Web-based Model for TEFL

A Web-based Model for TEFL and its Effectiveness in Developing Students’ Learning

A.

Background of the Study

There have been problems in the teaching of English as a foreign language. The big class sizes and teachers with poor mastery of English are two obvious factors that contribute to the ongoing problems in ELT in Indonesia (Dardjowidjojo, 2000). Other reasons for the problems are: (1) limited time allocated for teaching English, (2) students do not have enough time to actually learn to speak English in class because the teacher is more concerned to teach the grammar and syntax, (3) the absence of good and authentic learning materials, and (4) the absence of the social uses of English outside the classroom (Musthafa, 2001).

With the development of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Internet as media for teaching and learning English, these mentioned above problems can be minimized. Websites for English

language

teaching

and

learning

are

developing

worldwide. For example, the British Council has developed website especially for English Language teaching and learning.

This website is rich with activities for students at various levels and teachers of English (http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/, http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en, http://www.britishcouncil.org/central.htm). The first website is aimed to enrich English teachers with teaching materials to be implemented in class along with the methods. This website offers

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free downloadable teaching materials. The second and the third provide resources for students to do self study online. In these websites, the students only interact with the materials provided in the web. These websites offer free exercises and leaning materials for students to study in their own time. With the recent programming language, facilities for interaction and tasks which require interaction can be developed so that the students have the opportunity to practice using the language learned. Facilities to communicate with teachers should also be provided for students to ask questions when they encounter problems.

The

Indonesian

government

through

the

Centre

of

Communication Technology called ‘PUSTEKKOM’ developed a learning resources website (http://e-dukasi.net) for elementary, junior high, senior high and vocational school in 2003 but the students mainly interacting with the materials provided in the web. This web site is influenced by behaviorism where the students do not have any interaction with other students and teachers and under used the power of computer connected to the internet (Gillani, 2003). With the recent development of software applied in the internet, interaction among students and between teacher and students can be facilitated. This study proposes a web-based model allowing students to interact not only with the materials but also with the other students and teachers for developing collaborative learning and communication skills. In learning a language, students need to practice using the language actively with others to communicate (Clark, 1989). In this

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proposed Web-based Model, students have the opportunities to practice communication using the language learned both online and offline. In discussing web based learning, it is necessary to trace back the origin of Computer for Language Learning.

The origin of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) can be traced back to the 1960s. Up until the late 1970s CALL projects were confined mainly to universities, where computer programs were developed on large mainframe computers (Ahmad, et al., 1985). The PLATO project, initiated at the University of Illinois in 1960, is an important landmark in the early development of CALL (Matthews, 1994). In the late 1970s, the arrival of the personal computer (PC) brought computing within the range of a wider audience, resulting in a boom in the development of CALL programs and a flurry of publications. Early CALL favored an approach

that

drew

heavily

on

practices

associated

with programmed instruction. This was reflected in the term Computer Assisted Language Instruction (CALI), which originated in the USA and was in common use until the early 1980s, when CALL became the dominant term. There was initially a lack of imagination and skill on the part of programmers, a situation that was rectified to a considerable extent by the publication of an influential seminal work by Higgins & Johns (1984), which contained numerous examples of alternative approaches to CALL. Throughout the 1980s CALL widened its scope, embracing the communicative approach and a range of new technologies.

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Traditional CALL programs presented a stimulus to which the learner had to provide response. In early CALL programs the stimulus was in the form of text presented on screen, and the only way in which the learner could respond was by entering an answer at the keyboard. Some programs were very imaginative in the way a text was presented, making use of color to highlight grammatical features and movement to illustrate points of syntax. Discrete error analysis and feedback were common features of traditional CALL, and the more sophisticated programs would attempt to analyze the learner's response, pinpoint errors, and branch to help and remedial activities (Gillani, 2003).

More recent approaches to CALL have favored a learnercentered, explorative approach rather than a teacher-centered, drillbased approach to CALL (Cameron, 1998). The explorative approach is characterized by the use of concordance programs in the languages classroom -- an approach described as Data-Driven Learning (DLL) by Tim Johns (Johns & King 1991). The explorative approach is widely used today, including the use of Web concordance and other Web-based CALL activities.

In the 1980s, interactive videodiscs were adapted for the multimedia personal computers (MPCs), which incorporated CDROM drives and were in widespread use by the early 1990s. The MPC is now the standard form of personal computer. CD-ROMs were used in the 1980s initially to store large quantities of text and later to store sound, still images and video (Brinton, 2001). By the

4

mid-1990s a wide range of multimedia CD-ROMs for language learners was available, including imaginative simulations. The quality of video recordings offered by CD-ROM technology, however, was slow to catch up with that offered by the earlier interactive videodiscs. The Digital Video Disc (DVD) offers much higher quality video recordings (Heinich, et al., 2002). A feature of many multimedia CALL programs is the role-play activity, in which the learner can record his/her own voice and play it back as part of a continuous dialogue with a native speaker. Other multimedia

programs

make

use

of

Automatic

Speech

Recognition (ASR) software to diagnose learners' errors (Kozma, 2001).

