Using Digital Storytelling to Enhance Students’ Speaking Skills

: Many students, particularly those who are studying English as a foreign language (EFL), face a considerable difficulty in achieving a high level of speaking proficiency. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of digital storytelling on improving English speaking proficiency.This study utilised a pre-test-posttest group design. The study's demographic and sample comprise 80 students from Class XI IPA in the academic year 2023/2024. The researcher utilised the snowball sampling approach to determine the necessary sample size. Before administering the before and post tests, the researcher evaluated the validity and reliability of the instrument using SPSS. This was accomplished by analysing the scores on the corrected item total correlation, which quantifies the relationship between item scores and the overall item score. The pupils were assigned the labels Group A (experimental) and Group B (control). Afterwards, pupils participate in a Pretest to determine any differences among them. The researcher offered digital storytelling to both groups, but only the experimental group utilised it, while the control group did not. The experimental group will be subjected to a treatment that involves the utilisation of digital storytelling. The T test was utilised as the technique for data analysis. The results showed that the calculated T value was 7.313, and the significance value was below 0.05. Thus, it can be inferred that the use of digital storytelling allows students to improve their English speaking skills. This research is important because it can improve the process of acquiring the English language, namely by emphasising the importance of teachers in teaching digital storytelling during English language learning.


Introduction
Many students, particularly those who are studying English as a foreign language (EFL), face a considerable difficulty in achieving a high level of speaking proficiency.The occurrence of this phenomenon is typically attributed to insufficient instructor engagement and a passive approach to dealing with pupils (Pratiwi & Zulfitri, 2023).Oral communication is a crucial component of both learning and effective interpersonal interaction.Being able to speak a second or third language enhances students' capacity to analyse, connect, and place circumstances in a broader perspective outside their educational encounters.The primary approach to involving students was through verbal communication (Ramalingam et al., 2022).Students communicate their thoughts, ideas, and wants verbally.Fluency in speaking is crucial throughout the initial phases of learning, particularly in nations like Malaysia that have diverse racial and linguistic communities (Xu et al., 2021).Nevertheless, swift technical advancements and accompanying technology are altering the ways in which students learn.There is a greater abundance of technological tools, products, and services that can augment students' learning capabilities.Consequently, educators are increasingly incorporating technology into the classroom setting to enhance students' listening and speaking abilities.Studies have shown that using stories as a teaching tool can improve students' communication skills in both formal and informal contexts, including the home (Sharma, 2018).The rise of digital media has opened up new avenues for the production of inventive narrative content.A new kind of narrative called "digital storytelling" is gaining popularity as a means to improve teaching and learning through the use of digital media.Teachers can use digital storytelling to explore many aspects of language, capturing students' interest and helping them concentrate in the classroom (Badawi et al., 2022).In the current era of globalisation, it is imperative for students to enhance their speaking skills in order to excel in various sectors of life.Utilising mobile applications for digital storytelling can serve as a viable method to enhance the oral communication abilities of pupils in primary education.Digital storytelling is an intriguing method to investigate in the classroom due to students' keen interest in modern technology, visual representation, and active virtual engagement (Hidayati, 2019).
The purpose of digital storytelling is to realise the aspirations of storytellers by employing technological means to animate personal narratives through the use of photographs, music or soundtracks, and graphics (Rossiter & Garcia, 2010).Digital storytelling has become a promising and unique method for enhancing English speaking abilities in language instruction.Given the growing significance of English as a worldwide means of communication, educators are seeking efficient approaches to involve pupils and enhance their ability to speak fluently.Digital storytelling utilises many multimedia components, including images, audio, video, and text, to construct a tale.This approach offers language learners an engaging and interactive platform for creative expression.Various technological devices such as computers, digital cameras, and editing software (Rahayu et al., 2023).
Digital storytelling is the mental act of creating narratives and then presenting them in a more engaging way through various digital mediums, with an emphasis on the importance of values and meaning (Gregori-Signes, 2014).According to (Anderson et al., 2018;Smeda et al., 2014), storytelling can be a valuable instrument for education since it allows people to pass on information and social-cultural history to a wider audience and future generations.Storytelling can now be experienced through digital media platforms, thanks to technical advancements.With the use of digital storytelling a creative style of storytelling that incorporates text, visuals, and audio students' speaking abilities can be enhanced (Puteriaa & Chakim, 2022).Educators can provide students with opportunities to develop a stronger sense of cultural identification through more interactive and relevant lessons made possible by this technology (Staley & Freeman, 2017).Both the multiliteracies of society and the constructivist theory of learning support the use of digital storytelling to teach English as a second language.Learners' cultural and personal identities can be fostered using digital storytelling as a medium for instruction (Bechter & Swierczek, 2017;Stanley, 2018).As a critical life skill for the twenty-first century, students at today's universities must be able to express themselves effectively in digital formats (Chan et al., 2017).Furthermore, students must be able to hone their narrative abilities in relation to the development of technological tools for language acquisition (Ribeiro, 2015).Some of the advantages of digital storytelling for language learning have been highlighted by (Gregori-Signes, 2014).These include improved linguistic communication, digital and learning abilities, encouragement of learning autonomy, and individual initiative.Digital storytelling also gives pupils the opportunity to practise all four of the language arts' multimodal competencies: reading, speaking, listening, and writing.Digital storytelling is a game-changer in the field of educational technology because it may promote technology-based transformational learning, which includes topics like critical thinking, -1905 -technology literacy, learning motivation, and substantive material (Moradi & Chen, 2019).
The art of storytelling is regarded as a powerful and alternate method.Creative thinking and language proficiency are aided by its crosscultural understanding role and the values of one's family and community (Abdolmanafi-Rokni & Qarajeh, 2014).Thus, it is believed that English teachers can make use of technological advancements to aid their students' English learning; digital storytelling is one such tool.Because it encourages students to think critically and expand their vocabulary, digital storytelling is the best way to improve their learning (Indriani & Suteja, 2023).Students may also have an easier time remembering what they've seen on television when they use digital storytelling.In order to facilitate the teaching of language skills, digital storytelling can meet the needs of students in terms of communication and self-expression.Students can benefit from digital storytelling in many ways, including improved learning, enhanced visual memory, increased self-esteem, and the development of an open mind (Asnas, 2024;Munajah et al., 2022).
A number of prior studies (Hidayati, 2019;Kallinikou & Nicolaidou, 2019;Puteriaa & Chakim, 2022;Ramalingam et al., 2022;Zamzam, 2020) have demonstrated that digital storytelling enhances students' speaking abilities in areas such as grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and pronunciation.Additionally, it boosts their motivation by generating interest and highlighting the importance of the subject matter.Moreover, it enhances usability and selfefficacy, particularly in improving language fluency.The research findings demonstrate that the utilisation of digital stories yields a favourable impact on students' proficiency in spoken communication.Consequently, the subsequent inquiries are posed: 1).Is there a difference speaking skill before and after using digital storytelling?2).Does digital storytelling have any effect on students speaking skill?.The objective of this study is to ascertain the efficacy of digital storytelling in enhancing English oral communication abilities.This study aims to discover and enhance students' speaking abilities, ultimately leading to an improvement in their English language ability.Due to the inadequate proficiency in speaking skills among several students at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Serang, it is imperative to conduct this research promptly.

