ABSTRACT

Norfarez, Alif. 2025. The Effect of Hangman Game toward Vocabulary Mastery of the Eighth-Grade Students at SMPN 13 Banjarmasin. Sarjana's Thesis. English Language Education Study Program, Faculty of Teachers' Training and Education, Lambung Mangkurat University, Banjarmasin. Advisor: Elvina Arapah, M.Pd.

Keywords: vocabulary mastery, Hangman Game

     Without sufficient vocabulary, students may have difficulty communicating and understanding the lessons delivered by the teacher because vocabulary is a critical component of language learning, serving as the foundation for developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Using games in the classroom has been widely recognized as an effective strategy to make vocabulary learning more engaging and interactive. Therefore, this research investigates the effect of Hangman game toward vocabulary mastery among eighth-grade students at SMPN 13 Banjarmasin.

    This research used a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 44 students, with 22 students from class 8B serving as the experimental group and 22 students from class 8A as the control group. The experimental group was taught using the Hangman game, while the control group utilized the Word Search Puzzle game.  Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests comprising 40 questions designed to measure students' vocabulary mastery.

     The results were analyzed using an independent sample t-test using SPSS 30. The findings revealed a t-score of 2.083, which exceeded the critical value of 2.018 (t-table, df = 42). This indicates that the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Hangman game has a significantly greater effect on improving students' vocabulary mastery compared to the Word Search Puzzle game. These results underscore the potential of using engaging and interactive teaching methods, such as Hangman game, to enhance vocabulary learning in English language education.