Improving Grade VII Students’ Understanding of Qalqalah, Lam, and Ra’ Tajweed Rules through Peer Tutoring: A Classroom Action Research Study

Abstract

This study aimed to improve Grade VII students’ understanding of the Tajweed rules of qalqalah, lam, and ra’ through peer tutoring at SMP Negeri 1 Sirenja. The study was motivated by students’ low learning outcomes in understanding and applying Tajweed rules when reading the Qur’an. The research employed Classroom Action Research (CAR), which was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four stages: planning, action, observation, and reflection. The participants were 30 Grade VII students. Data were collected through learning achievement tests and analyzed using descriptive statistics by calculating the mean scores and the percentage of students who achieved learning mastery. The minimum passing score was set at 70, while the target for classical mastery was 85%. The results showed an improvement in students’ learning outcomes from Cycle I to Cycle II. In Cycle I, the students’ mean score was 64.00. Fourteen students (46.67%) achieved the minimum passing score, while 16 students (53.33%) did not. In Cycle II, the mean score increased to 85.00, with 28 students (93.33%) achieving mastery and only two students (6.67%) remaining below the passing score. Thus, the mean score increased by 21 points, while the mastery rate increased by 46.66 percentage points. The percentage of students achieving mastery in Cycle II also exceeded the predetermined target of 85%. These findings suggest that peer tutoring may be a useful alternative for helping students understand Tajweed rules through interaction, discussion, and collaborative practice with their peers. However, successful implementation still requires teacher guidance to ensure that students understand and apply the Tajweed rules correctly.