In 1992 the World Wide Web was launched, reaching the general public in 1993. The Web offers enormous potential in language learning and teaching. In the context of Indonesia the development of the internet and the serious concern of the government in the area of teaching and learning using the medium of internet has inspired the present study, which attempts to develop a web-based model for teaching English as a foreign language to Junior High School.

The Center of Communication Technology called ‘PUSTEKKOM’ developed a learning resources website (http://e-dukasi.net) as for elementary, junior high, senior high and vocational school in 2003.

In this website (http://e-dukasi.net), the interaction between student and student nor student and teacher is not present. The learners

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only interact with the materials presented in the web. In other words this web site is influenced by behaviorism and less motivating for students (Gillani, 2003).

Barolli et al. (2006)

confirm that web-based e-learning system increases study efficiency when there is enough stimulating motivation given to the learners. External links to other sources in http://e-dukasi.net are not available in this site and students cannot find further information when they want to know more about information provided in the web. Huang (2000) indicates that external links to other related websites give students exposure of authentic used of English. One of the benefits of web-based learning is the availability of links to other sites which provide similar information, exercise, explanation, simulation or task (Murphy & Cifuentes, 2001).

Some studies in the area of effectiveness and positive contributions of web-based learning in English Language Learning have been conducted. Son (2007) examined the use of the web for language learning through a study of English as a second language (ESL), and observed learners’ experiences in web-based language learning activities in an English language intensive course for overseas student’s context. In this study, it is reported that the students like the exposure of authentic materials, and the collaboration in doing the tasks assigned. The students also claimed that the immediate feedback given in doing the exercise and quiz is really helpful.

Similar studies related to the use of computers for language teaching in Indonesia have been conducted. Yunandami (2007)

6

conducted a study on the students’ and teachers’ perception on the use of computer in EFL classrooms. Her study concludes that a large number of students enjoyed learning English using computer, even one computer was shared with 3 or 4 students.

Considering about the development of CALL, the great potential use of computer, the web-based teaching and learning, this study attempts to design a Web-based Model for the teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL) to Junior High School Students. This model uses a Learning Management System (LMS) platform called ‘moodle’ which has appropriate features to optimize the use of ICT (Information Communication Technology) in teaching and learning process. This study is also attempts to investigate the effectiveness of this model.

B.

Scope of the Study

The present study focuses on observing the condition of teaching and learning of English at junior high school including the purpose of teaching and learning, the teaching and learning materials, the activities, facilities and media. Based on the observation a web-based Model for TEFL is designed and its effectiveness in developing students’ learning is also examined.

This study is a part of the previous study on the development and effectiveness of multimedia in English language learning for Junior High Students conducted by Lengkanawati et al. (2005). In the first year the research dealt with mapping the condition of learning English in junior high schools and developing the

7

prototype of instructional design and storyboard as the springboard to develop the multimedia software. In the second year the research focused on developing materials for the software.

As a follow up, therefore, the present study concentrates on the development of A Web-based Model for TEFL to Junior High School Students, covering reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. This study starts with the exploration of the condition of teaching and learning of junior high school, and followed by identifying the elements of English language teaching and learning namely purpose, material, activity, media and evaluation.

C.

Research Questions and Data Collection Methods

The problems of the present study are formulated in the following questions.

(1) What is the construct of a web-based model appropriate for the TEFL to Junior High School students? a. What are the elements of a Web-based Model?

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b. How do the elements build the model?

(2) To what extend does the model facilitate teaching and learning process?

There were 4 data collection techniques developed in this study, i.e. questionnaires, interview guides, observational sheets, and tests. In responding to both research questions, data obtained from the questionnaires, interviews and observation were analyzed qualitatively and data from tests were analyzed using inferential statistics.

D.

Significance of the Study

This study offers empirical data that may contribute to the theoretical development of studies on multimedia, especially the internet. The data obtained and the model developed in this study can be used for other researchers to pursue other studies in the area of language learning and internet as media for teaching and learning. This study may also be of benefit to students, in that the use of a Web-based Model for TEFL gives them experience which cannot be obtained from the classrooms. When accessing and using the model, students are trained to study independently, and explore similar available models in the internet. Meanwhile, English teachers may use the model as supplementary materials in their classes or may blend the model with the classroom teaching activities. Material developers interested in using the model may

9

develop other teaching materials for other levels or even for other subjects. Decision makers may use the model as a basis for designing e-learning and Learning Management System. Finally, further research may use the model to explore a variety of aspects of teaching and learning.

