Development of Activity-Based Teaching Materials

Study Case Development of Activity-Based Teaching Materials to Improve Student Learning Outcomes in Simple Electrical Circuits in Elementary Schools Michael Kurniawan (2018123456) University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States kurniaml@mail.uc.edu Abstract This study was conducted in an elementary school in Cincinnati and focused on low student learning outcomes in science lessons due to the lack of activity-based learning or practical experiments. The learning process was still limited by time and the media used. To overcome this, the researcher developed activity-based teaching materials on the topic of simple electrical circuits with the aim of improving student learning outcomes, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Before being implemented in the classroom, the developed teaching materials were validated by subject matter experts and learning design experts. The validation results showed a feasibility level of 80% from subject matter experts and 92.8% from design experts, indicating that the teaching materials were suitable for testing in schools. The analysis of student learning outcomes used the formula N-Gain = (posttest − pretest) / (maximum score − pretest). The average pretest score of the students was 46, while the posttest score reached 84, resulting in an increase of 70%, which is classified as high. Thus, it can be concluded that these activity-based teaching materials are effective in improving student learning outcomes while fostering their creativity. Keywords: Teaching Materials, Activity-Based Learning, Learning Outcomes, Electrical Circuits INTRODUCTION In the education system, there are a number of important components that play a role in the success of the learning process, such as educators, students, educational MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 1 Study Case goals, methods, and the learning environment. One of the main factors that determine the quality of education is the teaching staff. In the context of formal education, teaching staff or teachers are professionals who are responsible for guiding, directing, and developing the potential of students towards maturity and intellectual independence [1]. In carrying out their duties, teachers need teaching materials as learning guidelines to remain in line with the applicable curriculum. Teaching materials are a set of learning materials and instructions that include lesson content, delivery methods, material limitations, and evaluation instruments that are systematically designed to achieve specific competency objectives. Thus, good teaching materials must be compiled based on instructional principles in order to assist teachers in carrying out the learning process effectively. One form of teaching material that is considered effective is activity-based teaching material, which emphasizes the active involvement of students in the learning process. Terminologically, activities refer to all forms of activities that involve physical and mental aspects. Activity-based learning means an approach in which students are at the center of learning activities, with direct participation through various activities designed to increase their activity, critical thinking skills, and learning outcomes. In other words, this learning model is student-centered learning. At the elementary school level, one of the important subjects is science, which covers understanding natural phenomena and the scientific principles underlying them. According to the classical view [2], science is not only theoretical but must also be based on observation and experimentation. Scientific theories taught in schools need to be validated through repeated experiments and observations to ensure their validity. Therefore, the science learning process should not stop at the conceptual aspect but also foster students' scientific abilities through practical activities. However, observations at an elementary school in Cincinnati show that science learning in sixth grade still focuses on theoretical aspects (knowledge products), so students are not yet trained to think critically and do not yet demonstrate strong scientific character. To overcome this, this study proposes the development of activitybased teaching materials on the topic of simple electrical circuits. This approach is designed to train critical thinking skills, foster creativity, and strengthen character values through direct experience in experimental activities. Through the implementation of practical work on simple electrical circuits, it is MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 2 Study Case hoped that students will better understand basic electrical concepts, develop scientific thinking skills, and achieve significant improvements in science learning outcomes. The ultimate goal of this study is to create an activity-based teaching material model that can increase student engagement and learning achievement in science subjects at the elementary school level. METHODOLOGY The method used in this study was an exploratory method with a research and development (R&D) approach. Research is defined as a systematic process to obtain a deep scientific understanding of a phenomenon or subject being studied, while development is the systematic application of that knowledge to produce new products, devices, systems, or methods that are useful and appropriate for specific needs [1]. According to Sukmadinata [2], R&D is a series of systematic steps aimed at developing new products or improving existing products so that they have scientifically accountable utility value. In this study, the development model used refers to the R&D model proposed by Sadiman, which consists of several stages as shown in Figure 1. Flowchart of the Procedure for Research and Development of Activity-Based Teaching Materials. Figure 1. Flowchart of the Procedure for Developing Activity-Based Teaching Materials MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 3 Study Case Based on this flowchart, the researcher carried out each stage of development according to Sadiman's model in stages to achieve the main objective, namely to produce activity-based teaching materials that can improve student learning outcomes. These stages include: 1. Identification of Needs In the initial stage, the researcher identified learning problems and student needs to improve learning outcomes. Based on observations at an elementary school in Cincinnati (equivalent to SD PAB 20 in the initial context), it was found that science learning was still theoretical and lacked practical activities, resulting in students being less active and learning outcomes not being optimal. 2. Formulation of Objectives The researchers formulated the main objective of the study, which was to develop activity-based teaching materials that could improve student learning outcomes in simple electrical circuit material in science lessons. 3. Material Development The teaching materials were developed in the form of Student Worksheets (Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik/LKPD) that focused on the concept of simple electrical circuits. 4. Evaluation Instrument Development Assessment was conducted using pre-tests and post-tests to measure the improvement in student competence before and after the application of the teaching materials. 5. Production of Learning Media The production process was carried out in several steps, namely concept design, collection of supporting materials, and creation of prototypes of activity-based teaching materials that could be used in basic science learning. 