Wahyu Taufiq (1)
General Background: Reading is a fundamental skill in English language learning and plays a crucial role in developing communicative competence in a global context. Specific Background: Technology-based media, particularly web-based interactive tools such as the Wordwall application, are increasingly integrated into classroom instruction to support engaging learning experiences. Knowledge Gap: Despite the growing use of digital learning platforms, the Wordwall application had not previously been utilized at the research site, leaving uncertainty regarding its role in supporting students’ reading performance. Aims: This study aimed to examine whether the use of the Wordwall application in teaching reading could improve junior high school students’ reading achievement. Results: Using a quantitative experimental approach with pre-test and post-test measures involving 26 students, the findings showed an increase in the mean score from 73.65 before treatment to 85.19 after implementation, supported by paired sample t-test results indicating statistical significance. Novelty: The study provides empirical evidence from a real classroom context where the application had not been previously applied, demonstrating the practical value of interactive web-based tools for reading instruction. Implications: The results suggest that integrating game-based digital platforms into English instruction can support more engaging learning environments and may be considered by teachers seeking alternative strategies to facilitate reading development.
Highlights:
Post-intervention scores were higher than baseline measurements across participants.
Learners showed greater classroom enthusiasm during technology-supported activities.
Interactive web tools provided a practical option for assessment and practice.
Wordwall Application; Reading Achievement; Junior High School; Digital Learning Media; English Instruction
Language is used for so many purposes. Therefore, it has many functions as well. As we know, one of the language skills that a learner must master is reading. Reading ability is one of the skills that is very significant in improving the communicative competence of learning a language [1]. In this case, the language to be learned is English. Talking about learning a language, in the current era, technological advances can be an alternative to learning a language. According to [2], Technological advances in education systems are currently growing, and many software systems can be used for learning, for example, Wordwall applications. This application can be used to learn basic English, and on Wordwall.net, there is a lot of content that can attract students' attention [3]. On the other hand, Wordwall is designed to support a learning process that allows students to work on or learn English. This type of learning is usually based on the Internet. In the Wordwall application, there is a lot of interesting content that can be used to attract students' attention. With so much interesting content, the Wordwall application can be used to increase students' interest in learning English. In this context, English reading skills will be improved. Reading is a skill that must be mastered by students because by reading, they can gain meaning and by providing more interesting learning innovations can make students enjoy reading [4]. In this case, the word wall becomes a support to improve students' reading skills. The Procedure Text material is implemented in the Wordwall application. Procedure texts are one way to learn English, particularly to improve reading skills [5]. Furthermore, procedure texts in the form of story problems can hone reading skills. A different strategy for teaching reading could be to use the medium or another technique to help the students better comprehend the procedure text [6].
Implementing the material about procedure text in the Wordwall application allows us to use it as a tool to improve student learning outcomes in reading skills [7]. On the other hand, with Wordwall, teachers are also given the convenience to test the material that has been taught efficiently. With Wordwall, teachers don't need to ask questions like in the past, for example, by distributing paper to each student, and then a lot of paper is finally wasted because it is only needed at that time. Also, Wordwall has a lot of benefits for English learning, even though Wordwall only uses this application to create questions, teachers can create questions with interesting templates so that students don't get bored quickly when working on questions [8]. Therefore, using the Wordwall application is very easy; the teacher only has to think of questions that are suitable for the development of students' English. For reading teacher can use the missing word template because in this template teacher can enter story questions that can improve students' reading skills [9]. It does not just stop at story questions; this application can also be used as material for teachers to carry out daily tests for reading material using a quiz template [10]. Additionally, teachers can incorporate reading materials into the template, allowing them to assess each student's score without the need to individually correct each student's answer. This feature saves valuable time for teachers, enabling them to focus on providing thorough feedback and guidance to students [11]. The quiz template can be customised to include various question types, such as multiple choice, true/false, and short answer, catering to different learning preferences and promoting critical thinking skills. With this application, teachers have a comprehensive tool that not only assesses students' knowledge but also facilitates effective and efficient teaching practices. On the other hand, the Wordwall application is not like PowerPoint media, which can provide explanations on each slide to explain the material, because Wordwall is just a web-based application designed as a medium for creating activity games with questions according to the material [12].
