The Effect of Using Comics on the Vocabulary Achievement of Junior High School Students

Abstract

Vocabulary is widely regarded as a pivotal language skill and is considered the core component of English language learning due to its foundational role in the development of other skills. Nevertheless, despite the significance of vocabulary, a number of studies have identified a prevalence of insufficient vocabulary among junior high school students. Some of the factors contributing to this issue are students’ lack of interest in learning and the use of monotonous teaching methods and media by teachers. To overcome this problem, teachers may employ engaging media such as comics to create a more enjoyable learning environment. Beyond their role in entertainment, comics have been used as a media for language teaching and learning in educational settings, as evidenced by the numerous studies addressing this subject. Contrary to the majority of previous studies, which concentrated on reading ability, this present study intended to investigate the effect of using comics on the vocabulary achievement of junior high school students. This study used a quasi-experimental research design and was carried out in a state junior high school in Jember, East Java, Indonesia. The population of the study consisted of students in the eighth grade and the research participants were chosen through a random sampling using a lottery. Following this, the students were divided into an experimental class and a control class. In order to achieve the objective of the study, each classes were administered a different treatment. The experimental class was given a treatment involving the use of comics to teach vocabulary, while the control class received a conventional vocabulary teaching using text. The researcher gathered the research data using three data collection methods: vocabulary test, interview, and documentation. Following the analysis of the collected data, a significant difference in mean score between the experimental and control classes was revealed. The experimental class showed a higher mean score than the control class, with a mean score difference of 7.11 between the two classes. The present study showed an enhancement in the students' vocabulary achievement, thereby confirming the effectiveness of using comics. Lastly, the findings of this study supported the suggestion that English teachers might utilize comics as a media for vocabulary teaching and learning.