Implementing QR Code Media to Improve Students' Vocabulary Mastery at TK IT Al Irsyad Koto Baru

Widia  Siska

Authors

Widia Siska STITNU Sakinah Dharmasraya Author

Keywords:

picture-based media; QR code; vocabulary mastery; early childhood education; kindergarten; mobile-assisted language learning

Abstract

Vocabulary mastery is one of the fundamental components of early English language development, yet young learners at the kindergarten level often struggle to retain new words when instruction relies solely on verbal explanation or static printed materials. This article discusses the implementation of QR code media as an instructional tool to improve vocabulary mastery among students at TK IT AL Irsyad Koto Baru. The medium combines printed picture cards representing concrete vocabulary items (such as animals, fruits, colors, and daily objects) with embedded QR codes that, when scanned using a tablet or smartphone camera, direct students and teachers to short audio pronunciations, animations, or videos related to the pictured word. Grounded in Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1990), Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, and the broader framework of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL), this approach is expected to strengthen children's verbal and visual memory pathways simultaneously, increase engagement, and provide immediate audio-visual reinforcement of new vocabulary. This article outlines the background of the problem, the theoretical foundation, the four-stage design and implementation procedure of the media, its anticipated pedagogical benefits, the practical challenges likely to arise in a kindergarten setting, and closes with limitations and recommendations for teachers and future researchers who wish to adopt or evaluate similar technology-assisted media in early childhood classrooms.

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