“The Effectiveness of Interactive Digital Media (Wordwall on Smartboard) In Teaching English Vocabulary to Kindergarten Students”

Abstract

English vocabulary mastery is an essential foundation for young learners because it supports their ability to communicate and facilitates further language development. As interactive digital media have become increasingly integrated into early childhood education, teachers are encouraged to adopt instructional approaches that promote active participation and meaningful learning experiences. However, limited empirical evidence has examined the effectiveness of integrating Wordwall with a Smartboard in teaching English vocabulary to kindergarten students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there was a significant difference in English vocabulary mastery between students taught using Wordwall integrated with a Smartboard and those taught using conventional learning media. This study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design involving 50 kindergarten students at PAUD Harapan Bunda, comprising 25 students in the experimental group and 25 students in the control group. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and the Mann–Whitney U test. The findings showed that both groups improved their English vocabulary mastery after the instructional treatment; however, the experimental group achieved a higher post-test mean score than the control group. The Mann–Whitney U test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (Asymp. Sig. = 0.024, p < 0.05). These findings indicate that integrating Wordwall with a Smartboard was more effective than conventional learning media in improving kindergarten students’ English vocabulary mastery and may serve as an effective instructional alternative for early childhood English learning.