Investigating the effect of TikTok on English speaking skills among students at SMA Negeri 2 Sigi

Abstract

This study examined the use of TikTok-supported learning activities in developing the English speaking performance of eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 2 Sigi. The research adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, in which quantitative data were collected and analyzed first, followed by qualitative investigation to provide further explanation of the quantitative findings. The quantitative stage involved 72 students from two intact classes, consisting of 36 students in the experimental group and 36 students in the control group. The groups were selected through cluster random sampling. During six instructional sessions, the experimental group engaged in speaking activities supported by educational TikTok videos, whereas the control group learned through conventional classroom activities. Students’ speaking performance was evaluated through individual speaking tests conducted before and after the treatment, with assessment focusing on fluency and accuracy. As the post-test data did not meet the assumption of normality, the Mann–Whitney U test was applied to determine the difference between the two groups. The analysis revealed that the experimental group achieved a higher mean post-test score than the control group, with scores of 80.4 and 60.8, respectively. The statistical test also showed a significant difference between the groups (U = 18.0, p < .001). To further interpret these results, selected students from the experimental group participated in semi-structured interviews. The qualitative findings indicated that students viewed TikTok-supported activities as engaging and helpful because the videos exposed them to authentic language use, pronunciation models, vocabulary, and ideas for speaking. The students also described having more opportunities to practice and becoming more willing to communicate in English while feeling less concerned about making mistakes. The combined findings suggest that appropriately structured TikTok-based activities can contribute to improved English speaking performance by providing meaningful language input and opportunities for active and repeated practice. Therefore, TikTok may serve as a supplementary digital medium for EFL speaking instruction when its implementation is guided and integrated with appropriate classroom activities.