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The Use of Puppet and Flashcard as Media in Teaching Vocabulary for

Children with Special Needs

Nining Candra Wahyuni 

English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Article Info

________________
Article History:

Received in 21 July 2019

Approved in 29 November

2019

Published in 30 November

2019

________________
Keywords: Puppet; Flashcard;
Teaching Vocabulary; Quasi
Experimental Research.

____________________

Abstract

___________________________________________________________________
Teaching vocabulary to children with special needs is not easy. There are some

problems faced by teachers when they taught English vocabulary to the children

with special needs, they did not pay attention to the teacher, and they lost their

interest in English subject. This quasi experimental research attempted to describe

what extent puppet and flashcard lead the children with special needs to the

vocabulary development and to discuss students’ attitude towards puppet and

flashcard media in learning vocabulary. The participants were students of eighth-

grade of SLB Negeri Ungaran and SLB Widya Bhakti Semarang. There were two

instruments; test and questionnaire. The results showed that the significance

between post-test score of puppet group and flashcard group was 0.000 with

significance 0.000 < 0.05. Furthermore, according to result of the questionnaire,

students perception towards both media were positive, yet their interests in flashcard

was higher than those in puppet media. It is suggested that flashcard media was

more effective to be used in teaching vocabulary for children with special needs.

© 2019 Universitas Negeri Semarang

 Correspondent Address: ISSN 2252-6706
B8 Building FBS Unnes

Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229

E-mail: e.teacher.ichsan@gmail.com

ELT FORUM 8 (2) (2019)

Journal of English Language Teaching

http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt



Nining Candra Wahyuni / ELT Forum 8 (2) (2019)

137

INTRODUCTION

Teaching vocabulary to children with special needs is not easy. There are many problems faced by
teachers when they taught English vocabulary to the students with special needs, especially in
special Junior High School, for example the students never been taught English in Elementary
School, they are not pay attention to the teacher, and they lost their interest in English subject.
Based on the interview by asking some questions to three teachers of special junior high school,
there are some problems in teaching English especially vocabulary. The first problem is the students
did not pay attention when teacher gives explanation about vocabulary, they did not focus on the
lesson. The second problem is the students felt bored when learning English because they think
English is hard to learn.

The writer tried to use puppet and flashcard as media in teaching vocabulary to overcome
students’ problem in learning vocabulary. Some previous studies have been conducted dealing with
teaching to children with special needs. Such as, Lin and Nzai (2014) about using iPad Apps to
teach vocabulary. Some findings of the study are iPad can enhance literacy skills, not only that it can
motivate students using technology. To do this, teacher would gain information how to incorporate
iPad apps into their daily teaching practice and curriculum design. Kokkalia and Drigas (2016)
studied about teaching strategy in English. The findings of the study are mobile learning support
children with special needs to be familiar with common nouns and verbs signs. Applications can
help children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and also children
who face mental and physical disorder. Yahya, Yunus and Toran (2013) also conducted a research
about a technique to learn vocabulary. In their research, they used teachers’ practice and voice to
teach vocabulary for students with special needs. In other words, teacher teaches vocabulary to his
students with giving clear explanation or object and also uses his voice to make the explanation
clearly. Moran (2012) in her thesis stated that using VAK Learning styles to teach English
Vocabulary is affective. He found that the use of VAK learning help the students to mastering
English vocabularies. Meanwhile, the learning style were a complete contribution focused on the
improvement and development of a pedagogical methodology used for the acquisition of English
vocabulary related to the learning process and learning context of a learner with mental retardation.

In addition, there is a study conducted by Surujlal (2013). In this study, using music and
dance as learning interventions for children with special needs is effective enough. He found that the
use of music and dance not only help the students be active and enjoyable in learning process but
also improve vocabulary quite a lot. Moreover, children are acting the song so their vocabulary
improves a lot. Similar with the study above, a study relating to vocabulary is also carried by Noori
and Farvadin (2016). Their study has an objective to examine the effect of using audio-visual and
pictures in teaching vocabulary. The result of the study shows that students give positive responses
toward the media used by researcher. The students are motivated, so they can learn vocabulary
easily. However, the use audio-visual aids can be more effective than pictures in learning vocabulary.
Evi, Zainal and Dewi (2016) on their research about “Teaching Vocabulary by Using Picture for
Autism Students” it revealed that the picture is effective to be used as an alternative media in
teaching vocabulary.

