The Implementation of Gimkit-Assisted Game-Based Learning Model to Enhance Students' Cognitive Ability in Junior High School Social Studies Learning

Abstract

Cognitive ability is an important indicator of progress toward learning objectives. However, students’ cognitive achievement in Social Studies, particularly in narrative-based history lessons, remains relatively low. Pre-test results from class VIII-4 at SMPN 3 Malang showed that 13 of the 33 students (39.40%) had not met the Minimum Mastery Criterion (KKM). This study aimed to describe improvements in students’ cognitive abilities during the implementation of Gimkit-assisted Game-Based Learning (GBL) in Social Studies lessons on the Nusantara Spice Route. The study employed a Classroom Action Research design based on Kemmis and McTaggart’s spiral model and was conducted in two cycles involving 33 students from class VIII-4. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and tests and analyzed descriptively using pre-test and post-test scores, the class mastery rate, and normalized gain (N-Gain). The findings showed that students’ mean scores increased from 78.18 on the pre-test to 82.42 in Cycle I and 94.30 in Cycle II. N-Gain increased from 0.19 (low) in Cycle I to 0.78 (high) in Cycle II, while the class mastery rate reached 100% at the end of Cycle II. These findings indicate improvement in students’ cognitive achievement over the two intervention cycles. However, given the absence of a comparison group and the use of repeated instruction and assessment, this improvement cannot be attributed solely to Gimkit. The findings suggest that Gimkit-assisted GBL may be considered an instructional approach to support students’ cognitive development in Social Studies lessons on the Nusantara Spice Route.