7.0How Did I Analyse My Data?

In this chapter, a full description of the results obtained from data collected is presented. Four data sets were collected for this study; the observation, the questionnaire, the interview and the journal writing. This chapter presents the results in the same order the data was collected and pseudonyms are used when referring to pupils. The first section of this chapter covers results obtained from the observation. Results for all the groups will be presented together, providing the necessary tables to highlight certain numbers that will be referred to later in the discussion chapter. The second section of this chapter presents data collected from the questionnaire. Results for all the groups will be presented in a table to highlight certain numbers that will be referred to later in the discussion chapter. The third section of this chapter presents data collected from the interview. A total of four sessions were transcribed, one pupil was interviewed from each group. The last part of this chapter covers the results of the journal writing that was written during the two teaching and learning sessions.

i. ObservationI conducted my observation instrument to look at the important aspects in this action research. The pupils interest towards the group discussion were observed through their reactions at the early stage of teaching and learning, during and the last. All the observed items were marked in the observation forms that had been prepared in the form of questions. The observation result of using the traditional seating arrangement and the observation result of using the modular seating arrangement were compared through these observation forms.

Table and 7.1 and Table 7.2 below shows the comparison between the observation result of using the traditional seating arrangement and the observation result of using the modular seating arrangement at the early stage of teaching and learning.

Table 7.1: Observation on pupils interest at the early stage of teaching and learning (traditional seating arrangement).

0- No,1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils show interest to take part in their group discussion when I asked them to do so?0000

2. Do pupils behave when I asked them to search their group members?0100

3. Can the pupils easily search for their group members in a short time?0010

Total0110

Big Total2

Table 7.2: Observation on pupils interest at the early stage of teaching and learning (modular seating arrangement).

0- No1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils show interest to take part in their group discussion when I asked them to do so?1111

2. Do pupils behave when I asked them to search their group members?1111

3. Can the pupils easily search for their group members in a short time?1111

Total3333

Big Total12

Analysis on the observation at the early stage of teaching and learning session.

Question 1: Do pupils show interest to take part in their group discussion when I asked them to do so?

This question really shows that modular seating arrangement can really help pupils to enhance their interest to take part in the group discussion. It is because they were already prepared to do group discussion in their own group. Besides that, they did not have to move to search for group members anymore. Before using this modular seating arrangement, some of the pupils were seemed not motivated to take part in the group discussion because nobody wanted to recruit them as their group members. But, after using the modular seating arrangement, pupils were very motivated to take part in group discussion when I told them to do so.

Question 2: Do pupils behave when I asked them to search their group members?

This question also shows achievement on pupils interest. When I was using traditional seating arrangement, the class was really in chaos when I used traditional seating arrangement. Pupils were busy walking here and there because they need to choose their group members on their preference. As a result, they chose to play with their other friends. But when I was using modular seating arrangement, there was a positive change where pupils were not playing anymore and they were more prepared for the group discussion activity.

Question 3: Can the pupils easily search for their group members in a short time?

Through my observation, there was also achievement towards pupils achievement for this question. When I was using traditional seating arrangement, pupils took a long time to search for their group members. It was because they did not have assigned group to work with. So, they tend to search for their members on their own preferences. But when I was using modular seating arrangement, pupils did not take a long time but just a few minutes to sit in their groups. It was because they already have their own groups in this modular seating arrangement.

Table 7.3 and 7.4 below shows the comparison between the observation result of using the traditional seating arrangement and the observation result of using the modular seating arrangement during the teaching and learning stage.

Table 7.3: Observation on pupils interest during the teaching and learning stage (traditional seating arrangement).

0- No,1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils know what the group work required them to do?0000

2. Do pupils show confidence to answer the work given?0000

3. Do pupils engage in the meaningful conversation between their group members?0000

Total0000

Big Total0

Table 7.4: Observation on pupils interest during the teaching and learning stage (modular seating arrangement).

0- No,1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils know what the group work required them to do?1111

2. Do pupils show confidence to answer the work given?1111

3. Do pupils engage in the meaningful conversation between their group members?1111

Total3333

Big Total12

Analysis on the observation during the teaching and learning stage. Question 1: Do pupils know what the group work required them to do?

Before I distributed the group task to the pupils, I have explained to them on how to do the task. But, some of the pupils did not pay their attention to my explanation. When I asked pupils to do their group discussion in traditional seating arrangement, they do not know what to do for the task as they do not have their own group to discuss with. But when I was using modular seating arrangement, the pupils who did not pay attention to my explanation just now were asking their group members on how to do the task given. It shows that the modular seating arrangement helps the pupils to comprehend the task more because they can easily discuss their task with other group members.

Question 2: Do pupils show confidence to answer the work given?

The traditional seating arrangement that I was using did not help pupils to answer the task that I had given to them with confidence. It was because some of them did not have their group members because nobody wanted to recruit them. But when I was using modular seating arrangement, the pupils can answer the task given with confidence. It was because they worked as a team to complete the task.

