Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 The Influence of Word Detective Strategy towards Students’ Vocabulary Mastery Anisa Al Khoiriyah1, Hajjah Zulianti2, Tommy Hastomo3* 123STKIP PGRI Bandar Lampung * tommy.hastomo@stkippgribl.ac.id Abstract: The purpose of this research is to determine the influence of Word Detective Strategy towards students’ vocabulary mastery. The writer utilized a quasi-experimental method to conduct the research. The population of this research was the tenth grade students of SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung. There were 473 students in 13 classes. The research sample consisted of two classes: an experimental class called X-AK1 and a control class called X-AK2. Cluster random sampling was applied by the writer in taking the sample. The writer utilized a multiple-choice test to measure the students' vocabulary mastery when collecting data. The writer utilized the sample t test formula to analyze the data. Students who were taught using the Word Detective Strategy scored higher than students who were taught using the Translation Technique, according to the data analysis. The average score of the experimental class was higher than the control class, according to the hypothesis testing calculation. The average score of the experimental class was 74.4 and the average score of the control class was 49.9. It may also be observed that t-test higher than t-table (t test > t table), that was 10.99>2.62 at the significance level 1% and 10.99>1.98 at the significance level 5%. Therefore, Word Detective Strategy had a positive impact on students’ vocabulary mastery at the tenth grade of SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung in 2020/2021. Keywords: experimental research, vocabulary mastery, word detective strategy INTRODUCTION English as the essential thing has to be mastered by individuals around the world (Ainslie, 2002). Since English gets to be internationally spoken in the world, numerous countries utilize it as a first, second and foreign language. It is taught in almost every school in the world. Students in every country need to learn how to utilize and understand it, with the purpose of being able to communicate to others both in spoken and written form. When students come to learning English, they are expected to master four English skills: speaking, 8 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 listening, reading, and writing, as well as three language components: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Learning English is inextricably linked to learning vocabulary. It is the basic component of the four skills above which students should learn in order to communicate well. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills will indeed improve for students who have a large vocabulary. In this instance, students will be able to convey their ideas or understand messages from others if they have high proficiency in vocabulary (Allcock, 2010). The foundation of language is vocabulary which will make the language meaningful. Learning a language is inextricably linked to learning vocabulary since language is made up of many different vocabularies. Learning the language's words is the same as knowing the language itself. Vocabulary is a collection of words in a language that make up sentences. According to (Cameron, 2001), vocabulary has always been a valuable source for language learners. It is one of components of language. Without language people cannot communicate with each other both oral and in written form. Of course, vocabulary will take part in learning English as a foreign language. It is suitable with statement Elliott, Formhals & Wheat (2002) who said that developing an usable vocabulary is crucial to learning a foreign language at the elementary level,. That is to state that students require building up their knowledge of vocabulary because vocabulary knowledge is very important to the learning of a foreign language. Students that have a large vocabulary have a large number of words. Students can communicate fluently in English by possessing a large vocabulary. Therefore, in order to communicate fluently, students should acquire a large vocabulary of English words (Hanson & Padua, 2011). The importance of teaching vocabulary in language learning cannot be emphasized because it helps students in mastering four skills in language, including writing, speaking, reading, and listening. According to Thornbury (2002), vocabulary acquisition is the greatest and most crucial work that language learners face. In addition, Murcia (2001) claims that acquiring vocabulary is critical to language learning, whether it is a first, second, or foreign language. The importance of vocabulary in language acquisition for students studying a foreign language is obvious. Based on the observation done at SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung, The writer discovered that most students struggled with learning English, especially with understanding vocabulary. They found difficulties in enlarging their vocabulary. First, they had difficulty in memorizing the meaning of the word. The second, they get difficulties to use the word in appropriate context. Looking at the problem above, the success in learning vocabulary is dependent on the teacher. The teacher should employ a number of strategies to stimulate the students' interest in acquiring vocabulary. It is English teachers' duty to 9 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 teach them by using appropriate strategy to encourage their interest and motivation in ability in mastering vocabulary. Word Detective Strategy is one of the strategies which can be used to teach vocabulary. Word Detective Strategy is a vocabulary teaching strategy in which students act as detectives, using context cues and word component clues to find the meaning of a word (Riri & Harha, 2014). It is an important part of learning because it allows the teacher make sense of new concepts and activities. This strategy promotes critical thinking and supports students in identifying and comprehending unfamiliar vocabulary. Word Detective Strategy is an exciting strategiy. It is a vocabulary teaching strategy that turns students into detectives, using context cues and word component clues to find the meaning of a word. It may be used in a whole class, small group, or individual setting. As a result, by identifying the word, students can enhance their vocabulary. According to Mackey & Gass (2005) word detective is a vocabulary strategy that assists students in