The Effectiveness of Audio-Visual Media on Motivation and Essay Writing Skills of Students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidenreng Rappang

Abstract

This quantitative study was conducted within the Indonesian Language Education Study Program using a One-Group Pretest–Posttest Design. The population consisted of 19 students enrolled in the essay writing course, and the entire population was used as the research sample. Data were collected through tests, questionnaires, and interviews. The data analysis techniques included the use of a Likert scale and a t-test. The results of the study indicate that the use of audio-visual media is effective in improving students’ motivation and essay writing skills. Observational data revealed enhancements in students’ attention, interest, participation, perseverance, and initiative, with an average score of 3.44, categorized as high. This finding is supported by the questionnaire results, which showed an average score of 3.64, indicating increased enthusiasm and self-confidence among students. Interviews further revealed that audio-visual media enabled students to better understand essay structures through concrete examples and more engaging learning experiences. Moreover, the t-test analysis of the essay writing test scores showed a significant improvement, with the average score increasing from 26.31 to 40.52. The significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05) indicates a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest results. Based on these findings, the null hypothesis (H₀), which stated that the use of audio-visual media is not effective in improving essay writing skills, is rejected. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis (H₁) is accepted, confirming that the use of audio-visual media effectively enhances both the motivation and essay writing abilities of students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidenreng Rappang.