Microsoft Word - 6294.docx 3894 Copyright © 2025 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 13, Number 2, December 2025 pp. 3894 - 3902 Wordwalls Application In Teaching Writing Skill Experimental Research At Junior High school Nikmatul Laili1, Moh. Hafidz2 1,2 Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, STKIP PGRI Bangkalan, Jawa Timur Corresponding E-Mail: nikmatullaili859@gmail.com Received: 2025-03-20 Accepted: 2025-08-02 DOI: 10.24256/ideas.v13i2.6249 Abstract In the academic year 2024–2025, this study intends to examine how the Wordwall program affects the writing abilities of eighth-grade students at SMP Junior High School. Writing is often a challenging skill for students, particularly at the junior high school level, where issues such as limited vocabulary, grammatical errors, and lack of motivation are common. Wordwall, an educational tool designed to enhance learning through interactive exercises, was used as the medium in this study. The study used a one-group pre-test-post-test design and a quantitative pre-experimental methodology. The sample consisted of 38 students from class VIII-B. The pre-test measured students' initial writing abilities, followed by a treatment using Wordwall that focused on vocabulary enhancement, writing strategies, and real-time feedback. A post-test was carried out following the procedure to assess improvements in writing skills. Statistical analysis using a one-sample t-test showed a notable enhancement in pupils' writing skills, with the post-test scores (mean = 73.39) being higher than the pre-test scores (mean = 54.44). The results indicated the pupils' writing abilities were enhanced by using Wordwall, especially in vocabulary acquisition, idea generation, and writing organization. The findings suggest that Wordwall is an effective tool for improving junior high school pupils' writing abilities, offering an enjoyable and engaging approach to learning. The study concludes that Wordwall can be an influential resource in improving writing competencies in the digital era. Keywords: Wordwall Application, Writing Skills, Junior High School, Vocabulary, Feedback, Quantitative Research, Pre-Test Post-Test Design Introduction Writing skills are one of the language competencies that are considered the most complex and challenging for students to master, especially at the Junior High School. This challenge does not only come from linguistic aspects such as vocabulary and IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 3895 grammar, but also from the ability to organize ideas and express ideas in writing. Based on research by (Wahid & Sudirman, 2023) and (Iqlima Isnani, 2022), students' success in writing is highly dependent on the role of teachers in guiding and choosing appropriate methods. In addition, writing skills require a combination of cognitive, metacognitive, and cultural understanding abilities (Cer, 2019), so the learning process must be designed comprehensively and interestingly. However, writing learning in junior high schools is often still carried out conventionally and with minimal use of technology, especially in Islamic boarding school environments that are limited in terms of the variety of learning media. This condition causes low student motivation and participation in writing. To overcome this problem, interactive, interesting learning media are needed that are able to provide direct feedback, one of which is the use of the Wordwall application. Wordwall is a technology-based learning platform that allows teachers to create various types of interesting interactive exercises. Wordwall can be utilized in teaching writing skills through three aspects, namely: 1. Improving Vocabulary Mastery Wordwall provides a variety of interactive templates such as quizzes, word matching, and word games that can help students enrich their vocabulary contextually (Hamdani, 2023). This vocabulary is very important in supporting writing skills, especially in building appropriate and meaningful sentences. 2. Providing Real-Time Feedback One of Wordwall's superior features is its ability to provide automatic feedback after students complete the exercises. This feature helps students identify their mistakes directly and provides an opportunity to correct them quickly (Amri & Sukmaningrum, 2023). This is very useful in the editing and revision stages of the writing process. 3. Improving Student Motivation and Engagement Attractive visual features such as pictures and illustrations make learning more fun and contextual, thus encouraging students to be more active and creative in writing (Arsyad, 2024). Wordwall also provides an interactive learning experience, which is in accordance with the characteristics of junior high school pupils who typically favor visual and technology-based instruction. Several previous studies have shown that Wordwall is effective in improving writing skills and vocabulary mastery (Riswanto et al., 2023). However, there are important gaps in the literature that have not been explored in depth. First, most of these studies were conducted at the senior high school level, while research on the specific impact of Wordwall on junior high school students is still limited. In fact, junior high school students have different characteristics and learning needs, which require a stronger visual