Unsri Mathematics Education Faculty Member Conducts Community Service at SDN 149 Palembang // Creating an Enjoyable Mathematics Learning Experience

A team of faculty members from the Mathematics Education Program at Sriwijaya University conducted a community service activity titled “Implementation of Fun Learning Using Alternative Media at SDN 149 Palembang.” This activity was chaired by Dr. Darmawijoyo, M.Si., with members Prof. Dra. Nyimas Aisyah, M.Pd., Ph.D., Septy Sari Yukans, M.Sc., Dea Alvionita Azka, M.Sc., and Berta Panduwinata, M.Pd., and was funded by Sriwijaya University through a community service grant under the community-based service scheme for Fiscal Year 2025, in accordance with Rector’s Decree No. 0014/UN9/SK.LPPM.PM/2025.

This activity is a concrete manifestation of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education in the field of community service. Its primary objective is to assist elementary school teachers in developing more engaging and enjoyable mathematics lessons, particularly on the topic of fractions. In this activity, the Community Service (PkM) team focused on utilizing alternative teaching aids that can be used to concretely visualize the concept of fractions, so that students can learn in a more active and interactive manner. Through the use of these teaching aids, it is hoped that mathematics instruction will no longer be dominated solely by lecture-based methods but will also incorporate exploratory activities that directly engage students in the learning process.

Before the PkM activity was carried out, the team first prepared the learning media. The team prepared two types of alternative learning materials: one made of styrofoam and the other made of wood (plywood). All materials were designed based on the principle of making math learning fun—emphasizing visual, interactive, and contextual aspects—to help students more easily understand abstract concepts such as fractions. In addition to preparing the learning materials, the team also prepared various activity support tools, such as pretest and post-test instruments to measure learning effectiveness, training presentation slides, and Student Worksheets (LKS) used throughout the activity. All of these tools were designed so that teachers could immediately apply them in the classroom teaching and learning process.

After the preparation phase was completed, the project moved on to the implementation phase, which consisted of six main steps and took place from September through November 2025. The first step began with identifying the learning challenges faced by teachers and exploring potential avenues for collaboration to improve the quality of learning at the school. Discussions between the PkM team and school officials resulted in an activity timeline covering several stages: activity outreach, teacher training, guidance on implementing instruction, application of learning materials, and evaluation and follow-up.

The second phase continued with an activity orientation on September 25, 2025, attended by the principal and teachers of SDN 149 Palembang. During this session, the team explained the purpose, objectives, and benefits of the community service program and fostered a shared commitment to its implementation. The next phase—aligning perspectives among the community service team, the principal, and the teachers—took place on October 15, 2025, and was attended by 19 teachers, including homeroom teachers, subject teachers, the vice principal, and the principal. This meeting aimed to ensure that activities would proceed in accordance with the needs and characteristics of the partner school.

The training phase was the core component of the series of activities, held on October 22, 2025, and attended by 17 classroom teachers, who were the primary target group of the PkM program. The training began with a presentation on engaging teaching methods by Prof. Dra. Nyimas Aisyah, M.Pd., Ph.D., who emphasized the importance of creating a meaningful and enjoyable learning environment in the classroom. Mathematics instruction should not only focus on students’ ability to perform calculations but also on their understanding of the meaning behind each mathematical concept being studied. The next session was led by Septy Sari Yukans, M.Sc., who presented material on the basic concepts of teaching fractions in elementary school. In this session, participants were guided to revisit the nature of fractions as parts of a whole and to understand the developmental stages of fraction concepts in children. Teachers were also introduced to common mistakes that frequently occur in learning, both in terms of representation and procedure.

Afterward, the activity continued with a hands-on practice using an alternative learning medium called the “Built-in Definition of Fractions.” Teachers were guided by Dea Alvionita Azka, M.Sc., and Berta Panduwinata, M.Pd., to complete the Student Worksheets (LKS) in groups. Through this hands-on activity, teachers gained firsthand experience of how this resource helps students understand the concept of fractions in a concrete and visual way.

Prior to the classroom implementation phase, the PkM team provided mentoring to the participating teachers to ensure their understanding of how to use the “Built-in Definition of Fraction” resource and the strategies for applying it in the classroom. The mentoring was conducted in person through discussions between the team and Ms. Eliyah Yuliana, M.Pd., a fifth-grade teacher who would be teaching using this resource. During this session, the team and the teacher reviewed the Student Worksheets, formulated learning objectives, and discussed the steps for effectively using the media from the introduction stage through to generalization.

The next phase was the implementation of the lesson, which took place on October 29, 2025, led by Ms. Eliyah Yuliana, M.Pd. The students who participated in the lesson were actively and enthusiastically engaged in the learning process. Through the use of the prepared alternative teaching materials, students found it easier to understand the concept of fractions because they could directly manipulate concrete objects while discussing with their peers. The classroom atmosphere became more lively and enjoyable.

As a final step, the community service team conducted an evaluation and follow-up after the training and implementation activities were completed. The evaluation was carried out in collaboration with school officials to assess the effectiveness of the activities and the improvement in teachers’ competencies after participating in the entire series of activities. The evaluation results showed that teachers had gained a fairly deep understanding of the fraction concepts that were the focus of the PkM activities and felt capable of implementing them in their classroom instruction.

Through this initiative, the community service team hopes that the school can become a pioneer in implementing enjoyable and inspiring mathematics instruction. It is hoped that collaboration between faculty members and teachers in the field will continue, so that the results of this community service program can have a lasting impact on improving the quality of learning in elementary schools and support the development of a generation of students who are creative, active, and enthusiastic about learning mathematics.