The Implementation of Quizlet in Teaching English Vocabulary to Elementary School Students

Viky Fitria Putri¹, Fauris Zuhri²

^1,2 Department of English, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

ABSTRACT: In Indonesia, one of the foreign languages taught at the primary level (elementary school) and secondary level (junior and senior high school) is English. One effective learning medium used to teach English is Quizlet. However, the implementation of Quizlet for teaching vocabulary in elementary schools still needs exploration. Therefore, this research aims to investigate how elementary school teachers perceive Quizlet as a learning medium for teaching English and describe how Quizlet is implemented as a learning medium to teach vocabulary in the classroom. A descriptive qualitative method involves three elementary teachers through semi-structured interviews and class observations as data collection techniques. The findings indicate that teachers perceive Quizlet’s features, including flashcards, match games, and instant feedback, make teaching and learning more accessible, enjoyable, and engaging. However, teachers identified some challenges, including limited supervision, internet connectivity issues, varying technological understanding among students, and students’ motivation for independent learning. The vocabulary given is sourced from the school book and other materials. The SAMR model is applied, incorporating pre-, during-, and post-activities in the lessons. Quizlet’s features, including Flashcards, Learn, Write, Spell, Test, Match, and Live modes, are utilized both offline and online over two sessions. Despite internet connectivity challenges, students could navigate the various Quizlet modes, complete exercises, and achieve high scores. Overall, Quizlet is perceived positively by elementary teachers and has been successfully implemented as a learning medium for teaching English vocabulary.

KEYWORDS: Learning Media, Elementary Teachers, Perceptions, Flashcards, SAMR

1. INTRODUCTION

According to Fandino et al. (2019), communicating in a foreign language has become a critical competence that should be developed in all academic contexts and at all education levels. In Indonesia, one of the foreign languages taught at the primary level (elementary school), and secondary level (junior and senior high school) is English. The Indonesian government teaches English subjects intending to ensure that students can develop their communicative potential in English through various multimodal texts, which are audiovisual, visual, spoken, and written. Learning English based on Independent Curriculum at the primary and secondary level is focused on the student’s ability to use six English language skills. The six language skills include the elements of productive skills (speaking, writing, and presenting) and receptive skills (listening, reading, and viewing) in various types of text in an integrated way. The English language skills that students should master are supported by the language components: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling (Andriani & Sriwahyuningsih, 2019). One of the essential language components is vocabulary, as Wilkins (1972) in Thornbury (2004), as cited from Rohmatillah (2014), proposed that little information can be delivered without grammar, but nothing can be expressed without words. Mastering vocabulary is a key component of language proficiency, since it is the foundation of how students write, read, speak, and listen (Richards & Renandya, 2002; Sanjaya et al., 2022 as cited in Pradini & Adnyayanti, 2022). It is essential for students to master vocabulary since it enables them to effectively engage and communicate within a particular topic, both verbally and in writing. If students understand vocabulary well, it will help them to communicate better. It will allow them to understand the words they heard, read information and write a concept effectively, and express their ideas, opinions, and desires clearly (Uspa, 2020, as stated in Pradini & Adnyayanti, 2022).

Given the importance of vocabulary in the English language, teaching it early as a young learner is essential. Young learners are students between the ages of 5 and 12, including elementary school students around 7 to 12 years old. Pradini & Adnyayanti (2022) states that, in this period, young learners are in a developmental stage or golden age of learning, where they have a high learning capacity. They can easily absorb new information or knowledge and recognize and understand new circumstances or situations in their surroundings, including the presence of language. However, Rahmayanti et al. (2020) state that elementary school students still encounter difficulties in learning English, particularly when mastering vocabulary. Most students do not easily remember English words and have difficulty understanding the meaning of questions when they do an English test. This problem highlights the need for teachers to adopt effective teaching methods, materials, and learning media to support the learning process and enhance students’ vocabulary acquisition and retention. Learning media is a non-physical and physical tool the teacher uses to convey the material to students (Puspitarini & Hanif, 2019). Akrim (2018) states that a suitable learning medium can be an efficient and effective tool for achieving learning objectives when designed adequately for students’ age and the material being taught. When learning media in the classroom is used effectively, it can assist the students in understanding and accepting material while encouraging active thinking and engagement in the learning process. The suitable learning media to teach elementary school students are those with interesting, exciting, and fun learning activities that are enjoyable and not boring, so that it can attract the students’ attention (Resti & Rachmijati, 2020). The teacher who acts as the students’ facilitator can use technology to support the learning media. With technology learning media, the learning activities will be fun and exciting. Also, it can be an alternative to overcoming the learning process’s space and time limitations so that the teacher does not need to excessively convey the materials to students (Puspitarini & Hanif, 2019).

One effective technology-based learning media that elementary school teachers can use in class is Quizlet. Quizlet is recognized as a convenient and pleasant vocabulary-learning media with audiovisual facilities which can effectively enhance students’ English skills. It offers a variety of vocabulary activities such as true & false, multiple choice, and matching the words. Quizlet provides a digital flashcards feature that is easy to use and can be accessed by anyone on the internet, either from its website or mobile phone. It enables users to create their own flashcard sets or modify Quizlet’s existing sets. The flashcard sets contain terms and definitions that can be customized to suit the users’ needs. The users can study the flashcard sets using various learning modes such as Live, Match, Test, Spell, Write, Learn, and Flashcards.