and interactive approach. Second, there has not been much research that explicitly explores how visual features and real-time feedback in Yuliana Dewi, Eliasanti Agustina, Endang Mastuti Rahayu Gamified Digital Learning with Wordwall: An Experimental Study on Grammar Achievement 3896 Wordwall can increase student engagement in the writing process, encourage critical thinking, and build confidence in expressing ideas in writing. The main problem that this study aims to solve is the low writing skills of junior high school students, which is brought on by a shortage of educational media that can integrate visual aspects, student engagement, and provide direct feedback. Wordwall is anticipated to be a remedy for this issue because it offers features that are in accordance with the learning needs of junior high school students, such as interesting visual exercises, interactive activities, and automatic feedback that can speed up the writing revision process. Based on this background, this research attempts to close this gap by specifically exploring how the application of Wordwall, especially the visual features and real- time feedback, can improve junior high school students' writing skills. The findings of this study are anticipated to aid in the creation of a technology-based writing learning model that is more effective, enjoyable, and in accordance with the needs of students in the digital era. Method This study employs a one-group pretest-posttest methodology and a quantitative technique pre-experimental design. This approach was chosen because it seeks to quantify how using the Wordwall app affects junior high school students' writing skills statistically. This design is considered appropriate because the focus of the study is on the effectiveness of implementing media in one particular class without a control group, taking into account time constraints and class access. The subjects of the study were 38 students of class VIII-B of Junior High School junior high school. The study consisted of three stages, namely pretest, treatment, and posttest. 1. In the pretest stage, students were asked to write one paragraph based on a certain situation, such as "please tell me about your feelings today." 2. On February 24, 2025 the therapy was administered in a single session. The treatment stage was carried out using three Wordwall features such as random wheel, anagram, unjumble. a. Random Wheel is used to determine vocabulary or expressions of feelings randomly. Students spin the wheel and write sentences based on the words that appear such as happy, sad, angry, scary and others. b. Anagram is used to rearrange random letters into words related to expressions of feelings such as d-t-r-i-e corrected to tired. c. Unjumble: used to sort random words into grammatically correct sentences such as nervous-I-feel corrected to I feel nervous. This activity aims to strengthen vocabulary mastery and sentence IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 3897 structure in expressing feelings. Students interact using digital devices, namely laptops and projectors individually. Researchers facilitate the process by giving instructions, guiding activities, and providing direct feedback. In addition, researchers also provide teaching on how to write correctly. The writing process for students consists of five stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, final checking, and publishing (Zalzulifa & Putri, 2022). The first thing students do is plan ideas before writing, such as brainstorming and making an outline. The second is writing an initial draft to express ideas without focusing on perfection. The third is improving the content, structure, and flow of the writing to make it clearer and more organized. The fourth is checking for technical errors such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. and finally publishing the writing to their friends. 3. At the posttest stage, students are given writing assignments with a level of difficulty equivalent to the pretest to measure the development of their writing skills. The assessment instrument uses a writing assessment rubric that includes four aspects, namely content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics, each assessed with a score of 1-20(Ummah, 2019). 1. Content Assesses the extent to which written ideas are developed clearly, completely, and relevant to the topic. A score of 20 indicates very clear information and perfect idea development. A low score indicates minimal or irrelevant information. 2. Organization Assesses the fluency of expression, regularity of ideas, and coherence of writing. A score of 20 means that ideas are neatly arranged, logical, and easy to understand. A low score means that the writing is uncommunicative and chaotic. 3. Vocabulary Assesses the accuracy of word choice and mastery of word formation. A score of 20 means that word choice is very appropriate and varied. A low score indicates a limited and inappropriate vocabulary. 4. Grammar Assesses the use of sentence structure and grammar rules. A score of 20 means that grammar is complex and accurate. A low score means that there are many confusing errors. 