The use of picture can minimize the students’ difficulties in vocabulary. Rismanti (2017) on
her research found it was positive effect of using flashcard in teaching English vocabulary for
dyslexia students. Other finding showed that there was increasing on the average of post test. In pre
test the average score was 58.64 and in post test was 77.95. In other words the use of flashcard was
effective to teach English for dyslexia students. Bennett (2002) on his research it was found that the
benefits of the use of puppets in the classroom are many and varied. Such as provides an opportunity
for student expression through the social aspects of communication. Students who are working in a
group to prepare and present a puppet show are learning to work cooperatively with others, where
there is give and take and sharing of ideas. This offers the students the advantage of making group
cohesion.

All of the studies above concern with teaching English for children with special needs which
is similar with the topic brought by the writer. Some of those studies discuss about media or
techniques used to teach English. A few studies analyze learning media used by teacher in teaching
vocabulary.

Therefore, this study aimed to to describe what extent puppet and flashcard lead the children
with special needs to the vocabulary development and to discuss students’ attitude towards puppet
and flashcard media in learning vocabulary. It was expected that the findings of this study would
help teacher to teach vocabulary for children with special needs.



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METHODS

Research Design and Participants
This research was a quantitative research especially quasi experimental. Six students participated in
this research. The sampling technique was used in this study is purposive sampling that is a non-
probability sample that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the
study They were students of eighth grade of SLB Negeri Ungaran and SLB Widya Bhakti in
academic year 2018/2019.

Instruments
In this research, the writer used tests and questionnaire. The writer used them to obtain data of
students’ development in learning vocabulary and students’ perception towards the media. The type
of test used was pre-test and post-test. In this test, students were asked to do 20 questions. The test
was conducted twice that was pre-test and post-test.

Regarding with the questionnaire, it was used to know what students’ perception about the
use of puppet and flashcard in teaching vocabulary. The writer gave a set of statements related about
students’ perception toward the media. They included: 1) students’ interest, 2) students’ relevant, 3)
the advantages of using puppet and flashcard media, 4) students’ sustainability. Questionnaire was
given after doing post-test. It was to support the primary data in this research and to know how far
the results effected on the students.

Treatment
The writer conducted this research at SLB Negeri Ungaran and SLB Widya Bhakti Semarang. This
research was started from November 19th 2018 until November 28th. The treatment for both puppet
and flashcard media was done at the same time. Each treatment needs five meetings. In the first
meeting, the writer came to the class and got acquainted with the students. Second meeting, the
writer gave a lesson using the media with material that have made. In this meeting the writer taught
eight vocabularies. In third meeting, the writer did the same thing as in the second meeting with
taught 8 vocabularies. In the fourth meeting, the writer taught the students with 5 vocabularies. In
the fifth meeting, the writer gave post test to the students and questionnaire.

Data Analysis
In order to check whether or not the difference between the means of the control group and the
experimental group was statically significant, the writer used a t-test in SPSS 16.0. A t-test is a
statistical test used to compare two means to determine the probability that difference between the
means is a real difference rather than a chance difference. In this study, it was used to see the
difference in students’ achievement between those were taught using puppet and those were taught
using flashcard was significant or not. From the result of calculation above, if obtained t value is
higher than the critical r value, it could be inferred that there is significant difference in vocabulary
achievement between experimental group, control group and vice versa.

Before administering pre-test and post-test, test reliability and test validity for each item of the
tests were also included. In testing the validity and reliability with 4 samples and the level of
significance 0.05, the rtable was 0.632. In order to be valid and reliable, each item should have
rxy>0.632. Meanwhile, the questionnaire was analyzed using Likert Scale Response Anchors then
reported in the form of descriptive statics.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Vocabulary was defined as the collection of words that an individual know. It means that students
should have a lot of vocabularies to make easier the communication with others (linse, 2006).
Hornby (2006) argued that vocabulary as the words that people use when they are talking about
particular object. In addition, Farqi (2014, p. 27) every word that is learnt in the foreign language
belongs to vocabulary. Teaching English vocabulary is not easy. Berne and Blachowics (2008)
implied that few research indicate that teaching vocabulary can be considered as problematic, as
some teachers are not really sure about the best practice in the teaching and sometimes not really
aware how to start forming an instructional emphasis on vocabulary learning. However, teachers
have to know the students’ character and style they learn. Besides that, teachers have to know the
right way to teach English vocabulary. In line with Thornbury (2002) the development of vocabulary
teaching depend how the teacher present of new word in vocabulary learning, so the teaching and



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learning vocabulary can improve students’ knowledge but it should be assisted through media to
make students more understand. Many teachers use interactive media to enhance students’
understanding. So, the students understanding well.

In teaching vocabulary for students with special needs, teacher starting with simple
vocabulary such as animals, colors, objects, and activities that surround them. It is needed a media
to encourage student to learn vocabulary. In line with Wallace (1982) that teaching vocabulary
should consider with some factors. They are aims, quantity, need, frequent exposure and repetition,
meaningful presentation, situation and presentation. The purpose of teaching English vocabulary for
students with special needs is to introduce simple vocabulary which they use in their life.