6. Validation by Subject Matter Experts and Design Experts After the product is completed, the teaching materials are validated by two groups of experts: subject-matter experts and instructional design experts, to assess the suitability of the content and quality of the learning design. 7. Final Media Production After obtaining the validation results, the product is revised according to the MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 4 Study Case experts' suggestions to produce a final version of the teaching materials that is ready for testing. 8. Revision and Testing If deficiencies are found in either the media or the LKPD, the researchers make further revisions before the product is tested on a small study group at the school. The research instrument used is a validation sheet in the form of a questionnaire filled out by experts to assess the content and design aspects of the teaching materials. Validity testing is carried out by requesting assessments from science education lecturers and classroom teachers. The analysis of the validity level of the teaching materials refers to the descriptive feasibility criteria as presented in Table 1. Table 1. Descriptive Feasibility Criteria for Teaching Materials The validity score of teaching materials is calculated using the following formula: Validation Score = Total Score Obtained × 100% Maximum Score To analyze student learning outcomes, the researcher used the Normalized Gain (NGain) formula proposed by Hake [4], namely: 𝑁-Gain = 𝑆Posttest − 𝑆Pretest 𝑆Maximum − 𝑆Pretest The criteria for interpreting N-Gain results are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Normalized Gain Criteria MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 5 Study Case The subjects of this study were 26 sixth-grade students, consisting of 20 male students and 6 female students, at an elementary school in Cincinnati, Ohio. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The validation of activity-based teaching materials was carried out based on assessment instruments developed by a team of experts. The validators involved in this study consisted of two professionals: Dr. Michael Johnson, M.Ed., a lecturer in Science Education at the University of Cincinnati, as the subject matter expert validator, and Mrs. Amanda Clark, B.Ed., a sixth-grade teacher at Cincinnati Elementary School, as the learning design expert validator. Subject Matter Expert Validation The validation process for activity-based teaching materials on the topic of simple electrical circuits is presented in Table 3, the results of which refer to the criteria for teaching material feasibility as shown in Table 1 in the previous chapter. Table 3. Material Validation Test Results The average result of the material expert validation was 80%, which falls into the sufficiently valid category. This indicates that the suitability of the material in activitybased teaching materials is adequate and only requires minor revisions. Revisions are made based on feedback provided by subject matter experts, both verbally and in writing. Table 4. Expert Recommendations and Researcher Actions MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 6 Study Case Design Expert Validation The assessment of the instructional material design aspects was carried out by learning design experts, with the results as listed in Table 5. Table 5. Design Validation Test Results The validation results show that the teaching material design achieved an average of 92.8%, which is classified as highly valid. This indicates that the teaching material design is suitable for use without major revisions. The general appearance aspect covers the suitability of the media for electrical material and visual appeal, which was rated as very good. The specific appearance aspect assesses the combination of colors, visual creativity, and the integration of scientific concepts with everyday applications. Meanwhile, in terms of presentation, experts assess the media as easy to use, informative, and capable of encouraging students to learn actively. Thus, it can be concluded that the activity-based teaching materials developed are suitable for use in science learning at the elementary school level because they meet the criteria for content and design validity. Classroom Implementation Science learning at Cincinnati Elementary School (equivalent to SD PAB 20) previously faced obstacles in the form of limited practice time and learning media, which resulted in low student learning outcomes. Through this study, the researcher developed activity-based teaching materials that facilitate simple experiments on electrical circuits. Students were asked to make two types of circuits, namely series circuits and parallel circuits. A series circuit is an arrangement of electrical components connected MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 7 Study Case in sequence, while a parallel circuit is an arrangement in which each component has its own current path. Learning was carried out through direct experiments, in which students worked together in small groups, made media, and recorded their observations in the Student Worksheet (LKPD). Analysis of Learning Outcomes Data Before learning began, students were given a pretest to measure their initial level of understanding. After the experiment and discussion sessions were completed, they took a posttest. The average results of both tests are shown in Table 6 below. Table 6. Student Pretest and Posttest Data MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 8 Study Case The data above shows a significant increase from an average score of 46 on the pretest to 84 on the posttest. This increase was calculated using the N-Gain formula as follows: 𝑁-Gain = 𝑆Posttest − 𝑆Pretest 𝑆Maximum − 𝑆Pretest 𝑁-Gain = 84 − 46 38 = = 0.70 = 70% 100 − 46 54 Based on Hake's classification [4], an N-Gain value of 70% falls into the high category. These results indicate that the use of activity-based teaching materials effectively improves student learning outcomes. Discussion The improvement in learning outcomes shows that the development of activitybased teaching materials is highly effective in improving students' understanding of scientific concepts and skills. Students not only memorize theories, but also experience the scientific process through direct experiments, observation, and reflection. This model has also been proven to encourage active engagement, creativity, and collaborative problem solving among students. From the results of validation and field testing, the teaching materials developed meet the criteria of being valid, effective, and applicable. Thus, this model has the potential to be applied more widely in other elementary schools for experiment-based learning in science. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 9 Study Case CONCLUSION Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the development of activitybased teaching materials on the topic of simple electrical circuits significantly improved the learning outcomes of sixth-grade students at Cincinnati Elementary School. The average student score increased from 46 (pretest) to 84 (posttest), with an N-Gain of 70%, which is classified as high. In addition to improving learning outcomes, these teaching materials also foster students' critical thinking, creativity, and scientific experimentation skills. Through hands-on activities, students find it easier to understand basic electrical concepts. This research was still conducted on a limited scale (one class). Therefore, it is recommended that the development of activity-based teaching materials be expanded and refined before being applied to larger learning groups to obtain more representative results and stronger generalizations. REFERENCE MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 10 Study Case MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 11