The Effect of Cooperative Learning Using Word Search Activities on Fourth-Grade Students’ Motivation and IPAS Learning Outcomes

Abstract

IPAS instruction at the elementary school level often emphasizes memorization, a skill some experts consider lower-order, although it remains important for learning outcomes. Instruction that relies on lecture-based methods tends to be boring and fails to engage students, leading to low motivation and poor learning outcomes. This study describes the implementation of the Team Games Tournament (TGT) cooperative learning model aided by word searches, and examines the increase in motivation and IPAS learning outcomes among fourth-grade students following its application. This study is a Classroom Action Research (CAR) conducted in two cycles, each comprising planning, action, observation, and reflection stages. The subjects were 29 fourth-grade students at SDN 02 Kanigoro during the 2025/2026 school year. Data were collected through motivation observation sheets and an evaluation test at the end of learning, then analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Motivation was analyzed using a Likert-scale checklist instrument, while learning outcomes were analyzed based on students' average class scores. Results showed that learning motivation increased from 41% (low) in the pre-cycle to 64% (high) in Cycle II. Learning outcomes also improved significantly, with the classical completeness rate rising from 28% in the pre-cycle to 41% in Cycle I, then increasing sharply to 83% in Cycle II. These results indicate that cooperative learning aided by word searches effectively improves motivation and learning outcomes in IPAS. This study recommends that teachers integrate educational games as a variation in teaching strategies to create a more interactive and meaningful learning environment