The Effect of RME Instruction on Fourth-Grade Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Students’ Learning Outcomes in Plane Geometry

Abstract

This study examined the effect of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) on fourth-grade students’ learning outcomes in the perimeter and area of plane figures at MI Miftahul Ulum Pandanarum, Pacet, Mojokerto. The study employed a quantitative pre-experimental method using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of 28 students purposively selected from Class IV Al-Wahhab. The researchers collected data through essay tests, observations, interviews, and documentation. Experts validated the test instrument, and empirical testing showed that 12 of 15 items were valid. The instrument demonstrated acceptable reliability, with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.707. Descriptive analysis showed an increase in students’ mean scores from 60.25 on the pretest to 73.61 on the posttest, indicating improvement after implementing RME. Furthermore, the paired-sample t-test yielded a significance value of 0.000 (Sig. 2-tailed), indicating a statistically significant difference between students’ pretest and posttest scores. The normalized gain score was 0.4256 (42.56%), which was categorized as moderate. These findings suggest that implementing RME contributed positively to students’ learning outcomes in geometry. By connecting abstract mathematical concepts to meaningful, familiar real-life contexts, RME helped students understand perimeter and area more concretely and contextually. Therefore, RME can be considered an effective instructional approach for supporting elementary students’ understanding of plane geometry, although further studies using experimental designs with control groups are recommended to strengthen evidence of its effectiveness.