As researchers found in several previous studies which explained that the use of the Wordwall application media can increase learning activities. According to [13], the article explains that in the current digital era, we must be able to utilise technology, and the Wordwall application media can be used as a learning medium that can make students more active. Wordwall.net can also improve student learning outcomes. Apart from that, the article states that the Wordwall application is one of the many alternative media among interactive learning tools that can make students experience learning that is fun and not boring. In another article, it is also stated that this platform can create a more enjoyable learning environment for students. The application of Wordwall.net in reading classes can be a suitable learning strategy for improving students' reading comprehension [14]. It is also said that with the platform, it is easier for teachers to check students’ work, and students do not need to check it individually. According to [15] also discusses strategies that are suitable for students to improve their reading skills and learning outcomes, students can use the Wordwall application to create a fun learning process. Apart from that, it can be seen that previous research has similarities in that it focuses on interactive learning strategies. This concept creates an evolution from traditional learning approaches to more modern and student-oriented learning approaches, where applications such as Wordwall can be an important instrument.
Wordwall application with a Quiz template can develop students' reading skills because it allows them to read text in story form [16]. Students become more attentive and successful in reading when they can retrieve words from long-term memory. Therefore, the template is suitable for improving reading skills through interaction with the word wall and its related activities for reading skill development. Through interactive activities provided by the Wordwall application, students can actively participate in the learning process [17]. Students can answer quiz questions by being asked questions about descriptive text, which requires them to read and comprehend the text. It offers a dynamic and engaging learning experience that promotes attentiveness and improved reading comprehension.
This research uses a quantitative experimental method to obtain students' scores regarding English learning carried out using the Wordwall application media. According to [18], Experimental quantitative research is research that requires researchers to understand the cause and effect of certain variables in the research being conducted. The instrument used in this research was to carry out a pre-test as a material to determine the initial condition of students, after which they were given treatment using the lecture and homework method. then, after receiving treatment, a post-test was carried out because this research was about measuring student achievement. The data taken for this research were obtained from the results of a comparison between the pre-test and post-test. After getting student scores, their validity and reliability must be tested first [18]. The subjects who became participants in this research were 26 junior high school students who had implemented English language learning.
1. Data Collection
Data collection techniques in this research utilise tests (pre-test and post-test). To measure the reliability of the instrument, a retest was carried out on a group of students equal to the corresponding time interval. Data collection was carried out through pre-tests and post-tests. The author administered it to 26 participants, 7C class students, on February 14, for the pre-test, and on February 23, for the post-test, at SMP Muhammadiyah 10 Sidoarjo. The test consisted of 10 pre-test questions and 10 post-test questions, all in multiple-choice format. On the other hand, the pre-test and post-test are carried out to determine student scores before and after treatment. there is an increase or decrease in student scores. In the treatment, the researcher used the Wordwall Application as a tool to create questions about the Descriptive Text material. Then, after obtaining the data scores, it is processed using statistical techniques, using the validity test.
2. Pre-Test
The first session was a pre-test consisting of 10 multiple-choice story questions, administered in class. This test presented a topic accompanied by instructions for students to read, requiring them to answer questions by selecting one of four multiple-choice answers.
3. Treatment
The second step is providing treatment. Researchers used Wordwall.net as a learning tool to train students' reading skills. During the treatment, researchers created story problems about procedure texts by entering them into the Wordwall application. To assess its effectiveness, this application was implemented in an experimental class. Afterwards, students worked on the story problems provided by the researchers on the Wordwall.net website.
4. Post-test
The post-test is the final test administered by researchers after students have received treatment. Researchers give students a 10-question test, similar to the pre-test, but with different questions. Furthermore, this test serves as a final evaluation of learning. The post-test will provide data on students' evaluation results and is usually administered at the end of classroom learning activities.
5. Data Analysis
After obtaining data from the research instruments that have been carried out, the next step is to analyze the data that has been obtained. The data was tested using a data normality test with pre-test values (x) and post-test values (y). Before being used for research, the instrument should meet two instrument test requirements, namely valid and reliable and carry out normality test requirements. The data was obtained and calculated using IBM SPSS 26, to determine the scores of the students' test scores. The data calculated is a comparison of the pre-test score before being given treatment and also the post-test score after being given treatment, whether the score has increased.
The purpose of this study's findings is to determine how well junior high school students' reading abilities may be enhanced by using wordwall applications. The aim of this study is to find out if using this media can help youngsters become better readers. Researchers assessed the students' pre- and post-test scores to figure out this. The pre- and post-test results for the students' listening comprehension are displayed in Table 1.
