Applying the edutainment method to improve participation and the ability to solve mathematics story problems among grade II elementary school students

Abstract

This study aims to improve participation and the ability to solve mathematics story problems through the application of the edutainment method among Grade II students of SDN 86/IV Jambi City. The study employed Classroom Action Research (CAR) using the Kemmis and McTaggart model, conducted in two cycles. Each cycle comprised three meetings and followed the stages of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The research subjects were 10 Grade II students. Data were collected through participation observation, a story-problem-solving test, interviews, and documentation. The data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using percentages, mean scores, and class-wide mastery. The results show that the application of the edutainment method gradually increased student participation. At baseline, no student was in the Active or Very Active category; this rose to 80% at the end of Cycle I and reached 100% in Cycle II. The ability to solve story problems also improved. Class-wide mastery increased from 20% in the pre-cycle to 50% in Cycle I and 90% in Cycle II, while the mean score rose from 65.50 (pre-cycle) to 67.50 (Cycle I) and 91.67 (Cycle II). Thus, the edutainment method can improve students’ participation and ability to solve mathematics story problems.