Improving Basic Volleyball Skills through Differentiated Learning among Fifth-Grade Students at SDN 2 Cakranegara

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to improve students’ basic volleyball skills through the implementation of differentiated learning among fifth-grade students at SDN 2 Cakranegara. The basic volleyball skills observed in this study included underhand service, overhand service, forearm passing, and overhead passing.

Materials and Methods: This study used classroom action research conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four stages: planning, action, observation, and reflection. The participants were 14 fifth-grade students at SDN 2 Cakranegara. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and basic volleyball skill tests. The data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis by calculating the number and percentage of students who achieved the mastery criterion in the pre-cycle, Cycle I, and Cycle II.

Results: The results showed a gradual improvement in students’ basic volleyball skill mastery across the research cycles. In the pre-cycle stage, only 5 students, or 35.7%, achieved the mastery criterion, while 9 students, or 64.3%, had not yet achieved mastery. In Cycle I, the number of students who achieved mastery increased to 8 students, or 57.1%, while 6 students, or 42.9%, remained incomplete. In Cycle II, students’ mastery increased significantly to 12 students, or 85.7%, while only 2 students, or 14.3%, had not yet achieved mastery.

Conclusions: The implementation of differentiated learning improved students’ basic volleyball skills among fifth-grade students at SDN 2 Cakranegara. The improvement was shown by the increase in mastery learning from 35.7% in the pre-cycle to 57.1% in Cycle I and 85.7% in Cycle II. Therefore, differentiated learning can be used as an effective instructional strategy in volleyball learning because it allows teachers to adjust learning activities according to students’ readiness, interests, and learning profiles.