determining the meaning of unfamiliar word. Moreover, Allcock (2010) said that the Word Detective strategy has been developed to transfer the result from research into effective literacy instruction to classroom practice. Elliott et al. (2002) add that a key in the implementation of strategy in vocabulary mastery is the using of word detective notebook and graphic organizer. For additional, they stated that the graphic organizer includes both word and visual. It delivers information in a clear and simple manner that emphasizes idea organization and relations. According to Hanson & Padua (2011), Word Detective Strategy leads students through a sequence of processes to assist them figure out what a word and its parts meaning. Ainslie (2002) proposed a vocabulary strategy that encourages students to determine the unfamiliar word meanings, Word Detective Strategy can be utilized to obtain it. According to the previous statement, the writer supposes students will become more engaged and imaginative in learning English, especially vocabulary, if they use the Word Detective Strategy as a strategy for teaching vocabulary. The writer is interested in using the Word Detective Strategy to teach vocabulary. As a result, a research will be conduct by the writer entitled "The Influence of Word Detective Strategy towards Students’ Vocabulary Mastery". METHOD This research was quantitative research. According to Hastomo (2019) that quantitative research is defined as research in which variables are manipulated to test hypotheses and in which data is typically quantized and numeric analysis was conducted. The writer used quasi-experimental 10 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 research to conduct the research because administrative constraints by the school that do not allow for random assignment of individuals. According to Mackey & Gass (2005), quasi-experimental research is a kind of experimental research but without random assignment of individuals. This research included 473 students from thirteen classes as the population. The writer took two classes from thirteen classes, namely experimental and control class. Word Detective Strategy was used in the first class as an experimental class, while Translation Technique was used in the second class as a control class. Because the populations are homogeneous, the writer utilized a cluster random sampling technique to collect the sample. The writer utilized a vocabulary test to collect data on students' vocabulary mastery. The kind of test was multiple choice, with 50 items. The writer utilized the t-test formula to calculate the results of the research. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The writer utilized the sample t test formula to analyze the data. Students who were taught using the Word Detective Strategy scored higher than students who were taught using the Translation Technique, according to the data analysis. The average score of the experimental class was higher than the control class, according to the hypothesis testing calculation. The average score of the experimental class was 74.4 and the average score of the control class was 49.9. It may also be observed that t-test higher than t-table (t test > t table), that was 10.99>2.62 at the significance level 1% and 10.99>1.98 at the significance level 5%. Therefore, Word Detective Strategy had a positive impact on students’ vocabulary mastery at the tenth grade of SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung in 2020/2021. The writer conducted preliminary research and observation to discover about the situation and condition of SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung. In this case, the writer wanted to know the problems that have faced by English teacher in teaching English particularly in teaching vocabulary. Based on the observation and preliminary research, Several problems were found by the writer. The first problem, Students have difficulties recognizing the words meaning. The second, students have difficulties memorizing and know the meaning of words. The third, students’ vocabulary mastery needs to be improved. The last, students face difficulties to pronounce English words well. Those problems were made worse because the teacher still used Translation Technique, which belongs to the traditional technique. So, that made the atmosphere of the class become boring. When teaching vocabulary, teachers must utilize interesting strategies in order to facilitate the transfer of vocabulary information. Students will enjoy a lesson if teachers use interesting strategies. To establish a better classroom 11 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 environment, teachers should have a variety of teaching strategies or techniques. It can enhance students' motivation to acquire language by fostering a better environment. It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that students enjoy themselves and that a positive environment develops. Actually, there are so many strategies or techniques that can be chosen by the teacher. In teaching vocabulary, the teacher can choose an interesting strategy or technique for supporting the class. Based on the problems above, the writer solved the problems by using Word Detective Strategy. Word Detective Strategy is the interesting strategy that may be employed to help students enhance their vocabulary mastery while studying English. Students can use a word detective notebook and a visual organizer to help them figure out what a word means. According Riri & Harha (2014), there are some advantages in the teaching and learning process of applying the Word Detective Strategy. The first, students may deduce the meaning of a sentence even if they are unfamiliar with the whole vocabulary. The second, students will get a great time competing with one another in the learning process if they use the Word Detective Strategy. The third, this strategy gives students several opportunities to expand their vocabulary and improve their English. The last, students are expected to understand the word meanings more easily without having to memorize each one. In this research, the writer applied Word Detective Strategy in teaching vocabulary. The results revealed a significant difference between students who were taught using Translation Technique and students who were taught using Word Detective Strategy in vocabulary mastery. It could be proven by the data analyzing and hypothesis test, the result of the hypothesis test by using ttest = 10.99 and from the distribution table at the significance level 5% know