Quizlet as learning media encourages collaborative learning, repetition, drilling, and fun and enjoyable learning, making the students not quickly bored (Anjaniputra & Salsabila, 2018). The use of Quizlet offers several advantages for learning vocabulary. Students can study and practice the words at any time and from any location, remember them in attractive and interactive ways, and collaborate with their peers while completing the tasks (Wahjuningsih, 2018, as cited in Setiawan & Putro, 2021). These advantages of Quizlet for teaching and learning vocabulary have been highlighted in several studies. For instance, a study by Avisteva & Halimi (2020) shows that students’ productive and receptive vocabulary acquisition increased with a more significant improvement in receptive vocabulary after using Quizlet as learning media. The study also stated that the students positively perceive Quizlet as a learning medium, and they agree that Quizlet is easy to use and beneficial for them. Another research by Setiawan & Putro (2021) states that senior high school vocabulary acquisition was more significant after using Quizlet Application than before. Moreover, the students who used Quizlet gained more vocabulary than the students who did not use the application.

Although many researches on Quizlet’s role in vocabulary teaching and learning has been conducted in the previous five years, the papers focused on the implementation of Quizlet for teaching vocabulary in elementary school still need to be explored. The previous research stated above investigated the use of Quizlet in teaching and learning vocabulary at the high school level. Hence, this research wants to focus on exploring the implementation of Quizlet as a learning media in teaching English vocabulary to elementary school students, including the teacher’s perceptions towards Quizlet as a learning media, teacher’s preparations, the suitability of the learning activities with lesson plans, and problems that the teacher face during the implementation.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

In order to ensure clarity and avoid misunderstandings, this research applies relevant theories to explain the concepts used in the study. The terms utilized in this study are outlined below.

2.1 Quizlet application

2.1.1 Definition of Quizlet

According to Wright (2016), cited from Nguyen (2022), Quizlet is a platform of digital flashcards with audiovisual facilities that allows users to develop flashcard sets on their own and study them with a variety of learning modes. The features are Live, Match, Test, Spell, Write, Learn, and Flashcards. Sippel (2022) states that Quizlets offers two kinds of vocabulary sets. The first is online flashcards already provided or ready-to-use sets for learning German, English, Latin, Spanish, and French. The second set is the user’s flashcard sets, where the users may create their own or modify the existing study sets to use the terms based on their needs. In each study set, there are at least two pieces of flashcards. Each flashcard contains a “term” in the form of a sentence, phrase, or word in the target language and has a “definition” either in a synonym, translation to another language, definition/explanation, or image.

2.1.2 Quizlet features

Quizlet offers several exciting features. According to Sippel (2022), two parts of Quizlet features are play and study modes. Study modes include the features of Test, Write, Spell, Learn, and Flashcard, while play modes consist of Live and Match.

1. Flashcard mode, enables the users to learn the vocabulary in written form by reading the term and definition while listening to text-to-speech computergenerated audio available in 18 languages. Teachers and students with premium accounts can personalize and record the audio independently.
2. Learn mode, lets the user study and practice terms and definitions by choosing from four types of questions; flashcards, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choices, and written. The user will be informed immediately if the response is correct or not. The system will automatically identify the score. Students may use the learn mode to see how many words they still need to learn, how many terms they are currently familiar with, and how many they know very well.
3. Write mode, allows the user to learn the written form of a term or definition and asks the user to type the corresponding items (terms or definitions). In Write mode, the user will get immediate feedback; if the answer is incorrect, Quizlet will show the correct answer.
4. Spell mode, intended to assist the user in practicing their spelling abilities by typing the correct spelling of a term or definition after listening to the audio. The system will automatically check the user’s answer, and when the user misspelled the term, the user will be asked to retype the answer.
5. Test mode, allows the user to choose from various activities in test mode, including matching activities, multiple choice, translations of written terms, and true-orfalse questions. After completing all “test” questions, students may see their test score and get feedback on their responses.
6. Match mode, a feature that allows the user to drag corresponding items onto each other, and the items will disappear if the user drags them correctly. Quizlet provides a time clock that the user can see during the activity. The user may observe and compare the time score to see how long they need to match every item.
7. Live mode, only be accessible by the instructor through a web-based desktop. The teacher can use live mode as a classroom activity rather than by individual because it will ask the students to compete in quizzes individually or in small groups. To win the match, the students must synchronously compete with the others by matching the terms or definitions with their corresponding ones. After the Live ends, all players will get immediate feedback, and the score will be shown on the teacher’s account.

In addition, the teacher may use Quizlet to form courses, distribute class codes, or send links to students to ask them to participate in the Quizlet Live feature. When a teacher sets up a class and invites the students to join it, the teacher may keep track of the students’ Quizlet accounts. The teacher may monitor the Quizlet activity information and progress of the students, such as when the students practiced, how long they have learned using Quizlet, and how many points they earned.

2.1.3 Advantages and disadvantages of Quizlet

1. Advantages:

Quizlet offers a convenient and cost-free program accessible to both students and teachers and provides easy and unrestricted usage of its features. With Quizlet, teachers can easily design and set up teaching materials using flashcard features. The teacher can customize the learning materials so the flashcards can fit the topic and students’ needs (Crandell, 2017, cited from Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). Furthermore, teachers can monitor students’ progress by tracking their completion of Quizlet’s features, which are automatically recorded in the teacher’s account (Tanjung & Daulay, 2022).

Quizlet is beneficial not only for adult learners but also for young learners. In Quizlet, learners can incorporate not only the definition or translation but also the image, along with engaging game-based features, such as Live or Match, which is suitable for young learners (Quizlet, 2016, as cited from Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). According to Sippel (2022), students perceive Quizlet as an enjoyable way to learn vocabulary and a beneficial resource that aids in vocabulary retention, exam preparation, and overall academic performance.

