From Play to Proficiency: Enhancing Indonesian EFL Learners’ English Grammar through Mobile Game-Based Learning

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the Grammar Bubbles Game on Grade VIII students’ mastery of the simple present tense in descriptive texts. A quasi-experimental method with a pretest–post-test design comprising experimental and control groups. The participants were students at MTs Fadhilatul Islamiyah, comprising 44 students in total, across the two groups. The experimental group received a treatment using the Grammar Bubbles Game, while the control group used picture series in their study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t-test. Pre-test results show no significant difference between the experimental and control groups, with t(42) = 0.44 and p = 0.665. After eight meetings of treatment, the results of the post-test show that the experimental group has higher scores (M = 62,95; SD = 15,94) than the control group (M = 44,77; SD = 17,22). The mean difference of 18.18 points was statistically significant, t(42) = 3.64, p = .001. Besides, the large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.14) indicates that the difference in English Grammar scores between the two groups is of substantial magnitude. Based on those findings, this study concludes that the Grammar Bubbles Game has a significant effect on students’ grammar achievement.