Wordscapes: Its Effects on the Vocabulary Acquisition and Spelling Skills of Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Wordscapes, a gamified word puzzle application, in enhancing the vocabulary acquisition and spelling skills of Junior High School students at Mindanao State University – Sultan Naga Dimaporo. Specifically, it sought to determine whether the use of Wordscapes could significantly improve students’ performance in vocabulary and spelling, and whether demographic factors such as age, gender, and grade level had a significant relationship with their post-test results. The study employed an experimental research design using a one-group pre-test and post-test procedure. Fifty (50) Junior High School students served as respondents of the study. Prior to the intervention, a pre-test was administered to assess the students’ baseline knowledge and skills in vocabulary acquisition and spelling. Afterward, the respondents were exposed to the use of Wordscapes as a supplementary learning activity for a specific duration. Following the intervention, a post-test with the same scope and level of difficulty was conducted to measure the students’ improvement. Findings revealed that the respondents had relatively similar levels of performance during the pre-test. However, the post-test results showed a significant improvement in both vocabulary acquisition and spelling skills after the utilization of Wordscapes. Furthermore, statistical analysis indicated that demographic variables such as age, gender, and grade level had no significant relationship with the respondents’ post-test performance. The study concluded that Wordscapes is an effective supplementary learning tool that can help enhance students’ vocabulary acquisition and spelling skills. The findings imply that digital word games may be effectively integrated into classroom instruction to promote active learning, increase language proficiency, improve spelling competence, and motivate students to participate more actively in language-related activities.