EFFECTIVENESS OF SIMPLE SCIENCE-BASED APE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD CURIOSITY AND OBSERVATION AT TK BUMI BAHARI

Syarifah Shafira al Qadri; Erine Agustia

doi:10.36526/sosioedukasi.v15i3.9688

Authors

Syarifah Shafira al Qadri Institut Agama Islam Natuna
Erine Agustia Institut Agama Islam Natuna

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36526/sosioedukasi.v15i3.9688

Keywords:

Educational Play Tools, Curiosity, Observation Ability

Abstract

Early childhood is a critical period for developing curiosity and observation skills, yet initial observations at TK Bumi Bahari showed that learning remained conventional, with children passive, rarely asking questions, and inattentive when observing. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of simple science-based educational play tools (APE) in improving curiosity and observation ability among early childhood children. Method: A quantitative pre-experimental method with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used in the 2025–2026 academic year, involving seven Group B children who took part in three APE activities: Color Tree, Magic Magnet, and Float or Sink. Data were collected through observation and documentation, then analyzed descriptively and with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Results: The average curiosity score increased from 57.6 to 83.0, and the average observation score increased from 55.2 to 88.5, with both improvements significant at the 0.05 level, leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. Conclusion/Implication: Simple science-based APE were effective in improving children's curiosity and observation ability in this setting; given the small single-group sample, replication with larger samples and a control group is recommended.

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