By combining learning with fun social play, features of Quizlet Live in the Quizlet application can motivate and increase student participation in class (Wolff, 2016, as stated in Lubis et al., 2022). Quizlet provides learning media that allow students to be more autonomous in their studies using various devices such as laptops, personal computers, or smartphones (Barr, 2015, as cited in Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). Immediate feedback on answers enables students to study independently without constant assistance from the teacher (Sippel, 2022). Furthermore, Pham (2022) adds that Quizlet assists students in verifying the correct pronunciation of words and phrases. As a result, the students perceive an easy and immersive learning experience that combines writing and auditory comprehension.

1. Disadvantages:

According to Pham (2022); Sippel (2022), because Quizlet is free and users may develop and share their own study sets without evaluation and censorship, the users can notice some mistakes or errors in the study set. Quizlet also required internet access to operate; therefore, it was only effective for users whose devices were constantly connected to the internet, so the users should have a stable internet connection (Pham, 2022). Moreover, the audio given by Quizlet for pronouncing the terms in spelling modes is computer generated, and the sounds produced are not pronounced naturally due to the influence of robotic or artificial sounds. Hence, the teacher and students should use text-to-speech audio carefully. Furthermore, the feedback and scoring are highly inflexible due to being computer-generated. The system only marks the answer as correct if the student typed or wrote it correctly without any typos.

2.2 Vocabulary

Regarding various points of view, the term vocabulary may have different definitions depending on the perspective. Hatch and Brown (2001) define vocabulary as a collection or a list of words for a particular language that the speaker of the language may use. Setiawan & Wiedarti (2020) define vocabulary as the collection of words used to convey ideas or communicate with others, and many words have unique connotations that convey different meanings. Based on the statements, vocabulary means all the words a person knows in a language used to express their thoughts and feelings and communicate with others.

2.3 Teaching vocabulary to elementary students through Quizlet

According to the learning outcomes stated in the Decree of the Head of BSKAP No. 33 of 2022, the focus on learning English subjects in Independent Curriculum differs in each phase. Students at the elementary school level are in phases A, B, and C. Phase A for grades 1 and 2 focuses on the introduction of English and spoken language skills, then phase B for grades 3 and 4 is focused on spoken English skills, but the written language is introduced. In this phase, the teacher must help students understand that English is pronounced and written differently. Phase C for grades 5 and 6 is focused on spoken and written English skills. It means the learning goals of English in elementary school focus on students’ ability to communicate in spoken and written language. Therefore, in line with learning outcomes, teachers can guide students to acquire more vocabulary knowledge to communicate in English. As Rohmatillah (2014) states, with a proper vocabulary, individuals can successfully communicate and convey their thoughts in both oral and written form.

Learning vocabulary involves not only understanding the meanings of the words but also being able to use them in real-life situations in the proper context. Therefore, teachers should help students learn as much vocabulary as possible and ensure they understand each item to use it productively (Lessard-Clouston, 2013). By doing so, the students can effectively use the learned vocabulary to communicate and achieve their language learning goals. The teacher can introduce the vocabulary list from the book and add other relevant vocabulary to the subject matter. The vocabulary material is usually about a topic they are interested in or frequently encounter in their daily life because it will be easier for them to absorb and perform the words, such as things around the school or inside the classroom (Suardi & Sakti, 2019).

Puentedura (2006), as cited in Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018), introduces the SAMR model to assess how technology is integrated into the classroom. SAMR model stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. This model is recommended for the English language teaching context, as it mainly occurs in learning activities (Hockly, 2013, as cited in Anjaniputra & Salsabila, 2018). Puentedura (2006, 2010), in Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018), classified four stages that progressively affect learning activities. Substitution refers to technology replacing traditional methods of learning while maintaining the same function; Augmentation involves the technology replacing tasks with improved functions; Modification allows for tasks to be redesigned significantly; and Redefinition involves the creation of new tasks that were previously impossible without the use of technology. Table 1 illustrates four stages with definitions and examples of their use in Quizlet, as demonstrated by Ashcroft & Imrie (2014), cited from Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018).

Table 1: The SAMR model

Ashcroft & Imrie (2014), as stated in Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018), provided further examples of activities that correspond to each stage of the SAMR model.

Substitution involves creating digital flashcards as a study set, while Augmentation involves adding pictures or sounds to the flashcards and studying using various modes, mobile Quizlet or printing. The modification includes importing data to create a study set, using the Test mode, and sharing the set through the website. Finally, Redefinition involves studying collaboratively, such as using the Live mode and sharing resources to emphasize student collaboration.

2.4 Teacher’s perception

According to Nur et al. (2022), the teacher’s perception refers to the teacher’s perspective on a particular subject. It involves the process of perceiving and understanding relevant information to gain valuable insights. Teacher perceptions may vary from one teacher to another based on their experiences and knowledge. Nur et al. (2022) further state that Nurhayati & Samiati (2018) identified three indicators to assess teachers’ perceptions, which are as follows:

1. Teachers’ knowledge

There are two main aspects of teachers’ knowledge: their understanding of the learning media used in the teaching process and the goals they aim to achieve through its use.

This indicator aims to assess the extent of a teacher’s knowledge in utilizing specific learning media. It is designed to assess a teacher’s knowledge regarding the learning media utilized during the teaching process and the objectives that can be accomplished through its usage.

