Using Skeleton Puppet Media to Improve Elementary Students’ Understanding of the Human Skeletal System and Joints: A Classroom Action Research Study

Elementary school students often experience difficulties in understanding the human skeletal and joint systems because these concepts are abstract and challenging to learn through textual descriptions and two-dimensional images. This study aimed to examine improvements in students' learning motivation and conceptual understanding through the use of a three-dimensional manipulative learning medium called the Skeleton Puppet. The study employed Classroom Action Research (CAR) based on the Kemmis and McTaggart model and was conducted in two cycles. The participants were 20 sixth-grade students at SD Negeri 098 Pidoli, consisting of eight boys and twelve girls. Data were collected through learning motivation questionnaires, student activity observation sheets, conceptual understanding tests, and documentation. The data were analyzed quantitatively using four developmental categories: Very Well Developed (BSB), Developed as Expected (BSH), Beginning to Develop (MB), and Not Yet Developed (BB). The findings revealed improvements in both learning motivation and conceptual understanding following the implementation of the Skeleton Puppet. The proportion of students achieving the Very Well Developed category in learning motivation increased from 30% in the first meeting of Cycle I to 75% in the second meeting of Cycle II, while the proportion in the Not Yet Developed category decreased from 20% to 5%. Students' conceptual understanding also improved, as indicated by an increase in classical learning mastery from 60% in Cycle I to 80% in Cycle II, exceeding the minimum mastery target of 70%. These findings suggest that three-dimensional manipulative media can transform abstract scientific concepts into concrete learning experiences while encouraging active participation and conceptual mastery. Therefore, the Skeleton Puppet offers a potential alternative for interactive science instruction in elementary schools.