TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS THE USE OF VISUAL LEARNING AIDS IN EFL CLASSROOM

This study was aimed at describing the kind of visual learning aids used by teachers and teachers’ perception towards the use of visual learning aids in EFL classroom. This study was a descriptive study. There were questionnaire and interview as data collecting technique in this study. The participants were three English teachers. The findings showed that teachers used several kinds of visual learning aids in their teaching and learning process, there were blackboard, textbook, real object, picture file, chart, pocket chart, flash card, word card, number card, projector, and slideshow. Furthermore, teachers gave positive feedback 53.33% towards the use of visual learning aids in EFL classroom. The use of visual learning aids assisted teachers in conducting teaching and learning process and also assisted teachers in managing teachers’ time both in preparing the lesson and during the lesson. To conclude, teachers used several kinds of visual learning aids in assisting them to conduct a better learning situation and provide well management time in preparing the lesson and during the lesson.


INTRODUCTION
The teaching-learning process is two sided (Wilhelm, Dube, Baker, 2003 as cited in (Munoz, P. C., & Hidalgo, 2013) it needs the teacher as well as the students. Not only can the teacher guide this whole process on his/ her own, but s/he also needs an audience willing to give feedback. Therefore, teachers are presented with a huge challenge which is how to encourage and enable students to engage in the learning process (Park, 2003). Students who actively engage with what they are studying tend to understand more, learn more, remember more, enjoy it more and more able to appreciate the relevance of what they have learned than students who passively receive what teachers teach them (Park, 2003).
Visual learning aids are coming increasingly into use in all branches of teaching (Meredith, 1947). Apart from being an excellent tool to improve the language acquisition, the use of visual learning aids in the classroom provides a more meaningful context for students and all these factors lead students to become more participative and communicative members of the class group. Visual aids in teaching English have an important function in educating students and using them in every single class brings several benefits to teachers as well as to learners (Munoz, P. C., & Hidalgo, 2013). Moreover, it makes reference to how students and teachers are benefited with this improvement in EFL classrooms. Students not only need to be told about specific topics, but they also need to verify the information according to what they have lived or experienced. (Zewary, 2011) says "visuals are language teaching materials that can be use at all levels of language instruction." Therefore, the use of visual learning aids is one of tools must be listed in teaching English language to attain an effective teaching and learning process in the classroom.
Visual aids are tools that help to make an issue or lesson clearer or easier to understand and know (Baser, 2013). It becomes supplementary verbal information and illustrates in a way that is impossible with words (Syandri, 2015). The visual aids may include blackboard, textbook, real object, picture file, chart, pocket chart, flash card, word card, number card, flannel or felt board, magnetic board, opaque projector and transparency, slide, filmstrip, and miscellaneous materials (Syandri, 2015). (Pateşan, M., Balagiu, A., & Alibec, 2018) states printed books, pictures, and drawings are kind of visual learning aids which was used for the older generations. (Meredith, 1947) states that the function of visual aids in language teaching are: "(1) For nouns, verbs and prepositions children need to see real objects, actions and situations and, as a second-best, pictures and films. (2) To master the sounds, they need to observe closely the mouth-movements of the teacher, or of a native, directly or by film.
(3) Where the alphabet is unfamiliar, they need to observe the writing action directly or by film. (4) They need clearly printed texts (in book, on cards, on wall charts, on filmcaptions, etc)." Teachers adopt visual aids to create communication conditions and enrich the classroom situation in order to make learning context and culture specific. In English classroom, visual aids provide rich contextual examples of target language situations and culture and support a variety of practices in language teaching. Students with different linguistic proficiency may benefit from the use of visuals as it has been determined that visual aids activate previous life experiences in learners developing interlanguage so that the learner may associate and add meaning to such experiences (Canning-Wilson 2000, 2001 as cited in (Zewary, 2011)). Unfortunately, in the latest situation, teachers are often neglect instructional resources and prefer to explain material verbally (Suleiman 1985 as cited in (Syandri, 2015)). Research by (Syandri, 2015), only few English teachers in Malang used visual media in their instructional process because there were no visual aids and they did not have much time to prepare picture or to draw. Based on his research, some of the teachers stated that visual aids are wasting time.
The way teacher views the visual learning aids in English classroom will to a large extent determine the level and degree of its usage. Teacher forms an impression which is favorable or otherwise, depending on specific traits teacher attribute to visual aids (Taiwo, 2009). Moreover, teaching English in Indonesian secondary school have several problems if it viewed from some perspectives (Herlina, R., Kurnia, A. D., & Faridah, 2018). It might be derived from teaching techniques, methods and strategies, students' internal & 4 external aspects and it is caused teachers to find out the best learning aids in learning English. The purpose of this research is to describe kind of visual learning aids commonly used by teachers and to describe teachers' perception towards the visual learning aids used in their English classroom.

