THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL FLASHCARDS ON GRADE VII D STUDENTS' READING COMPREHENSION OF DESCRIPTIVE TEXTS
Abstract
This study aims to determine whether the use of digital flashcards significantly improves reading comprehension of descriptive texts in seventh-grade students at MTS Muslimat NU Palangka Raya. This study also addresses the hypothesis that there is a significant difference in students' reading comprehension improvement before and after treatment. Using a One-Group Pretest-Posttest pre-experimental design, this study involved a population of 115 students, with a sample of 25 students from grade VII-D selected through purposive sampling. The treatment was conducted over three sessions, focusing on vocabulary development and identifying generic structures in descriptive texts. Data were collected through a 20-item multiple-choice test. The results showed a significant improvement in student performance: the average pretest score was 58.50 (SD = 6.25), which increased to an average posttest score of 77.50 (SD = 5.40). Statistical analysis using a paired-sample t-test yielded t (24) = 4.24, p < 0.001, indicating that the null hypothesis (H0) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. These findings suggest that digital flashcards are an effective and innovative tool for improving reading comprehension. However, the lack of a control group and the specific geographic context limit the generalizability of these results. Future research should include larger sample sizes and true experimental designs to further validate these results.
References
Amelia, A. (2022). The use of flashcards to enhance reading comprehension of seventh-grade students at SMPIT Al-Hafizh Palopo.
Amelia, M., & Prystiananta, N. C. (2020). The effect of scavenger hunt game on students’ reading comprehension of descriptive text. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal, 3(2), 441–457. https://doi.org/10.31539/leea.v3i2.1314
Ananda, V. R. (2023). The effectiveness of serial pictures technique in teaching reading comprehension of descriptive text.
Ayana, H., Mereba, T., & Alemu, A. (2024, August). Effect of vocabulary learning strategies on students’ vocabulary knowledge achievement and motivation: The case of grade 11 high school students. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 9, p. 1399350). Frontiers Media SA.
Bernholt, S., Härtig, H., & Retelsdorf, J. (2023). Reproduction rather than comprehension? Analysis of gains in students’ science text comprehension. Research in Science Education, 53(3), 493–506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-022-10066-6
Boroughani, T., Behshad, N., & Xodabande, I. (2023). Mobile-assisted academic vocabulary learning with digital flashcards: Exploring the impacts on university students’ self-regulatory capacity. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1112429.
Gaffar, M. A., Novarita, P., & Hasanah, I. (2025). Improving descriptive writing skills of students through contextual teaching and learning: Exploring the theme of “Home sweet home.” Journal of Research and Innovation, 5(2), 60–78. https://jurnal.unipa.ac.id/index.php/jri/article/download/698/490
Hamida, R., Prawati, A., & Hadriana, H. (2023). The effect of using Quizlet application in improving students’ vocabulary mastery. Edukatif: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 5(6), 2365–2371.
Hidayat, A. W., Melani, B. Z., & Lestari, Y. B. (2025, March). A comparative study on the use of paper-based and digital flashcards as media to learn vocabulary at first-grade students of senior high school in the academic year 2024/2025. In Journal of English Education Forum (JEEF), 5(1), 7–10.
Irnansyah, I., Mirizon, S., & Petrus, I. (2022). Developing HOTS-based descriptive reading materials in Indonesian context for tenth graders. English Review: Journal of English Education, 10(2), 645–654.
Isma, A., & Nur, S. (2023). Examining the reading performance and problems among students in Indonesian higher education. Seltics Journal: Scope of English Language Teaching Literature and Linguistics, 6(1), 12–23.
Khan, R. M. I. (2022). The use of flashcards in teaching EFL vocabulary in online learning. Register Journal, 15(1), 109–125. https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v15i1.109-125
Kumbara, L. H., Inderawati, R., & Eryansyah, E. (2021). Developing Sekayu local culture-based descriptive texts. Eralingua: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Asing dan Sastra, 5(1), 120–133.
Lubis, S. (2021). Developing students’ vocabulary worksheet using scientific approach on writing descriptive text for seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 2 Babalan.
Rahman, Y., Pratiwi, D. S., & Prihatini, C. (2023). Flashcard as an instructional media toward students’ reading comprehension. ELT-Lectura, 10(2), 155–163. https://doi.org/10.31849/elt-lectura.v10i2.15171
Rahmawati, R. A., & Dahlina, U. (2024). The effect of digital flashcards on students’ vocabulary mastery at seventh grade of SMP Negeri 1 Kramatwatu. Journal of English Development and Linguistics Studies, 4(1), 41–49. https://jurnal.uf.ac.id/index.php/JEDLISH/article/download/165/111
Sahbana Damanik, A. (2021). Improving students’ reading comprehension through question–answer relationship strategy (QARS). INOVISH Journal, 6(1).
Saputra, R., & Nasrullah, R. (2025). The utilization of digital flashcards in English vocabulary learning at elementary school. Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia, 6(5).
Santos-Ferreira, D., Guimarães, B., Ladeiras-Lopes, R., Gonçalves-Teixeira, P., Diaz, S. O., Ferreira, P., … Leite-Moreira, A. (2024). Digital flashcards and medical physiology performance: A dose-dependent effect. Advances in Physiology Education, 48(1), 80–87.
Setiyorini, T. J., Yulia, Y., & Robiasih, H. (2022). Communicative language teaching method in improving students’ macro and micro-skills of reading comprehension in intensive reading course. EduLite: Journal of English Education, Literature and Culture, 7(2), 233.
Suranta Sinamo, D., Herman, H., Marpaung, I., & Sinamo, D. S. (2023). Teaching reading comprehension on narrative text by using short story: A case study. Journal of Education, Linguistics, Literature, and Art.
Widodo, U., Sudarto, S., Walyono, W., Suyatno, T., & Dewi, M. P. (2022). Improving students’ vocabulary mastery: Strategy, obstacles, and problems. Edukatif: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 4(5), 6814–6822.
Yüksel, H. G., Mercanoğlu, H. G., & Yılmaz, M. B. (2022). Digital flashcards vs. word lists for learning technical vocabulary. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(8), 2001–2017.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).



