Implementation of Problem-Based Learning Assisted by Make a Match to Improve Elementary School Students' Reading Comprehension Skills

Abstract

This classroom action research aimed to describe the implementation of Problem-Based Learning assisted by Make a Match, examine student learning activity, and improve Grade IV students' reading comprehension in identifying transitive and intransitive sentences and understanding new vocabulary from context. The study was conducted at SD Negeri 1 Bodesari, Cirebon Regency, Indonesia, involving all 23 students in the class (10 girls and 13 boys). The intervention was implemented across a pre-cycle baseline and three subsequent cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection; data were collected through a reading-comprehension test and observation sheets, then analyzed descriptively using class mean scores, classical mastery percentages, and student activity percentages. Results showed consistent improvement from the pre-cycle to Cycle III: the mean score rose from 71.82 to 84.56, and classical mastery increased from 39.13% to 78.26%, meeting the study's 78% success criterion. Student activity during Problem-Based Learning increased from 48% to 87%, while activity during Make a Match increased from 47% to 90%, ultimately surpassing Problem-Based Learning by the final cycle. These findings indicate that combining structured problem-solving with enjoyable, card-based cooperative practice progressively strengthens comprehension achievement and classroom engagement, although the two components did not develop at identical rates. The study suggests that elementary teachers can pair analytical and cooperative techniques to support reading-comprehension instruction, while future research should employ comparison groups and more diverse samples to strengthen generalizability.