Loose-part media and pictures on environmental themes increase interest in early childhood learning

Children experience difficulties in learning at school and a lack of interest in children during the learning process. Teachers and parents need to be made aware of this. They think this is because children are lazy when studying. This study analyzed loose part media and pictures on environmental themes to increase interest in early childhood learning. This research method uses quantitative methods with steps to formulate problems, determine the theoretical basis, formulate hypotheses, collect data, conduct data analysis, and draw conclusions. The analysis used in this research is quantitative and qualitative. Includes using loose part media and images, learning observations, and product validation of loose parts media and images. Analysis of loose part media and images to increase interest in early childhood learning includes six stages. The results showed a significant effect of the application of loose part media on environmental themes on children's learning interest based on a t count of 17,812 and a t table of 1.9977, so the t count is more than the t table. The application of environmental theme image media significantly affects children's learning interests with a t table of 1.9995. There is a significant influence of the application of environmental theme loose part media and environmental theme image media on children's learning interest with a t count of 14,483 and a t table of 1.9939. The conclusion is that there is a significant influence of the application of environmental theme loose part media and environmental theme image media on the learning interest of group B students.
 


A B S T R A C T
Children experience difficulties in learning at school and a lack of interest in children during the learning process. Teachers and parents need to be made aware of this. They think this is because children are lazy when studying. This study analyzed loose part media and pictures on environmental themes to increase interest in early childhood learning. This research method uses quantitative methods with steps to formulate problems, determine the theoretical basis, formulate hypotheses, collect data, conduct data analysis, and draw conclusions. The analysis used in this research is quantitative and qualitative. Includes using loose part media and images, learning observations, and product validation of loose parts media and images. Analysis of loose part media and images to increase interest in early childhood learning includes six stages. The results showed a significant effect of the application of loose part media on environmental themes on children's learning interest based on a t count of 17,812 and a t table of 1.9977, so the t count is more than the t table. The application of environmental theme image media significantly affects children's learning interests with a t table of 1.9995. There is a significant influence of the application of environmental theme loose part media and environmental theme image media on children's learning interest with a t count of 14,483 and a t table of 1.9939. The conclusion is that there is a significant influence of the application of environmental theme loose part media and environmental theme image media on the learning interest of group B students.

INTRODUCTION
Early childhood education is a form of education that focuses on laying the foundation for growth. Six developments, the development of religious morals, physical development, intelligence, socialemotional, language, and communication, by the uniqueness and stages of development according to the age group passed by early childhood (Agustina et al., 2021;Nasution, 2021). Learning is the process of changing individual behavior through relationships using the environment. Teaching functions to direct so that the target of this change can be achieved as desired. Being a teacher takes work. Teachers must be ready to accept challenges in any condition experienced by their students (Febriyanti et al., 2015;Nalipay et al., 2019). Dealing with children who are less active during learning takes place. Of course, the teacher must be willing and able to overcome the child's problems. The teacher must design or create something effective that can hypnotize children so that children's learning interest increases in participating in the teaching and learning process (Syafi'i et al., 2021). Interest is a tendency of a calm soul to pay attention and remember some activities or activities (Aditya Dharma, 2019; Wardani et al., 2020)-someone who is interested in an activity and pays attention to it consistently with pleasure.
The reality is that children experience difficulties in learning at school and a lack of interest in children during the learning process. Teachers and parents need to be made aware of this. They think this is because children are lazy when studying. Based on observations in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, one of the kindergartens in Kragan District, it is known that the teaching and learning process does not use interesting learning media. Learning in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District only uses textbooks and does not use interesting media or props. Sometimes the teacher also only gives assignments to children by writing in notebooks. As a result, children need to be more enthusiastic about learning. Some even want to avoid taking part in learning and are busy playing alone. Observation results also revealed that teachers could not carry out innovative and creative learning. It can be seen in the learning technique, which is still monotonous. The child is given a book. Then the teacher orders them to do the assignment through the book. The teacher instructs students to bold the writing and pictures in the book. This method is always done, seen from the child's worksheet. Teachers also let children who do not want to be active in learning.
The solution to this problem is using loose part media and images. This media has been adapted to the characteristics of early childhood, where early childhood is the time to play. This media can attract early childhood learning interest because it is presented through playing while learning (Ridwan et al., 2022;Wahyuningsih et al., 2020). The loose part becomes a variable that provides a model, for example, material and shape, smells, and other physical realities such as electricity, magnetism, and gravity; media, e.g., gases and liquids; sound, music, movement; chemicals, culinary and fire reactions; people, plants, words, concepts, and ideas (Anita Damayanti et al., 2020;Furi et al., 2019). With all that, children will feel happy playing, experimenting, discovering, exploring, and utilizing learning media that can increase children's interest in learning by using loose part media and pictures of environmental themes that depart from the problems that occurred in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, considering the location of the school, which is in a rural area which indirectly has a very big influence significantly to the learning of students in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District. Since the location of kindergartens in rural areas affects teacher human resources, teachers need to be more creative and innovative in educating children at school. The lack of teacher creativity affects the lack of interest in early childhood learning to decrease very drastically.
Some findings state that loose part media is for the creativity of children aged 5-6 years (Safitri et al., 2021; Wahyuningsih et al., 2020)-loose part media to improve children's fine motor skills (Ridwan et al., 2022). Development of loose-part media and pictures to increase interest in early childhood learning in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, because using loose-part teaching materials can stimulate children's creativity. They can be creative and disassemble teaching materials according to their imagination. Children will appreciate existing natural materials more surroundings. While the use of media images because by looking at pictures, children will be interested and happy, so their interest in learning will increase even more. Thus, this study aimed to analyze loose part media and pictures on environmental themes to increase interest in early childhood learning.

