The Effect of Inquiry-Based Learning on Eighth-Grade Students’ Descriptive Writing Skills at SMP Negeri 10 Palu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i2.1344

Authors

  • Sitti Nuraeni Universitas Tadulako https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6539-1591
  • Wahyudin Wahyudin Universitas Tadulako
  • Desrin Lebagi Universitas Tadulako
  • Budi Budi Universitas Tadulako

Keywords:

Inquiry-Based Learning, Writing Skills, Quasi-experimental design, Descriptive Text, Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in improving descriptive writing skills of eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 10 Palu. A quasi-experimental design was employed involving 52 students selected through purposive sampling and divided into an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were given pre-tests and post-tests to measure their writing performance. The results show that the experimental group’s mean score increased from 60.54 to 75.88, while the control group also improved from 62.12 to 72.04. The independent-samples t-test showed no significant difference in pre-test scores between the two groups, indicating that both groups had similar initial writing ability. Although both groups showed improvement after the learning process, the experimental group showed a greater increase in mean score than the control group. The findings suggest that Inquiry-Based Learning contributed positively to students’ development of descriptive writing.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

I. H. Hsieh, “Creative writing instruction for primary students: An in-depth analysis in the context of curriculum reform in Vietnam,” International Online Journal of Primary Education, 2024, doi: 10.55020/iojpe.1467861.

A. Muharmah and U. Fauzan, “Grammatical errors of the ninth-grade Indonesian EFL students’ writing,” EDUCASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan …, 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.educasia.or.id/index.php/educasia/article/view/262

H. Aljuaid, “The impact of artificial intelligence tools on academic writing instruction in higher education: A systematic review,” 2024, academia.edu. [Online]. Available: https://www.academia.edu/download/114190352/2.pdf

I. J. Gelb, A study of writing. books.google.com, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KOmREQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=writing+elements&ots=hS7Kkia8au&sig=wjaK5ZrqWxY_NcPZF7nFtisWwS4

C. Fan and J. Wang, “Configurational impact of self-regulated writing strategy, writing anxiety, and perceived writing difficulty on EFL writing performance: an fsQCA approach,” 2024, nature.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-61537-x

G. Tracey, R. Morgan, and J. Schraffenberger, Elements of creative writing. scholarworks.uni.edu, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facbook/770/

J. Harmer, How to teach English. London: Pearson, 2007.

H. D. Brown, Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, Second Edi. New York: Pearson Education, 2001.

M. C. Galvan and J. L. Galvan, Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. taylorfrancis.com, 2024. doi: 10.4324/9781003317098.

Y. I. Sari, D. H. Utomo, and I. K. Astina, “The effect of problem based learning on problem solving and scientific writing skills.,” International Journal of Instruction, 2021, [Online]. Available: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1290959

S. Mahapatra, “Impact of ChatGPT on ESL students’ academic writing skills: A mixed methods intervention study,” 2024, Springer. doi: 10.1186/s40561-024-00295-9.

C. G. Thomas and C. G. Thomas, Research methodology and scientific writing. Springer, 2021. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64865-7.

B. A. Garner, Legal writing in plain English: A text with exercises. books.google.com, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qfHNEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=problems+in+writing&ots=rjM3kNfsPR&sig=Hwa0mQUWz6lpkWzebd_iBfGoXew

S. Harris, “The role and development of self-regulation in the writing process,” Self-regulation of learning and performance, 2023, [Online]. Available: https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/chapters/edit/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9780203763353-9&type=chapterpdf

M. Nystrand, What writers know: The language, process, and structure of written discourse. books.google.com, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=UPP7EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=problems+in+writing&ots=jPjcL99KHi&sig=kLopEqnmKz7GIQ0LzKLYEtS-WFA

T. N. Fitria, “Grammarly as AI-powered English writing assistant: Students’ alternative for writing English,” 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tira-Nur-Fitria/publication/352207965_Grammarly_as_AI-powered_English_Writing_Assistant_Students’_Alternative_for_English_Writing/links/60bed29992851cb13d88d0eb/Grammarly-as-AI-powered-English-Writing-Assistant-Student

S. Md. Muniruzzaman and S. Afrin, “Improving academic writing skill: Difficulties encountered by undergraduates of English studies in Bangladesh,” Englisia: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 215, 2024, doi: 10.22373/ej.v11i2.19918.

Q. A. Syifa, A. K. A.- Baekani, and M. Srisudarso, “Junior High School Students’ Difficulties in Writing Descriptive Text,” JIIP - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, vol. 5, no. 10, pp. 4470–4474, 2022, doi: 10.54371/jiip.v5i10.1044.

M. Duran and I. Dökme, “The effect of the inquiry-based learning approach on student’s critical-thinking skills,” Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 12, no. 12, pp. 2887–2908, 2016, doi: 10.12973/eurasia.2016.02311a.

I. Abraham and Y. Supriyati, “Desain Kuasi Eksperimen Dalam Pendidikan: Literatur Review,” Jurnal Ilmiah Mandala Education, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 2476–2482, 2022, doi: 10.58258/jime.v8i3.3800.

I. Etikan, “Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling,” American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 1, 2016, doi: 10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11.

A. Rahman and Md. G. Muktadir, “SPSS: An Imperative Quantitative Data Analysis Tool for Social Science Research,” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, vol. 05, no. 10, pp. 300–302, 2021, doi: 10.47772/ijriss.2021.51012.

S. Graham and D. Perin, “Writingnext Effective Strategies To Improve Writing Of Adolescents In Middle And High Schools A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York,” 2007.

B. D. Wale and Y. N. Bogale, “Menggunakan Instruksi Menulis Berbasis Inkuiri untuk Mengembangkan Keterampilan Menulis Akademik Siswa,” Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, vol. 6, no. 1, 2021.

J. Hattie, Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge, 2009.

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2026-05-25

How to Cite

[1]
S. Nuraeni, W. Wahyudin, D. Lebagi, and B. Budi, “The Effect of Inquiry-Based Learning on Eighth-Grade Students’ Descriptive Writing Skills at SMP Negeri 10 Palu”, J.Gen.Educ.Humanit., vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 3177–3186, May 2026.

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): April

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of General Education and Humanities

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Most read articles by the same author(s)