Question 3: Do pupils engage in the meaningful conversation between their group members?

When I was using modular seating arrangement, it shows that the pupils can really engage in meaningful conversation between their group members. They seemed to share their ideas and thoughts on how to complete the task. They can easily discuss because they have their own chair to sit in their groups. But when I was using traditional seating arrangement, pupils did not manage to engage in meaningful conversation. They kept talking about unnecessary things. This was due to their condition where some of them were unable to sit because they did not have their own chairs as they came from other tables. IIt shows that modular seating arrangement can really help pupils to engage in the meaningful discussion between them.

Table 7.5 and 7.6 below shows the comparison between the observation result of using the traditional seating arrangement and the observation result of using the modular seating arrangement after the teaching and learning stage.

Table 7.5: Observation on pupils interest after the teaching and learning stage (traditional seating arrangement).

0- No,1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils manage to complete their group work within the time given?0000

2. Do pupils give response when I asked them to share their group answers?1000

3. Do pupils manage to answer at least 7 out of 9 questions correctly?0000

Total1000

Big Total1

Table 7.6: Observation on pupils interest after the teaching and learning stage (modular seating arrangement).

0- No,1- YesQuestionsGroup

1234

1. Do pupils manage to complete their group work within the time given?1111

2. Do pupils give response when I asked them to share their group answers?1111

3. Do pupils manage to answer at least 7 out of 9 questions correctly?1111

Total3333

Big Total12

Analysis on the observation after the teaching and learning session.

Question 1: Do pupils manage to complete their group work within the time given?

When I was using the traditional seating arrangement, pupils cannot complete their group task in the given time. It was because much interference they have faced earlier in searching for the group members. But when I was using the modular seating arrangement, pupils can complete their group work in the given time. It shows that they were very motivated to do group task in this seating arrangement.

Question 2: Do pupils give response when I asked them to share their group answers?

Pupils did not give any response when I asked them to share their group answers when I was using traditional seating arrangement. It was because they were unable to complete their task because of the earlier interferences they faced. But when I was using modular seating arrangement, pupils were quickly gave their response when I asked them to share their answers. It was because they managed to complete the task because they did not have interferences before.

Question 3: Do pupils manage to answer at least 7 out of 9 questions correctly?

When I was observing pupils group work, I can see that all the groups can perfectly complete the task with two of the groups got full marks while the other two groups managed to get 8 marks when I was using modular seating arrangement. It may because of the meaningful conversation that they comfortable engaged in this seating arrangement. But I was using traditional seating arrangement, it can be seen that all the groups failed to complete the task and even one group did not answer the task at all. It shows that their seating arrangement limited their movement for meaningful conversation between group members.

From the observation from I have marked, the analysed data from the whole observation is what is shown as in Table 7.8.

Table 7.7: Analysis on the Whole ObservationHow to Interpret the MarksIf the total marks for traditional seating arrangement is more than the modular one, than pupils were more interested to take part in the group discussion activity when they were sitting in the traditional arrangement.

If the total marks for modular seating arrangement is more than the traditional one, than pupils were more interested to take part in the group discussion when they were sitting in the modular arrangement.

TopicSeating ArrangementCalculation(early + during + after teaching and learning session)Total Marks

Seating ArrangementTraditional2 + 0 + 13

Modular12 + 12 + 1236

As a whole, my observation can be seen as in the table above. It can be concluded that pupils were more interested to take part in the group discussion when they were sitting in the modular arrangement than the traditional seating arrangement. This was because the total marks for the modular seating arrangement is more than the traditional one. The modular arrangement helped the pupils to enhance their learning through their meaningful conversation they had engaged with. This seating arrangement also prevented them from facing with interferences that can inhibit their learning.

ii. QuestionnaireBesides using observation as my instrument for this action research, data were also collected through questionnaire. For the findings from the questionnaire, I compared the mean for each item for the traditional seating arrangement and modular seating arrangement. The mean of the item was presented in a table. Table 8 below shows the table that has been built.

Table 8Comparison between the Mean Score for the Traditional Seating Arrangement and the Modular Seating ArrangementNoItemMethodDifference

Traditional Modular

1I feel very excited when teacher asked me to do work in group when sitting in this arrangement.1.702.500.80

2I feel very motivated to share my opinions with my friend when I did work in group when sitting in this arrangement.1.103.502.40

3I feel very easy to discuss with my friends when sitting in this arrangement.1.203.202.00

4My confidence level to answer the questions was very high when sitting in this arrangement.1.003.202.20