1. Teachers’ emotion Teachers’ emotions can be divided into two points: satisfaction and anxiety. This indicator is supposed to evaluate how teachers feel when using the learning media. It encompasses feelings of satisfaction and pleasure derived from implementing the learning media to students, as well as any concerns or anxieties that may arise during its application.
2. Teachers’ motivation

Filgona et al. (2020), as stated in Nur et al. (2022), explained that motivation is the driving force that makes a person learn, take action, understand, believe, or acquire new skills. Motivation is also another way to fulfil personal needs. Furthermore, Nurhayati and Samiati (2018), as stated in Nur et al. (2022), classify teachers’ motivation as the teachers’ willingness and readiness to apply the learning media in the teaching and learning process. This indicator aims to assess teachers’ follow-up actions and preparedness when incorporating the learning media into their teaching practices.

III.  METHOD

This research uses a qualitative method to explore the teacher’s perception of Quizlet as a learning medium and its implementation in teaching vocabulary to elementary school students. Three English teachers from a school that use the Independent Curriculum in Kebomas, Gresik, Indonesia, were chosen as participants due to their experience in technology-based learning media, including Quizlet. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and classroom observations in 2 meetings. The research instruments are interview guidelines with 11 questions adapted from Nur et al. (2022), observation sheets with the SAMR method adapted from Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018) combined with the teacher’s lesson plan, and field notes. The primary data sources are interview transcripts, observations and field notes. In addition, the secondary data, which supports the primary data, is from the 5th-grade English book, the teacher’s lesson plan, and a copy of the Quizlet study sets.

IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This part covers the research’s findings and data analysis gathered from interviews and observations. This section also provides discussions of this study with previous studies.

4.1 Teachers’ perceptions towards Quizlet as a learning medium to teach English

This part describes the first research question. It is about the perception of the English teachers on using Quizlet to teach English to the students. To obtain the data, the teacher used a semi-structured interview with eleven questions to gain information related to the first research question, which was to find out the teachers’ perception of the implementation of Quizlet.

4.1.1 Teachers’ former experience

The question “Have you ever used Quizlet before?” aimed to find out about the teacher’s experience with Quizlet, especially the teachers’ familiarity and level of engagement with Quizlet. The finding from the interview showed that all the teachers had used Quizlet before when they had seminars at school. It can be seen in this statement: “Previously, I had used Quizlet during the training from school” (Teacher 1).

After knowing the teacher’s familiarity, the researcher asked the continuation question, “Which features have you used and how have you used them?” which aimed to know if the teachers had utilized any specific features of Quizlet and how they used those features.

“…I made a set of flashcards, do exercises and played Live at that time. I’ve never used it in class, just tried it during training.” (Teacher 3).

All the teachers have used the Flashcard, Learn, and Live features during the seminar but have not used them in classroom situations. Based on the teachers’ answers, the teachers have some familiarity with Quizlet due to their past training experiences. However, they have not fully integrated Quizlet into their daily teaching practices, and its usage has been limited to training sessions rather than being utilized as a regular teaching tool in the classroom. This result indicates a level of comfort with the learning media but a need for further exploration and integration into teaching practices.

4.1.2 Quizlet compared to traditional teaching media The second question is, “Do you think Quizlet is more effective than traditional teaching media for teaching English?”. This question aims to gather the teachers’ opinions on the comparative effectiveness of Quizlet and traditional teaching media. Based on the data provided, all three teachers believed that Quizlet is more effective than traditional teaching media for various reasons.

“Quizlet is more efficient and interactive, it has lots of features too, so children can be actively involved in the learning process.” (Teacher 3).

All of the teachers agree that Quizlet is more effective and efficient than traditional teaching media because of Quizlet’s interactiveness, practicality, and various features. The teacher believes Quizlet is more effective than traditional media because by using modern technology, the interactive and various features could engage the students to participate in the teaching and learning process actively. This finding is similar to the result from Puspitarini & Hanif (2019); the teacher believed that using technology, Quizlet allows for active student engagement and offers a more interactive and interesting learning experience than traditional methods.

The teacher states that Quizlet is not only effective but also more efficient for teaching. As the SAMR model’s substitution and augmentation focuses on the technology used as a substitute for the traditional media with the same functions (substitution) or with functional improvements (augmentation), Quizlet simplifies the process by eliminating the time-consuming steps of manual creation and printing of flashcards. The practicality of Quizlet was emphasized in the interview, as it allows teachers to directly enter word lists and search for relevant pictures within the platform. Additionally, Quizlet offers convenience in the classroom, as teachers can easily display materials on an LCD screen or share links directly with students.

4.1.3 Quizlet features for teaching English

The question “Do you think there are any specific features or tools within Quizlet that could be particularly useful for teaching English?” is aimed to know if the teachers have identified any specific features within Quizlet that they believe can enhance the teaching and learning of English.

“…almost all of them can be used…the most interesting are flashcards and games. Using flashcards to teach new vocabulary to children is more fun. And also games, questions made in the form of games will also be more interesting for children and also they will understand more about their learning.” (Teacher 1).

The teachers recognized various valuable features for teaching English, especially the flashcard and games features. Flashcards are enjoyable for teaching new vocabulary to students. At the same time, games in Quizlet make the learning process more engaging and attractive to children, leading to a better understanding of the material. This result aligns with the statement from Lubis et al. (2022), who found that Quizlet is an easy-to-operate learning tool with some interactive features so that the students can quickly absorb the materials or new vocabulary being learned. Apart from the flashcard and game features, the ability to create and share study sets quickly and efficiently is also helpful, allowing the teacher to make flashcards and distribute them to students online. The instant feedback feature is also helpful for teaching English because it allows Quizlet to check students’ answers automatically. This feature makes things easier for teachers because there is no need to check answers one by one manually as this feature provides instant feedback to students, so they can see their mistakes and correct their understanding independently. This feature saves time and allows for more efficient assessment. Also, the immediate feedback on answers enables students to study independently without constant assistance from the teacher (Sippel, 2022).

