The Use of Instagram to Improve Students’ Ability in Writing Recount Texts

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of Instagram as a learning medium for improving tenth-grade students’ ability to write recount texts at SMK Bakti Nusa Tamansari. The study responded to students’ difficulties in developing, organizing, and expressing ideas in English writing and to the need for learning media that connect classroom activities with students’ digital practices. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was employed. Students completed a writing pre-test before receiving Instagram-based instruction and a post-test after the treatment. Instagram photographs and captions were used to stimulate ideas, support chronological organization, and provide a meaningful context for recount writing. The students’ pre-test and post-test performances were compared using a t-test. The analysis produced a calculated t-value of 17.2, exceeding the critical t-value of 2.04. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis was rejected, indicating a significant improvement in students’ recount-text writing performance after the treatment. The findings suggest that Instagram can function as a relevant supplementary medium for English writing instruction by linking visual prompts, personal experiences, digital literacy, and written communication. Its use should nevertheless be guided by clear learning objectives, structured writing activities, teacher feedback, and responsible digital practices particularly in vocational secondary school learning contexts today.