Year: 2026 | Month: May | Volume: 13 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 413-419
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260537
The Effect of Experiment-Based Learning on Elementary Students’ Conceptual Understanding of the Relationship between Cylinder and Cone Volumes
Dhanu Purwadi Eka1, Irvan2
1,2Postgraduate school of mathematics education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Irvan
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the impact of hands-on, experiment-based learning on sixth-grade students' understanding of the relationship between the volumes of cylinders and cones. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest–posttest methodology, the research involved 24 students from SD Terpadu Muhammadiyah Stabat. Data was collected through pre- and post-learning session tests, alongside observations and documentation during the process. Analysis included descriptive statistics, N-Gain calculations, and a paired sample t-test, revealing a significant increase in average test scores from 45.83 to 82.50. The N-Gain indicated a moderate to high increase in performance, with a statistically significant p-value below 0.05. The results highlighted not only the improvement in scores but also the engaging nature of the learning process, as students actively experimented with concepts rather than passively memorizing formulas. This engagement is critical for grasping abstract mathematical ideas at the elementary level, suggesting that experiment-based learning effectively makes these concepts more tangible and comprehensible.
Keywords: experiment-based learning, conceptual understanding, cylinder and cone volume, elementary school mathematics
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