5. Mechanics Assesses spelling, punctuation, and writing format. A score of 20 means that writing is almost free of mechanical errors. A low score indicates many errors to the point that the writing is difficult to read. Each aspect is assessed with a score range, namely Excellent (20), Fair (6–10), Good (11– 14), Very Good (15–19), and Poor (<5). Yuliana Dewi, Eliasanti Agustina, Endang Mastuti Rahayu Gamified Digital Learning with Wordwall: An Experimental Study on Grammar Achievement 3898 The One Sample T-Test statistical test was used to examine the pretest and posttest data in order to ascertain the significance of the increase in writing skills after using Wordwall. Ethical considerations in this study include permission from the school and teachers, as well as consent to participate from students. Student identities are kept confidential with an anonymous system, and data are used for research purposes only. Results Considering the information gleaned from the quantitative pre-experimental approach using a single group pre-test post-test design, the study's findings demonstrated that the application of the Wordwall application had an improvement in the pupils' writing abilities in class VIII-B of Junior High School Middle School. This can be seen from the The average score increased from 54.44 in the pre-test to 73.39 in the post-test, with a difference of 18.95 points. The increase in score not only occurred overall, but was also seen in specific aspects of writing abilities according to the evaluation criteria. The analysis's findings demonstrated that the most significant increase occurred in the following aspects: 1. Grammar Many students showed improvements in the use of tenses and more appropriate sentence structures after using Wordwall. 2. Vocabulary Activities such as Random Wheel and Anagram helped students expand vocabulary related to expressing feelings. 3. Organization Students began to be able to compose writing with a more coherent and logical paragraph structure, possibly due to gradual practice during the treatment process. However, this increase did not occur evenly across all students. Some students showed very significant improvements, especially those who were active and involved in learning sessions using Wordwall. On the other hand, students who were less active experienced more moderate improvements. This indicates that active participation and involvement during the digital learning process greatly affect student learning outcomes. Qualitatively, feedback from students also supports these findings. Several students said that using the Wordwall application made writing activities more fun and challenging. They found it easier to remember vocabulary and construct sentences because the interactive form of learning through digital games made them feel less stressed. Examples of student writing before and after treatment also showed clear differences. In the pre-test, many students were only able to write simple sentences IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 3899 such as: “Todey, I am sed bicos I cen not languge english. While english izy anderstending.” However, after treatment, they were able to write more complete and expressive paragraphs, such as: “Today, I am sad because I can’t language english. While english easy understanding. And I study very hard for can grabbed dream. Because I for can pround parents. I want to ast for prayer to parents.” Even though the writing is not perfect, they try to correct previous mistakes. To find out the results of the Application of Wordwalls in Writing Skills Learning, the researcher used a one-sample t-test, which was employed to assess how significant improvement in writing skills after the treatment was given. The t value shows how much difference there is between the average value of students' writing skills and the expected value. The p value shows the level of statistical importance. The findings are deemed significant if the p value is less than 0.05: Table 1. One Sample T-test One-Sample Test Test Value = 70 t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper result s 3.183 37 .003 3.395 1.23 5.56 The results of the one sample test indicate that the Sig. (2-tailed) result is.141, as shown in the above table. According to these findings, Sig. (2-tailed) < 0.05. Thus, it can be said that H1 (Alternative Hypothesis), which states that there is an impact of the Wordwall application on the writing abilities of junior high school pupils in class VIII-B at Junior High School in the 2024–2025 academic year, can be accepted. Discussion The findings of this study are consistent with (Riswanto et al., 2023) who claimed that the Wordwall app not only enhances pupils' writing skills but also increases their motivation to learn. The similarities lie in the formation of ideas and the enhancement of writing abilities and better sentence structures. However, in this study, the improvement appeared more significant in the aspect of vocabulary mastery used in feeling expressions, as also found by (Purwitasari, 2022). Purwitasari noted that Wordwall was effective in improving mastery of vocabulary categories such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. This is also reflected in The study's findings, which revealed that pupils were using more varied verbs and adjectives in their writing drafts. Despite showing positive nonetheless, there are a number of limitations to this study that should be taken into account. First, the findings' generalizability