Students’ Difficulties in Vocabulary Learning in the Eleventh Grade of SMAN 1 Kediri: A Mixed-Methods Case Study, Academic Year 2025/2026

This study aims to investigate the difficulties that eleventh-grade students face in learning English vocabulary, to examine how these difficulties affect their English learning, and to identify which difficulty is the most dominant. A mixed-methods case study was conducted at SMAN 1 Kediri, West Lombok, in the 2025/2026 academic year. Quantitative data were collected through an 18-item, five-point Likert questionnaire based on Thornbury’s (2004) framework and administered to 70 students; all items were valid (r = .400–.627), and the instrument was reliable (Cronbach’s α = .848). Qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with six students and analyzed thematically. All five aspects of vocabulary learning were rated as high-level difficulties (means 3.46–3.62). Meaning ranked first (M = 3.62), followed by appropriate use (3.60), pronunciation and spelling (3.58), length, complexity and grammar (3.58), and connotation (3.46). The interviews showed that students struggled with words with multiple meanings, words that look alike, and retaining learned meanings. Students also reported that these difficulties reduced their confidence and participation and affected their reading, speaking, writing, and perceived learning progress. The findings are context-bound and point to the need for context-rich, meaning-focused vocabulary instruction.