<![CDATA[This study investigated the effectiveness of digital storytelling (DST) in improving junior high school students' vocabulary mastery in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. Facing challenges in vocabulary acquisition due to limited exposure and unengaging materials, this research addressed a gap in the application of DST for vocabulary mastery in Indonesian junior high schools. A mixed Methode explanatory sequential design was employed, utilizing a pretest-posttest control group approach. The study involved 54 eighth-grade students from Madrasah Ulumul Qur’an (MUQ) Pidie, divided into an experimental group (receiving DST-based instruction) and a control group (receiving conventional instruction), selected through intact group sampling. Data were collected using a validated and reliable multiple-choice vocabulary test and also interview. The findings indicated that both digital storytelling and conventional teaching methods were effective in improving students' vocabulary mastery, as evidenced by significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores within both groups. The control group showed a slightly higher average N-Gain score (0.55) compared to the experimental group (0.49), suggesting a marginally greater effectiveness of the conventional method in this specific context. However, the study concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in vocabulary improvement between students taught using digital storytelling and those taught using conventional methods. This non-significant statistical outcome might be attributed to the limited study duration (three weeks with five meetings) and the students' adaptation period to the digital media.]]>