is Yuliana Dewi, Eliasanti Agustina, Endang Mastuti Rahayu Gamified Digital Learning with Wordwall: An Experimental Study on Grammar Achievement 3900 constrained by the comparatively small sample size (only 38 students). Secondly, the lack of a control group makes it challenging to quantify the effectiveness of Wordwall comparatively with other methods. Third, the short duration of the experiment (one session) is not enough to assess the long-term impact on students' writing skills. The practical implications of this study provide insight for teachers in integrating digital media in learning. Teachers can use Wordwall for the prewriting stage by displaying images or keywords as stimuli. In addition, Wordwall can be combined with collaborative methods, such as group discussions or peer reviews, so that students not only learn individually but also exchange ideas with each other. Teachers are also advised to design a variety of Wordwall activities according to learning objectives, for example by focusing on sentence structure, cohesion, and text coherence. Furthermore, further research with a longer duration of use and the use of Wordwall in several sessions is needed to determine whether the improvement in writing skills can be maintained in the long term. In addition, Wordwall has the potential to be adapted to various grade levels and types of text, such as narrative, descriptive, and expository, so that its use can be more flexible according to learning needs. Conclusion The researcher came to the conclusion that the wordwall application had an impact on the writing skills of class VIII-B Junior High School pupils based on the findings of statistical calculations. The results of the pre-test and post-test scores demonstrate this, with the highest pre-test score being 67 and the highest post-test score being 87. Consequently, there is a difference in the way the wordwall application is used before and after therapy. A one sample t-test is used for hypothesis testing, and if the Sig. (2-tailed) <0.05, it can be said that H1 is acceptable and H0 is not. Based on the results of the hypothesis test, it can be concluded that H1 (Alternative Hypothesis), which states that there is an effect of the use of the wordwall application on the writing ability of class VIII-B Junior High School students in the 2024/2025 academic year, can be accepted. The hypothesis test value obtained the Sig. (2-tailed) result of 0.03 < 0.05. The study's findings indicate that the wordwall application has an impact and has improved things. References Amri, F., & Sukmaningrum, R. (2023). Implementation of Wordwall as a Learning Media to Improve Students’ Writing Skill. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Approach Research and Science, 1(03), 495–502. https://doi.org/10.59653/ijmars.v1i03.255 Arsyad, M. (2024). Harnessing Wordwall For Enhanced Vocabulary Acquisition And Engagement In Non-Formal. 12(4), 2064–2075. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 3901 Cer, E. (2019). The Instruction of Writing Strategies: The Effect of the Metacognitive Strategy on the Writing Skills of Pupils in Secondary Education. SAGE Open, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019842681 Hamdani, L. (2023). Developing Digital Word Wall Media for Teaching Speaking on Descriptive Text At Sma Argopuro Panti. June. http://digilib.uinkhas.ac.id/25398/%0Ahttp://digilib.uinkhas.ac.id/25398/ 1/Luthfan Hamdani_T20196070.pdf Iqlima Isnani. (2022). Teaching Strategies Used By the English Teacher in Teaching Writing At Smp Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in 2021/2022 Academic Year. Ismayanti, D., Said, Y. R., Usman, N., & Nur, M. I. (2024). The Students Ability in Translating Newspaper Headlines into English A Case Study. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 12(1), 108-131. Masruddin, M., & Nasriandi, N. (2022). Lexical and Syntactical Errors Performed by Junior High School Student in Writing Descriptive Text. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 1094-1100. Purwitasari. (2022). the Effectiveness of Wordwall Application. Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Matematika, 2(June), 453–468. Riswanto, R., Serasi, R., & Verliana, S. M. (2023). The Use of Word Walls Technique to Improve Students’ Eleventh Grade Writing Ability in Descriptive Text. Jadila: Journal of Development and Innovation in Language and Literature Education, 3(1), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.52690/jadila.v3i1.372 Ummah, M. S. (2019). No 主観的健康感を中心とした在宅高齢者における 健康 関連指標に関する共分散構造分析Title. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(1), 1–14. http://scioteca.caf.com/bitstream/handle/123456789/1091/RED2017- Eng- 8ene.pdf?sequence=12&isAllowed=y%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.regsci urbeco.2008.06.005%0Ahttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/305320 484_SISTEM_PEMBETUNGAN_TERPUSAT_STRATEGI_MELESTARI Wahid, J. H., & Sudirman, S. (2023). The Effect of Mind Mapping Technique on Students’ Writing Skills. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v11i1.6692 Zalzulifa, Z., & Putri, L. A. (2022). Language Acquisition in Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing and Publishing. Jurnal Ilmiah Publipreneur, 10(2). https://ojs2.polimedia.ac.id/index.php/JIP/article/viewFile/673/415