DEVELOPING WORDWALL GAMIFICATION TO REDUCE EFL STUDENTS’ GRAMMAR ANXIETY IN TISA ISLAMIC SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Grammar anxiety is a significant affective barrier for EFL learners in Indonesian Islamic secondary schools, where traditional drilling methods often increase students’ fear of making errors and hinder oral production (Ahmad, 2020; Mahmud & German, 2021). Grounded in Krashen’s (1982) Affective Filter Hypothesis, this Research and Development (R&D) study aimed to develop and test the effectiveness of Wordwall gamification to reduce grammar anxiety among eighth-grade students at Tisa Islamic Secondary School. Using the 4D model (Thiagarajan et al., 1974), the study involved 10 students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via an adapted Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz et al., 1986), expert validation sheets for media and material, observation checklists, and pre-post grammar tests on Simple Present Tense. Results showed the three developed Wordwall games—Match Up, Quiz, and Open the Box—were rated “Very Feasible” by media (92%) and material (88%) experts after revisions incorporating Islamic values and audio support. A paired sample t-test revealed a significant reduction in grammar anxiety scores from M = 3.81, SD = 0.62 (High) to M = 2.14, SD = 0.41 (Low), t(29) = 11.34, p <.001, with a large effect size d = 2.07. Students’ grammar scores also increased by 28.3%. The findings indicate that Wordwall gamification effectively creates a low-anxiety environment by shifting students’ focus from fear of error to engagement in play and positive reinforcement. This medium aligns with the Merdeka Curriculum’s principle of joyful learning and is recommended for EFL teachers in similar contexts to address affective barriers in grammar instruction.