E. Web-based Model for TEFL A Web-based Model for TEFL at junior high school was developed based on behaviorism, cognitive, social learning theories and theory of language as communication. The adaptation of the learning materials presented in the Web-based Model was guided by principles of material development and materials design and the presentation of the materials was guided by principles of teaching and learning media (see diagram 1).

Diagram 1

10

There were four main stages in the development process of the Web-based Model for TEFL namely ‘analyze, design, developed and implement’ see diagram 2. Based on the goals stated in the curriculum, scope and sequenced were written (Gillani, 2003) and teaching and learning materials were selected and were converted into digital formats in the form of text, audio, and video along with the instruction. After the teaching and learning materials were digitalized, the suitable Learning Management System for uploading the teaching and learning materials was chosen. After the teaching and learning materials were uploaded into the LMS, the Web-based Model for TEFL is ready to be implemented

Diagram 2

11

As mentioned previously, the Web-based Model for TEFL to junior high school was developed based on various learning theories such as behaviorist, cognitive and constructivism and social theory which were synchronized to e-learning environment.

In zone 1, behaviorist’s strategies were used to introduce the what (new language items). In this zone, students interacted with the leaning materials called practice and drill (Gillani, 2003).

Cognitive and constructivism strategies are used to introduced the how (how the new language items are used) in zone 2. In this zone students were exposed to authentic materials and were required to do discussion in the discussion forum or chat room and guided by tasks provided. In other words, students interacted with other students and teacher to do discussion. In zone 3, the social theories was used to introduced the why (promote personal meaning, situated and contextual learning). At this zone, students were

12

required to do the tasks provided in groups. They had to do the tasks collaboratively and they might visit zone 1 and 2. Finally they had to upload their work in the site. In this zone, students were expected to be able to use the language items introduced in zone 1 and 2 in the context. Ertmer and Newby (1993) state that combination of learning theories in an e-learning environment can be used as taxonomy for learning. Diagram 3 illustrates the material development, the three zones mentioned above, and illustrates the students’ interaction.

Diagram 3

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F. Finding and discussion

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The Condition of Teaching and Learning of Junior High School The teaching and learning condition was explored through questionnaires, interviews and observations. The questionnaire covers three broad categories; (1) curriculum, teaching materials and teaching methods; (2) students activities and number of students in class; (3) the availability of teaching aids.

Questionnaires were distributed and followed by interviews. The schools have problem in translating the curriculum into syllabus and scope of sequence. Teaching and learning materials available in the schools were not sufficient to support the teaching and learning process and the teachers did not have time

to find

additional materials. The teachers have problem in dong group work and pair work activities.

Based on the condition above, the Web-based Model designed can be a media for achieving the learning objectives. The Web-based Model offers extensive drills for those who need to work on grammar and vocabulary. Furthermore, the Web-based Model offers opportunities for students to have access to authentic materials through its external links and to work in pairs or groups so that they have opportunities to practice using the language. Eijl et al. (2005) confirm that students work collaboratively in the elearning system gain high marks compared to students work individually. In regards to external links, Huang (2000) indicates that external links to other related websites give students exposure of authentic used of English. One of the benefits of web-based learning is the availability of links to other sites which provide

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similar information, exercise, explanation, simulation or task (Murphy & Cifuentes, 2001). The learning materials and the interactive program in the Web-based Model give opportunities for the students to use the target language in discussing the authentic materials and in doing the tasks provided. Richards (2006) argues that student learns a language throughout the process of communicating in it, and that communication is meaningful to the student.

The Analysis of the Test Scores of A and B school The pre-test was conducted to discover whether students in the control group and the experimental group had the same ability in English. The test covered reading, listening, grammar and writing.

A null hypothesis (henceforth will be called Ho) was stated. The Ho for the pre-test scored is that there is no significant difference between the mean of the control group’s pre-test and the experimental group’s pre-test. After the pre-test was conducted, an independent t-test analysis was conducted. To reject or accept the Ho, SPSS Version 17.0 was used.

The result of independent t-test of the pre-test of the control and experiment group from A and B class shows that there is not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis. The p-value for A class is 0,686 and 0,849 for B class, both values are bigger than 0,05. In other words, this indicates that both control and

16

experiment groups from both schools start from the same level of ability.

As the result of the pre-test revealed that control and experiment groups from A and B schools start from the same level of ability, post test was conducted to examine the influence of the Web-based Model for TEFL to the students’ achievement. The post test components were similar to the pre test covering reading, listening, grammar and writing.

