THE EFFECT OF READING SHORT STORIES TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY FOR GRADE VIII AT SMP
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51878/secondary.v5i3.6406Abstract
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to examine how reading short stories can help eighth-grade students at Private Junior High in Sidas improve their vocabulary mastery. The context of the problem shows that students have difficulty mastering English because of conventional teaching methods. This research employed a quantitative method with an experimental design involving 34 eighth-grade students selected through cluster random sampling. The research instrument consisted of a vocabulary mastery test comprising 20 multiple-choice items covering six aspects: word definitions, synonyms, fill-in-the-blanks, antonyms, translations, and spelling. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 through a t-test and Cohen's d effect size. The results showed that the experimental group’s mean score increased from 42.35 in the pre-test to 67.05 in the post-test, while the control group’s score increased slightly from 46.09 to 53.44. A significant difference was found using the independent t-test (t = -3.712, p = 0.000) with an effect size of 0.92, indicating a strong practical impact. These findings confirm that the short story reading method is effective in improving students’ vocabulary mastery compared to traditional methods. The success of this method lies in its contextual learning approach and the use of explicit vocabulary teaching techniques, which make the learning process more engaging.
ABSTRAK
Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengkaji bagaimana membaca cerita pendek dapat membantu siswa kelas VIII di SMP Swasta di Sidas meningkatkan penguasaan kosakata. Konteks masalah menunjukkan bahwa siswa kesulitan dalam menguasai bahasa inggris karena metode pengajaran yang masih konvensional. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan desain eksperimen, dengan 34 siswa kelas VIII sebagai sampel yang dipilih melalui teknik cluster random sampling. Instrumen penelitian berupa tes pilihan ganda sebanyak 20 soal yang mencakup enam aspek: definisi kata, sinonim, isian kosong, antonim, terjemahan, dan ejaan. Data dianalisis menggunakan SPSS versi 25 dengan uji t dan ukuran efek Cohen's d. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa skor rata-rata kelompok eksperimen meningkat dari 42.35 pada pre-test menjadi 67.05 pada post-test, sementara kelompok kontrol hanya meningkat dari 46.09 menjadi 53.44. Perbedaan signifikan ditemukan melalui uji t independen (t = -3.712, p = 0.000) dengan ukuran efek sebesar 0.92, yang menunjukkan pengaruh praktis yang besar. Hasil ini membuktikan bahwa metode membaca cerita pendek efektif dalam meningkatkan penguasaan kosakata siswa dibandingkan dengan metode tradisional. Keberhasilan metode ini terletak pada pendekatan pembelajaran yang kontekstual dan penggunaan teknik pengajaran kosakata secara eksplisit, yang membuat proses belajar menjadi lebih menarik.
Downloads
References
Alqahtani, M. (2015). The importance of vocabulary in language learning and how to be taught. International Journal of Teaching and Education, III(3), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.20472/te.2015.3.3.002
Cresswell. (2018). Research design. Jurnal Fisika Unand, 3(4), 205–213. https://doi.org/10.25077/jfu.3.4.205-213.2014
Etikan, I. (2017). Sampling and Sampling Methods. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal, 5(6), 215–217. https://doi.org/10.15406/bbij.2017.05.00149
Febriyanti, E. D. (2020). The Influence of Using Short Story Toward Students ’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Seventh Grade Students of An ’ nur Junior High School Tanah Abang Jakarta Academic Year 2019 - 2020. 3(1), 37–44.
García-cañarte, A. M. O. (2024). The use of short stories to improve vocabulary?: understanding the perceptions of efl students.
Guritno A. (2017). The powerful media to foster stundent’s vocabulary mastery in reading.
Jan, T. P., & Abdul Aziz, A. (2022). The Use of Short Stories in Teaching Writing Strategies in ESL Classrooms. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(12), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i12/15398
Rohimajaya, N. A., & Zatnika, D. (2019). T he Effect Of Us?ng Short Story Toward Students ’ Ach?evement In Vocabulary Mastery. 4(2), 131–136.
Rumaisyah, A. (2023). Enhancing students ’ vocabulary knowledge trough reading thematic story at smpn 6 watampone. 4(1), 44–54.
Soleimani, H., Mohammaddokht, F., & Fathi, J. (2022). Exploring the Effect of Assisted Repeated Reading on Incidental Vocabulary Learning and Vocabulary Learning Self-Efficacy in an EFL Context. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(February). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.851812
Sri, A., Putri, M., Farahdiba, S., & Makassar, U. N. (2023). the Use of English Short Stories To Enrich Students ’. 2(4), 560–569.
Suryanto, B. T., Imron, A. A., & Prasetyo, D. A. R. (2021). The Correlation between Students’ Vocabulary Mastery and Speaking Skill. International Journal of English Education and Linguistics (IJoEEL), 3(1), 10–19. https://doi.org/10.33650/ijoeel.v3i1.2042
Tawarik, O. (2021). Hubungan penguasaan kosakata siswa dengan kemampuan berbicara siswa kelas XI SMA NEGERI 1 LEDO Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. 1(2), 52–64. https://doi.org/10.46229/elia.v1i2
Weyant, E. (2022). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th Edition. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 19(1–2), 54–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2022.2046231
Widyasari, F. H. (2023). Utilizing short stories to improve the vocabulary of 8th-grade junior high school. Dharmas Education Journal (DE_Journal), 4(2), 353–361. https://doi.org/10.56667/dejournal.v4i2.989
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 SECONDARY: Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Menengah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
