THE EFFECT OF VOCABULARY GAMES AND MIND MAPPING ON STUDENTS' VOCABULARY MASTERY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58258/j2fndy23Abstract
The Effect of Vocabulary Games and Mind Mapping on Students' Vocabulary Mastery Vocabulary mastery is fundamental in English language learning, yet many junior high school students in Indonesia still struggle to recognize, spell, and use English words correctly. This study examined the effect of combining vocabulary games and mind mapping on students' vocabulary mastery at SMPN 10 Mataram in the 2025/2026 academic year. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design was used. Fifty seventh-grade students, drawn through purposive sampling from two intact classes, were divided into an experimental group (n = 25), who received vocabulary games followed by mind mapping instruction, and a control group (n = 25), who received conventional vocabulary instruction. Vocabulary mastery was measured with a 25-item multiple-choice test covering four indicators: meaning, spelling, grammatical function, and word parts. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS 18, including the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, Levene's homogeneity test, and paired-sample t-test. The results showed that the mean score of the experimental group increased from 60.24 in the pretest to 87.28 in the posttest, an increase of 27.04 points, while the control group only increased from 57.80 to 63.52, an increase of 5.72 points. A paired sample t-test confirmed that both increases were statistically significant (experimental group t(24) = -18.020, p = 0.000 control group t(24) = -6.349, p = 0.000), but the magnitude of the increase was much greater for the group taught with vocabulary games and mind maps. These findings indicate that the alternative hypothesis is supported, namely that the combination of vocabulary games and mind maps has a significant effect on students' vocabulary mastery and outperforms conventional teaching. This study suggests that English teachers should integrate game-based activation with visual mind mapping consolidation to improve vocabulary learning outcomes.References
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