One of the research findings showed that the use of puppet and flashcard media in teaching
vocabulary for students with special needs. Flashcard media was effective to be used in teaching
vocabulary for students with special needs. It was very useful for students to remember English
vocabulary. The students pay attention when the writer taught them using flashcard media. They
saw the flashcard media, and said the word enthusiastically. It was in lines with Evi, Zainal and
Dewi (2016) it revealed that the picture as visual media is effective to be used as an alternative media
in teaching vocabulary, the use of picture can minimize the students’ difficulties in vocabulary.

Flashcard media could improve students’ vocabularies mastery in two aspects. First, flashcard
gave an impact to students in remembering vocabularies. When teaching using flashcard, students
see the picture and the name of noun. So, they became more familiar with English vocabulary.
Second, this media helped students to communicate with their friends even though in simple
sentence, for example my book, your pencil, my shoes. It was in line with Bennett (2002) stated that
the benefits of the use of puppets in the classroom are many and varied. Such as provides an
opportunity for student expression through the social aspects of communication. Students who are
working in a group to prepare and present a puppet show are learning to work cooperatively with
others, where there is give and take and sharing of ideas. This offers the students the advantage of
making group cohesion.

Table 1 The Independent Sample T-test of Post-test

Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for EV T-test for Equality of Means

F Sig. T Df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Dif. SED

95% CID

Lower Upper

Post-test

Ev1 .500 .506 2.178 6 .000 8.750 4.018 18.582 1.082

Ev2 2.178 5.534 .000 8.750 4.018 18.786 1.286

Note 1: Ev1 = Equal variances asssumed
Note 2: Ev2 = Equal variances not assumed
Note 3: Mean Dif. = Mean Difference
Note 4: SED = Std. Error Difference
Note 5: CID = Confidence Interval of the Difference

In addition, puppet media was effective to be used in teaching English vocabulary. After the
treatment, the students from puppet group were practice with their pair. They play puppet with
dialogue that made by them. Not only that, they also pointed thing and said the English vocabulary.

Both puppet and flashcard media were effective to improve students’ mastery English
vocabulary. While puppet media focused on the use of sentence in dialogue, flashcard focused on
the common vocabulary. However, these two media had different influence on students’
achievement. In independent T-test, it was showed that the sig (2-tailed) score was 0.000, which was
less than 0.05. It meant that the Hw was accepted. There was a significant difference between
students who were taught by puppet and those who were taught by flashcard. Moreover, the mean
difference was 8.75. It resulted in positive meaning that flashcard was more effective to improve



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students’ vocabulary mastery than puppet media. The result in line with Rismanti (2017) stated that
it was positive effect of using flashcard in teaching English vocabulary for students with special
needs, in her case dyslexia students. Other finding showed that there was increasing on the average
of post test. In pre test the average score was 58.64 and in post test was 77.95. In other words the use
of flashcard was effective to teach English for students with special needs.

Figure 1

Comparison of Puppet and Flashcard Group Score

Regarding with students’ attitude, both of the media had a lot of positive responses. They
were more than 80%. However, flashcard media had more positive responses. Flashcard media was
more applicable and effective in teaching English vocabulary for students with special needs. This
result could be seen between the post-test and the questionnaire responses.

Figure 2

Students’ Attitude towards Puppet and Flashcard Media

CONCLUSION

Teaching English for students with special need is not easy. It is need a media to encourage them to
learn English. A media that can help students to remember common vocabularies easily. The writer
tried to use puppet and flashcard as media in learning English. Using puppet and flashcard in
learning English can help students to remember common vocabulary that they have found in their
live. Based on the computation using SPSS, both puppet and flashcard can use in learning
vocabulary. However, flashcard is considered more effective since the improvement of students’
achievement of flashcard group is higher than puppet group.



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On the other hand, students’ attitude towards the media shows a different result. Students are
more interested in flashcard media than puppet. One possible explanation is flashcard is more
applicable to learn vocabulary than puppet media.

A further investigation about media in learning English for students with special needs should
be done. Because of the time limitation, a huge amount of time to conduct a research is needed to
measure the improvement of students’ achievement in learning English vocabulary. It is because
students should learn more vocabularies that related with their school material. In addition, it would
be better if the number samples is bigger so the finding of the research is more valid. Thus, learning
English for students with special need can be done with suitable media with their ages and their
school materials. This study is limited to media and instruments. In which the media that used were
puppet and flashcard, while the instruments made by the writer. For the next researcher can be more
explore media in learning vocabulary for students with special needs. It is also hoped that the further
research can investigate this topic with different students in different ages and grades.

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