THE EFFECT OF STORYTELLING METHOD ON STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY AT EIGHT GRADE B SMP NEGERI 9 SINTANG

Yulita Ernawati. 2026. The Effect of Storytelling Method on Students’ Speaking Ability at Eighth Grade B SMP Negeri 9 Sintang. Thesis. English Language Education Study Program of STKIP Persada Khatulistiwa. Advisor I: YokiePrasetya Dharma, M. Pd. B.I.
Advisor II: Ilinawati, M. Pd Keywords: speaking ability, storytelling, pre-experimental design Speaking ability is the essential skills in English language learning; however, many students still experience difficulties in developing this skill, highlighting the need for more effective instructional methods. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the storytelling method on students’ speaking ability and to identify students’ responses toward the implementation of the method in learning speaking. The study
employed a quantitative approach using a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. The participants of this study were 24 eighth-grade students. The data were collected through speaking tests and a post-test questionnaire. The speaking test was used to measure students’ speaking ability before and after the
treatment, while the questionnaire was administered to examine students’ perceptions of the storytelling method. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test because the data were not normally distributed based on the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. The findings
revealed that the mean score of the pre-test was 33.75, while the mean score of the post-test was 33.13. The result of the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test showed that the significance value was 0.858, which was higher than 0.05. This result indicated that the storytelling method did not have a statistically significant effect on students’ speaking ability at SMP Negeri 9 Sintang. However, the questionnaire findings showed that students responded positively to the implementation of the storytelling method. These findings suggest that although the storytelling method did not
significantly improve students’ speaking achievement, it contributed positively to students’ motivation, interest, and engagement in speaking learning activities. The findings of this study are expected to serve as a reference for English teachers in
selecting instructional methods that enhance students’ motivation, interest, and engagement in speaking activities, as well as provide a basis for future research in the field of English language teaching.