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Improving the Vocabulary Skills of the Selected Grade 8 Students Using Frayer
Model

Research · April 2024

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.13503.32162

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Improving the Vocabulary Skills of the Selected Grade 8 Students

Using Frayer Model

Joy Myrelle C. Aure

Teacher II
 Abstract

The presented action research aimed to improve the vocabulary skills of

the selected Grade 8 students of Constancio E. Aure Sr. National High School

through the use of Frayer Model. The Gates-MacGinite Test, a standardized test

to measure students' vocabulary skills, was used in conducting the pre-test and

post-test to measure the effectivity of the intervention. The chosen students took

part in the research process by using the Frayer model to determine the meaning

and concepts of the unfamiliar words that were presented to them. The result of

the study showed that there is a significant difference between the result of pre-

test and post-test administered to the learners. The findings stressed that the

scores of the post-test with a mean of 30.75 are higher compared to the pre-test

with a mean of 15.15. It is proposed that the given intervention through Frayer

Model to the learners were effective in improving learners’ vocabulary skills. With

the careful planning and implementation, the use of Frayer Model could be utilized

as an additional strategy to assist teachers in addressing vocabulary acquisition

issues with the students.

Key words: Frayer model, vocabulary skills, grade 8 students

 Acknowledgement

The researcher would like to extend her sincere gratitude to the following who

gave their help and support and serve as an inspiration to complete this research.

To the selected students of Constancio E. Aure Sr. National High School for

their patience and interest in participating for my study.

To the research team of Constancio E. Aure Sr. National High School for the

valuable suggestions and comments that resulted in study improvements.

To Ms. Benjel Joy S. Dimapilis who endlessly showed her support and

encouragement for me to finish my research.

To Mrs. Katherine Pelojero for sharing her expertise. Her guidance and advice

carried me through all the stages of writing my research.

Last but not least, praise and thanks to God, the Almighty, for His showers of

blessings for this research won’t be possible at all without His guidance.
 Context and Rationale

English is an important language that an individual has to learn to be able to

converse and make contact with a larger segment of the global population.

Considering the benefits of English language, Philippines has established English as

a compulsory subject to be taught in formal schools. One of important things in learning

language, especially English is by mastering vocabulary. Vocabulary acquisition is

very important for a learner as it is related to proficiency and fluency in English

(Panjaitan & Sihotang 2020). The process of learning the words of a language is

referred as vocabulary acquisition. Naeimi and Foo (2015) stated that vocabulary

acquisition learning has long been considered as one of the essential components for

developing language learning. In addition, Vocabulary acquisition also remains a very

active area of research with significant implications to inform practice and it is assumed

that growth in vocabulary takes place as a result of gains in language proficiency

(Milton & Alexiou, 2009). Developing a vocabulary aids learners in using

comprehension skills, writing, speaking, and reading. Indeed, in order to understand

the meaning of different kinds of English sentences and passages, it is important to

have excellent and huge vocabulary storage.

Despite of the importance of vocabulary acquisition, vocabulary did not receive

the full credit and appreciation it deserved (Sa’d & Rajabi 2018). Hence, individuals,

in particular English language learners, experience difficulties with vocabulary

learning. Khan (2018) as stated in the study of Panjaitan & Sihotang (2020) that the

students' limited exposure to terms and their usage in English is one of the reasons

they find English challenging. Also, students' limited language makes it difficult for

them to communicate effectively. Nation (2015), who has taught in Indonesia,

Thailand, the United States, Finland, and Japan believed that the main problem in

teaching English is vocabulary, that students need a complex information of the

meaning to reduce misunderstanding. Riksadianti (2021) claimed that insufficient

vocabulary prevents someone from speaking English fluently, understanding what is

being read and heard, and expressing their ideas and thoughts in writing. Therefore,

researching vocabulary learning (VL) is of valuable help to pedagogy as “vocabulary

is now a current focus in ESL pedagogy and research” (Wei, 2007 & Sa’d & Rajabi

2018).

