Boosting Caption Craft: Instagram and WH-Questions to Elevate Student Writing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v8i2.26057Keywords:
Writing skills, WH-question technique, social media in education, InstagramAbstract
The ability to communicate clearly and effectively through written text is a fundamental skill that students need to master for better English acquisition. In particular, digital communication has become increasingly prevalent, with social media platforms like Instagram that students might be involved in various writing activities such as descriptive captions, storytelling, persuasive writing, informational posts, and reflective writing. As such, there is a pressing need to develop innovative teaching strategies that not only improve students' writing abilities but also make the learning process relevant and engaging in the context of their digital lives. This study aimed to analyze the improvement of high school students' ability to write structured paragraphs for captions through Instagram utilizing the WH Question Technique. The research engaged 28 twelfth-grade students from SMAN 2 Batang Anai in West Sumatra, Indonesai. The classroom action research framework, conducted over two cycles, each consisting of three sessions. Data collection methods included assessments of student achievements, interviews, and classroom observations, analyzed using qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods. The findings demonstrated a notable improvement in students' writing skills; the average score increased from 67.08 in the first cycle to 71.76 in the second. Improvements were particularly significant in the students' ability to generate ideas and adapt their writing for social media, specifically Instagram. The study concludes that the integration of Instagram discussions with WH Question Technique enhance paragraph writing skills in an engaging and practical digital format, proving beneficial for high school students' engagement and skill development in writing.
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