Improving the Speaking Ability of Grade Seven Students through Picture-Based Activities

Proceedings of ‏The 2nd International conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2020

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/2nd.aretl.2020.03.83

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Improving the Speaking Ability of Grade Seven Students through Picture-Based Activities

Nipawan Narueprempree

 

ABSTRACT: 

The author conducted an experimental research to investigate the effectiveness of picture-based activities used in the learning of English as a school subject (E21101). This study also explores students’ attitudes towards the use of picture-based activities in the classroom. The research subjects who were selected by convenience sampling, consisted of thirty-one grade seven students from Demonstration School, University of Phayao. This study categorised as classroom action research, was monitored over a period of 8 weeks, exclusive of both the pre-test and the post-test. Grade seven students’ attitudes towards the picture-based activities were evaluated through a questionnaire which was administered after the teaching experiment. The collection of data was performed through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data which consisted of observations and interviews in relation with thirty-one grade seven students, were gathered in the form of field notes and interview transcripts, whereas quantitative data were obtained from the questionnaire, the pre-test and the post-test. The results revealed the appearance of a statistical difference in the scores obtained by grade seven students following the assessment of their English- speaking abilities before and after learning through picture-based activities. The findings also showed that the learners demonstrated positive attitudes towards the use of picture-based activities which were perceived as welcome. Moreover, this learning approach was believed to be effective to improve the speaking proficiency of grade seven students whose satisfaction towards picture-based activities reached high levels. Their speaking abilities were measured quantitatively by comparing the mean score of the pre- test with that of the post-test. The results indicated that the mean score of the students’ speaking performance increased from 14.70 in the pre-test to 20.90 in the post-test.

Keywords: picture-based activities, speaking.