Abstract

General Background: Effective learning media are crucial for enhancing language acquisition among elementary school students. Specific Background: Traditional teaching methods may not adequately engage students, highlighting the need for innovative approaches that foster interactive learning environments. Knowledge Gap: There is a lack of research on the application of three-dimensional teaching tools, such as dioramas, in vocabulary acquisition for English language learners. Aims: This study aims to develop a diorama as an interactive medium to teach house-related vocabulary in English to elementary school students. Results: The diorama features a visually appealing three-dimensional design and incorporates vocabulary targets identified by numbered sections. It employs velcro or fabric adhesive to facilitate the removal and placement of vocabulary terms, allowing students to match words with corresponding parts of the diorama. Novelty: This approach combines tactile and visual learning strategies, enhancing students' engagement and motivation in learning English vocabulary. Implications: The implementation of the diorama as a learning tool can significantly improve students' understanding of vocabulary, making it easier for them to connect words with their meanings through interactive activities in reading and speaking exercises. This innovative resource offers educators a novel method to enhance language learning in a classroom setting.   Highlights:
  • Interactive Learning: The diorama fosters engagement by allowing hands-on interaction with vocabulary.
  • Visual Aid: Its three-dimensional design helps students better understand and remember target vocabulary.
  • Motivation Boost: The innovative format encourages students to participate actively in English learning.

Keywords: diorama, vocabulary, interactive learning, English education, elementary students

Product Description

English is seen as a foreign language in many Asian cultures, including China, Indonesia, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Therefore, as the use of English as an international language becomes more widespread, so does the interest in learning the language [1]. English has been taught as a local content subject in primary schools in Indonesia since 1994, although this fact is still up for debate [2]. Nevertheless, English is still taught as a local content subject in many Indonesian primary schools, both public and private [3]. A school subject lacking nationally legislated or authorized curriculum rules is English as a local content or elective. In this situation, elementary school English teachers are able to create, implement, and evaluate their own curricula, classroom rules, instruction, and evaluation methods in accordance with the requirements of the school and the pupil [4].

In teaching English to primary school children, teachers should be aware of the nature and emotional characteristics of children, as they are very different from adult learners. Children can only pay attention to a lesson for about twenty minutes, unlike adult learners who can concentrate for longer [5]. This is because children have a short attention span. A condition of intense attention in engaging and enjoyable learning is indicative of a student's involvement in the learning process [6]. This means that in order to keep pupils from becoming bored in class, teachers need to use a variety of teaching media. Children now tend to be bored, especially when learning tasks involve vocabulary recognition in English. Therefore, primary school teachers need to have a wide variety of teaching methodologies supported by relevant learning media resources, especially when it comes to English lessons [7].

It is common knowledge that the media serves as a teaching aid, helping teachers communicate with students to maximize learning. In order to accomplish learning objectives, learning media is employed to help the learning process [8]. To facilitate learning in the classroom, educators must employ appropriate learning resources during the teaching and learning process. As a leader for the pupils in the classroom or at school, the teacher needs to be able to influence positive change [9]. There are numerous ways to maximize learning, but one that works well is to use educational materials to inspire students to think creatively and to pay attention while they are studying [10]. Therefore, the author will introduce a learning media called diorama. A diorama media is a piece of art that imitates a genuine form by presenting a miniature, three-dimensional scene. The belief that a diorama is a miniature three-dimensional scenery meant to depict the actual situation lends credence to the statement [11]. In accordance with Imelda and Zulfan’s perspective, a diorama is a media without projections that presents images in three dimensions as imitations of the original structure or state [12]. Students can pique their curiosity about the application of 3-dimensional diorama media and diorama media can help to pique students' interest in the direct observation learning method [13]. Students learn in a more engaging and meaningful way when using dioramas. Students must participate actively and creatively in order for learning to be engaging and meaningful [14]. The advantage of using diorama media in learning English vocabulary makes students happy and enthusiastic in learning because it helps them visualize the picture that is being explained by the teacher by showing illustrations of actual events. Diorama educational materials can inspire students to write with greater creativity and can also stimulate their own thoughts [15]. Therefore, in the application of learning English home vocabulary by using diorama media is expected to provide convenience for teachers in delivering learning materials to achieve the desired learning objectives.

The application that is done in the process of learning English vocabulary with diorama media, namely the teacher must show the diorama in the form of a house in the classroom; the teacher must explain the purpose of making the diorama; the teacher must explain the parts of the house in detail based on the existing diorama; then when mentioning the target vocabulary related to the house, students are asked to imitate what has been said by the teacher; then the last is repetition, which means the teacher must retell the contents of the diorama, but the teacher must also provide stimulus to students by asking the target vocabulary of the parts of the house that have been studied. By giving stimulus in the form of questions, students are directed to the stage of mentioning the target vocabulary.

If the teacher has done the teaching procedure by using diorama media. The next step is an exercise which is a form of deepening students' understanding of the material. The teacher gives the vocabulary sheet randomly to the students, then the teacher instructs the students to placing the vocabulary in accordance with the number listed on the parts of the house in the diorama, then the last step is the teacher invites students to correct the vocabulary whether it is in accordance with the number listed on the parts of the house or not. In this evaluation stage, the teacher should also provide opportunities for students to ask about the material that has not been understood. With this diorama media, it is expected that elementary school students can enjoy learning English.

