The Effectiveness of Construct 2-Based Educational Games in Enhancing Arabic Vocabulary Acquisition and Listening Skills Among Junior High School Students

Mohammad Ahsanuddin; Muhammad Ahsan Thoriq; Najma Auliya' Maulidah Ahsan; Farika Riskiyah

doi:10.26555/insyirah.v8i2.13928

Authors

Mohammad Ahsanuddin Universitas Negeri Malang
Muhammad Ahsan Thoriq Universitas Negeri Malang
Najma Auliya' Maulidah Ahsan Universitas Negeri Malang
Farika Riskiyah Universitas Negeri Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26555/insyirah.v8i2.13928

Keywords:

Arabic learning, Game-based learning, Vocabulary, Listening skills

Abstract

Secondary-school Arabic teachers frequently report low student involvement, limited vocabulary growth, and weak listening comprehension when instruction relies mainly on lectures. To address these issues, the present study tested whether instructional games created with the Construct 2 engine could improve vocabulary and listening skills among junior-high learners. Adopting a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest design, the research arranged participants into three sections: an experimental group taught with Construct 2 games, a positive control group receiving enriched traditional lessons, and a negative control group exposed solely to lecture delivery. ANCOVA analysis uncovered a statistically significant group effect, F(2, 26) = 65.14, p = .021, accompanied by a large η² = 0.95. Follow-up post hoc comparisons showed that the experimental group (M = 75.6) outpaced both control sections (M = 68.9 and M = 67.2, p < .001). Overall, results indicate that game-based learning can reliably enhance receptive language abilities and warrants further adoption in Arabic classrooms. These findings speak directly to how teachers and administrators might structure courses and introduce new techniques, especially where money and materials are scarce.

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