Abstrak
ABSTRACT This research investigated the effect of using comic strips as instructional media on students’ writing ability in narrative texts at SMAN 1 Panyabungan. Writing is a productive skill that requires learners to generate and organize ideas coherently, and the use of visual media such as comic strips is believed to facilitate this process (Megawati & Anugerahwati, 2012). This study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, involving two classes of the eleventh grade: XI1 as the experimental class and XI2 as the control class, each consisting of 22 students. The experimental class was taught by using comic strips, while the control class received conventional instruction. The data were obtained through pre-tests and post-tests assessing five components of writing: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. The results of the statistical analysis using SPSS V20 showed that the significance value (Sig. 2-tailed) was 0.000 0.05, indicating a significant difference between the two groups. The mean score of the experimental class increased from 65.95 to 80.82, while that of the control class rose from 56.18 to 70.14. It can be concluded that the use of comic strips had a positive and significant effect on students’ ability to write narrative texts, helping them to develop ideas, improve organization, and enhance their creativity. Therefore, comic strips are considered effective instructional media for improving students’ writing performance in English narrative text learning.