To examine the influence of the model two types of analyses, matched t-test and independent t-test, were conducted to A and B school. Matched t-test was used to examine how the experiment group has changed after the treatment. Paired Experiment Group Statistics shows average and deviation standard of the pre-test and post-test of the experiment group. The average pre-test score of A school is 94.03 and the average post test score is 77.26. Because the p-value of the t-test is 0.002, (<0.05), the null hypothesis is rejected. The average pre test score for B school is 83.51 and the average post test score is 74.08. Because the p-value of the t-test is 0.000, (<0.05), the null hypothesis is rejected. It means that there is significant differences in the average of pre and post test score for both schools.

After the matched t-test, an independent t-test was conducted to examine the influence of the model by comparing results of the treatment groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-test and control groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-test.

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The group statistics of the post-test describes average descriptive statistics and deviation standard from the experiment and control groups, and the independent t-test of the post-test explains the use of t-test for comparing the two groups. The p-value for A school is 0,002 (<0,05), and the p-value for B school is 0,000 (<0,05). It can be concluded that there is significant increase of English ability in the experiment group compared to the control group in both schools.

A school Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Responses towards the Web-based Model Data of A school studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; responses were collected using questionnaire and interview. The first part of the questionnaire about general opinion about the Web-based Model for TEFL covered two questions. Twenty percent of students strongly agreed that they like learning English with Web-based Model for TEFL and sevety percent chose agree and five percent disagree. Thirty percent of the students strongly agreed and seventy percent responded agree to the statement that the Web-based Model for TEFL increased their English ability. Based on the group interviews, they said that they like learning English using the model and had the opportunity to practice at home. The students enjoyed the freedom in choosing their own materials to be explored within a unit. The reading materials from the external links are their favorite which some of them provide space for writing comments.

They mentioned that they did not have

problem in accessing the pages, quizzes and tasks. The students

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said that they like the freedom given in choosing the activity and in doing the quiz. They reported that they occasionally had problem uploading audio tasks from home. They also thought that learning using the model increased their English ability. They became confident in searching information in the internet for other subjects.

The second part of the questionnaire covered 13 questions and dealt with learning activities. From the questionnaire, twenty percent of the students chose strongly agree, eighty percent agree to the statement that the pictures and external links in the Webbased Model for TEFL were interesting. In regard to reading materials, forty percent strongly agreed that reading materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting, fifty percent agreed and ten percent disagreed. Thirty percent of the students strongly agreed that listening materials in the model were interesting, sixty five agreed and five percent disagreed. In regards to the writing materials, thirty percent of the respondent strongly agreed, seventy percent agreed that the writing materials were interesting. Twenty percent of the students strongly agreed that quizzes provided in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting, seventy five percent agreed and five percent disagreed.

Regarding to tasks, thirty five percent of the students responded strongly agree, sixty percent agree and five percent strongly disagree to the statement that the tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting. Fifteen percent of the students strongly agreed that the discussions in the forum were enjoyable, sixty

19

percent agreed and twenty five percent disagreed. With regards to discussions in the chat room, twenty five percent of the students strongly agreed that the discussions were enjoyable, seventy percent agreed and five percent disagreed. Regarding to reading materials, eighty percent of the students disagreed that the reading materials were difficult and twenty percent strongly disagree with the statement. Five percent of the students agreed that the listening materials were difficult, seventy five percent disagreed and twenty percent strongly disagreed. Five percent of the students responded agree to the statement that the writing materials in the model were difficult, eighty percent responded disagree and fifteen percent responded strongly disagree. With regards to the difficulty of the quizzes in the model, five percent responded disagree, sevety percent strongly disagree and twenty five percent strongly disagree to the statement that the quizzes were difficult. With regards to tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL, forty percent of the students responded disagree and sixty percent strongly disagree to the statement that the tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL were difficult. Based on the interviews randomly in groups, the students responded that the pictures in the Web-based Model are interesting and they love the animation and cartoon. They said that visiting external links, which are not intended for learning English, is fun. Some of the students said that they download some videos and animation they like. Barolli et al. (2006) confirm that learning materials presented in web-based e-learning system give learning motivation. The students also mentioned that they like the reading texts in the model because they are mostly short and have

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interesting pictures. They also mentioned that the reading texts in the external links are interesting especially when video clips are provided. Huang (2000) states that external links give students exposure to authentic used of English. With regards to listening, the students responded that the listening materials are good but some said that they have problem with the streaming. The students found that the writing materials are interesting and they like doing the writing tasks in group. They said that they have enough time for discussing the tasks both online and offline. Eijl et al. (2005) confirm that students work collaboratively in the e-learning system gain higher mark compared to students work individually. In responding to the interview about quiz presented in the model, the students said that they like and enjoy the quiz with clues and some of them feel challenged when doing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;timedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; quiz. In regard to the tasks in the model, some students had problem in uploading their tasks due to the slow connection and submitted their tasks in flash disk to be uploaded by the teacher. In respond to the used of discussion and chat forum, most of the students try the facilities at the beginning of the semester but toward the middle of the semester, they prefer email and offline chat and discussion. They said that other students and the teacher do not respond to their post and questions immediately.