Product Content

This diorama media display is in the form of a multi-story wooden house with a minimalist villa theme where on the first floor is a land for the garden and there is also a garage for the car. To connect the ground floor with the second floor, we use stairs on the front side of the house. On the second floor, there is one bedroom which contains one bed, one pillow, one bolster, one table and flower vase, one picture frame, one lamp, one television, and one air conditioner. The bedroom is also equipped with a glass wall so you can see the side of the bedroom. In addition, there are two windows that look at the front and back of the house. The windows are also fitted with brown curtains. Right next to the bedroom is a staircase that leads to the roof of the house. On the upper roof of the house there is a small garden overgrown with trees and grass. There is also a gazebo for relaxing.

This diorama media building uses what is at home or very easy to find, namely ice cream sticks, as the main material. The color of the ice cream stick itself is also good, the brown color gives a classic minimalist impression for the house. In illustrating the glass wall, we use white mica plastic so that the depiction is closer to the original form. The presence of lights at various points is intended to add to the beauty of the building. The electrical circuit used is a series circuit type. The use of electricity in the building uses power assistance from a box-type battery with a voltage of 9 Volts. In addition, we also added miniature plants to make it look fresh.

In the implementation with the English lesson, we also wrote numbers on the parts of the house, which are the target vocabulary to be achieved in the lesson. In addition, we also provide small sheets of vocabulary that match the numbers on the parts of the house that are the target vocabulary. These vocabulary sheets can be removed and installed so that it can facilitate students in learning to guess the appropriate and correct vocabulary.

Explanation of the materials used during the process of making diorama media are as follows:

  1. The main material of the house using ice cream sticks.
  2. For the adhesive between ice cream sticks using hot glue which has a stronger adhesive quality and durable.
  3. Candle for glue heating.
  4. Scissors are used to cut the ice cream sticks.
  5. The ground floor of the house uses flannel fabric to illustrate grass.
  6. On the inside of the bedroom, there are pillows and bolsters in which there is dacronto give the effect of expanding like the original shape.
  7. The glass wall uses white mica plastic.
  8. The lights in the diorama building use LED lights with a voltage of 3 Volts.
  9. The power used for electricity uses a box-type battery with a voltage of 9 Volts.
  10. To give a neat impression on the electric cable, we put the cable into a white straw.
  11. Small rectangular vocabulary sheets made of paper and laminated so that the writing does not fade easily.
  12. For vocabulary sheets that have been written as target vocabulary as listed in Table 1, we use velcroor commonly called fabric adhesive. The aim is to make the vocabulary easy to attach and remove.
No Vocabulary List
1 Wooden House
2 First Floor
3 Second Floor
4 Rooftop
5 Garage
6 Car
7 Stairs
8 Doormat
9 Garden
10 Tree
11 Grass
12 Fence
13 Balcony
14 Bedroom
15 Sliding Door
16 Window
17 Glass Wall
18 Flower Vase
19 Gazebo
20 Carpet
21 Roof
22 Light/Lamp
23 Outdoor AC Unit
24 Air Conditioner
25 Television
26 Table
27 Wall
28 Curtain
29 Mattress
30 Bolster
31 Pillow
Table 1.The List of Target Vocabulary In The Vocabulary Sheets

The diorama media design in the form of a house building can be seen as follows:

Figure 1.Front side view of diorama

Figure 2.Back side view of diorama

Figure 3.Right side view of diorama

Figure 4.Left side view of diorama

The process of making diorama media in the form of house building can be seen as follows:

Figure 5.Diorama building materials

Figure 6.Materials for diorama building electricity

Figure 7.Diorama foundation making process

Figure 8.Diorama wall making process

Figure 9.Display of picture pigora and flower vase for bedroom

Figure 10.Installation process of picture pigora for the bedroom walls

Figure 11.Manufacturing process of sliding door, windows, glass wall, and curtains

Figure 12.Wall laying display, sliding door, curtains, glass wall, carpets, table and flower vase

Figure 13.Room wall view

Figure 14.View of the bedroom from the front side

Figure 15.Display of mattress, pillow, bolster, walls, and glass window

Figure 16.The process of making the roof of the bedroom and placing the room light

Figure 17.Display of the bedroom after installing light and the process of installing the roof of bedroom

Figure 18.Display of electricity resources in the diorama building

Figure 19.Gazebo making process for the rooftop of the diorama

Figure 20.Display of the finished gazebo

Figure 21.The process of installing grass, trees, fences, and stairs leading to the rooftop of the diorama

Figure 22.Display of the stairs leading to the rooftop of the diorama

Figure 23.View of bedroom from the backside

Figure 24.The process of making the doormat

Figure 25.

Figure 26.Diorama building display that has been given numbers as vocabulary targets

Figure 27.The vocabulary sheet making process

Figure 28.The bookmaking process for vocabulary

Figure 29.Display when vocabulary has not been pasted

Figure 30.Display when vocabulary has been pasted

Figure 31.Cover view of house vocabulary book

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