For item 1, the mean score for the traditional seating arrangement was 1.70 that shows that pupils not feel very excited when I asked them to do work in group when sitting in this arrangement. But for the modular seating arrangement, the mean score was 2.50. It shows that pupil feel very excited when teacher asked them to do work in group when sitting in this arrangement.For item 2, the mean score for the traditional seating arrangement was 1.10. It shows that pupils were not so motivated to share their opinions with their friends when they did work in group when sitting in this arrangement. But the mean score for the modular seating arrangement was higher that is 3.50. It shows that the modular seating arrangement was very effective in motivating pupils to share their opinions with their friends when they did work in group when sitting in this arrangement. For item 3, the mean score for both traditional and modular seating arrangements were 1.20 and 3.20 respectively. It shows that the traditional seating arrangement was not effective for the pupils to easily discuss with their friends when sitting in these arrangements. But it was very effective for them to discuss with their group members when they were sitting in the modular sitting arrangement. For item 4, the mean score for traditional and modular seating arrangements are 1.0 and 3.2 respectively. The mean score for the modular seating arrangement is higher compared to the traditional seating arrangement. It means that the effectiveness of modular seating arrangement in boosting pupils confidence level to answer the questions were higher when compared to the traditional seating arrangement.iii. InterviewAn interview session with the pupils was also carried out to support my questionnaire findings. The interview session was conducted after each session of my lesson has ended for both the traditional and modular seating arrangements respectively. The questions that I asked the pupils were was the seating arrangement makes you interested to take part in your group discussion activity? and give a reason why you said so. The responses from the pupils after I conducted my lesson using the traditional seating arrangement are as follows:Pupil from group A:No, I felt very uncomfortable because I had to walk here and there to search for my own group members.Pupil from group B:Of course not. Nobody wanted to recruit me as their group members. I feel disappointed.Pupil from group C:No, it was because I did not manage to complete the task given because I did not manage to find enough group members.Pupil from group D:No, I hate the noisy environment in the classroom when teacher asked us to do group discussion. I was irritated.

While the responses from the pupils after I conducted my lesson using the modular seating arrangement when I asked them, was the seating arrangement makes you interested to take part in your group discussion? and the reason are as follows:Pupil from group A:Yes, I felt so happy because I did not need to walk here and there anymore to search for my group members.Pupil from group B:Of course I felt so interested to take part because I had my own group.Pupil from group C:I felt so interested because I managed to complete my task in the given time. My group members gave full cooperation to complete the task given.Pupil from group D:Of course I felt interested because everyone was busy work in their group. There was no noisy classroom anymore.The information that I gained from these four pupils after using the modular seating arrangement were in line with my observation during the group discussion activity.When I conducted the production stage in my teaching, I can see that pupils were very motivated to take part in their group discussion. They were seen very excited when I asked them to do work in group when sitting in this arrangement. Besides that, pupils were also seemed to feel easy to participate in their group discussion because they have already assigned to their group. Because of this situation, the class lesson was running smoothly without any chaos. (Journal Writing No: 6, 22nd July, 2014)

iv. Journal WritingMy interview sessions with the four pupils were also supported by my journal writing. Here are the journal writings that were written by me when I was using traditional seating arrangements:During the group activity session, I can see that the class was in chaos. Some of the pupils were not participating in the activity at all. At first, my rational to conduct this group activity session is because the pupils who cannot pay attention in the classroom can learn from their friends. But, it was not effective because pupils were busy walking here and there in the classroom to search for their group members. Besides that, some of them started to feel bored because nobody wanted to recruit them as their group members. This situation has triggered them to play with their friends and lead to the noisy classroom. And then lastly, when I checked their work, all the four groups cannot fill in at least 7 out of 9 blanks correctly. And it was such a disappointment when one group has not filled in the blanks at all. (Journal Writing No: 4, 22nd July, 2014)

When I was checking on pupils answer for the group task, I found that none of the groups managed to answer all the questions correctly. Sadly, one group seemed not to answer the task at all. It shows that they were not engaged in meaningful discussion between group members instead they were playing around and discussing other things. (Journal Writing No: 5, 22nd July 2014)

And here are the journal writings that were written by me when I was using modular seating arrangements:When I conducted the production stage in my teaching, I can see that pupils were very motivated to take part in their group discussion. They were seen very excited when I asked them to do work in group when sitting in this arrangement. Besides that, pupils were also seemed to feel easy to participate in their group discussion because they have already assigned to their group. Because of this situation, the class lesson was running smoothly without any chaos. (Journal Writing No: 6, 22nd July, 2014)While students were solving their group task, I can see that most of them were actively engaged through discussion with their group members. They gave more attention to the work that they were working. The number of students who did nothing was decreased compared to before when I was using modular seating arrangement. I can see the most silent student in the class, Huda was also started to talk with her group members. (Journal Writing No: 7, 22nd July, 2014)When I was checking on pupils answer for the group task, I found that two groups can answer all the questions correctly while the other two groups managed to get 8 out of 9 marks. It shows that they were really engaged in meaningful discussion between group members as this task required students to discuss with their friends to solve. (Journal Writing No: 8, 22nd July 2014)

In conclusion, based on my analysis on the observation, the interview sessions, the questionnaires and the journal writings, my action research findings shows that the use of modular seating arrangement in enhancing Year 5 pupils interest to take part in group discussion to enhance their learning was more effective than using the traditional seating arrangement.

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