Boosting Junior High School Students’ Vocabulary Skills through Educational Tiktok Content
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57176/jn.v5i2.197Keywords:
quantitative research, TikTok, vocabulary masteryAbstract
This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using TikTok as a medium to enhance students' vocabulary mastery. Employing a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, the research was conducted at SMPN 3 Lamongan. The study involved class 7D as the experimental group (n=30) and class 7G as the control group (n=30). Data were collected through multiple-choice vocabulary tests administered as pre-tests and post-tests to assess students' vocabulary knowledge before and after the treatment. The experimental group received vocabulary instruction integrated with TikTok content, while the control group followed conventional teaching methods. Statistical analyses, including normality testing, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Mann–Whitney U test, were performed using SPSS version 25. The Mann–Whitney U test yielded a significant value for Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) = 0.000, which is lower than the threshold of 0.05, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups. These findings support the research hypothesis and demonstrate that incorporating TikTok into the vocabulary learning process significantly impacts students' vocabulary acquisition. The results suggest that social media platforms like TikTok can be effectively utilized as complementary tools in English language learning. This medium also enhances students’ motivation, learning engagement, and interest in participating in English learning. Furthermore, the findings of this study make a meaningful contribution to the field of English education by demonstrating that the integration of short-video-based social media platforms such as TikTok can serve as an effective and innovative instructional strategy for improving students’ vocabulary mastery and their engagement in the learning process.
References
Alshreef, N. R., & Khadawardi, H. A. (2023). Using TikTok as a tool for English vocabulary learning in the EFL context. English Language Teaching, 16(10), 125. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v16n10p125
Anistasya, C. (2022). Students’ difficulty in writing English: affected by vocabulary skills. Journal of English Education, Literature and Linguistics, 5(2), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.31540/jeell.v5i2.1521
Bernard, A. V. (2021). Expanding ESL students’ vocabulary through TikTok videos. Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, Dan Budaya, 11(2), 171. https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.11.2.2021.171-184
Çakıcı, B., & Dilman, H. (2025). The effects of using virtual reality in vocabulary teaching on vocabulary retention and learning motivation. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 14(3), 773–785. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.1597905
Creswell, J. W., & David, J. C. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Fifth). SAGE.
Flores, J., Garan, D. M., Santiago, J., Gabinay, B., Ramirez, A. K., Moya, A., Carpo, J. C. F., Duncil, S. L., & Tus, J. (2025). Effect of vocabulary knowledge on comprehension in student literary works. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 36(4), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.360408
Hajran Bakhsh Ali, Ishfaque Ali Kalhoro, & Koondhar, Mansoor Ali (2025a). Exploring the role of critical thinking for improving the English Language Skills of Undergraduates. Journal for Current Sign, 3(3), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.63075/jcs.v3i3.248
Hajran Bakhsh Ali, Ishfaque Ali Kalhoro, & Koondhar, Mansoor Ali (2025b). Exploring the role of critical thinking for improving the English language skills of undergraduates. Journal for Current Sign, 3(3), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.63075/jcs.v3i3.248
Hu, T.-C., Sung, Y.-T., Liang, H.-H., Chang, T.-J., & Chou, Y.-T. (2022). Relative roles of grammar knowledge and vocabulary in the reading comprehension of EFL elementary-school learners: direct, mediating, and form/meaning-distinct effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 827007. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.827007
Ilham Aufa, M., & Zuhriyah, M. (2024). Effectiveness of using board race games to enhance students’ vocabulary mastery: A pre-experimental study at class VIII A of MTs. Salafiyah Syafi’iyah Tebuireng in the academic year of 2024/2025). E-link journal, 11(1), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.30736/ej.v11i1.1043
