Enlarging vocabulary to improve writing descriptive text of junior high school students using spider concept map

Abstract

The main aims of this study were to enlarge students’ vocabulary mastery and to improve their descriptive text writing ability by using Spider Concept Map. It was also to find out to what extent did vocabulary influence students’ writing achievement.  Applying experimental method with one group time series design, 30 students  of one integrated junior high school in a region of South Sumatra Province were selected purposively as sample. The data were collected by giving vocabulary and writing tests before and after the treatment. The data were analyzed using paired sample t-test and regression analysis. The result of the study showed that the students’ vocabulary was enlarged significantly with the mean difference between pretest and posttest of 15.06; p<0.05 and their writing achievement was improved a little bit with the mean difference was 1.21; p<0.05.  Moreover, the result also showed that the influence of  vocabulary on writing achievement was 30.1%.