them. Alternatively, a semi-structured interview
was conducted after I finished implementing the action three times. This interview was
carried out with the teachers, observer and pupils (Appendix C and Appendix E) to get
their feedback on the usage of eStorybook to enhance the pupils’ adjectives.

20

3. OBSERVE
The third stage was observation in which involved monitoring and evaluating the

action. Observation is considered as one of the methods which were used in collecting
the data. I have made use of the observation checklist (Appendix F) that I have prepared
as an instrument to observe the pupils’ behaviour during the implementation of the
intervention. The checklist mainly focuses on the changes in the pupils’ behaviour during
the intervention to observe their participation, interest, attention span and understanding
of the lesson. This observation checklist was filled out by the observers during the
implementation of the intervention.

4. REFLECT
The final stage was reflecting which involved reflection on the ongoing process of

planning, acting and observing. Reflection is an activity of expressing experience as self-
evaluation for a teacher. I made an evaluation based on the observation regarding the
implementation of the intervention that had been carried out. In this stage, I have
reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of the process carried out during the
implementation of my action research. This was done by analysing the data collected
from pre-intervention and post-intervention tests administered on the pupils, observation
checklist filled by the observers and the interviews that were carried out with the selected
participants, teachers and observers. The data that was collected using the instruments
were then analysed to reflect on my eStorybook intervention. Additionally, the particular
phase in this cyclic model helped me to collect pertinent information using a range of
data collection methods to measure the effectiveness of the study and the intervention
created.

21

3.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In this section, the research questions were aligned with the research objectives in
order to produce more significant results. The research objectives and the research
questions for this study are outlined below.

3.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The research objectives specified were based on my research investigation (Goh,
2012). Research objectives are derived from research investigation. The research aims
to:

i. To investigate the use of eStorybook in helping to improve pupils’ adjectives in a
primary ESL classroom.

ii. To explore if eStorybook provides a fun and meaningful way of learning to the
pupils in a primary ESL classroom.

3.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions were stipulated in accordance with the research objectives as it
would help to discuss my findings later on. The research questions were:
i. Does eStorybook help to improve the pupils’ adjectives in a primary ESL
classroom?
ii. How does the eStorybook provide a fun and meaningful way of learning to the
pupils in a primary ESL classroom?

22

4.0 RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
This research was implemented during my second phase of practicum at SJK(T) Gunung
Rapat, Ipoh. This research involved pupils of Year 4. There were 18 pupils in the classroom
which consists of 10 boys and 8 girls. All the pupils were Indian as it is a National Type
school. The pupils’ attitude towards learning was not satisfactory as most pupils were
indifferent, did not show interest to read, did not complete the homework given and failed to
submit their homework on time.

As the researcher of this action, I participated directly throughout this research.
Throughout the implementation of this research, I had to monitor that the actions were
executed as planned. Firstly, from my conversation and discussion with the English teacher
of Year 4 and my cooperating teacher, I got to know that the pupils of Year 4 are mixed
ability pupils, and most were below average proficiency level. The preliminary data collection
served as a guide to identify the pupils as participants for the research. I used the purposive
sampling method for my research. This was because my participants for the research were
chosen based on their performance in the diagnostic test.

In this research, I focused on five pupils who had low proficiency levels in English
because they were unable to choose adjectives correctly in the diagnostic test that were
assigned. Based on my observation during English lessons, I noticed these pupils were
lacking motivation and interest to learn the English language as they find it difficult to
understand the rules of English grammar.

23

Also, the family background plays a significant role in exposing pupils to English.
Pupils who were from highly educated family backgrounds knew the importance of English.
Their exposure to the English language is good enough compared to the pupils’ who were
from the less educated family background. Besides, exposure to English is one of the clear
contributions that influence the interest and motivation of pupils in learning English which
leads to good academic performance in English. In this case, the participants were mainly
from middle-class families. In consequence, the participants’ parents who were working pay
less attention to the pupils’ learning which contributed to a lack of interest in learning among
them. Additionally, the selection of participants was supported with further recommendations
from the English language teacher of Year 4 and the cooperating teacher. I tabulated the
data of the participants in Table 1. Based on the information that I have gathered throughout
my observation, diagnostic test and interview session, I was able to conclude that out of 18
pupils in Year 4, these 5 pupils had difficulty in understanding and using adjectives correctly.
In which, throughout my research, I have decided to use these 5 pupils as my research
participants to help them to improve their adjectives using the intervention, eStorybook.

24

Table 1.
Pupils’ level of academic performance and participation during the English lessons in the
primary ESL classroom.

Number Participant Gender Level of Academic
Age Participation in the
Male
Male performance
Female class
Male
1 Participant A Female 11 Average Passive
2 Participant B
3 Participant C 11 Low Passive
4 Participant D
5 Participant E 11 Average Passive

11 Low Passive
11 Low Passive

Percentage of Participants' Gender

Female
40%

Male
60%

Figure 2. Percentage of Year 4 Participants’ Gender

25

As shown in Table 1, I have selected 3 male pupils and 2 female pupils as
participants to conduct the research. Figure 2 denotes that 60% of the research
participants are males whereas the rest 40% of the research participants are females.

26

5.0 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH
This section encompasses the details of the steps of action, data collection method, data

analysis method and data triangulation. The steps of action were discussed on the
implementation of eStorybook in teaching adjectives. The data collection comprised of three
methods which were pre-test and post-test, observation checklist and semi-structured
interview. The data analysis methods were used to examine the various collected data to
support and validate the research findings.