The third part of the questionnaire covered 5 questions and dealt with benefit of the learning activities. Thirty five of the students responded strongly agree and sixty five agree to the statement that activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL were useful. Twenty

21

percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy percent agree and ten percent disagree to the statement that reading activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL increased their reading ability. With regards to writing activities, five percent strongly agree, eighty percent agree and fifteen percent disagree to the statement that writing activities in the model increased their writing ability. Twenty percent of the students responded strongly agree, eighty percent agree to the statement that listening activities in the model increased their listening ability. With regards to grammatical activities, twenty percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy percent agree and ten percent disagree to the statement that grammar activities increased their understanding of grammar. In the groups interviews, the students responded that the Web-based Model for TEFL gave them benefit especially the external links. They students said that they really like the texts, animation, video clips in the external links because they do not feel like learning English.

The fourth part of the questionnaire covered 5 questions and dealt with help and navigation of the Web-based Model for TEFL. Forty percent of the students responded strongly agree and sixty percent agree with the statement that the function of navigation icons in the Web-based Model for TEFL was easily understood. Twenty percent of the students responded agree, seventy percent disagree and ten percent strongly disagree to the statement that pictures and illustrations help in understanding the materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL. Regarding to quiz navigation, fifty percent of the

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students responded strongly agree and fifty percent agree to the statement that the navigation icons in doing the quizzes and tasks were easily understood. Twenty of the students responded strongly agree and eighty percent agree with the statement that the feedback icons in doing the quizzes and tasks were easily understood.

Twenty five percent of the students responded strongly agree, and seventy five agree to the statement that icons to check score, message, discussion forum and other activity were easily understood. From the interviews, they students responded that they did not have any significant problem with the navigation.

B school Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Responses towards the Web-based Model Testing and validating the Web-based Model for TEFL to B school. The experiment was conducted the first semester for a class consisted of 39 students. The experiment was conducted in the school computer room, where the learning and teaching materials of the Web-based Model for TEFL were uploaded into the school Local Area Network (LAN) because the school does not have a website yet. The external links were downloaded and formatted into a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pdfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; file and placed at the local server, some sites were links to the materials in the local server and the server should dial to get connected to the internet. In other words students at B school could access the materials only in the assigned hours or in the free time where no class uses the computer room. The English teacher was assigned to be a facilitator. Similar to a website, the students were given a password to access the materials. In finding out their respond, the same questionnaires used in the tryout were

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distributed at the end of the semester. Furthermore, interviews were also conducted to crosscheck findings in the questionnaires.

The first part of the questionnaire about general opinion about the Web-based Model for TEFL covered two questions. Fifty six percent of students strongly agreed that they like learning English with Web-based Model for TEFL and forty two percent chose agree and two percent disagree. Thirty two percent of the students strongly agreed and sixty eight percent responded agree to the statement that the Web-based Model for TEFL increased their English ability. Based on the group interviews, they said that they like learning English using the model. They mentioned that they had problem in accessing the pages, quizzes and tasks when the same page or exercise accessed by some students at the same time.

This happened because the capacity of the Local Area Network server was not big enough to run the LMS. They reported that they occasionally had problem uploading audio tasks. They also thought that learning using the model increased their English ability.

The second part of the questionnaire covered 13 questions and dealt with learning activities. From the questionnaire, fifty two percent of the students chose strongly agree, forty eight percent to the statement that the pictures and external links in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting. In regard to reading materials, twenty six percent strongly agreed that reading materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting, seventy one agreed and three percent disagreed. Twenty four percent of the students

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strongly agreed that listening materials in the model were interesting, seventy four percent agreed and two percent disagreed.

In regards to the writing materials, ninety percent of the respondents strongly agreed, eighty percent agreed and one percent disagreed that the writing materials were interesting. Eight percent of the students strongly agreed that quizzes provided in the Webbased Model for TEFL were interesting, ninety percent agreed and two percent disagreed. Regarding to tasks, forten percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy six percent agree and ten percent strongly disagree to the statement that the tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL were interesting. Forty eight percent of the students strongly agreed that the discussions in the forum were enjoyable, thirty two percent agreed and twenty percent disagreed. With regards to discussions in the chat room, forty percent of the students strongly agreed that the discussions were enjoyable, fifty eight percent agreed and two percent disagreed.