4.1.4 Quizlet as learning media to teach English to elementary students

The question “Do you think Quizlet can be used as a learning medium to teach English to elementary students?” is to seek the teachers’ opinion on the suitability of Quizlet as an educational learning medium for teaching English at an elementary level.

“…Quizlet can be used as a learning medium for elementary school children, especially to improve their English vocabulary. Because using Quizlet itself is relatively easy and can be used for all ages from elementary school students to adults.” (Teacher 1). Like Tanjung & Daulay (2022), Teachers believe Quizlet can be a learning medium for teaching English to elementary students. They believe that Quizlet’s interactive, user-friendly, and game-like features make it an effective medium for teaching English to elementary school students, especially to enhance their English vocabulary skills. The teacher also states that Quizlet is relatively easy to use and can be used by all ages, from elementary school students to adults. The teacher highlights Quizlet’s enjoyable and interactive features, especially the game feature, which can engage students to join in the lesson. The teacher also mentioned that Quizlet lets the students learn vocabulary virtually, making it easier to remember the studied material.

4.1.5 Quizlet usability for elementary students

The fifth question is, “Do you think elementary school students can operate/use Quizlet easily and will not find any difficulties using it?”. This question aims to determine whether the teachers believe elementary school students are able to navigate the platform, understand its features, and use it effectively without facing significant challenges or difficulties.

“…Quizlet can be used for elementary school students because it is very easy to use and can be accessed via mobile phones…there tend to be no difficulties, because it is very easy to use, like the flash card feature, the test is clearly displayed on the web or the application.” (Teacher 1).

Based on the teachers’ answers, elementary students can easily use Quizlet. Quizlet will not be difficult for students, especially with its simple interface, which clearly displays its features on the web or application. Quizlet provides learning media that allow students to be more autonomous in their studies using various devices such as laptops, personal computers, or smartphones (Barr, 2015, as cited in Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). Students can easily access and use Quizlet since many of them already have smartphones, and they can study using Quizlet conveniently without the need for laptops or computers.

However, the teacher stated that students might face difficulties in typing the answer. Based on the interview, there will be several features of Quizlet that might be difficult for the students, mainly features that require students to type using a QWERTY layout, such as in Write mode, because some students still need to familiarize themselves with it. This finding is opposite to Phram (2022), who found that the students perceive an easy way to write while listening to the sound of the language. The teachers believe that some of the elementary students still need help to do the writing while listening to the audio. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the teacher can guide and support the students to ensure students can operate Quizlet effectively.

4.1.6 Students’ enjoyment using Quizlet The question “Do you think elementary school students will enjoy using Quizlet in the classroom?” is aimed to determine the elementary school teacher’s opinion on students’ potential enjoyment and engagement when using Quizlet as an educational learning medium.

 “…the students will definitely enjoy using Quizlet in class, because the features are interactive, and there are games too, they will definitely find Quizlet interesting and fun for them.” (Teacher 3).

In line with Sippel (2022), students perceive Quizlet as an enjoyable way to learn vocabulary and a beneficial resource that aids in vocabulary retention, exam preparation, and overall academic performance. Teachers believe that elementary school students will enjoy using Quizlet in the classroom as a learning medium. Elementary school students will enjoy using Quizlet because many of them are comfortable and used to mobile phones. Due to its familiarity, Quizlet in smartphones will likely be wellreceived by the students. The teacher also believes that based on its interactive, fun, and easy-to-use features, Quizlet has the potential to make students enjoy using it in class. In addition, the competitive element in games and live features where the students compete with friends are also considered attractive factors that can add to the liveliness and excitement of the learning process and make learning more fun. Because by combining learning with fun social play, features of Quizlet Live in the Quizlet application can motivate and increase student participation in class (Wolff, 2016, as stated in Lubis et al., 2022).

4.1.7 Quizlet as a solution for challenges in teaching English

The question “Do you think Quizlet could help you address any challenges you currently face in teaching English?” is aimed at finding out the teachers’ perspective on the potential usefulness of Quizlet as a solution to their existing teaching challenges in English language instruction, whether they believe Quizlet has features, functionalities, or resources that could assist them in overcoming specific difficulties they encounter while teaching English.   “…the activities that can make students have fun but still study seriously…Quizlet provides variations in learning methods, like being able to make fun activities like quiz games, matching pictures and words, or collaborative activities using the existing share feature so I think it can help overcome this problem.” (Teacher 3)

From the interviews that have been conducted, all teachers agree that Quizlet can help them overcome the problems they currently face when teaching English. The teacher currently faces challenges in how to teach students new vocabulary. Salsabila et al. (2023) already showed using the Quizlet Application during the class to acquire new vocabulary through Quizlet’s features such as Learn, Flashcards, Test, and Match. In this study, the teachers agree with Salsabila et al. (2023) because they believe using Quizlet to teach new vocabulary is more accessible. After all, students are more active and engaged in learning while using features in Quizlet.

The other problems are maintaining students’ focus on learning and finding activities that could make students study seriously but still fun, as they may get distracted and prefer chatting with their friends if the lesson is boring. The teachers saw Quizlet’s potential in providing an interesting learning experience, encouraging student participation, and maintaining student interest and involvement in learning as it is a fun learning medium. The teacher also believes that Quizlet can be a solution by providing a variety of learning methods, such as quiz games, matching, and collaborative activities through sharing features. By offering a variety of interactive learning activities, Quizlet contributes to making the learning experience both fun and effective for students.

