Ainara Journal (Jurnal Penelitian dan PKM Bidang Ilmu Pendidikan)

The Effectiveness of Alphabet Block Games on Language Development in Early Childhood Letter Recognition

Noviana Noviana — 2025-09-25

Language ability is a fundamental aspect of early childhood development, especially letter recognition, which serves as the foundation for literacy skills. Preliminary observations at KB Nune Pangeran indicated that most children in Group B struggled with recognizing letters due to conventional teaching methods that relied heavily on worksheets and lacked engaging media. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of using letter block games to improve children’s language development, particularly in early literacy. The research employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design based on Kemmis and McTaggart’s model, conducted in two cycles involving 24 children aged 5–6 years during the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through structured observation using validated instruments assessed by expert judgment. The findings revealed a clear improvement in children’s performance across the cycles, with the majority reaching the “Developing as Expected” and “Very Well Developed” categories by the second cycle. These results suggest that letter block games provide meaningful, concrete, and enjoyable learning experiences that significantly enhance early literacy development. The study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the pedagogical value of manipulative learning media and supports theoretical perspectives such as Vygotsky’s scaffolding and Bruner’s enactive representation. This research highlights the potential of simple educational games to enrich early childhood education and offers practical implications for teachers and institutions seeking innovative literacy strategies.

A Strategy to Improve Forward Roll Skills through the STAD Cooperative Learning Model among Junior High School Students

Ademaya Maemona — 2025-09-25

This classroom action research (CAR) aimed to improve students’ learning outcomes in forward roll (floor gymnastics) through the implementation of the cooperative learning model Student Team Achievement Division (STAD) for Class VIII students at SMP Negeri 6 Palu. The problem addressed was the low mastery of forward roll skills, with only 40% of students achieving the minimum learning mastery in the pre-cycle. The research was conducted in two cycles, each consisting of planning, action, observation, and reflection stages. Data were collected through observation and assessment of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes using validated rubrics. The results revealed significant improvements: student mastery increased to 53.3% in Cycle I and 86.7% in Cycle II. Qualitative observations also showed greater activeness, teamwork, and confidence. These findings indicate that the STAD model effectively supports motor-skill development, fosters positive social interaction, and enhances student motivation. This study contributes theoretically by strengthening the link between cooperative learning and psychomotor development and practically by offering teachers an alternative strategy for active, engaging, and safe physical education instruction.

The Implementation of the Peer Tutoring Method to Improve Forward Roll Skills in Floor Gymnastics Learning among Junior High School Students

Muhammad Fahrul — 2025-09-25

This classroom action research was conducted to improve students’ learning outcomes in performing the forward roll skill in floor gymnastics through the implementation of peer tutoring. The study involved 36 eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 6 Palu and was carried out in two cycles following the Kemmis and McTaggart model, which included the stages of planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data were collected using observation sheets and performance tests based on predetermined indicators of motor skill achievement. The results showed that prior to the intervention, only 40% of students achieved the Minimum Mastery Criteria (MMC), with an average score of 70.25. After the implementation of peer tutoring, the percentage of mastery increased to 50% (M = 74.25) in Cycle I, and further improved to 88.9% (M = 82.25) in Cycle II. These findings demonstrate that peer tutoring effectively enhances students’ conceptual understanding, confidence, and motor skill performance in gymnastics. This research contributes to physical education by highlighting the pedagogical novelty of peer tutoring in basic motor skill learning, which has been underexplored in similar contexts.

Factors Influencing Teacher Job Satisfaction in Islamic Boarding Schools

Silvia Putri Novitasari — 2025-09-25

Teacher job satisfaction is a critical factor that influences the quality of learning in educational institutions. This study aims to identify and analyze the determinants of teacher job satisfaction at the Ath-Thahiriyah Islamic Boarding School in Jepara. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research was conducted on April 30, 2025, involving 12 active teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and documentation, and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The findings reveal that teacher job satisfaction is shaped by several key factors: a supportive work environment, adequate learning facilities, interpersonal relationships, appropriate task assignment, teaching experience, and responsive management support. In addition, the integration of Islamic spiritual values such as sincerity, responsibility, and service as an act of worship emerges as a distinctive dimension that differentiates this context from previous studies in general schools. The implications highlight the need for pesantren management to strengthen professional development, reward systems, and spiritual reinforcement in order to create a sustainable and positive working climate.

Strategy to Enhance Children’s Language Skills through Visual Flashcard Media: A Study on Early Childhood

Husnul Laili — 2025-09-25

This study aims to enhance children's language skills through the use of visual flashcard media among Group A students at TK PGRI 27 Orong Rante, located in Mamben Baru Village, Wanasaba District, East Lombok Regency, during the 2024/2025 academic year. The research was motivated by the low level of children's language proficiency, as evidenced by the limited number of students categorized as BSH (Developing as Expected) and BSB (Very Well Developed). This study employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design implemented over three cycles, involving 34 children as research subjects. Data were collected through observation techniques to assess the development of children's language skills in each cycle. The findings revealed a significant improvement in language proficiency. Initially, only 5 children (15%) reached the BSH and BSB categories. This number increased to 24% in the first cycle, 30% in the second cycle, and finally reached 80% in the third cycle, surpassing the targeted 75%. These results indicate that the use of visual flashcard media is effective in improving the language skills of early childhood learners. Accordingly, this strategy is recommended for broader implementation in early childhood education settings.

