Improving Arabic Vocabulary Mastery of Fourth-Grade Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Students Through Giant Snakes and Ladders Media

Nurmiati Nurmiati; Nur Aliyah Ali; Kartini Kartini

doi:10.58230/josse.v2i3.413

Authors

Nurmiati Nurmiati Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Palopo
Nur Aliyah Ali Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Palopo
Kartini Kartini Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Palopo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58230/josse.v2i3.413

Keywords:

Arabic Vocabulary Mastery, Classroom Action Research, Game-Based Learning, Giant Snakes and Ladders, Madrasah Ibtidaiyah

Abstract

Arabic vocabulary mastery among fourth-grade students at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Datok Sulaiman Putra Palopo remained low because instruction was dominated by lectures, question-and-answer sessions, and rote memorization with little active student involvement. This study aimed to describe the implementation of giant snakes and ladders media and to examine its effectiveness in improving students' Arabic vocabulary mastery. Classroom action research was employed using the Kemmis and McTaggart spiral model, conducted in two cycles, each comprising planning, action, observation, and reflection. The subjects were 20 fourth-grade students, and the collaborating Arabic teacher served as observer. Data were collected through a ten-item multiple-choice vocabulary test on the theme of professions, observation sheets, and documentation, and were analyzed descriptively using mean scores, classical mastery percentages against the minimum mastery criterion (KKM = 70), and normalized gain. The findings revealed a consistent improvement across cycles: the mean score rose from 39.50 in the pre-cycle to 65.00 in Cycle I and 80.50 in Cycle II, while classical mastery increased from 10% to 55% and then to 80%, exceeding the success criterion of 75%. The class-level normalized gain from pre-cycle to Cycle II reached 0.68, and 80% of students attained moderate to high individual gains. The floor-sized board, which turned students into human pawns and embedded recognition, pronunciation, and contextual vocabulary tasks into every square, created active, enjoyable, and collaborative learning, and its refinement in Cycle II (heterogeneous regrouping, vocabulary review before play, rule re-explanation, and group rewards) proved decisive. Future research is recommended to employ controlled designs with retention tests, measure productive vocabulary use, and adapt the media to other thematic units and grade levels.

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