4.1.8 Benefits of using Quizlet for teaching English

In the question, “What do you think are the potential benefits of using Quizlet in teaching English?” The researcher aims to determine the teachers’ opinions on the advantages and positive impacts that Quizlet can bring to the English language learning process.

“…the interactive features and games provided by Quizlet can make learning more interesting and fun…the flashcards and matching help students to strengthen their vocabulary memory and their learning results are also getting better.” (Teacher 3)

Based on the interviews, the teachers emphasized the benefits of Quizlet in enhancing student engagement, improving the student’s skills and understanding of new vocabulary, and positively impacting student learning outcomes through the Flashcard and Matching feature. The teacher believes that Quizlet provides features that allow the integration of words with images or definitions. This feature helps teachers effectively instruct vocabulary, and it is expected to assist students in improving their vocabulary skills. When teaching vocabulary using Quizlet, students tend to be more active and easily understand new vocabulary introduced through the platform. This result suggests that Quizlet’s interactive features foster a more engaging and practical student learning experience. Quizlet’s interactive features and games make learning more appealing and enjoyable for students. Additionally, features such as flashcards and word matching help students reinforce vocabulary retention, leading to better learning outcomes. These findings align with Anjaniputra & Salsabila (2018), who found that university students enjoy using Quizlet and recognized it as a valuable tool for their learning development, particularly in vocabulary acquisition.

4.1.9 Challenges in using Quizlet to Teach English and its solutions

The question “Do you think there are any potential challenges/drawbacks/limitations that you will face when using Quizlet as a learning media for teaching English? and how would you address it” is aimed to find out the teachers’ perspective on the potential challenges or limitations using Quizlet in an English language classroom.

“…internet connectivity…to overcome…use tethering or hotspot from other friends or teacher.” (Teacher 3)

The teachers mentioned several potential challenges and limitations when using Quizlet in the classroom. Potential challenges that might be faced related to internet network could be a challenge in using Quizlet, as Pham (2022) stated that Quizlet required internet access to operate; therefore, it was only effective for users whose devices were constantly connected to the internet, so the users should have a stable internet connection. The students rely on mobile data, and there may be disruptions or slow connections affecting students’ ability to enter and use the platform. To overcome this problem, the teacher suggests that the students use school Wi-Fi or hotspots from friends and teachers.

Furthermore, the limited supervision could cause students to access websites other than Quizlet. To address this, the teacher recommends continuously monitoring the student’s learning progress and guiding them throughout the process. The teacher added another potential that might be faced is students’ different understanding of technology, which can affect their use and understanding of Quizlet. The way to overcome this problem is to support and guide students who are having trouble.

4.1.10 Teachers’ plan to use Quizlet to teach English in the future

The question “Do you think you will use Quizlet as a learning medium to teach English to your students in the future?” is aimed at discovering the teacher’s plans and intentions regarding using Quizlet as a learning medium for teaching English to their students.

 “I think so, because at school we are have implemented technology-based learning, if we can apply Quizlet in class it will definitely better.” (Teacher 2)

All teachers agree with the idea of using Quizlet in the classroom in the future. The teachers are considering or planning to use Quizlet in their English language teaching. The teacher believes that if Quizlet can be applied in the classroom, it would likely enhance the learning experience. The decision to use Quizlet is influenced by factors such as the school’s technology-based learning, the timing of exams, and the readiness of the teachers to try new teaching media.

4.2 The implementation of Quizlet as a learning medium to teach English vocabulary to elementary students

In order to gather data about the implementation of Quizlet to teach English vocabulary to elementary students, the researcher used class observation. The first observation was on May 1, 2023, the second on May 2, 2023, and the third on May 9, 2023. The researcher took observation sheets and field notes on all teaching and learning activities done in the classroom following the teacher’s lesson plan and the SAMR model.

Table 2: The implementation of Quizlet in SAMR model

The implementation activities were in line with the teacher’s lesson plan. The teacher focused on the standard competence of “Listening – Understanding very simple instructions with actions in a school context,” with a basic competency of “5.2 Responding to simple instructions verbally”. The indicator the teacher wants to reach is “Students can imitate the teacher’s words in vocabulary about types of work and can mention vocabulary related to themes.”

4.2.1 Meeting 1

The first meeting was conducted offline. There are four phases that the teacher conducted, as follows.

4.2.1.1. Preparation

In the preparation, as a substitution process, the teacher created a class and study set for meeting one during the digital learning media workshop conducted by the school. The teacher created her own study set so the flashcards could fit the topic and students’ needs (Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). The study sets created by the teacher consisted of a vocabulary about occupation or job from student book unit 10, grade 5 and add other relevant materials from internet sources. These findings are in line with the statement from Suardi & Sakti (2019) the teacher can introduce the vocabulary list from the book and add other relevant vocabularies to the subject matter. The vocabulary material is usually about a topic they are interested in or frequently encounter in their daily life because it will be easier for them to absorb and perform the words.

The profession study set has 16 vocabularies with pictures and definitions. The teacher also highlighted verbs and noun vocabulary in each term’s definition. A day before the implementation, the teacher instructed the students to create Quizlet accounts and join the class by clicking a link on a WhatsApp group. The teacher then verified the students’ accounts to track class participation with the Quizlet class feature. On the implementation day, the teacher ensured the availability of necessary equipment, such as Quizlet materials, a laptop, a handphone, and an LCD. The teacher also checked the internet connection and electricity to minimize potential disruptions.