Looking at the aforementioned claims, the Frayer Model can be used to address

the vocabulary acquisition issues. Hidaya (2014) stated that the Frayer Model is a

strategy that helps students understand concepts and is an excellent graphic organizer

that can be used as a basis for writing even with the youngest of students. The chart

of Frayer Model consists of four squares to complete definition, characteristics,

examples, and non-examples and an oval in the center for the word or concept being

studied. This four-square model prompts students to think about and describe the

meaning of a word or concept by defining the term, describing its essential

characteristic, providing examples of the idea, and offering non-examples of idea

(Alashry,et.al, 2018). At the University of Wisconsin, Dorothy Frayer and her

colleagues created the Frayer Model in 1969. Kukan (2012) as cited in the study of

Alashry, et.al (2018) pointed out that students require vocabulary teaching that allows

them to build rich representations of words. Several studies supported the

effectiveness of the said model. Nahampun (2014) investigated at how using the

Frayer model affected students' vocabulary mastery. It was shown that employing the

Frayer model to teach vocabulary is more effective than using a traditional approach.

The study of Jafarie & Tabrizi (2022) found that the Frayer model charts are capable
of increasing vocabulary learning gain specifically in computer science majors.

Moreover, Iter (2015) claimed that when compared to the use of dictionaries as

definitional approaches and contextual approaches, the vocabulary acquisition on

social studies of the students’ activities based on the Frayer model improved

vocabulary growth more. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to design and deliver

language lessons that can aid learners in creating the type of high-quality lexical skills

representations that will still exist and are accessible to reading and writing, too. With

these, students can learn the meaning of a word or concept using the Frayer Model,

but what's more essential is that they can internalize it so that it becomes a part of

their everyday vocabulary (Alashry,et.al, 2018).

Action Research Questions

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Frayer Model in improving

the vocabulary skills of the selected Grade 8 students of Constancio E. Aure Sr.

National High School.

Specifically, this study answered the following question:

1. What is the result of the pre-vocabulary test administered to the selected

grade 8 students?

2. What is the result of the post-vocabulary test administered to the selected

grade 8 students?

3. Is there a significant difference between the results of the pre-test and post-

test administered to the learners?

Proposed Innovation, Intervention and Strategy

This research aims to measure the affectivity of the Frayer Model on improving

the vocabulary skills of the selected Grade 8 students of Constancio E. Aure Sr.

National High School. A pre- test from the Mc-Ginite, specifically the 52- item

vocabulary was given to the students to determine the vocabulary level of the students.

The teacher then applied the use of Frayer model as intervention activity to see its

effectivity. For details, here are the steps of Frayer Model procedure that were

employed:

Intervention Proper

Discussing the concepts

of Frayer Model

Giving the
unfamiliar word

Discussing the parts

of Frayer Model

Presenting
Frayer Model

Step 1: Presenting and explaining the Frayer Model to the class.

Step 2: Explaining each box that have labeled in the inside of Frayer Model
 Step 3: Pronouncing the words in the middle

Step 4: Making the general discussion among the students in analyzing the

words and in completing Frayer Model

Step 5: Allowing the students to answer the Frayer Model on their own.

Action Research Methods

A. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information

The present study adopted the quasi-experimental design. The pre-test was

administered to determine the vocabulary level scores of the selected grade 8 students

of Constancio E. Aure Sr. National High School. A total of forty students (40) whose

scores are under the Frustration level were the participants of the study. Then the

intervention which is the use of Frayer’s Model was in determining the precise meaning

of key concepts of the presented unfamiliar words.

B. Data Gathering Methods

Data were obtained from the pre-test administered from Gates Mac-Ginitie

standardized test to identify the vocabulary level of the respondents. Then, a two-

month intervention was done to the participants where in the students answered

unfamiliar words using the Frayer’s Model diagram each day. The researcher

discussed what is a Frayer model and presented an example to the class. Using the

Frayer model students must determine the definition of the concepts presented to

them in a clear and concise manner to improve their English vocabulary. The outcome

of the tests was evaluated using specific test statistics to determine the impact of the

intervention. The procedures of teaching through Frayer Model were adopted from
Hidayah (2014). To see if there is an improvement on the vocabulary skills of the

students, the same set of exams was administered to identify if there will be a

significant effect on the result between the pre-test and the post-test.

C. Data Analysis Plan

The scores of both the pre-test and the post-test were taken and these data

were coded, tallied, and were statistically treated using the t-test. T– test for dependent

samples was used to determine if there is a significant difference between the pre –

test and post – test given to the learners.

Discussion of Results

Upon the administration and after the conduct of the examination, the collected

data and the result of the pre-test and post-test were evaluated and analyzed.

Problem 1. What is the result of the pre-test vocabulary learning test of the

students from the Mac-Ginitie reading standardized test?