The Influence of Gimkit Game Implementation on Students’ Analytical Skills, Engagement, and Satisfaction Levels

Dwiga Kurniasari — 2025-09-25

This study aimed to analyze the effect of using Gimkit, an interactive game-based learning platform, on students’ analytical skills, engagement, and learning satisfaction in the Introduction to Accounting course. A quasi-experimental design with a Nonequivalent Control Group was employed, involving 80 undergraduate students divided into an experimental class (using Gimkit) and a control class (conventional methods). Research instruments consisted of a 15-item multiple-choice test to measure analytical skills and Likert-scale questionnaires to assess engagement and satisfaction. The instruments were validated using Pearson’s correlation (r > 0.30) and achieved acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s α > 0.70). The results of independent sample t-tests showed no significant differences in analytical skills (t = 0.26, p > .05, d = 0.06) and engagement (t = 0.02, p > .05, d = 0.01) between groups. However, a significant difference was found in learning satisfaction (t = 4.21, p < .001, d = 0.75), with higher satisfaction reported by students in the Gimkit group. These findings suggest that Gimkit is more effective in enhancing affective aspects, particularly satisfaction, rather than cognitive outcomes in the short term. This study provides one of the first empirical insights into Gimkit implementation in accounting education in Indonesia and highlights the need for further longitudinal research to examine its long-term cognitive effects.

A Strategy to Improve Social Studies Learning Outcomes of Fifth-Grade Elementary Students through the STAD Model Assisted by TikTok Videos

Tsaqila Ziyan Ahda — 2025-09-25

This study aimed to improve the learning outcomes of fifth-grade students in Social Studies (IPS), specifically on Indonesian culture, by applying the cooperative learning model Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) combined with short educational TikTok videos. A Classroom Action Research (CAR) design was conducted in two cycles with 29 students at SDN Rancakasumba 6. Each cycle consisted of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Data were collected through observations of teacher and student activities, interviews, learning outcome tests, and documentation. The findings revealed consistent improvements: lesson planning increased from 93.75% in Cycle I to 100% in Cycle II; teacher performance improved from 87.5% to 96%; student activity rose from 48% (14 of 29 students) to 83% (24 of 29 students); and learning mastery increased from 31% at baseline (9 of 29 students) to 52% in Cycle I (15 of 29 students) and 83% in Cycle II (24 of 29 students), exceeding the Minimum Mastery Criterion (80%). These results indicate that integrating the STAD model with short TikTok videos effectively enhances student engagement and academic achievement in Social Studies. However, the study was limited to one class, a two-week duration, and one topic (Indonesian culture), suggesting the need for further replication across different subjects and contexts.

Escape in the Scroll: Academic Stress and Cyberloafing Behavior among University Students

Syifa Nur Rohmah — 2025-09-25

Cyberloafing, defined as using the internet for non-academic activities during learning, has become a pressing issue in higher education. Guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), this study examines whether academic stress is positively associated with cyberloafing among students of the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta. Using a quantitative causal-associative design, data were collected via an online questionnaire from 91 active undergraduates (cohorts 2021–2024). Academic stress was measured with a modified Student-Life Stress Inventory (Puteri, 2024; α=0.824), and cyberloafing with the Indonesian Academic Cyberloafing Scale (Fuadi et al., 2025; α=0.915). Simple linear regression analysis (SPSS v27) revealed that academic stress significantly predicted cyberloafing (β = .25, SE = .10, t = 2.43, p = .017, 95% CI [.04, .45]), but with a small effect size (R² = 0.062). These results suggest that while academic stress contributes to cyberloafing, the majority of variance is explained by other factors such as self-regulation, motivation, and digital habits. Practical implications include structured tech breaks, phased learning tasks, and self-regulation training to mitigate cyberloafing in academic settings. Future research should employ multivariate models and cross-program replication to better capture the multidimensional drivers of cyberloafing.

Learning Innovation through Game-Based Learning Assisted by Wordwall Media on Elementary School Students’ Numeracy Skills

Sulaiman Sulaiman — 2025-09-25

This study investigates the effectiveness of the Game Based Learning model assisted by Wordwall in improving elementary school students’ numeracy skills. The research was motivated by the low achievement of numeracy competencies in mathematics, which hinders students’ ability to apply concepts functionally. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed involving 14 fifth-grade students. Data were analyzed using validity and reliability testing, normality and linearity tests, paired-sample t-test, and N-Gain analysis. Results indicated an increase in the average numeracy score from 62.42 (pretest) to 72.14 (posttest), with a significance value of 0.000 (<0.05). The N-Gain score of 0.53 categorized the improvement as moderate. These findings confirm that Game Based Learning assisted by Wordwall is effective in enhancing students’ numeracy performance and can be considered as an innovative instructional strategy in mathematics learning at the elementary level.