4.2.1.2. Pre-teaching activity

The teacher began the first meeting with pre-teaching activities, which checked the students’ condition and attendance, explained the lesson for the day, and introduced Quizlet to the students. In this phase, the teacher should also review the previous material. However, due to limited lesson time, the teacher did not review it as the students could not remember it and move to the next activity. When the teacher explained the lesson they would learn that day and introduced Quizlet, the students listened to her explanation well. The students had no questions regarding Quizlet and understood how to use it from the teacher’s explanations.

4.2.1.3. Whilst-teaching activity

During the whilst activity, the teacher instructed the students to open Quizlet and log in to their accounts. The teacher provided step-by-step tutorials via a projector screen and assisted individual students with login issues.

The students then accessed the “profession” study set and learned vocabulary using Flashcard mode. In flashcard mode, the teacher taught pronunciation and spelling using a listen-and-repeat method. The teacher did not use the audio feature provided by Quizlet to prevent audio overlap making it difficult for students to concentrate. During the flashcard mode, the students actively interacted with the visual aids in Flashcard mode. The students showed enthusiasm and engagement with the interactive elements, such as pictures and definitions, which means this feature suits young learners (Tanjung & Daulay, 2022). In Learn mode, the students completed exercises in multiple-choice and typing formats. The teacher-guided them in answering the questions and monitored their progress. Most students finished this mode quickly, within 10 minutes. The students took a test in Test mode consisting of true or false, multiple-choice, and typing questions. They completed the test in less than 5 minutes, with almost all students achieving perfect scores. The students played a game in the Match mode, matching terms with their definitions. The teacher guided the students on how to do the Matching mode through the projector screen and checked them by individually coming to their desks. The students finished this mode in 3 minutes, and their ranks were displayed on the screen.

The activity of redefinition is the Live mode. The students joined the Live mode by entering the teacher’s Live code in www.quizlet.live. Each student was assigned a random character and could see their ranks throughout the game. The engagement and enthusiasm observed during the Live mode are in accordance with Lubis et al. (2022), Live mode in Quizlet can motivate and increase student participation in class, as indicated by the students clapping and appreciating the top-ranked student, suggesting that Quizlet’s gamified features successfully motivated and involved the students. 4.2.1.4. Post-teaching activity

At the end of the meeting, the teacher encouraged students to ask questions and share their experiences using Quizlet. The students had no questions, expressed excitement, and found Quizlet engaging. The teacher and students summarized the lesson and shared the difficulties faced by the students. The primary issue is the students need help with internet connection problems, resulting in lagging or slow performance during the online session. Afterwards, the teacher told the students what they would learn next week and asked them to use the Quizlet again at home.

After class ended, the teacher monitored the students’ progress using Quizlet’s Progress features. The students’ activity progress on the first meeting was Learn, Flashcard, Test, and Match mode. In the test mode, 14 students finished the mode with a score of 100%, and one student scored 93%. In the Match mode, the average time the students completed the match was 28,5 seconds, with 9,1 seconds as the fastest time. Based on Quizlet’s data, students get the 16 terms right 25%-75% of the time.

4.2.2 Meeting 2

The second meeting was held online through WhatsApp. In this meeting, the teacher conducted the lesson in four phases, those are: 4.2.2.1. Preparation

The teacher prepared the study set for the second meeting by modifying the previous study set from meeting 1. The teacher modified it by editing the definitions with examples of sentences, adding multiple-choice options, and changing the pictures. In the second study set, the teacher wanted to add multiple choice options as distractors to challenge the students, and it will be shown in Learn and Test mode.

4.2.2.2. Pre-teaching activity

The teacher began the class by greeting the students, asking about their condition, checking their attendance, and reviewing the previous materials. All of the students joined the class; it can be seen by their attendance on WhatsApp polling created by the teacher. The teacher informs the students about the materials they will learn in today’s lesson, focusing on using the noun of the profession in short sentences.

4.2.2.3. Whilst-teaching activity

The teacher instructed the students to access the Quizlet app or website and begin with flashcard mode. The students spent 15 minutes reviewing the vocabulary through this mode. Afterwards, the students study the set in Learn mode and complete exercises in multiple-choice and typing formats. The students finished the tasks before the allotted time, which was in less than 10 minutes.

The teacher introduced the Spell and Write modes, providing clear instructions through tutorial images. The teacher assessed Spell and Write modes simultaneously because both modes can be seen in one place, which is in Learn mode, making it easier for the students to find and do the modes. She gave 30-minute times due to the students’ unfamiliarity, in case some students had difficulties doing Spell and Write mode. The students completed both of the exercises in less than 25 minutes. The students found these modes easy to use, and no difficulties were reported.

In the Match mode, the students could finish it in less than 10 minutes, and they did not encounter any difficulties. The average study time was 23,12 seconds, with 12,6 as the fastest time. The students studied in Test mode with various question formats, including true or false, matching, multiple choice, and written. The students finished the test in less than 10 minutes and continued to study in other modes within the remaining time. In the test mode, 15 students completed the mode with an average score of 97.3%.

