Agung Gumelar Setiawan, Putri Kamalia Hakim

Student’s Cognitive Engagement in Teaching Vocabulary through Mnemonic Strategy

Introduction

Student’s cognitive engagement in teaching vocabulary through mnemonic strategy. Discover student cognitive engagement and perceptions of mnemonic strategies for vocabulary learning. Research reveals positive engagement, improved cognition, and enjoyment, proving its effectiveness.

Abstract

This research aims to explore students' cognitive engagement and find out student’s perception towards learning vocabulary through mnemonic strategy. This research is a qualitative research with TPT cognitive engagement model as research design. The data of this research was gathered for four meetings by using observation, interview, and documentation. The data of observation were analyzed by interactive analysis supported by quadrant and tally analysis. The researcher take five participants from 10th grades from one of Islamic senior high school MAN 2 Kuningan. The findings showed that students have positive cognitive engagement where all of the participants get in the 4th quadrant except for one. Students Cognition level improved throughout the time until they have high cognition and high participation. Students also showed positive perceptions where they feel happy and fun during learning because they considered mnemonic strategy is like a game. Students also stated that their thinking skill is improved by the learning. Mnemonic strategy is also suggested to be implemented as a method in learning vocabulary in schools because it is effective.

Review

This research effectively investigates the intricate relationship between mnemonic strategies and students' cognitive engagement in vocabulary acquisition, alongside their perceptions of this learning approach. Utilizing a qualitative design informed by the TPT cognitive engagement model, the study gathered data from five 10th-grade students in an Islamic senior high school over four meetings. The findings strongly suggest that mnemonic strategies foster positive cognitive engagement, leading to enhanced cognition and participation levels, with most participants reaching the highest quadrant of engagement. Furthermore, students expressed overwhelmingly positive perceptions, finding the learning process enjoyable and impactful on their thinking skills, thus advocating for the strategy's effectiveness in vocabulary instruction. A key strength of this study lies in its dual focus on both cognitive engagement and student perceptions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the learning experience. The qualitative methodology, employing observation, interviews, and documentation, allows for rich, in-depth data collection, which is further strengthened by specific analytical techniques like quadrant and tally analysis. The consistent positive outcomes—demonstrating improved cognitive levels, high student participation, and self-reported enhancements in thinking skills—lend strong support to the practical recommendation for implementing mnemonic strategies in educational settings. The study's ability to demonstrate that students perceive learning through mnemonics as "happy" and "fun," akin to a game, underscores its potential to transform what can often be a mundane aspect of language learning. While offering valuable insights, the abstract points to several areas that could be expanded upon for a more robust contribution. The qualitative nature and small sample size of five participants, though suitable for in-depth exploration, inherently limit the generalizability of the findings to broader populations or contexts. A more detailed explanation of what the "4th quadrant" signifies within the TPT cognitive engagement model would also enhance clarity for readers unfamiliar with this specific framework. Future research could consider exploring the long-term impact of mnemonic strategies on vocabulary retention and application, possibly through a mixed-methods approach incorporating quantitative measures of vocabulary mastery alongside qualitative data to further substantiate the claims of effectiveness and sustained cognitive improvement.

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