LITERATURE REVIEW Visual Learning Aids
There are many varieties of definition of visual learning aids. According to (Gistituati, N., Refnaldi, R., & Syaifullah, 2019) visual aids is a form of speech development that allows audience to see as well as to hear about the material. Visual aids also defined as any specifically prepared drawing, illustration, model, motion picture, film strip, or other device that will expedite learning through the sense of vision (Weaber & Bollinger, 1949 as cited in (Munoz, P. C., & Hidalgo, 2013). Visual aids are those instructional devices which are uses in the classroom to encourage learning and make it easier and motivating (Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K. S., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, 2015). Generally, (Syandri, 2015) defined visual learning are learning aids that can be seen in classroom activities. Furthermore, (Dolati, R., & Richards, 2010) stated that visual aids as the tight combination of words and visual basics and as having individualities that distinguishes it from natural languages as separate communication devices as well as a distinctive subject of research. According to (Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K. S., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, 2015) visual aids are those devices which are used in classroom to encourage students learning process and make it easier and interesting. It is help to make an issue or lesson clearer or easier to understand and know. Burton says that visual aids are those sensory objects or images which initiate or stimulate and support learning (as cited in (Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K. S., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, 2015)). (Dolati, R., & Richards, 2010) categorized visual learning aids in different purpose in learning context.

Teachers' Perception Towards the Use of Visual Learning Aids
According to the research conducted by (Dewanti, M. A. R., Batan, G., & Suprianti, 2019), English teachers are strongly agreed that the use of media can help teacher to conduct a better learning situation. Their findings also indicate that media should be considered by the teacher as a device which saves teacher preparation make better use of teachers' time and the use of media provides the teacher with the means of extending the horizon of experience. (Dolati, R., & Richards, 2010) states that most of the teachers have showed that using visual aids in the language learning classes has positive effects and it will be very useful in teaching, which are: "For students, they can have a better input they can refer to in the productions process and along it verbal complicated concepts could be understandable with visual aids. While using some visual aids like movie, students will have much clear verbal language and it also will be easy to them to explain and deliver the meaning of the words and whole story of movie. Visual aids encourage the learners to have communication and they like to express based on whatever they were understood by seeing the aids and they are interesting to exchange their knowledge and information. The visual aids were showed that they are usable for teaching and the learners understand the context of tasks in shortest time and they do not need to explain more about the practice of words increase. Some of them stated that improving the learners learning encourage the other teachers to use the visual aids."

METHOD Research Design
This research employs descriptive design to achieve the research questions. Descriptive research used for analyzing the teachers' perception. As (Atmowardoyo, 2018) states descriptive research defined as a research method used to describe the existing phenomena as accurately as possible. The main of descriptive research is to describe systematically the existing phenomena under the study.

Research Site
This research was conducted at a secondary school located in Soreang, Bandung regency. The research was conducted on August 11, 2020 and September 13, 2020. This school was chosen as it provided an easy access to conduct the research.

Subject of the Research
The subject of the research were three female English teachers. They taught 1st until 3 rd grade in 2020/2021 academic year. In point of fact, the school have 6 English teachers, but it was only three teachers for interview sessions were accessible.

Research Instrument
The data were collected using questionnaire and interview. Questionnaire Questionnaires are a useful option to consider when conducting a postal survey. Questionnaire can be either devised by the researcher or they can be based upon some ready-made index. In this research, the questionnaire consists of 15 questions focuses on their perception about the use of visual learning aids and how it impacts the students while it is used in the classroom. The questionnaire is adapted from (Dewanti, M. A. R., Batan, G., & Suprianti, 2019).