Research Method
This study uses a method for quantitative study.The goal of quantitative research is to shed light on social phenomena by analysing the relationship between the variables being studied.Utilizing a statistical methodology.The research methodology is referred to as positivistic since it adheres to the principles of positivism.This research employs a proper experimental design for its experimental methodology.Quasi-trials closely resemble actual tests in every aspect, except for the lack of comparative elements that may be utilized to deduce the effects of treatment.The sole exception to this is the random assignment.When randomization is neither feasible or convenient in field studies due to logistical limitations, researchers often employ 'unequal groups' as an acceptable research tool.Although we cannot depend on the precise and spontaneous responses of real trials to tackle validity concerns, it is crucial that we confront these obstacles firsthand in such situations.When performing quasi-experimental research to demonstrate causal linkages, it is crucial to consider the impact of starting group differences (Dornyei & Griffee, 2010).
A pre-test-posttest group design was employed as the research approach in this study.The validity and reliability of the instrument were examined using SPSS before the pre-and posttests were administered.To do this, we measure the item-to-total item correlation and then evaluate the corrected total item correlation score.Students were divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group.After that, in order to find out if there are any differences, the pupils take a pretest.A separate control group and an experimental group will engage with one another in this experiment.Researchers gave digital stories to both groups, but only the one that was given the opportunity to use them actually did so.As a form of treatment, digital storytelling will be given to the experimental group.(Creswell, 2014).The researcher utilises it to determine the quantity of samples to be collected, as previously said.After interviewing an English instructor at MA Negeri 1 Serang, who asserted that the two IPA sessions in question were more efficacious for this study, the researcher made a determination regarding which option to select.According to the interview, the researcher determined that the XI IPA 1 class will be instructed in digital storytelling, while the other class will only be taught digital storytelling via traditional means.
One type of assessments is conducted on the students to gather the necessary information.During their training, the students participate in a lexical quiz administered by the researcher.During the treatment, the researcher received instruction on the subject of digital storytelling and was given assistance on how to become proficient in its efficient use.The speaking test was given to students as a follow-up task after the pretest.The data was analysed using the pre-and post-test results.Upon completion, researchers compile test data into a unified report.