Table 1. Students' pre-test scores on the vocabulary test

 Table 1 showed the students’ score on the pre-test vocabulary test on the 50-

item questions from the Gates-MacGinite Standardized Test. The highest score

obtained by the student in the pre-test was 19 and the lowest score obtained was 10.

The result has a mean score of 15.15, this signifies that all of the students are in the

Frustration level in their vocabulary skills.

Problem 2. What is the result of the post-test vocabulary learning test of the

students from the Mac-Ginitie reading standardized test?

Table 2. Students' post-test scores on the vocabulary test

Table 2 showed the students’ score on the post-test vocabulary test on the 50-
item questions from the Gates-MacGinite Standardized Test. The lowest score
obtained in the post-test was 20 points and the highest score obtained was 46 points.
 The post-test result has a mean score of 30.75 which signifies that those students are
in the Independent level in their vocabulary skills.

Problem 3. Is there a significant difference between the results of the pre-test

and post test administered to the learners?

Table 3. The significant difference between the results of the pre –

vocabulary test and the post – vocabulary test administered to the

learners

Variable Df Mean Std 95% p- Cohen Interpretation

s Dev t Confidence value d
Interval
upper Lower
Pre-test 39 X1= 15.15 X1= 12.6951 18.08 13.11 0.000 2.007 Significant
(X1) X2= 30.75 3.44
Post- X2=
test (X2) 6.25

Table 3 showed the pre-test and post-test scores of the selected students in

the Gates-MacGinitie standardized vocabulary test. The result implies that there is a

significant difference between the pre-test scores (M= 15.15, SD= 3.44) and the post-

test scores (M= 30.75 SD= 6.25); t (39) = 12.6951 p=0.000 with the 95% confidence

interval (18.08, 13.1). The findings reveal that the intervention used which is the use

of Frayer’s Model showed an impact on improving the vocabulary skills of the students.

Furthermore, the Cohen’s d is 2.007 which indicates a large effect size.

Reflection

This research aimed to establish the affectivity of the Frayer’s Model on

improving the vocabulary skills of the selected Grade 8 students of Constancio E. Aure

Sr. National High School. Based on the findings in this research, the result of the

student’s vocabulary improvement has been shown in the pre-test and post-test. The
improvement progress of students’ mean score increases 15.6 points from the pre-

test score. The improvement was due to the treatment given to the learners. The

treatment was to use Frayer Model in learning vocabulary. Considering the research's

strengths and weaknesses, it was previously said that the Frayer Model was

successful at increasing students' vocabulary. This has the same conclusion with the

study of Alharbi (2022) wherein he stated that the Frayer Model is indeed an effective

method in learning EFL teaching concepts. The study of of Riksadianti (2021) also has

the same result where he came to the conclusion that the Frayer model was successful

in expanding students' vocabularies and assisting them in understanding word

meanings in each language skill activity—listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

With the positive effects mentioned above of the use of Frayer model in

improving the vocabulary skills of the students, the researcher come up to recommend

the use of Frayer’s Model to English teachers in teaching vocabulary acquisition

especially in junior high school students, because it is proven that the students can

describe the characteristics, provide examples of the idea and suggest non examples

of the idea, and use critical thinking skills. Therefore, students’ vocabulary acquisition

was increased after using Frayer Model. Additionally, the researcher encourages

students to study English vocabulary utilizing the aforementioned methodology

because it is an engaging strategy that has been shown to help students correctly

understand word meanings and possess sound grammatical constructions. So, they

got improvement in their vocabulary acquisition.

Action Plan
Action Research Work Plan and Timelines
ACTIVITIES Week 1 Week Week Month Month Month Month
2 3 1 2 3 4
1. Asking permission
from the School Head
2 Distribute Assent for
Minors and Parental
Consent
3. Retrieve Assent for
Minors and Parental
Consent
4. Administer the Pre –
Test
5. Implementation of the
Intervention.
6. Administer Post – Test
7. Evaluate Results
8. Report results to the
concerned personalities

Plans for Dissemination and Utilization

DISSEMINATION Month Month Month Month Month Month
ACTIVITIES 1 2 3 4 5 6

Submit paper for poster

or oral presentation
Present paper in
conference, fora,
colloquia or congress
Implement the
intervention using Frayer
Model
Submit paper for
publication
Publish paper in research
journal
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