Interview
The interview used in this research is face to face interviews. This kind of interview is very labor intensive and preferable if the questions to be coded are very complex and if the interview is likely to be lengthy. In this research, after collecting the data from questionnaire, teachers were interviewed with semi-structured questions. It explored teachers' thoughts and feelings of an individual experience while using visual learning aids in their classroom. It was also to follow-up and clarified the teachers' responses.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The findings of the research indicate that teachers used several visual learning aids, those were blackboard, textbook, real object, picture file, chart, pocket chart, flash card, word card, number card, projector, and slideshow. The findings also showed that there were two main categories in teachers' perception towards the use of visual learning aids: visual learning aids as teachers assistant to conduct teaching and learning process and visual learning aids assist teachers to manage teachers' time both in prepare the lesson or during the lesson.
All the participants used blackboard in the classroom. Blackboard as participant 1 said were used to provide an overall picture of learning to students. Participant 1 used blackboard to explain the lesson purposes before lesson start. This is in line with (Alsaied, 2016), blackboard as a supportive system that helps teacher to deliver interactive lesson by allowing students to interact with teachers. Blackboard provides more activities in an easier manner for students to help them learn the foreign language. Textbook are used by all the participants. As participant 1 said, used textbook in the lesson because textbook is one of the most important aids because all the Textbook are used by all the participants. As participant 1 said, used textbook in the lesson because textbook is one of the most important aids because all the materials are provided in textbook. This is in line with participant 2 and 3 that, textbook is the complete learning aids that provided all kinds of material. Hutchinson and Torres stated that textbook provide input into classroom lessons in the form of texts, activities, explanations, and so on (1994 as cited in (Diniah, 2013)).
Real object used by participants in vocabulary lesson. This was chosen by teachers because real object was very effective to explain to students. Participant 2 said that real object more related to the students when it brought to the classroom. In line with Puskas (2016, p. 38 as cited in (Sari, 2018)), real object is useful to present new vocabulary to students. It is on way of presenting words to bring the thing into the classroom. The teacher usually held up the object, say the word and gets students to repeat it.
Picture file used by the participant in speaking and writing. Teacher usually used this kind of visual learning aids by bringing it to the classroom and sticking it on the blackboard. Students observed the picture before they started to write or tell what the picture about. Participant 2 explained that when picture file used in the classroom, students mostly be able to speak and ask what the picture was about. In line with (Zewary, 2011) stated that picture can provide authentic input through visualization of the target culture and encourage oral and written practice. Pictures might create awareness of cross-cultural similarities and differences so that learners constructed contextual and cultural attitudes. Pictures combined home language and target language objects, concepts, and experiences. This statement in line with (Yunus, Salehi, & John, 2013) that stated that the use of visual learning aids like pictures and projectors encourage students to read text with interest, which make it easier for them to understand the abstract ideas in the texts.
Chart and Pocket Chart were used in learning writing and speaking. This kind of visual learning aids usually made by teacher before the lesson and organized what suitable for the lesson. Participant 1 said that when chart or pocket chart provided by teacher, students were able to know the form of chart or pocket chart, and they also know how to describe what is in the chart. Brown et al states that the clear use of visual learning aids such as flashcards and chart, let the students remember the facts and altitudes for longest and more clearly (1982( , as cited in (Kaswa, 2015).
Flash Card, Word Card, Number Card used by participant when learning vocabulary. These were also made by teachers before the lesson and organized what suitable for the lesson. Participant 3 used those kind of visual learning aids to teach vocabulary and conversation. In line with participant 2, when teacher could not explain some object with their hand drawing, those kinds of aids really helped them to present the material. Projector and Slideshow were used by all participants in speaking, vocabulary, or even to present the lesson in different way. Teachers usually arranged the lesson to the slide and combined it with any picture and audio file. Participant 2 said that students pay more attention when teacher used projector or slide in the classroom. In line with (Pateşan, M., Balagiu, A., & Alibec, 2018) said that well prepared slides could increase students' motivation, got their attention and brought clarification of the situation presented or of the information communicated. Participant 2 said that students pay more attention when teacher used projector or slide in the classroom. In line with (Pateşan, M., Balagiu, A., & Alibec, 2018) said that well prepared slides could increase students' motivation, get their attention and brought clarification of the situation presented or of the information communicated.
Most participants showed good feedback. They agreed that visual learning aids were solution for teachers' shortage and to encourage themselves to use visual learning aids in EFL classroom. Teachers also shared the experience that students learn best when they used visual learning aids. In line with (Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K. S., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, 2015), visual aids are those devices which were used in classroom to encourage students learning process and make it easier and interesting.
Most of participants agreed that visual learning aids assisted teachers to manage teachers' time both in prepare the lesson and during the lesson. Teachers did not need to spend extra energy to explain one material. As (Syandri, 2015) stated that visual aids were very helpful and effective for them. They were really saving teacher's time in the classroom. Teachers did not need to explain more about the material because students already caught the idea of the lesson from the visual aids. It also supported teachers' instruction, visual learning aids can help teacher become a creative manager of the learning experience (Syandri, 2015).

CONCLUSION
Based on findings, it can be concluded that teachers used several kinds of visual learning aids, namely blackboard, textbook, real object, picture file, chart, pocket chart, flash card, word card, number card, projector, and slideshow. Regarding to teachers' perception towards the use of visual learning aids, the teachers gave positive perception about it. They argued that the use of visual learning aids assisted them in conducting teaching and learning process and also to manage teacher's time both in preparing the lesson and during the lesson.
Blackboard, textbook, real object, picture file, chart, pocket chart, flash card, word card, number card, projector, and slideshow are used by teachers in various time. Such as blackboard that used to explain lesson purposes before lesson start. Textbook were used by teachers because it is a complete learning aids that provides all kinds of materials. Real object and picture are used for teaching vocabulary. Chart and pocket chart are used in writing and speaking lesson. Flash card, word card, and number card are used for teaching vocabulary and conversation. Projector and slideshow are used for speaking and teach vocabulary.
Visual learning aids as teachers' assistant also help teacher to conduct a better learning situation, attract students to become more interested, lesson become more meaningful for students, teacher can determine students' level understanding, teacher be able to explore many ideas for teaching. Whereas visual learning aids as an assistant to manage teachers' time help teacher to organized the lesson plan and better use of teachers' time in delivering the instructions.