Regarding to reading materials, twelf percent of the students agreed that the reading materials were difficult, sixty percent disagreed and twenty eight percent strongly disagree with the statement. Eight percent of the students agreed that the listening materials were difficult, seventy eight percent disagreed and forteen percent strongly disagreed. Seven percent of the students responded agree to the statement that the writing materials in the model were difficult, seventy nine percent responded disagree and forteen percent responded strongly disagree. With regards to the statement that quizzes in the model were difficult, ten percent responded disagree, seventy five percent strongly disagree and five

25

percent strongly disagree to the statement that the quizzes were difficult. With regards to tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL, five percent responded agree, eighty percent of the students responded disagree and fifteen percent strongly disagree to the statement that the tasks in the Web-based Model for TEFL were difficult. Based on the interviews randomly in groups, the students responded that the pictures and external links were helpful in understanding the topics discussed. They also mentioned that external links took a long time to be accessed, but in general they helped them in selecting vocabularies needed for their task and writing assignment. With regards to listening, they responded that the listening materials also encourage them to practice speaking.

The students also responded that the discussions in the discussion forum and chat room gave them opportunities to express their ideas and thought without worrying about grammatical mistakes. In the interviews the students also mentioned that they preferred group or pair work in doing the tasks and assignments. Unlike in a conversation, they also mentioned, they had time to think before responding in a chat room and discussion.

The third part of the questionnaire covered 5 questions and dealt with benefit of the learning activities. Fifteen percent of the students responded strongly agree, eighty percent agree and five percent disagree to the statement that activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL were useful.

Ten percent of the students

responded strongly agree, eighty percent agree and ten percent disagree to the statement that reading activities in the Web-based

26

Model for TEFL increased their reading ability. With regards to writing activities, twenty percent strongly agree, seventy percent agree and five percent disagree to the statement that writing activities in the model increased their writing ability. Five percent of the students responded strongly agree, ninety five percent agree to the statement that listening activities in the model increased their listening ability. With regards to grammatical activities, five percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy five percent agree and twenty five percent disagree to the statement that grammar activities increased their understanding of grammar. In the group interviews, the students responded that the Web-based Model for TEFL gave them benefit and opportunities to practice especially in doing the tasks in pair or groups.

The fourth part of the questionnaire covered 5 questions and dealt with help and navigation of the Web-based Model for TEFL. Fifteen percent of the students responded strongly agree, eighty percent agree and five percent disagree with the statement that the function of navigation icons in the Web-based Model for TEFL was easily understood. Twenty percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy five percent agree. Two percent disagree and three percent strongly disagree to the statement that pictures and illustrations help in understanding the materials in the Webbased Model for TEFL. Regarding to quiz navigation, thirty five percent of the students responded strongly agree and sixty percent agree and five percent disagree to the statement that the navigation icons in doing the quizzes and tasks were easily understood.

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Fifteen percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy percent agree and fifteen percent disagree with the statement that the feedback icons in doing the quizzes and tasks were easily understood. Twenty percent of the students responded strongly agree, seventy eight percent agree and two percent disagree to the statement that icons to check score, message, discussion forum and other activity were easily understood. From the interviews, they students responded that they did not have any significant problem with the navigation.

The Observations at A school One of the limitations of this study is the observation that might result in unexpected data. The observation was conducted partially and could not be reported completely due to the time available. A snap-shot or ‘‘impressionistic approach’’ (Wallace, 2003, p. 109) was employed to note the issues that seemed the most important and relevant to the objectives of the study. The ethics of data collection required subjects’ permission (Richards, 2003) and this potentially threatened the validity of the data because when people know they are observed, they may modify their behavior. For this reason, instead of observing each student for a long period of time, this descriptive observational data was gathered by taking snapshots of the students in the computer room roughly every ten minutes. Such snap-shots provided the researcher with a glimpse of what activities the students were really engaged in while using Web-based Model for TEFL. During each observation session notes were taken every 10 minutes of what the students were

28

doing. The snap-shots were then transcribed into the field notes which are analyzed and discussed here together with the data from the questionnaires and the interviews. A total of 62 students were observed working with Web-based Model for TEFL; most of these participants had responded to the questionnaire and some were observed in more than one session. During each session 5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 students were observed at one time for at least 30 minutes and every 10 minutes, snap-shots of what they were doing were taken and altogether 180 snap-shots were obtained.

