Type Improving Listening Skills through Paper Puppets for Fifth-Grade Students at SDN 3 Tabongo, Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

This classroom action research (CAR) was conducted to determine whether the use of paper puppet media could improve the listening skills of fifth-grade students at SDN 3 Tabongo, Gorontalo Regency, in Indonesian language learning. The study followed the Kemmis and McTaggart model, comprising two cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, conducted during the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic year. At the outset, only 62.97% of the 27 students demonstrated adequate listening skills. Following the implementation of paper puppet media, classical mastery of listening skills increased progressively across meetings, from 33% to 44%, then 59%, and finally reaching 78% by the end of Cycle II, exceeding the ≥75% success criterion. Among the four listening indicators assessed, identifying the main information in a story showed the most substantial improvement, while sustaining concentration remained the most resistant to change. As this study used a single-group, reflection-based CAR design rather than an experimental design, these findings indicate that paper puppet media supported measurable improvement in listening skills within this classroom context.