Enhancing Elementary Students’ Science Learning Outcomes and Motivation through Pop-Up Book Media on Animal Life Cycles

Abstract

The limited use of science instruction that transforms abstract concepts into concrete learning experiences remains a challenge in elementary education, despite its importance for improving students’ motivation and learning outcomes. This study aims to describe the implementation of pop-up book media and analyze its effect on third-grade students’ motivation and science learning outcomes on the topic of animal life cycles. A Classroom Action Research design with qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed, involving 13 third-grade students at SDIT Tahfidzul Qur’an Mutiara Insan Sukoharjo. The study was conducted in two cycles. Data were collected through achievement tests, learning motivation questionnaires, observations, interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using descriptive-comparative techniques. The findings show that the use of pop-up book media increased student activity from 39.90% in Cycle I to 78.37% in Cycle II. Learning mastery improved from 61.54% in the pre-cycle stage to 100% in Cycle II, while students’ learning motivation reached 87.54%, which was categorized as very high. These findings indicate that pop-up book media is effective in concretizing science concepts, sustaining students’ attention, and encouraging active participation in learning. This study contributes to elementary science education by demonstrating that visually interactive media can strengthen conceptual understanding, motivation, and learning achievement, particularly in topics that require concrete representation of biological processes.