Implementation of the Demonstration Method to Improve Children's Understanding of Dhuha Prayer Procedures at TK Haholongan Padangsidimpuan

Abstract

Understanding the procedures of Dhuha prayer is a fundamental competency in Islamic religious education for early childhood, yet field observations consistently reveal very low initial achievement in this area. This study aims to describe the implementation process of the demonstration method in teaching Dhuha prayer procedures and to analyze its effectiveness in improving children's understanding at TK Haholongan Padangsidimpuan. A qualitative descriptive research approach was employed, with 20 Group B children aged 5–6 years as research subjects. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews with the school principal and class teacher, and documentation, then analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's interactive model. Before intervention, only an average of 23% of children demonstrated adequate understanding across six measured indicators. After eight weeks of systematic demonstration method implementation across three structured stages – preparation, implementation, and follow-up – the average increased significantly to 65% of children achieving adequate understanding across all indicators. The most notable improvements were in the indicators of stating the sequence of prayer steps and demonstrating a focused (khushu') attitude, each increasing from approximately 25–30% to 70%. The effectiveness of the demonstration method is explained through Bandura's observational learning mechanism, Vygotsky's scaffolding concept, and multi-sensory encoding processes. These findings confirm that the demonstration method is more appropriate than verbal-only approaches for teaching procedural Islamic worship content to early childhood children.