Development of a TGT-Based MONUSCAR for Teaching Cultural Diversity in Elementary Schools

Abstract

Elementary students' understanding of Indonesia's cultural diversity remains low. Many teachers present material theoretically with minimal use of instructional media, leading to student boredom and a lack of engagement in the learning process. Elementary students are in the concrete operational stage of development, which necessitates the use of tangible, interactive, and enjoyable instructional media. Monopoly-style games can foster student interaction and convey cultural content in a flexible way. Existing Monopoly-style media are generally two-dimensional and lack interactive features. This limitation presents a research opportunity: there is currently no Monopoly-style game that combines sensor-based interactivity with cooperative learning to teach cultural diversity. This study develops MONUSCAR (Monopoli Nusantara with Light Effects and MP3 Module) to address this gap. MONUSCAR is a three-dimensional, Monopoly-style educational game that integrates Indonesian cultural diversity with LED lights, photoelectric switch sensors, and an MP3 module. Previous Monopoly-style media were typically two-dimensional and static. MONUSCAR differs from these designs by incorporating LED lights and sensor-triggered audio feedback, integrated via the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) model. This multisensory approach to teaching cultural diversity has not been reported in previous studies and represents the primary scientific contribution of this research. Methodologically, the study employs a Research and Development (R&D) approach based on the Borg and Gall model as modified by Sugiyono, comprising 13 systematic stages. To foster cooperative learning, the researcher integrated MONUSCAR with the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) model. The research subjects consisted of 130 fourth-grade students at MI Mu’allimat Cukir Jombang. Data were collected through interviews, observations, questionnaires, pre-tests, and post-tests. Subject matter experts awarded a validation score of 84.50%, placing the media in the highly feasible category. A media expert assigned a validation score of 91.63%, placing it in the highly feasible category. Students responded positively, with an average score of 90.33%. Student learning outcomes improved, with the average pre-test score rising from 56.00 to 86.28 on the post-test. MONUSCAR achieved an N-gain score of 0.70, falling into the high category. The Wilcoxon test yielded a p-value of 0.000. These results underscore the use of MONUSCAR to enhance learning outcomes regarding Indonesia's social and cultural diversity.