From the observation, the external links ranked the highest, 60 snap-shots. The visited links were sites related to popular issues such as sport (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/), (http://www.manutd.com), information.com/),

(http://www.badmintongames

(http://www.english-

online.org.uk/games/gamezone2.htm), (http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/games.htm) (http://www.free-english-games.com/) (http://coolmusiczone.com/),

songs

(http://www.songslover.com/),

(http://top40.about.com/). In the second unit the popular sites were extinct animal (http://www.50birds.com/extan/gextanimals1.htm), and dinosaur (http://www.dinosaurfact.net/ ).

The second ranks were listening to audio and video materials with 28 snap-shots. The students enjoyed the listening and video quizzes; they had competition with their friends to get the highest score. From the interviews, the students enjoyed the most of the activities from the external links provided. They also responded

29

similarly to the listening materials. They enjoyed the activity compared to listening in class using tape or CD player.

The third was quiz with 25 snap-shots and followed by reading with 19 snap-shots. The result of the interviews showed that they like to do the quiz to find out their level of understanding. They said that the scores given after the quizzes gave them motivation.

They also reported that the reading materials were more interesting compared to the reading materials in the English book, and the texts were shorter with good pictures and some with video clips.

Both chatting and assignments/tasks were in the fifth rank with 15 snap-shots. In the interview the students responded that online chatting was done at the beginning of the semester only and they chatted offline. They said that it is easier to chat offline and got immediate respond. Some students said that they used the online chat room when talking to other students with opposite sex. From the interviews the students reported that they preferred uploading the tasks from school due to the slow connection at their home.

The lowest rank was writing with 10 snap-shots.

Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Responses towards the Web-based Model for TEFL After experiencing to be facilitators in the Web-based Model for TEFL, three teachers were asked to fill out questionnaire. One teacher from B school and two teachers from A school involved in this study. Interviews were conducted to cross check their responds. The questionnaire was divided into four parts covering,

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content of the material in general, instruction and material, benefit of the activities and help buttons and navigation.

There were three questions in the first part; all teachers agreed that the learning materials are clear and appropriate to the learners. In respond to the second question, all teachers responded agree strongly to the statement that the presentation of the materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL were in sequent. All teachers responded strongly agree to the statement to the statement that the materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL covered wide range of learning activities.

The second part of the questionnaire dealt with instructions and materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL. All teachers responded agree to the statement that the instructions in the Webbased Model for TEFL were clear and easily understood. With regards to reading materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL, all teachers responded agree to the statement that the reading materials were appropriate to the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability. All teachers responded agree to the statement that the listening materials in the model were appropriate to the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; level. One teacher responded strongly agree and two teachers responded agree to the statement that the writing materials in the Web-based Model for TEFL were suitable to the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; level. Two teachers strongly agreed, and one teacher agree to the statement that words (vocabularies) were suitable for the students. Regarding to grammar, two teachers strongly agreed and one teacher agreed that the level of difficulty in grammar was at the right level. With

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regards to quizzes and tasks all teachers responded agree to the statement that the tasks and quizzes were at the right level of difficulty for the students.

The third part of the questionnaire was about the benefit of the activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL. All teachers responded strongly agree to the statement that the activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL were valuable for the students. They also agreed that the activities in the model increased students’ reading ability. With regards to writing, one teacher responded strongly agree and two teachers responded agree to the statement that the activities in the Web-based Model for TEFL improved the students’ writing ability. All teachers agreed to the statement that the listening activities in the model improved the students’ listening ability. Two teacher responded strongly agree and another responded agree to the statement that the grammar activities improve the students’ understanding of grammar.

The last part of the questionnaire dealt with help button and navigation. Two teachers responded agree and one teacher responded disagree to the statement that the functions of navigation icons were understood easily. Regarding to pictures and illustrations, all teachers strongly agree that the pictures and illustration help the students in understanding the leaning materials.

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Form the analyzed data obtain from questionnaire, interview, observation and the discussion about the condition or teaching and learning at both A school and B school, it can be concluded that the Web-based Model for TEFL gives significant contribution to the teaching and learning at both schools. Furthermore the Webbased Model developed along with its characteristics offers alternative way of teaching and learning English. It provides rich authentic learning materials and activities and gives opportunities to students to practice and use the language. The learning materials, tasks and exercises encourage students to work collaboratively and to be independent learners. In addition, the test result at the end of the semester from both schools show that the experiment groups scored higher than the control groups. Based on the questionnaire, interview and observation, teachers and students in the experiment groups give positive response to the Web-based Model. The students in both schools enjoyed the learning materials, challenged by the quiz and task. In addition, they found that the reading materials and activities interesting. It can be concluded that the Web-based Model for TEFL is found effective in enhancing teaching and learning process.

G. Conclusion, Recommendation and Limitation of the Study This section presents conclusions of the present study. These conclusions are directly related to research problems formulated earlier in Chapter 3, i.e. (1) What are the elements of a Web-based Model appropriate for the Teaching of English as a Foreign

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Language (TEFL) to Junior High School students? (2) To what extend does the model facilitate teaching and learning process?

