e-Journal of ELTS (English Language Teaching Society)
Vol. 14 No. 03 (2026)

TEACHER-MEDIATED DUOLINGO USE AND VOCABULARY GAINS AMONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL EFL LEARNERS IN INDONESIAN CONTEXT

St. Hartina (Universitas Islam Negeri Palopo)
Syahrir (Univeristas Muhammadiyah Palopo)
Nurul Fajriani Syafar (Universitas Muhammadiyah Kolaka Utara)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Sep 2026

Abstract

Vocabulary mastery remains a critical challenge in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, particularly among junior high school students who have limited opportunities for English exposure beyond classroom settings. Despite the fact that Duolingo has been extensively researched as a mobile-assisted language learning tool, there is still limited data regarding how junior high school students in small-urban Indonesian settings use it in the classroom. This study investigated students’ vocabulary achievement after participating in a teacher-mediated Duolingo-supported vocabulary intervention. Employing a quantitative pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design, the study involved 24 ninth-grade students at a state junior high school in Palopo, Indonesia. A validated vocabulary mastery test was used to gather data, and descriptive statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, the paired-sample t-test, and Cohen's d effect size were used for analysis. The results showed a significant improvement in students’ vocabulary scores from pre-test (M = 77.91, SD = 11.31) to post-test (M = 89.58, SD = 7.50), t(23) = 7.462, p < .001, with a large effect size (d = 1.52). These findings suggest that teacher-mediated Duolingo activities may support vocabulary development through structured mobile-based practice and feedback. However, the absence of a control group and the short intervention period limit causal interpretation. This study provides contextual information about the use of gamified mobile learning in Indonesian junior high school EFL classes.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

elts

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

e-Journal of ELTS (English Language Teaching Society) is an electronic open-access journal that aims to publish the latest research results in the area of English education from academicians, professionals, and other practitioners at all levels of English education. The journal coverage includes the ...