The Effect of Using 3D-Based Digestive System Learning Media on Junior High School Students' Understanding

Abstract

Students' understanding of the concept of the human digestive system is still low due to the abstract nature of the material and the limitations of learning media that can describe the process in a realistic manner. This study examines
the effect of using simple three-dimensional (3D) learning media on the topic of the human digestive system. The media used is a transparent tube connected from the mouth to the anus and filled with green water to illustrate
the passage of food through the body, providing a more concrete and easily understandable picture for students. This study used a quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest control group) with 50 eighth-grade students from SMPN 15 Bengkulu City as subjects, divided into two groups: an experimental group using 3D media and a control group using conventional learning. Data were collected through a concept comprehension test, which was then analyzed using an independent sample t-test to examine whether there was a significant difference between the two groups. The results of the analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups, with t = 10.66 and p < 0.001, indicating that 3D media had a greater impact on improving students' concept comprehension. The average increase in scores for the experimental group (17.48 ± 2.73) was higher than that of the control group (7.88 ± 3.59). These findings indicate that simple physical 3D models can effectively improve students' understanding of the digestive system and are recommended as an alternative learning medium in schools with limited technological resources.