Empowering Young Writers through Picture-Mediated Instruction: A Study at SMP Negeri 2 Mamuju

Abstract

This study aims to improve students’ ability in writing descriptive texts through picture-mediated instruction at the second year of SMP Negeri 2 Mamuju. The research applied Classroom Action Research (CAR) which consisted of two cycles. Each cycle included planning, action, observation, and reflection. The participants were 37 students from class VIII. Data were collected through observation and writing tests conducted at the end of each cycle. The results revealed a consistent improvement in students’ writing performance. The mean score increased from 38.45 in the pre-test to 38.92 in cycle I and 42.92 in cycle II. The use of pictures as visual stimuli helped students generate ideas, organize sentences coherently, and use appropriate vocabulary. The findings indicate that picture-mediated instruction effectively enhances students’ engagement and descriptive writing skills. Therefore, it can be concluded that visual-based strategies are beneficial in fostering junior high school students’ writing competence, especially in descriptive text production.