Penggunaan Media Tangga Pintar dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Matematika Siswa Kelas III di SD Negeri 02 Pelemkerep

Abstract

This study was motivated by the low level of understanding regarding units of length among elementary school students, a result of teacher-centered instruction and the suboptimal use of learning media. Consequently, students struggled to grasp the concept of length units in a concrete manner. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the "Smart Ladder" (Tangga Pintar) media, developed based on the Discovery Learning model, on elementary school students' understanding of length unit concepts, in comparison with conventional instruction. A quantitative approach was employed using a quasi-experimental method and a non-equivalent control group design. The research subjects consisted of an experimental class taught using the Smart Ladder media and a control class receiving conventional instruction. Data collection techniques included concept understanding tests, observations, and questionnaires. Data analysis involved normality tests, homogeneity tests, paired-sample t-tests, independent-sample t-tests, N-Gain analysis, and effect size calculations. The results indicate that the use of the Smart Ladder media significantly improved students' understanding of length unit concepts, as shown by a significant increase from pretest to posttest scores (paired-sample t-test, p < 0.001) with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.27). However, the independent-sample t-test showed no statistically significant difference between the posttest scores of the experimental and control classes (p = 0.257), and N-Gain analysis showed a comparable, moderate level of improvement in both classes (58.66% and 58.75%, respectively). This indicates that the Smart Ladder media produced learning gains on par with, rather than clearly superior to, conventional instruction. Thus, the Smart Ladder media is effective as a mathematics learning tool for helping students understand length unit concepts more concretely, increasing active learning engagement, and fostering a better grasp of the concepts, although further research with a larger sample is needed to establish its superiority over conventional methods.