EXPLORATION OF CIRCLE TIME PRACTICE AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILLS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This study aims to explore the practice of Circle Time as a means of developing speaking skills in elementary school students. Speaking skills are one of the important language competencies that students have in the communication and learning process. The problems that arise in the field show that many students have difficulty expressing ideas orally in a coherent, confident manner, and according to the context. Through the application of Circle Time, speaking activities are systematically designed with a fun, participatory, and focused atmosphere on students' personal experiences. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach supported by simple quantitative data through the results of observations, interviews, and documentation of learning activities at SD Labschool, State University of Semarang. The research subjects consisted of 24 grade IV students. The results showed a significant improvement in students' speaking skills, which was shown by an increase in the average score from 60 on the pre-test to 81 on the post-test. The interactive learning atmosphere, peer support, and teachers' strategies in managing Circle Time sessions have been proven to increase students' courage, fluency, and ability to organize ideas orally. The findings of this study reinforce that Circle Time can be used as an effective learning model for the development of speaking skills in elementary schools. In addition, the application of this method also contributes to the improvement of the social and emotional climate in the classroom.