The Effect of Teaching Aids on The Learning Outcomes of Fourth Grade Elementary School Students in Science

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of the application of teaching methods based on teaching materials on the learning outcomes of students in the subject of Natural Sciences on the topic of changes of state in fourth grade. Method: This research employs a quantitative method and a quasi-experimental design, specifically a non-equivalent control group design. The sample consisted of 40 students, who were divided into two groups: an experimental group (class IV A, n = 20), which was taught with the help of teaching resources, and a control group (class IV B, n = 20), which was taught using conventional methods. The research instrument consisted of a validated and reliable multiple-choice test to assess performance (r₁₁ = 0.87). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 software with a paired t-test. The results show that the mean score on the post-test for the experimental group (78.38) is significantly higher than that of the control group (71.50). The hypothesis test result yielded a value of t = 5.590 and Sig. (two-tailed) = 0.000 (p < 0.05). This shows that H₀ is rejected and Hₐ is accepted, which means that there is a significant difference in learning outcomes between the group of students who received instruction using the learning aids-based method and the group who received instruction using the traditional method. The teaching method based on learning aids has a positive and significant effect on improving the academic results of fourth-grade students in the subject of Natural Sciences on the topic of the change in the form of materials. The implication of this study is that teachers are recommended to integrate learning aids into the learning process, especially in abstract content, to create concrete and meaningful learning experiences.