Result and Discussions
The findings of this research answer the research problem formulation: 1.Is there a difference in speaking ability before and after using digital storytelling?2. Does digital storytelling affect students' speaking abilities?.The report outlines the results of the descriptive statistical analysis performed on the variable data.

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics Class Experiment
The following results are obtained from the data analysis carried out in this study: After acquiring it, the researchers performed a comparative investigation of the posttest speaking ability.The research findings suggest that the process of learning digital storytelling has a significant influence on students' ability to speak fluently and effectively.This strategy significantly improves students' oral communication abilities.Both prior to and following treatment, it was evidenced that the average test scores of students in class XI IPA 1 were markedly different.The average score for class XI IPA 1 before the intervention was 58.55, but the average score after the intervention was 85.50.The average score before therapy was 65.40, but the average score after treatment was 73.55.Hence, it can be inferred that utilising digital storytelling is more beneficial than using traditional approaches for teaching spoken communication.

Table 3. Descriptive Statistics Class Control
In addition, the t value is 7.313 and the significance level (Sig) is 0.000, which is less than 0.05.The findings indicate disparities in students' oral proficiency prior to and following the implementation of digital storytelling.Digital storytelling is the result of combining storytelling with digital technology to fulfil educational requirements, including communication and selfexpression, as well as to enhance language skills, particularly in story writing (Maksum et al., 2022).4 demonstrates notable discrepancies in the English language proficiency of students, as evidenced by the paired t-test.This study showcases the different levels of English speaking skills among students after receiving intervention through the use of student digital storytelling.
Research findings reveal substantial discrepancies in students' oral communication skills, as seen by large differences in the mean and standard deviation of pre-test and post-test scores.To investigate the primary research question, namely, whether there is a difference in speaking ability before and after the use of digital storytelling.Based on the findings of the pre-test and post-test, there are noticeable differences in students' speaking skills before using digital storytelling, as shown in  Hidayati, 2019;Kallinikou & Nicolaidou, 2019;Puteriaa & Chakim, 2022;Ramalingam et al., 2022;Zamzam, 2020) have consistently shown that digital storytelling improves students' speaking skills in various aspects including grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and pronunciation.Moreover, it enhances their motivation by stimulating curiosity and emphasising the significance of the topic.Furthermore, it improves the ease of use and one's belief in their own abilities, especially when it comes to enhancing language fluency.Moreover, to examine the second research issue regarding the influence of digital storytelling on students' English-speaking skills, we can consult the research results provided in table 4.An analysis using a Paired Sample T Test shows substantial differences in students' Englishspeaking competency after the introduction of digital storytelling.According to previous studies (Rahayu et al., 2023;Zamzam, 2020), digital storytelling has been found to be a successful and enjoyable method for enhancing speaking abilities.The participation of students in digital storytelling activities resulted in an enhancement of their speaking abilities, indicating that this approach can be effective in facilitating language acquisition.Moreover, after utilising digital storytelling, the majority of students expressed positive views, with a significant number finding it both motivating and enjoyable.This research is important because it can improve the acquisition of the English language, namely by emphasising the importance of teachers' role in employing digital storytelling for teaching during English language learning.This research is expected to empower instructors to give priority to the instruction of digital storytelling in the classroom, even with the time limitations given by the English curriculum.

Conclusion
Based on the research results and discussions, two research findings were found that showed differences in speaking proficiency before and after the implementation of digital storytelling, which highlighted the influence of digital storytelling on students' oral communication talents and the impact of storytelling in improving students' speaking abilities.This is proven by the results of the pretest and post-test, as well as the analysis of Paired Sample T Test data.This research is essential because it can potentially improve the English language acquisition process by highlighting instructors' vital role in teaching digital storytelling during English language learning.This research has limitations and obstacles; namely, the English curriculum determines a time limit.Therefore, in future research, researchers can expand the reach of digital storytelling research to cover all levels of education in Indonesia rather than just concentrating on high schools or Islamic boarding schools.

Table 4 .
Paired Samples T Test Mean Std.Std.Mean of Confidence t df Sig.