5.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH
Step 1: Pre-intervention test
The implementation of action was executed three times. A pre-intervention test

preceding the action of eStorybook was carried out with Year 4 pupils. The test which was
designed consists of one section which was Section A. Pupils are required to answer 5
multiple-choice questions on adjectives based on the story that the pupils have learnt earlier.
Before assigning the pupils with the pre-intervention test, I have asked my supervisor as well
as my cooperating teacher to check the test paper designed. This was to ensure that the test
papers do not contain any ambiguous instructions. Nicewander (2018) declared that the
reliability of a test can be strengthened by controlling the external environment. The external
environment which was mentioned refers to the place or situation where the test is being
carried out. Thus, I separated the desks and chairs of the pupils to prevent replication and
copying their friends’ answers as a way to reinforce the validity.

27

Figure 3. Implementation of pre-intervention test
28

Step 2: Implementation of Intervention

The action that had been chosen for this research was eStorybook. I applied my
intervention during the English language lesson in the classroom with the targeted
participants. Pupils were given input regarding the intervention. I explained the
procedure of the action one by one to the pupils through several steps in the first lesson.
Pupils were exposed to the story using the eStorybook. Before reading the story, pupils
were asked to watch a short video regarding the story which was also incorporated in
the eStorybook. Then, pupils were asked to select the option ‘characters’ in the
intervention to comprehend the characters of the story. These options are included in
the eStorybook to grasp the pupils’ interest as well motivation to the story. Next, pupils
listen to the audio of the story before reading the story on their own. Visuals were
included in the eStorybook to enhance pupils’ understanding and to arouse their
attention. Following that, pupils were explained the adjectives that were found in the
story. Adjectives were bold in the intervention that was designed. Illustrations and
descriptions of the adjectives will be revealed when a specific adjective was clicked. At
the end of each action, a worksheet was given to the pupils to check their progress in
understanding adjectives learnt from the story. During the implementation of the
intervention, I monitored the intervention to ensure the process was conducted
according to the plan. Besides, the observation checklist which was designed was used
to observe the participants’ behaviour during the intervention as the intervention will aid
the participants’ involvement in the lesson. The cooperating teacher, Year 4’s English
teacher and my practicum partner were also provided with the checklist when they
observed the class during the implementation of the intervention, eStorybook. At this
stage, I was able to see the participants’ progress on adjectives.

29

I facilitated the pupils I introduced eStorybook
throughout the action to the pupils.
and provide guidance.
I explained the procedure
of the action one by one to

the pupils.

Pupils completed the Pupils were asked to watch
worksheet given after a short video regarding the

each action. story which was also
incorporated in the

eStorybook.

Pupils were asked to click on Pupils were asked to select
the adjectives which were bold the option ‘characters’ in the
intervention to comprehend
in the intervention to the characters of the story.
understand the meaning of the

adjectives.

Pupils read the story using
the eStorybook.

Figure 4. Actions of implementing eStorybook

30

Figure 5. Implementation of eStorybook
31

Step 3: Post-intervention Test

After the implementation of the intervention, participants of the research were given the
post-intervention test. The post-intervention test was given during the third action on a
different day. The time allocated for the test was 15 minutes. Post-test scores were
calculated for each participant. The scores obtained were compared with the pre-intervention
test scores. I examined and identified the changes in the pupils’ progress thoroughly.

Step 4: Interview session

Semi-structured interview sessions were conducted as a part of the research. Firstly, I
interviewed the participants to distinguish their progress. Also, I interviewed the observers.
Through the interview sections, I was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
intervention which was used to teach adjectives. Modifications of the activity can be made if
the outcomes do not meet the specifications of the research and the same cycle will be
repeated. By implementing the designed intervention, ‘eStorybook’, I believed that I achieved
my aims and objectives in order to improve pupils’ ability in using adjectives via stories.

32

5.1.1 WORK SCHEDULE

Table 2.

Implementation Plan

Week Action Plan Remarks

Week 1

Monday ✓ Received permission letter from the ➢ To know pupils’
school headmistress.
proficiency level
✓ Conducted an interview session with
the English teacher of Year 4

Tuesday ✓ Conducted diagnostic test to select the ➢ To choose participants for

participants for the research. the research

✓ Marked the diagnostic test.
✓ Analysed the diagnostic test data.

Wednesday ✓ Chose the participants for the
research.

✓ Received permission from the school
administration to carry out the
research.

33

Week 2

Monday ✓ A pre-intervention test on adjectives ➢ Data collection
was conducted for the selected
participants. method

✓ Marked the pre-intervention test (Pre-intervention test)
papers.

✓ Analysed the scores obtained by the
participants in the pre-intervention test.

Tuesday ✓ Implementation of the intervention ➢ To test pupils’
designed (first action).
understanding and
✓ Observers observed the lesson.
✓ First worksheet was given to the progress. collection
➢ Data
participants after the action.
✓ Marked the worksheet. method

(Observation

checklist)

Wednesday ✓ Implementation of the intervention ➢ To test pupils’
designed (second action). understanding and
progress.
✓ Second worksheet was given to
the participants after the action.

✓ Marked the worksheet.

34

Thursday ✓ Implementation of the intervention ➢ Data collection
designed (third action).
method
✓ A post-intervention test was
carried out for the participants. (Post-intervention test)

✓ The last recall session was
conducted with the pupils to make
sure of the effectiveness of the
intervention.

✓ Analysed the data obtained from
the post-intervention test.

✓ Interpreted the data collected from
the post-intervention test.

Week 3 ✓ Analysing the data from the
Monday worksheets given.

✓ Interpreting the data collected from
the worksheets.

35