THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN ENHANCING THE SPEAKING SKILLS OF TENTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT SMAN 3 MATARAM

Speaking skill remains one of the most challenging aspects of English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) learning, as many students experience difficulties in fluency,
pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar accuracy, and confidence. This study aimed to
examine the effectiveness of digital storytelling in enhancing the speaking skills of
tenth-grade students at SMAN 3 Mataram. This study employed a quantitative
approach with a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. The
participants were 25 tenth-grade students at SMAN 3 Mataram in the academic year
2025/2026 selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected through
speaking tests conducted before and after the implementation of digital storytelling
treatment. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk
normality test, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, and effect size analysis. The results
showed that students’ speaking performance improved after the implementation of
digital storytelling, indicated by the increase in the mean score from 60.84 in the pretest to 77.96 in the post-test. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test revealed a statistically
significant difference between students’ pre-test and post-test scores with a
significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect size value of r = 0.724
indicated a large effect of digital storytelling on students’ speaking performance.
Therefore, digital storytelling was proven effective in enhancing the speaking skills of
tenth-grade students at SMAN 3 Mataram and can be considered an alternative
instructional strategy to support meaningful speaking practice in EFL classrooms.
Keywords: Digital Storytelling, Speaking Skills, EFL Learning, Tenth-Grade
Students, Pre-Experimental Design