Ice Breaking Strategy for Muhammadiyah Plus Gondang Elementary School Students In Indonesian Language Subjects

Abstract

This study aims to describe the forms and implementation strategies of ice breaking activities in Indonesian language learning, as well as to analyze their effectiveness in enhancing the learning interest of fourth-grade students at SD Muhammadiyah Plus Gondang. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. Research subjects were determined using purposive sampling, comprising the Indonesian language teacher, the school principal, and fourth-grade students. The findings reveal that the teacher implemented ice breaking in a planned and integrated manner within the lesson plans, utilizing activities such as word chain games, interactive storytelling, and rhythmic clapping embedded with subject matter content. These activities were conducted at three strategic moments: at the beginning, middle, and end of the lesson, aligned with the natural rhythm of students’ attention spans. The implementation of ice breaking proved effective in enhancing students’ learning interest across four indicators: attention, positive affect, activeness, and willingness to participate. This effectiveness operated through four primary mechanisms: improved attention through cognitive stimulus renewal, establishment of a positive and anxiety-free classroom climate, strengthened social interaction supporting language competence development, and the formation of positive emotional associations toward Indonesian language as a subject. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of ice breaking is not automatic or permanent; it depends significantly on teacher creativity, contextual appropriateness, and the consistency of activity variation provided. This study recommends that schools actively facilitate the development of teachers’ competencies in designing creative, varied, and pedagogically sound ice breaking activities, integrated with the curriculum and digital technology, as a means of sustaining and improving the quality of Indonesian language learning at the elementary level.