INCREASING STUDENTS' INTEREST AND LEARNING OUTCOMES THROUGHICE BREAKING IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS

Abstract

Effective education requires teaching strategies that can improve students' interest and learning outcomes, especially in science subjects that are often considered challenging. This study aims to explore the effect of ice breaking techniques on improving students' interest and learning outcomes in science subjects. Ice breaking, which involves interactive and fun activities, can create a conducive classroom atmosphere and reduce students' anxiety, allowing them to be more involved in the learning process. The research method used is a quantitative approach with an experimental design. A total of 60 students from grade VII in one of the junior high schools in Jakarta were involved in this study. Students were divided into two groups: an experimental group that received teaching with ice breaking techniques and a control group that was taught with conventional methods. Data were collected through questionnaires to measure learning interest and tests to assess student learning outcomes before and after treatment. The results of the analysis showed that there was a significant increase in students' learning interest in the experimental group compared to the control group. The average score of students' learning interest taught with ice breaking techniques increased by 25% after treatment. In addition, student learning outcomes also showed progress, where the average test score of the experimental group increased by 30% compared to before the treatment. These findings indicate that the application of ice breaking techniques not only succeeded in increasing students' interest in science lessons, but also contributed to improving their learning outcomes. Therefore, it is recommended that educators consider the use of ice breaking techniques as part of their teaching strategies to create more engaging and effective learning experiences in science subjects. Further research can be conducted to explore various ice breaking techniques and their impacts on other subjects.