Karlina, T., & Kusnarti, G. (2024). The influence of grammar and vocabulary mastery towards students’ recount writing text. Jurnal Inovasi Global, 2(8), 913–921. https://doi.org/10.58344/jig.v2i8.140
Kuhail, A. A., & Aqel, M. S. (2020). Interactive digital videos and their impact on sixth graders’ English reading and vocabulary skills and retention: International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 16(3), 42–56. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJICTE.2020070104
Maria, L., & Sujarwati, I. (2025). Short video TikTok in EFL: How does it impact students’ vocabulary mastery. Indonesian Journal of Educational Development (IJED), 6(2), 367–379. https://doi.org/10.59672/ijed.v6i2.4721
Mishra, D. (2025). Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning: An overview. In D. Mishra (Ed.), Technology Driven Language Learning: Innovations and Applications (pp. 7–16). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77232-0_2
Nation, P. (2025). History of Vocabulary Studies. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (1st ed., pp. 1–7). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal20242
Ning, Y. (2024). A study of output vocabulary knowledge in the English writing process. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1), 20241802. https://doi.org/10.2478/amns-2024-1802
Puspita, T., Wahidah, & Afna, M. (2024). The zelynafah booster: leveraging TikTok for vocabulary acquisition with a quasi-experimental study in Indonesian context. JL3T (Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching), 10(2), 203–221. https://doi.org/10.32505/jl3t.v10i2.9411
Rasyid, F., Hanjariyah, H., & Aini, N. (2023). TikTok as a source of English language content – perceived impacts on students’ competence: Views from Indonesia. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(10), 340–358. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.10.19
Rita, R., & Subekti, A. S. (2023). TikTok and vocabulary learning: a survey study of Indonesian students from English departments. Pedagogy : Journal of English Language Teaching, 11(2), 202. https://doi.org/10.32332/joelt.v11i2.7866
Ruiz, S., Monaghan, P., Zhang, W., Li, J., Jiang, C., Yang, S., & Rebuschat, P. (2025). The role of memory and instruction in the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar: An aptitude–treatment interaction study. Journal of Memory and Language, 144, 104660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2025.104660
Saksittanupab, P. (2025). Measuring English vocabulary size and exploring factors affecting vocabulary learning in university students. Interdisciplinary Academic and Research Journal, 5(5), 797–812. https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2025.285442
Sathyaseelan, T., Pettela, R., M, R., Muralikrishnan, S., Savitha, K., & Oli, L. (2025). Enhancing students’ vocabulary learning through interactive digital media: learners’ perceptions and outcomes. World Journal of English Language, 15(5), 127. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v15n5p127
Sidabutar, Y. A., Napitupulu, S., & Hutabarat, N. M. P. (2024). The Effect of Tiktok Video On Vocabulary Mastery of Eight Grade Student at SMP Negeri 2 Siantar. 3. https://doi.org/10.61445/tofedu.v3i5.201
Stockwell, G., & Liu, Y. C. (2015). Engaging in mobile phone-based activities for learning vocabulary: An investigation in Japan and Taiwan. CALICO Journal, 32(2), 299–322. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v32i2.25000
Usman, M., Yoestara, M., Rizal, M., Nurjannah, C., & Mohamed, N. A. (2024). A study on enhancing EFL students’ vocabulary proficiency via TikTok. Studies in English Language and Education, 11(3), 1652–1668. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v11i3.38472
Yuliasri, I., & Faridi, A. (2024). The Effectiveness of TikTok videos to enhance students’ motivation and speaking skills.
Yusuf, N. S., & Ungku Mohd Nordin, U. K. (2025). Vocabulary learning beliefs, vocabulary learning strategies and receptive vocabulary knowledge of ESL learners among engineering UTM undergraduates. Semarak International Journal of Current Research in Language and Human Studies, 1(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.37934/sijcrlhs.1.1.5982b
Zhang, Z., & Huang, X. (2024). The impact of chatbots based on large language models on second language vocabulary acquisition. Heliyon, 10(3), e25370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25370
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Riya Risqi Setyaningrum, Fita Faridah, Dian Luthfiyati, Maslakhatul Fitriana

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.








