The Effectiveness of Using Pictures in Improving Descriptive Text Writing Among Seventh-Grade Students of MTs. Negeri Samarinda in Academic Year 2025-2026

Abstract

Writing is one of the most essential skills in English language learning, especially in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, many students still face difficulties in developing ideas, organizing paragraphs, and using appropriate vocabulary in writing descriptive texts. This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using picture media in improving descriptive text writing among seventh-grade students of MTs. Negeri Samarinda in the academic year 2025/2026. This research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design involving two groups: an experimental class and a control class. The participants consisted of 50 students, with 26 students in the experimental class and 24 students in the control class. The instrument used in this research was a writing test in the form of pre-test and post-test. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including normality test, homogeneity test, and independent sample t-test. The finding revealed that the significance value was 0.001, which is lower than 0.05, indicating a significant difference between the experimental and control classes. The mean score of the experimental class (83.65) was higher than that of the control class (76.25). This result shows that picture media is effective in improving students’ descriptive text writing ability. Therefore, the use of pictures is recommended as an alternative teaching strategy to enhance students’ writing performance.