CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Teaching English for young learners is somewhat different from teaching

adults, because young learners are often more positive, involved and easily

adaptable than adults. Teaching English for young learner can be challenging,

because they have limited period of attention (Anggraini, 2014). In order to get

their attention and keep them engaged, learning process should include movement

and involve the sense. The teacher needs to use supplement material like colored

visual, toys, puppet, picture or object (Hashemi & Azizinezhad, 2011). On the

other hand, the language development of each child can be varied. There are some

children develop early and some later. Teacher need to be aware of student’s

characteristic to give the student enjoyable, interesting, and understandable

learning experience (Scott & Ytreberg, 1990). In doing so, there should be

appropriate method, learning material and media for them. One helpful idea that

could incorporate in teaching English for young learners is using technology.

The use technology has positive impact for language learning. Technology

could provide the students to learn English in their own pace, help them in self-

understanding, increasing their motivation and participation in learning process

(Ahmadi, 2018). Manurung (2016) stated that using video clip for English learning

at 2nd Grade Elementary School is very effective based on enhancing students’

achievement. Most of the students easily understand the meaning, pronunciation

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and use of the word, also students positively active in learning process. According

to Brian et al, (2017), audiovisual learning media had a significant influence on

students' listening comprehension. Research by Puspitaloka et al (2017)showed

that android educational game for elementary school improved student’s

competency in learning vocabulary. In addition, students feel happy, fun and did

not feel forced into learning process. This statement also supported by Santosa et

al, (2020) who stated that the smartphone application has a number of advantages

that encourage students to learn English. Nowadays, mobile technology has

become essential in daily life and a great potential for learning in both classroom

and outdoor learning. Mobile phone is small, easy to carry, smart, compatible to

use and become the main way for learning. Mobile phone software also provides

interactive way in learning (He et al., 2014).

In recent years, Augmented Reality becomes one of advanced technology

widely used in education area. Augmented Reality is a technology that combines

two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional virtual objects into a real three-

dimensional environment, and then projects these virtual objects in real time.

Augmented Reality combines digital information with the real world where users

can feel it as a whole. The main advantage of Augmented Reality compared to

virtual reality is that it is easier and cheaper to develop (Kan & Kaufmann, 2012).

In the education, AR-based learning can boost the hands-on capacity of learners

and encourage their motivation as opposed to conventional learning environment

(Campos & Pessanha, 2011). Augmented Reality also widely use in Teaching

English for young Learner and show effective result. Augmented Reality could

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enhance young learner’s cognitive ability in vocabulary and pronunciation,

increase participation, and interest provide a fun and enjoyable learning (Nugraha

et al., 2019; Saurina, 2016). With all those benefits, Augmented Reality is a

promising technology to use as learning media or learning material for English

language learning.

Meanwhile, elementary school teachers have difficulties to find or

teaching English learning material. The results of interviews from two elementary

school teachers found that until now in learning activities in English subject, the

teachers are only relying on teaching materials in the form of printed

books/worksheets provided by the school. While the only media used is slide

presentations. This condition is also explained by Ratminingsih et al, (2015), that

most of the elementary teacher in Buleleng only use English textbook and

worksheet provided by the government. Teachers also stated that the student’s

participation is low. Most of the students are passive in learning process and they

need learning material that could increase student’s participation. Listia (2008)

stated that the lack of appropriate learning materials causes low student’s

motivation and participation. Therefore, efforts to develop learning materials need

to be done based on using a contextual approach that can be applied in developing

language competence in accordance with market demands. The reason, learning

material has a strategic role in supporting the implementation of elementary school

English learning.

Augmented Reality has great potential to be as English learning material

for young learners because it is fun, enjoyable, and provides interactive activity

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and has ability to engage students. He, et al (2014) conducted an empirical study

to investigate the change in kindergarten students learning interest using

Augmented Reality. It was found that Augmented Reality could help non-native

speaker student in learning vocabularies. In addition, from teacher opinion,

Augmented Reality make teacher easier to mobilize the student’s enthusiasm and

meet the cognitive development of kindergarten student. Atmajaya (2017) in his

research also stated that Augmented Reality enhanced the student’s enthusiasm and

interaction between student-student also student-teacher. A similar study was

conducted by Safar et al. (2017), found that Augmented Reality has increase

student’s score on the English test. Despite the advantages of using Augmented

Reality in education, there are also limitation of this technology (K. Lee, 2012).

