Learning motivation remains an important challenge in elementary education. Initial observations at SDIT Bina Insan Parepare showed that only a small number of students demonstrated high learning motivation. Most students displayed moderate motivation, while some showed low motivation. This condition can affect students’ classroom participation, understanding of learning materials, academic achievement, and development of essential skills.
Musfirah and her colleagues identified the need for a learning approach that does not rely solely on the teacher as the main source of information. Students need opportunities to read, think, interact, express their ideas, and produce something from the learning process. Such an approach is particularly important at the elementary school level, where children often learn more effectively through direct participation, interaction, and collaboration.
Five RADEC Stages Encourage Active Learning
RADEC is a learning model whose name comes from five main stages: Read, Answer, Discuss, Explain, and Create.
In the Read stage, students read and study information from various learning resources. In the Answer stage, they respond to questions based on their understanding of the information they have read. The Discuss stage gives students the opportunity to work in groups, compare their answers, and improve their understanding.
Students then move to the Explain stage, where they explain their understanding to their classmates. The final stage, Create, encourages students to use their knowledge to produce creative ideas, works, or learning products.
This sequence ensures that learning does not stop at listening to the teacher's explanation. Students are encouraged to participate actively, from understanding information to creating a learning product. The model also supports the development of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and literacy skills.
Study Involved 28 Fifth-Grade Students
The study used classroom action research conducted in two cycles. The research involved one teacher and 28 fifth-grade students from Class V.A at SDIT Bina Insan Parepare, consisting of 14 female students and 14 male students.
Each cycle consisted of planning, learning implementation, observation, and reflection. The learning activities were conducted in two meetings per cycle, with each meeting lasting two instructional periods, or 70 minutes. The learning materials focused on advertisements and brochures in the Indonesian language subject.
The researchers collected data through observations, learning motivation questionnaires, and documentation. After the first cycle, the results were reflected upon and used to improve the learning process in the second cycle. The teacher provided more opportunities for students to express their opinions, increased supervision to help students remain focused, and implemented the RADEC stages more effectively.
Learning Motivation Improved in the Second Cycle
The results showed improvements in teacher activities, student activities, and learning motivation. In the first cycle, the learning process was categorized as fair. After improvements were made in the second cycle, teacher activities, student activities, and learning motivation reached the good category.
More specifically, the number of students who met the established learning motivation criteria increased from 19 students in Cycle I to all 28 students in Cycle II. This means that all students involved in the study achieved the predetermined learning motivation criteria by the end of the second cycle.
The changes were also visible in the classroom learning process. The teacher became more structured in providing instructions, managing the classroom, and facilitating group discussions. Meanwhile, students gained more opportunities to express their opinions, work collaboratively, explain their understanding, and participate actively in learning activities.
The researchers concluded that the gradual implementation of RADEC created a more active and meaningful learning experience. Learning activities that provide students with opportunities to participate directly can help reduce boredom while increasing their curiosity about the subject matter.
Relevant to Student-Centered Learning
The findings have practical implications for elementary school teachers who want to improve students’ learning motivation without relying entirely on lecture-based teaching. RADEC provides a clear learning structure while allowing students to learn independently and collaboratively.
The model is also relevant to the demands of 21st-century education because it combines literacy, higher-order thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. In the context of Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum, this approach can support student-centered learning and the development of students’ competencies and character.
However, the researchers emphasized that the findings should be interpreted within the context of the study. The research was conducted in only one class with a limited number of students, focused on specific learning materials, and was implemented over two cycles. Therefore, the findings cannot automatically be generalized to all schools or all Indonesian language learning materials. Further studies involving larger numbers of students and longer implementation periods are needed to examine the long-term effects of RADEC on learning motivation.
Author Profiles
- Musfirah — Makassar State University; specializes in elementary education and Indonesian language learning.
- Muhammad Asrul Sultan — Makassar State University; specializes in education and instructional development.
- Septiana B — Makassar State University; specializes in education and elementary school learning.
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