The Effect of Word Search Puzzle Game In Improving Vocabulary Mastery at The First

Gradestudents of SMPN 2 Pecangaan in Academic Year 2022-2023

Ahmad Indra Yuda

Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic University, 201320000562@unisnu.ac.id

By

Ahmad Indra Yuda

NIM. 201320000562

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHER'S SCIENCES

NAHDLATUL ULAMA ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY JEPARA

2022
Daftar Isi

Research Cover .............................................................................................................................1

Table of Content.............................................................................................................................2
BAB I. PRELIMINARY................................................................................................................3
A. Study Background ................................................................................................................3
B. Statements of the Problem ...................................................................................................6
C. Objective of the Study .........................................................................................................6
D. Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................6
BAB II. TINJAUAN PUSTAKA ..................................................................................................8
Penelitian Terdahulu ........................................................................................................................8
Teori yang Relevan ........................................................................................................................11

Kerangka Pemikiran.......................................................................................................................15
BAB III. DESAIN PENELITIAN...............................................................................................18
Desain Penelitian ...........................................................................................................................18
Sumber Data...................................................................................................................................19

Metode Pengumpulan Data ............................................................................................................21

Tahapan Penelitian .........................................................................................................................21

Metode Analisis .............................................................................................................................23

Lampiran Soal Tes dan Wawancara ..............................................................................................24

Daftar Pustaka .............................................................................................................................26

 CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY

A. Study Background

Language is an important aspect in our daily life. It is because of language is used to

communicate with another people. It brings ideas, opinios, thoughts, and fellings. English is an
important part of the world. English is also important to make international relationship by every
people from all countries.

In Indonesia, English is as a one of foreign languge which is taught in elementary school,

junior high school, and senior high school. For many years ago the material of English is
emphasized in the stucture of language, the students are hope be able to recall the pattern of tenses.
It is too hard for the students, it make the students are lazy to learn English. Beside that the students
are unable to speak English, it is caused the students are less vocabullary. The teaching English at
school involves the teaching of the four skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing a well as
some language component like grammar, pronouncation and vocabulary.

One of English component which is important to learn is vocabulary. Coady and Huckin
(in Prambudi, 2012:2) stated vocabulary is central of language that will be the characteristic to the
language learner. Vocabulary is the main of learning language. In learning of language, especially
English, there are four skills that should be learned by the students. The four language skills are
reading, listening, speaking and writing. To get the goal in teaching four skills, teachers have to
teach their students vocabulary, so when their students have vocabulary mastery they can learn
English well. For example the students who have ability in vocabulary, their speaking will be more
fluently than the students who do not have sufficient on vocabulary mastery.

A game is one of media that can be used in teaching vocabulary. Game is an activity
which is entertaining and engaging, often challenging, and an activity in which the learners play
and usually interact with others (Wright, et. al 2006 : 1). Through game, they can learn things in a
fun away. As the enjoy the activities of game, the children will not afraid to speak english and will
likely use it as a natural part of the game. They also feel enjoyable in the class and interested in
the material that is given by a teacher using games.
 Word search puzzle is one of games which can be used in vocabulary learning activity.
Word search puzzle is a puzzle consists of hidden words which aimed for students to find the
words hidden. Vossoughi and Zargar (2009:80) defined Word search puzzle as an instructional
game consist of letters arranged in a grid and persuade students to find the listed words in any
direction: horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forwards, and backwards. To be concluded, word
search puzzle is an instructional puzzle game consists of words placed in any directions which
persuade students to find the words hidden in the puzzle.

Nur Hidayat (2016) has conducted research related to using words search puzzle to improve
students’ vocabulary entitled, “Improving Students’ Vocabulary Achievement through Word
Game”. The research findings show that there was improvement of students’ vocabulary based on
the score of the test. However, the previous researcher applied the word game as the large group
activity and it leads the classroom situation became inconvenient. Whereas in this research, the
words search puzzle game was applied as the individual task and it was given through e-learning
method while in the previous research the material was given through direct teaching method.

Based on the background above, the researcher identified there were three problems that
could be used as the subject of the research. First, students lack of vocabulary. Second, students
have difficulties to memorize the vocabulary. Third, students need an interesting technique to learn
vocabulary. Therefore, the researcher formulated the problem in this study as follows, “The Effect
of Word Search Puzzle Game In Improving Vocabulary Mastery at The First Gradestudents of
SMPN 2 Pecangaan in Academic Year 2022-2023.”

B. Statements of the Problem

1. How are students' vocabulary ability before and after being given a Word Search
Puzzle Game?
2. What is the impact of using Word Search Puzzle Game on students?

C. Objective of the Study

1. The Objective of the study is to find out whether or not word search puzzle game
effect on the students’ vocabulary mastery of junior high school.
2. The objective of this study is to describe the results of using World Search Puzzle
Game in the English learning process.
D. Significance of the Study
The results of this study are expected to be useful for:
1. Theoretically :
a. Supports the theory of learning English vocabulary using games.
b. Can be a model in research English language teacher.
2. Practically :
a. For students This study will be helpful for students in vocabulary and the
students apply word search puzzle to increase their vocabulary skills.
b. For teachers of English After knowing effectiveness in teaching vocabulary
of the word search, the teacher can implement this method when they teaching
vocabulary.
c. For the reader The writer hopes this research can increase the readers’
knowledge about teaching vocabulary by using word search puzzle Game as a
method.
3. Pedagogically
This research can be used as a reference for further studies in improving the
vocabulary mastery of the students and other skills.