EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIKTOK USAGE LEVEL AND STUDENTS’ RECEPTIVE VOCABULARY MASTERY AMONG ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITYOF MATARAM

Vocabulary mastery is an essential component of English language learning. With the
rapid development of digital technology, TikTok has become one of the most widely
used social media platforms among university students and has the potential to support
English vocabulary learning. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between
TikTok usage and receptive vocabulary mastery and to explore the role of TikTok in
English vocabulary acquisition among students of the English Education Study
Program at the University of Mataram. This research employed a Sequential
Explanatory Mixed Methods Design, in which quantitative data were collected and
analyzed first, followed by quantitative data collection and analysis to explain the
quantitative findings. The quantitative phase involved 40 students selected through
purposive sampling. Data were collected using a TikTok usage questionnaire and
receptive vocabulary test and analyzed using Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation.
Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with selected participants to
gain deeper insights into their experiences of using TikTok vocabulary learning. The
quantitative findings revealed a weak positive correlation between TikTok usage and
receptive vocabulary mastery (r = .183); however, the relationship was not statistically
significant (p = .258 > .05). The qualitative findings indicated that TikTok helped
students acquire new vocabulary, increased their learning motivation, and provided
authentic English language exposure. Nevertheless, these benefits depended on the
frequency of use, the types of content accessed, and individual learning strategies.
Therefore, TikTok can serve as a supplementary medium for vocabulary learning, but
it cannot be considered a primary factor influencing students’ receptive vocabulary
mastery.
Keywords: TikTok, receptive vocabulary mastery, mixed methods, English language
learning, Sequential Explanatory Design.