Improving Elementary School Students' Multiplication Skills Through the Use of Number Tabulation Media

Abstract

This study was motivated by the low multiplication skills of fourth-grade elementary school students, as indicated by approximately 50% of the students failing to achieve the Minimum Mastery Criterion (MMC). This condition was attributed to the limited use of instructional media, which hindered students' understanding of multiplication concepts. The study aimed to improve students' multiplication skills through the use of number tabulation media among fourth grade students at SD Negeri 1 Bangsri, Jepon District, Blora Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The study employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design conducted over two cycles involving 10 students. Data were collected through mathematics achievement tests and classroom observations and were analyzed using descriptive quantitative methods based on mean scores and learning mastery percentages. The findings indicated that the implementation of number tabulation media improved students' multiplication skills. The class mean score increased from 70 at the baseline to 75 at the end of the second cycle, representing an improvement of 5 points. Furthermore, the percentage of students achieving the minimum mastery criterion increased from 60% to 80%, reflecting a 20% improvement in learning mastery. These findings demonstrate that the majority of students successfully achieved the expected learning outcomes following the implementation of number tabulation media. Therefore, number tabulation media can be considered an effective instructional tool for improving multiplication skills and serves as a promising alternative for mathematics instruction in elementary schools.