Improving Batik-Making Skills Through Collage Techniques Among Fifth-Grade Students at SDN Panglegur 2 in Pamekasan

Abstract

Batik is an intangible cultural heritage that must be passed on to younger generations through schooling, yet batik learning in elementary schools is often monotonous and relies on traditional tools that demand high precision. This study aimed to describe the use of the collage technique in batik learning and to examine its effect on the batik-making skills of fifth-grade students at SDN Panglegur 2 Tlanakan, Pamekasan. A collaborative classroom action research design was employed, consisting of a pre-cycle and two cycles, each following the stages of planning, action, observation, and reflection. The participants were 20 fifth-grade students. Data were collected through observation of student and teacher activities, practical skill tests accompanied by oral explanations of the artwork, interviews with the classroom teacher, and documentation, and were analysed descriptively using percentages and mean scores. Classical mastery rose from 10% in the pre-cycle to 35% in Cycle I and 90% in Cycle II, while the class mean increased from 52.63 to 67.64 and then to 85.31. Student activity increased from 52.1% to 79.2%, and teacher activity from 50% to 85%. The collage technique, which used fabric scraps, coloured paper, and natural materials, made learning more engaging, lowered the technical barrier of batik, and encouraged participation and creativity in group work. The findings suggest that collage can serve as an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and culturally relevant strategy for teaching batik, although the absence of a control group and the dual role of the researcher as teacher limit causal claims.