Development of Grade 7 Students’ English Speaking Skills by Using Game-Based Learning

Abstract

The purposes of this quasi-experimental research were: 1) to study English speaking skills before and after using games for learning and, 2) to study the students' interest in game-based learning. The sample consisted of 41 grade 7 students studying in the academic year 2019. The research instruments consisted of 1) lesson plans for Sport’s Day and subsequent holiday which included the snakes and ladder game and a storytelling game, 2) English speaking skills test, and, 3) a survey of students' interest in game-based learning and storytelling games. The study was conducted and data were collected by the researcher. Descriptive statistics and a t-test were used to analyze the data. The study found that 1) students’ English speaking skills were improved. Some 80.49 percent of students passed the school’s passing criteria (50%) and, 2) the scores of students’ English speaking skills were significantly higher (P<01.3) than the ones before learning, and 3) students expressed high interest in game-based learning.