This thesis discusses the use of pictionary game to facilitate students’ understanding on common noun. This research was done due to some reasons. Firstly, vocabulary is a very important element in language learning, especially common noun which is emphasized on children’s learning. Secondly, the English language teacher still uses conventional method in teaching vocabulary. Lastly, pictionary game provides students with a very interesting way of learning. This study answers some problems: (1) How is the students’ engagement in the teaching and learning process? (3) How is the improvement of students’ achievement of common noun after being taught through pictionary game?. Those problems were analyzed through a classroom action research which was conducted at the fifth grade of SDN 1 Kliris, Boja, Kendal. The data were gathered through documentation, observation and test. They were then analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis to present succinctly what the data show.
This study shows that: (1) Before pictionary game being applied, the students were not interested in the teaching and learning process. The students’ engagement was only 43%. It meant that half of the students are interested in the teaching and learning process. Only half of the students who were enthusiastic in listening to teacher’s explanation while the other were busy playing or talking to their seatmates. When it came to repeating teacher’s pronunciation, however, they pronounced it quite well in a loud voice. During the teaching and learning process, there were only some students who asked questions to the teacher and none volunteered to answer questions from the teacher or other students. Many students were not enthusiastic in doing the test and seemed to be bored; only several students who did the test with enthusiasm. In the first cycle, the students’ engagement rose to 73%. It meant that majority of the students are enthusiastic in the teaching and learning process. The majority of students paid attention to teacher’s explanation, especially when the teacher showed some pictures. They were also excited in repeating teacher’s pronunciation leaving only a few students who only stared at the pictures, stuttering the words. When the game started, many students were enthusiastic while the others were still a bit confused about the game that they seemed uninterested. In the second cycle, it rose to 87%. It was categorized as good. Majority of the students were enthusiastic in the teaching and learning process. They paid attention to the teacher’s explanation and were excited in repeating teacher’s pronunciation. They also participated in the game with much enthusiasm and did the test well as the teacher and researcher watch them during the test. However there were only half of the students who asked or answered questions. The others seemed unconfident to ask question. Above all, the learning environment in the second cycle was more conducive than that in the first one. (2) The improvement of the use of pictionary game to facilitate students’ understanding on common noun can be seen from the average of the students’ tests. The students’ average in the pre-cycle test was 71 with six students failed to pass the minimum passing criterion. After the researcher applied pictionary game, there was improvement in the first cycle. The students’ average rose to 78 in the first cycle with only one student failed to pass the minimum passing criterion. In the second cycle, the average of the students’ score was 83 and every student was able to pass the minimum passing criterion.