Application of Place Value Board Media in Improving Students' Understanding of Grade III SDN 138 Sabajior on the Place Value Material of Integrated Numbers Up to 1000

Abstract

Understanding the concept of place value is one of the basic skills that elementary school students must have in learning mathematics. However, in reality, there are still students who have difficulty in understanding the value of a number based on its position in the number. This article aims to describe the application of place value board media in improving the understanding of third-grade students of SDN 138 Sabajior on the material of place value of whole numbers up to 1000. This activity was motivated by the results of an interview with the third-grade teacher, Muhammad Aswan, S.Pd., which showed that some students still had difficulty in distinguishing the value of numbers based on their position, determining units, tens, hundreds, and thousands, and stating the value of a number in a number. The method used was descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques in the form of interviews, observations, and documentation. The subjects of the activity consisted of 12 third-grade students who attended from a total of 18 students. The application of the media was carried out by introducing a place value board consisting of units, tens, hundreds, and thousands columns, then students were given the opportunity to arrange and place numbers according to their place value. The results of the activity showed that the use of place value board media was able to help students understand the concept of place value more concretely. Students find it easier to group numbers into appropriate columns, determine the value of a number based on its position, and decompose numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones. Furthermore, the use of media also increases student engagement, attention, and enthusiasm during the learning process. Therefore, place value boards can be used as an effective alternative learning tool to enhance students' understanding of the place value of whole numbers up to 1000 in elementary school.