The Effect of Using Crossword Puzzle on Vocabulary Achievement

Abstract

This research was conducted to know whether or not there was a significant effect of using Crossword Puzzle on vocabulary achievement of the eighth grade students at SMPN 6 Bondowoso. The total number of the population was 147 students. Based on the homogeneity test result, the researcher chose the experimental group and control group by lottery, because the result of the test was homogeneous. Class VIII E was the experimental group and class VIII C was the control group. The experimental group with the mean score of 71.07 and the control group with mean score 58.83. The experimental group consisted of 28 students who were taught by using Crossword Puzzle, while control group consisted of 30 students who were taught by using lecturing technique or without using Crossword Puzzle. The primary data of this research were gained from the students’ vocabulary achievement test. The supporting data were gained from the interview with the English teacher and from documentation. The primary data were analyzed by using Independent sample t-test. Based on the calculation, the value of t-computation was 6.16 while the t-table was 1.67 with degree of freedom 56 on the 5% significant level. It means that the value of t-computation was higher than value of t-table (6.16>1.67) which means that the null hypothesis (H0) formulated: “there is no significant effect of using crossword puzzle on the eighth grade students’ vocabulary achievement at SMP Negeri 6 Bondowoso in the 2013/2014 academic year” was rejected, thus the alternative hypothesis: “there is significant effect of using crossword puzzle on the eighth grade students’ vocabulary achievement at SMP Negeri 6 Bondowoso in the 2013/2014 academic year” was accepted. Based on the result of this research, the teacher is expected to use and apply crossword puzzle as the teaching media especially in teaching vocabulary to make students interested and motivated in learning English. Besides, the students are suggested to use crossword puzzle not only in school but also at home to develop their vocabulary achievement, because studying vocabulary by using Crossword Puzzle is interesting, motivating, and challenging the students to check the meaning of the words. Moreover, the future researchers are also suggested to conduct a research further with a similar problem but using different research design or research subjects to improve the students’ vocabulary achievement.