On the second meeting, the teacher decided not to utilize the Live mode feature on Quizlet. The reason for this was the teacher’s concern that not all students could access the Live mode simultaneously. The teacher wanted to avoid wasting time by having students wait for each other to join the Live mode. This finding aligns with Sippel (2022) that the “live” mode is typically used by a teacher as a classroom activity rather than by individuals. During whilst activity, the teacher always created polling and opened the Quizlet progress feature to track the students’ progress. The teacher regularly checked and monitored students’ performance in different Quizlet modes. Additionally, the teacher consistently appreciated and acknowledged the students’ efforts after completing each Quizlet mode. 4.2.2.4. Post-teaching activity

The teacher asked the students whether they had any questions regarding the material and Quizlet. All the students had no questions or difficulties using Quizlet for the second meeting. The students could create a short sentence using vocabulary learned as the summarizing activity. The teacher praised the students and provided an overview of the next meeting’s materials.

The teacher checked the students’ progress on Quizlet. The students’ activity progress on the second meeting was Flashcard, Learn, Write, Spell, Test, and Match mode. Based on Quizlet’s data, students get the 16 terms right 75%-100% of the time.

In the overall implementation, the time consumed in each mode gradually increased, and the students achieved good scores. Similar to the result from Avisteva & Halimi (2020), the Learn, Test, and Match modes were relatively easy-to-use for the students, as they could complete them within a short timeframe. The high level of performance here can also indicate that the modes effectively assessed the students’ vocabulary knowledge and comprehension (Sippel, 2022). The students expressed excitement about using Quizlet and mentioned that the internet connection was their only problem. This feedback highlights the importance of reliable internet access for a smooth implementation of Quizlet, as stated in previous research from Pham (2022). The teacher guided the students throughout the process, monitored their progress, and provided assistance. As Tanjung & Daulay (2022) stated, the teacher can track the students’ progress through Quizlet’s progress feature, and the teacher monitors the student’s learning progress at the end of the class to track their time progress.

V.  CONCLUSION

The research findings regarding elementary teachers’ perception and implementation of Quizlet as a learning medium to teach English vocabulary to elementary students can be summarized as follows. The teachers positively perceived Quizlet, considering it more effective than traditional learning methods. They found Quizlet’s features, such as study sets, Flashcard, Match games, and instant feedback, to be beneficial in making teaching and learning easier, fun, and enjoyable. Moreover, the teachers believed that elementary students could easily use Quizlet due to its simple user interface, and the students enjoyed using it during the learning process.

The teachers identified several benefits of using Quizlet in teaching English vocabulary to elementary students. These benefits included improved vocabulary skills and understanding, a positive impact on learning outcomes, and increased student engagement and activity. However, the teachers also acknowledged some potential challenges and limitations. These challenges included limited supervision, internet connectivity issues, varying levels of technological understanding among students, and student motivation for independent learning. To address these challenges, the teachers recommended close monitoring, utilizing stable internet connections, and providing guidance and support to students as needed.

The implementation of Quizlet as a learning medium to teach English vocabulary to elementary students was observed to be successful. The vocabulary taught to the students was sourced from vocabulary lists from the book and adapted from other sources. The teacher followed the SAMR model by incorporating pre- and post-activity in her lessons. Quizlet’s features, including Flashcard, Learn, Write, Spell, Test, Match, and Live, were utilized in both offline and online learning settings over two meetings.

The implications of Quizlet in English language teaching related to assessment in the Independent Curriculum can be used as the assessment as learning, for learning and of Learning. In the assessment as learning, Quizlet’s feedback feature empowers students to independently measure their abilities and recognize strengths and weaknesses in their English language learning process. This self-awareness enables students to identify specific areas for further improvement and set learning targets to enhance their understanding.

In the assessment for learning, Quizlet serves as a valuable teaching aid, allowing educators to present diverse and engaging English language content through features like flashcards, live quizzes, and matching games. In the assessment of learning, Quizlet can be used as an assessment tool to measure students’ understanding of the English material being taught. Teachers can create formative or summative quizzes using the Quizlet Test feature to measure how far students have achieved learning objectives.

The implementation of Quizlet was well-received by the students, who found it exciting and engaging. They could navigate various Quizlet modes, complete exercises, and achieve high scores. The teacher provided guidance and support throughout the implementation process, ensuring all students could participate and benefit from the learning activities. However, challenges were encountered, particularly related to internet connectivity issues. Despite these challenges, the overall implementation was successful, and the students demonstrated progress in mastering the vocabulary terms. The data collected through Quizlet indicated that the students performed well in the different modes, with the majority achieving high scores. In conclusion, the research findings show that Quizlet is perceived positively by elementary teachers and successfully implemented as a learning medium for teaching English vocabulary. The teachers believe the different features and interactive modes provided by Quizlet are beneficial, and the students would enjoy using them. The implementation of Quizlet improved vocabulary knowledge, positive learning outcomes, and increased student engagement. Although some challenges, such as internet connectivity issues, were encountered but the overall implementation was successful. 

VI.  SUGGESTION

According to the findings of the research, the following suggestions are as follows:

1. English teacher

After using Quizlet for vocabulary learning, the teacher could implement follow-up activities incorporating contextual activities which can further enhance students’ language proficiency and application of the newly acquired words. The activites can be in the form of role-play, where the students are devided into pairs or small groups and assign them specific scenarios or dialogues that incorporate the target vocabulary.

The teacher in this study has already used Quizlet as a learning media to help students acquire vocabulary in both online and offline learning. So the teacher could discuss and share the experiences in using Quizlet with others. Looking at the excellent result of implementing Quizlet, the teacher needs to maintain using Quizlet as a learning media in the following new academic year in teaching vocabulary.

2. Further Researcher

This study is focused on Quizlet as a learning medium at the elementary level to teach English vocabulary. If any other researcher would like to research the same topic, developing it for other levels, such as junior high school, senior high school, or university, would be better. Other researchers can also focus on other English skills besides vocabulary.

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