Improving English Writing Achievement Using Game-Based Learning at the 11th Grade Students at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 2 Jombang

Abstract

This classroom action research aims to improve 11th-grade students’ writing achievement skills through the application of game-based learning. The research was conducted at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 2 Jombang and implemented in one cycle consisting of six meetings. The acting activities were carried out across six meetings. In the first meeting, students used Quizizz to practice writing exposition texts. The second meeting introduced vocabulary practice through Gimkit. In the third meeting, students collaboratively learned to write exposition texts and practiced vocabulary by filling in blanks in Gimkit, with the teacher guiding the process. The fourth meeting focused on building understanding among classmates through talk-to-talk activities, concluded by the researcher’s reflections. The fifth meeting was an individual writing assessment to measure students’ analytical exposition writing skills. The sixth meeting assessed students’ social-emotional skills using the game-based Uno Flip activity, where students’ behaviours were observed. The findings show an improvement in writing achievement after implementing game-based learning: 6 students (20%) reached the “Excellent” category, 18 students (60%) were in “Good,” 4 students (13.3%) were in “Fair,” and only 2 students (6.7%) remained in “Poor.” Overall, 80% of students achieved “Good” to “Excellent,” an increase from 65% before the intervention. In conclusion, game-based learning has proven effective in improving both writing achievement and students’ social-emotional skills. This strategy offers a fun, creative, and student-centered approach to English learning.