1. Descriptive Statistic
The pretest and posttest data that have been collected are then compiled using Excel and calculated to find out the total score for each student and the average score for each student. Based on the analysis, the value data obtained before treatment (pretest) and after treatment (posttest) can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1 shows a total of 26 students with pre-test and post-test results. The highest score from the pretest was 90 and the lowest score was 60. The highest score from the posttest is 100 and the lowest score is 70. The average score results the pretest was 73.65 and the posttest score was 85.19. The average analysis results can be seen in table 2. After calculating the mean of all pretest and posttest data, the data in Table 1 was analyzed using the Shapiro Wilk Statistical Program and Service Solutions (SPSS) normality test version 26. Results analysis is shown in Table 3.
It can be seen in table 3. The results of the analysis state that the normality test of the pretest and posttest data in table 1 uses the Shapiro Wilk normality test because there were less than 30 respondents. And the test results were declared to be normally distributed because the significance value of the pretest data is 0.133 and the significance value of the posttest data is 0.082. Basis for decision making, If the Sig value is > 0.05 then the research data is not normally distributed, whereas if the Sig value is < 0.05 then the research data is normally distributed. After being processed using the normality test, the data was then processed using the Paired Sample T Test which can be seen in Table 4.
The results of the analysis state that the Paired Sample T Test is known to have Asymp sig (2-tailed) = 0.000. This means that the research hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. Basis for decision making: If the Asymp sig (2-tailed) value is <0.05, then the hypothesis is accepted, and if the Asymp sig (2-tailed) value is > 0.05, then the hypothesis is rejected.
Based on the results of the hypothesis above. The researcher found that after the treatment, the results of the Normality Test experienced significant changes. It can be seen during the treatment process, when students are given the Wordwall application, the students become more enthusiastic in the learning process. Moreover, it has interesting and inspiring features that make students more enthusiastic about learning. Students' knowledge was still low before implementing the Wordwall, and the post-test results showed that students' learning abilities increased so that they could answer questions correctly, with the implementation of Wordwall.net. Wordwall is considered to have a significant influence on students when implemented, and this can be seen in the pre- and post-test results of each student. Wordwall helps students in improving their grades. Finally, the results of this research show that Wordwall is an effective application for improving students' learning abilities.
This research explains the importance of application media, especially tools such as the Wordwall application, in improving junior high school students' reading skills. Furthermore, the results above indicate that the Wordwall application is a web-based medium that can be used as a highly interactive research tool [19]. Based on the results of research that has been conducted, there is a significant increase in students' reading skills after working on story questions using the Wordwall application. The pretest standard deviation value of 8.069 and the posttest standard deviation value of 7.808 provide statistical evidence to support this. The pretest average value of 73.65 and the posttest average value of 85.19 are different from each other, as illustrated in the calculation table above. Compared to the pre-test, the post-test has a higher average value. The data above shows that the average post-test score is higher than the pre-test average score, with the two assessments significantly different from each other.
Furthermore, this study also confirms that the use of aids such as Wordwall applications shows that teaching students with Wordwall applications can improve their reading skills. Directly, these findings provide insight into using learning with application media to create an adequate learning environment and can motivate students. This can be seen in this study from the results above that wordwall.net has a significant role in developing students' potential reading abilities compare this with research Nadya Wahyuni Saftri (2024), which explains that giving awards to students who get the highest scores on the wordwall.net application can also motivate students' enthusiasm for learning and encourage students to answer each question correctly [20].
Researchers want to draw conclusions based on the analysis of the data in the previous table. The results showed that the average post-test score (85.19) was higher than the average pre-test score (73.65). This means that the Wordwall application can be considered an effective application in increasing students' posttest scores. Based on the conclusions above, it is recommended that English teachers use the Wordwall application in the teaching and learning process, which can make students more interested in learning English, especially content that uses interactive learning models. This research is useful because many children in Indonesia face similar challenges. This research can be useful and used by other researchers as a source for conducting research in various educational environments.
Suggestions for next researchers are expected to be able to delve deeper and examine research that may have similarities with research related to wordwall.net as has been studied, for the next researcher perhaps they can think about the research period because the time period in this study is relatively short. Therefore, it is hoped that next researchers can manage the time period better.
The researcher would like to thank all seventh-grade students and English instructors at SMP Muhammadiyah 10 Sidoarjo for their assistance in collecting data and completing this research.
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