The Use of Make a Match Teaching Strategy to Improve Students' Vocabulary Mastery in Reading Comprehension and Engagement

Fajar, Ahmad Rizky (2026) The Use of Make a Match Teaching Strategy to Improve Students' Vocabulary Mastery in Reading Comprehension and Engagement. Undergraduate thesis, UIN KH Achmad Siddiq Jember.

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Abstract

Vocabulary mastery is important in learning English because it helps students understand and use the language effectively. However, many students at SMPN 2 Mayang still had difficulties understanding and memorizing English vocabulary. As a result, they found it difficult to understand English materials and participate actively in class. They were also less motivated and less enthusiastic during learning activities. Therefore, the researcher implemented the Make a Match strategy, a cooperative learning activity where students find matching pairs of cards. This strategy helps improve vocabulary mastery, motivation, active participation, and classroom engagement.
The research questions of this study are: “How does the implementation of the Make a Match teaching strategy improve the eighth graders’ vocabulary mastery in reading comprehension at SMPN 2 Mayang?” and “How does the implementation of the Make a Match teaching strategy improve the eighth graders’ engagement in English learning class at SMPN 2 Mayang?”. Therefore, the objectives of this study are “To explore how Make a Match teaching strategy improve the 8th grade students’ vocabulary mastery in reading comprehension at SMPN 2 Mayang” and “To explore how Make a Match teaching strategy improve the 8th grade students’ engagement in English learning class at SMPN 2 Mayang”.
This research used Classroom Action Research (CAR) with a collaborative design between the researcher and the English teacher during the teaching and learning process. The participants were 34 eighth-grade students of SMPN 2 Mayang. The research was conducted in two cycles: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The data were collected through vocabulary tests, observation checklists, field notes, interviews, and document review. The research was considered successful if at least 70% of the students achieved the KKM score of 70 in vocabulary mastery and actively participated in the learning process based on the observation checklist.
Based on the research findings, two conclusions can be drawn. First, the students’ vocabulary test results showed that 70.58% of the students achieved the minimum criteria (KKM). This indicates that the use of Make a Match helped students improve their vocabulary mastery through interactive and cooperative learning activities, in line with the theory proposed by Curran. Second, the observation results showed that 72.35% of the students reached the criteria of success in students’ engagement. This finding proves that Make a Match was effective in increasing students’ engagement, especially behavior engagement, because the strategy encouraged students to participate actively, interact with their classmates, and become more involved in the learning process.

Key Words: Make a Match, Vocabulary Mastery, Students Engagement, Reading Comprehension

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