The Use of Total Physical Response to Improve Vocabulary Mastery of Young Learners  in a Rural Elementary School

Dermawan; Masruddin; Magfirah Thayyib

doi:10.24256/ideas.v14i2.10099

Authors

Dermawan State Islamic University of Palopo, Palopo, Indonesia
Masruddin State Islamic University of Palopo, Palopo, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0393-8892
Magfirah Thayyib State Islamic University of Palopo, Palopo, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8716-2664

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.10099

Keywords:

Interactive Learning, EFL Teaching, Total Physical Response, Vocabulary Mastery, Young Learners

Abstract

This one-group pre-experimental study, supplemented by qualitative classroom observation, examined short-term changes in English vocabulary performance following a Total Physical Response (TPR)-centered instructional intervention in a rural Islamic elementary school. Fifteen fifth-grade students participated in six instructional sessions over approximately four weeks. Vocabulary performance was measured using pre-test and post-test scores, while classroom observation sheets were used to document observable engagement during the intervention. Post-test scores (M = 56.89, SD = 11.23) were significantly higher than pre-test scores (M = 41.78, SD = 13.91), t(14) = 3.745, p = .002, with a mean increase of 15.11 points (95% CI [6.46, 23.76]) and a paired-samples effect size of Cohen's dz = 0.97. Classroom observations indicated high levels of observable participation, responsiveness, and enthusiasm during the TPR-centered sessions. Because the study did not include a comparison group, the findings are interpreted as preliminary evidence of a short-term increase following the intervention rather than definitive evidence that TPR alone caused the improvement. The results suggest that TPR-centered instruction is a promising, low-cost, and feasible strategy for young EFL learners in resource-constrained rural settings.

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