This study examines the effectiveness of the Velcro Dart Game in improving
English vocabulary mastery among seventh-grade students at SMPN 1 Barabai,
Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency. The research is driven by the need to bridge the gap
between the government's mandate for engaging, interactive learning and the
widespread use of monotonous, teacher-centered methods that diminish student
motivation in English language learning. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent
control group design was used, involving 51 students split into an experimental
class (27 students, Class VII-C) receiving the Velcro Dart Game treatment and a
control class (24 students, Class VII-B) taught conventionally. Data were collected
via pre-tests and post-tests, then analyzed using an independent t-test at a 5%
significance level, supplemented by Cohen's d Effect Size analysis. The
experimental group's mean score rose from 46.1 to 65.0, while the control group
improved from 45.1 to 62.2. Despite this upward trend, the t-test yielded an
observed value (tₒ) of 0.550, below the critical t-table value of 2.010, resulting in
the rejection of the Alternative Hypothesis. No statistically significant difference
was found between the two groups. The Effect Size analysis returned a Cohen's d
value of 0.156, indicating a low but positive practical effect of the game on
vocabulary development. Classroom observation also identified four
implementation difficulties: inattention during peers' turns, unproductive peer
reactions that raised students' affective filters, insufficient focus during vocabulary
explanations, and time inefficiency caused by poor throwing accuracy. These
challenges collectively limited the game's pedagogical impact. In conclusion, the
Velcro Dart Game offers a positive but limited effect on vocabulary learning and
does not statistically outperform traditional instruction under this study's
conditions. Its success depends heavily on strong classroom management and
supportive peer dynamics.