ttable= t (1-½α) = 1.98 and the significance level 1% know ttable= t (1½α) = 2.62, it indicates that ttest > ttable .The null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. It implies that there is a significant influence of Word Detective Strategy. As a result, it is possible to conclude that there is an influence of Word Detective Strategy towards Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of SMK Negeri 7 Bandar Lampung in 2020/2021. The average score of students’ vocabulary mastery who were taught utilizing Word Detective Strategy (74.4) was higher than those who taught using Translation Technique (49.9). It defines that using Word Detective Strategy to teach students how to improve their vocabulary mastery while learning English is a good idea. According to the result above Word Detective Strategy increase students’ scores in vocabulary mastery. Students in the experimental class also showed better performance than students in the control class who were taught using the Translation Technique. Furthermore, the students in the experimental class responded positively to the 12 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 implementation of the Word Detective Strategy in their classroom. It was supported by Ainslie (2002) who says that word detective is a vocabulary strategy which assists students in determining the unfamiliar word meaning. It means that Word Detective Strategy can be useful to build vocabulary by finding out the meaning of the words. The findings were also supported by Hanson & Padua (2011), that Word Detective Strategy leads students through a sequence of processes to assist them figure out what a word meaning and its parts. Elliott et al. (2002) add that a key in the implementation of strategy in vocabulary mastery is the using of word detective notebook and graphic organizer. For additional, they stated that the graphic organizer includes both word and visual. It conveys information in a clear and concise manner that highlights concept organization and relationships. It implies that Word Detective strategy is a vocabulary teaching strategy that encourages students to think like detectives, using context cues and word component clues, look for the word meaning. Based on the description above, the writer proposed Word Detective strategy to minimize the students’ problems in learning vocabulary. Word Detective strategy involves utilizing a word detective notebook and a graphic organizer to teach vocabulary. It is a kind of strategy that can be helpful for the students to identify what a word means. In this strategy the student will find the definition, synonym, and antonym, determine it’s part of speech, and create a sentence from the words. By using Word Detective strategy, students will be able to understand the words meaning and how they are utilized in context. The writer would like recommend the teacher to use Word Detective strategy to teach vocabulary because this is a good strategy to assist students enhance their vocabulary mastery while studying English. CONCLUSION According to the finding of the data analysis the writer found that there is an influence of Word Detective Strategy towards students’ vocabulary mastery. Based on the hypothesis and the calculation, the writer concluded that the hypothesis is proved. Based on the data analysis and the calculation which used ttest formula, it was obtained that students’ vocabulary mastery which learnt vocabulary through Word Detective Strategy is preferable than students’ vocabulary mastery which learnt vocabulary through Translation Technique. As a result, the writers came to the following conclusion that there is an influence of word detective strategy towards students’ vocabulary mastery . Moreover, the teacher is suggested to find a strategy that suitable for the students' needs to assist students enhance their vocabulary mastery. This problem can be solved by employing various activities which are suitable for 13 Anisa Al Khoiriyah, Hajjah Zulianti, Tommy Hastomo IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education, Vol. 5 (1), 2022 the students. The Word Detective Strategy is an excellent way to assist students improves their vocabulary mastery because it makes it easier for them to understand the words meaning. Furthermore, the students are suggested to keep practicing English frequently. It is essential for students to develop their vocabulary mastery. They can develop vocabulary and become engaged in the teaching learning process by continuing to use this strategy. This research mainly focuses on vocabulary mastery using Word Detective Strategy. Based on the result of this research, this strategy may help students improve their vocabulary. As a conclusion, other researchers may be able to undertake research utilizing the Word Detective Strategy to improve teaching vocabulary mastery at different levels. This strategy can apply to the other levels with the supporting theories from an expert. REFERENCES Ainslie, D. (2002). Putting the National Reading Panel Report into Practice. “Word Detective.” Evidence-Based Reading Instruction, vocabulary development, 125. Allcock, J. (2010). A Practitioner’s Guide to Using Word Detective for Reading and Writing Success. MJA Publishing Ltd. Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Ernst Klett Sprachen. Elliott, D. A., Formhals, M. A., & Wheat, J. G. (2002). Word Detectives: Solving the Mystery of Vocabulary. Hanson, S., & Padua, J. F. M. (2011). Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly. Effective Instructional Strategies Series. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Hastomo, T. (2019). SCHOOLOGY EFFECTS ON STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY. Lentera: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, 12(1), 149–154. Mackey, A., & Gass, M. S. (2005). Second Language Research. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erbaulm Associates. Inc. S. A. Murcia, M. C. (2001). Teaching English as Second or Foreign Language Third Edition Maschuttes. New Burry House Publisher: Inc’Rowley. Riri, S., & Harha, K. (2014). Teaching Reading (Narrative Text) by Using Word Detective Strategy to Senior High School Students. Abstract of Undergraduate, Faculty of Education, Bung Hatta University, 3(5). Riri, S., & Harha, K. (2014). Teaching Reading (Narrative Text) by Using Word Detective Strategy to Senior High School Students. Abstract of Undergraduate, Faculty of Education, Bung Hatta University, 3(5). Thornbury, S. (2002). How to teach vocabulary. England. Pearson Education Limited. 14