This study was initiated by developing a Web-based Model for TEFL. Before the development, learning goals were determined. A syllabus consisting basic competencies, learning material, learning activity and indicator were written. The components of the syllabus then broken down into scope of sequence. The development of the model was influenced mainly by behavior, cognitive and social learning theories. The model developed consists of three zones.

Zone 1 (input) is influenced by behaviorist leaning theories. In this zone, new language items such as vocabulary, grammar points, expression are introduced followed by exercises with feedback.

Galavis (1998) states that appropriate feedback should be provided so that students can monitor their learning and take corrective action. Quiz is presented at the end of this zone to measure studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; achievement. Zone 2 (exposure) is influenced by cognitive learning theories. In this zone, students are exposed to authentic materials where the language items in zone 1 are used in the context. Students are given tasks individually, in pair or group tasks. To do the tasks students have to collaborate with their friends and teacher in the chat room and discussion forum. From the exposure and collaboration, students are expected to gain knew knowledge and skills. Murphy and Cifuentes (2001) state that online interaction among students and interaction with the teacher facilitates knowledge construction.

Zones 3 (practice) is

influenced by social learning theories. In this zone students are

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give a task to be done. In doing the task, students have to do research online using materials and external links given at zone 2.

Students have to interact, communicate and collaborate in finishing the task. The finished tasks have to be published, discussed and analyzed. Gillani (2003) states that social inquiry model has sequence started by presenting puzzlement situation then working in group or in collaboration to deal with the presented puzzlement situation. In short, the Web-based Model was developed based on the above mentioned learning theories. Ertmer and Newby (1993) state that behaviorist, cognitive and social learning theories can be used as a learning taxonomy.

The Web-based Model facilitates the process of teaching and learning for junior high school students. It offers extensive drills, and exposure to authentic materials which can be accessed any time. Its external links to other sites provide information, explanation, and simulation. Huang (2000) indicates that external links related to topic discussed gives students exposure to real used of English. The Web-based Model for TEFL gives opportunities for students to work collaboratively in doing the tasks. Eijl et al.

(2005) confirm that students work collaboratively in e-learning system gain higher marks compared to students work individually.

The Web-based Model for TEFL also gives students enjoyment in learning English and give teachers enjoyment in teaching. It also increases studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivation. Yunandami (2007) confirmed that students enjoyed learning English with computers even one computer shared with 3 or 4 other students.

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In short, the Web-based Model for TEFL, provides learning resources available in the internet which can be linked in many different formats such as interactive self study, discussion forum and chat room, audio and video format. Learning materials can be retrieved by students at anytime. Learning resources can be made available from any location at any time and can encourage more independent and active learning.

This study shows the teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; responses are positive toward the Web-based Model for TEFL. They enjoy browsing the external links most. They like the model, the activities and the Web-based Model for TEFL give benefit to their learning. At the end of the semester, the test score of experiment groups is higher compared to the control group. From the analysis of the questionnaires, interviews, observations and score, it can be concluded that the Web-based Model for TEFL is effective.

Recommendations This section presents some suggestions offered on the basis of findings in the present study. First, the condition of learning English at junior high school and the effectiveness the Web-based Model for TEFL employs a small number of participants in two schools. It is recommended that a further study involve large number of subjects in three or more schools. Second, this study focuses on Learning English. For the future study similar model could be developed for other schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; subjects. Third, this study tries to cover the four skills; reading, listening, speaking and

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writing which are too much to be done in a limited time. For further study, the number of skills should be reduced or done in a longer period of time.

Limitation of the study

There were some limitations when this study was conducted such as problems during the treatment, accessing materials and observation. The limited time available for training the teachers about Learning Management System caused some minor problems during the treatment, for example login, uploading task, scoring and giving feedback . Some learning materials, especially videos could not be accessed by more than 10 students at the same time. Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning activities in the control groups were not observed and could not be reported in this study.

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Curriculum Vitae Gumawang Jati was born in Sleman, Yogyakarta, in July 12, 1960.

In 1987 he finished his S1 degree from Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta. In 1989 he finished his Master degree program from University of Warwick, England in English Language Teaching. In 1992 he finished a three month short course program in ELT Management from University of Leeds, England. In 1994 he became an English lecturer at ITB, teaching Academic Reading, Critical Reading and Academic writing. In 2000 to 2007 he was appointed to be the head of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pusat Bahasaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ITB. He has presented several papers in national and international seminars and conducted several workshops related to Computer Assisted Language Learning. In 2010 he obtained his Doctorate degree from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI).

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