The Effect of Digital Snakes-and-Ladders Media on Learning Activity in Elementary School Social Science Instruction

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of digital snakes-and-ladders game-based media on students' learning activities in Social Science (IPAS) instruction at the elementary school level. The research was conducted in a fourth-grade class at an Islamic elementary school in Tangerang, Indonesia, involving 19 students as research participants. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. Students' learning activity data were collected through observation instruments and learning activity tests administered before and after the implementation of the digital snakes-and-ladders media. The data were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test. The results indicate a significant improvement in students' learning activity after using digital snakes-and-ladders media, as reflected in the increase in mean scores from the pretest to the posttest. These findings demonstrate that integrating digital game-based learning media into IPAS instruction can create a more engaging, interactive, and student-centered learning environment. The study provides empirical evidence for the growing body of research on digital game-based learning in elementary education, particularly in enhancing students' learning activities within integrated subject contexts. The results imply that teachers are encouraged to utilize innovative digital learning media to foster active participation and meaningful learning experiences among elementary school students.