THE EFFECT OF THE MIND MAPPING LEARNING METHOD ON STUDENTS’ NARRATIVE WRITING SKILLS IN GRADE VII OF SMP AL-ULUM MEDAN

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of the Mind Mapping method on students’ narrative writing skills in Grade VII at SMP Al-Ulum Medan. The background of this research is the low level of students’ writing ability, characterized by limited motivation, difficulty in initiating writing (blank page syndrome), and weak ability to organize chronological storylines due to the dominance of conventional lecture-based instruction. This study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design with a Pretest-Posttest Non-Equivalent Control Group design. The population consisted of all Grade VII students, while the sample included Class VII-A (25 students) as the experimental group taught using the Mind Mapping method and Class VII-B (25 students) as the control group taught using conventional instruction. The research instrument was a narrative writing performance test assessed using an analytical rubric covering content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis through an Independent Samples t-Test. The results revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group, with the mean score increasing from 62.40 in the pretest to 82.80 in the posttest, while the control group increased from 61.60 to 70.20. The hypothesis testing showed a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05, indicating that the Mind Mapping method has a significant effect on students’ narrative writing skills.