STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF DUOLINGO AS GAMIFICATION TOWARD THEIR VOCABULARY MASTERY AT MTS AL-FAKHRIYAH BATURAJA

This study aimed to explore the perceptions of eighth-grade students at MTs AlFakhriyah Baturaja regarding the use of Duolingo as a gamified learning tool to support their vocabulary mastery. The research employed a descriptive qualitative method. A total of 21 students from class VIII-B were selected through purposive sampling from the eighth-grade population at MTs Al-Fakhriyah Baturaja. Data were collected using a close-ended questionnaire and open-ended interviews. The questionnaire data were analyzed using a percentage-based technique, while the interview data were examined using Miles and Huberman’s (2014) interactive
model, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.The findings revealed that students held positive perceptions of Duolingo in enhancing their vocabulary learning. They found the application enjoyable,
interactive, and effective in helping them understand, retain, and apply newvocabulary. Moreover, Duolingo’s gamification features such as points, levels, and rewards were perceived to boost students’ motivation, engagement, and confidencein learning English. These results suggest that gamified tools like Duolingo can foster a more student-centered and motivating vocabulary learning experience.

Keywords: Duolingo, gamification, vocabulary mastery