The limitations of Augmented Reality include: (1) lack of expert in Augmented

Reality field, (2) lack of confidence of schools to use this technology, they prefer

to use traditional method, (3) this technology may not effective for some students

and (4) there are limited resources of appropriate Augmented Reality learning

materials.

As explained above, Augmented Reality technology has many advantages

to help students in learning, especially learning English for young learner. Based

on elementary teacher interview, students in 2nd Grade have difficulties in learning

new vocabulary and pronunciation. Tsai (2020) conducted an empirical study to

investigate the effect of Augmented Reality on motivation and performance in EFL

vocabulary learning. It was found that Augmented Reality has significantly

increased the student’s English vocabulary learning performances. A Similar study

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was conducted by Chen and Chan (2019), also shown that using Augmented

Reality technology in kindergartens can enhance student’s vocabulary.

Therefore, it is important to develop Augmented Reality based-learning

material. This study is a Design and Development Research (DDR) to develop

Augmented Reality based-learning material for 2nd Grade Elementary School,

which consist of physical book (picture book), Augmented Reality application and

activities. By using Augmented Reality learning media, can help teacher to present

the picture of animal and animation of animal movement, also the pronunciation

of them that will resolve student’s difficulties. This study conducted in six phases

based on Hevner, et al (2004) namely: (1) identify the problem; (2) describe the

objective; (3) design & develop the artifact; (4) test the artifact; (5) evaluate the

testing and (6) communicate the result.

1.2 Identification of the Problem

Based on the background of the problem above, some problem

identification can be defined as follows:

1. Teachers’ learning strategies are less varied. Most teacher still use

traditional learning method in teaching English. Traditional learning

method, required student to memorize words by repetitive practice. This

method reduces student’s motivation and sense about learning English.

2. The learning media used are limited and do not attract students' interest.

Teacher mostly rely on teaching materials provided by the school or

government. The learning media commonly used by teacher are slide

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 presentation, worksheet and video. They almost never use interactive

learning media.

3. Students' speaking skills in English are lacking.

4. Student activity in learning activities is still low. Because of the

traditional learning method, most of students are passive in learning

process. They are not motivated to actively participate in learning.

1.3 Scope of the Problem

Based on several issues that have been described in the identification of the

above problems, the problem is limited to the development of instructional media

using Augmented Reality technology for the Android platform on English subjects

for young learners. Teaching materials are made in the form of media on Android

mobile/Smartphone by utilizing Augmented Reality technology. Besides

developing the software application, an AR Book or picture book was also

developed which contained a Balinese folktale that supports the AR application.

1.4 Statement of the Problem

Based on the background shown above, the problems are stated as follows.

1. What materials are needed by the young learners of SD Negeri 3 Banjar

Jawa?

2. How to design Augmented Reality-based learning materials for young

learners of SD Negeri 3 Banjar Jawa?

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 3. What is the quality of the developed Augmented Reality-based learning

materials for young learners of SD Negeri 3 Banjar Jawa?

1.5 Purpose of the Study

The general objective of this research is to develop teaching materials based

on Augmented Reality for young learners. The specific objectives of this study are

as follows:

1. Describe learning material needs for young learners of SD Negeri 3

Banjar Jawa.

2. Describe the product design of the Augmented Reality-based learning

material for young learners of SD Negeri 3 Banjar Jawa.

3. Describe the quality of the developed Augmented Reality-based learning

materials for young learners of SD Negeri 3 Banjar Jawa.

1.6 Significance of The Study

The result of this study is expected to be useful for the participants (the

English teachers who involved in the study), the institution or the school, the

educational policy maker and other researchers.

1. The participants

The result of this study is expected to be beneficial for the participants or

the teachers who involved in the study. The benefit they get from this

study is they get more knowledge about learning media especially

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 Augmented Reality for English teaching and learning. It could also help

them to choose effective learning media to increase student’s

participation in the language learning process.

2. The school

The result from the study conducted is expected to benefit the schools. It

is because schools get information about learning media especially

Augmented Reality for English teaching and learning. After the schools

get the information, the school can take appropriate steps, such as:

managing the program properly, making a plan and executing it well.

3. The educational policy maker

The result if this study is expected to become an important source for the

educational policy maker. So, they can take an appropriate act for the

program, such as a good way for implementing Augmented Reality

learning media in every school and level and improving or reviewing this

program.

4. The other researcher

It is expected that the other researcher will have an alternative and

guidance when conducting similar research. They are also expected to

expand this study for better result.