METHOD
Research on the effect of loose part media and pictures of environmental themes on early childhood learning interest is quantitative. This research was conducted in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency. The research design in this study used a quantitative method with an experimental approach. Data collection techniques in this study are through observation and interviews. The research target was group B students in the Bougenvil cluster unit, totaling 150 students. The research set experimental group is two classes and 1 class control group. Testing/research analysis is done with the hypothesis. The population of subjects in this study was the Bougainvillea cluster of 5 kindergarten institutions with 150 students. The sample is part of the number and characteristics possessed by the population. For this reason, samples taken from the population must be truly representative. The sample is a portion taken from the entire object under study and is considered representative of the population. The samples in this study were three Kindergartens, Masyithoh Kindergarten 7, Masyithoh Kindergarten 9, and Miftschus Sholihin Kindergarten. In this study, three variables are grouped into two, the independent variable and the dependent variable. The independent variables consist of loose part media (X1), environmental theme image media (X2), and children's learning interests (Y).

Result
Research on the effect of loose part media and pictures of environmental themes on early childhood learning interest is quantitative. This research was conducted in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency. The research design in this study used a quantitative method with an experimental approach. Data collection techniques in this study are through observation and interviews. The research target was group B students in the Bougenvil cluster unit, totaling 150 students. The research set experimental group is two classes and 1 class control group. Testing/research analysis is done with the hypothesis. The population of subjects in this study was the Bougainvillea cluster of 5 kindergarten institutions with 150 students. The sample is part of the number and characteristics possessed by the population. For this reason, samples taken from the population must be truly representative. The sample is a portion taken from the entire object under study and is considered representative of the population. The samples in this study were three Kindergartens, Masyithoh Kindergarten 7, Masyithoh Kindergarten 9, and Miftschus Sholihin Kindergarten. In this study, three variables are grouped into two, the independent variable and the dependent variable. The independent variables consist of loose part media (X1), environmental theme image media (X2), and children's learning interests (Y).

Discussion
Based on the analysis results, there is a significant difference in the use of loose part media with environmental themes and media images with environmental themes on the learning interest of group B students in the Bougainvillea cluster. Interest is what he calls subject-related affect, which includes interests and attitudes toward the subject matter. Interest is a tendency that persists in the subject to feel interested in a particular field or thing and feel happy to be involved in that field (Dharma, 2019;Sumaryanti, 2020). Loose part media is learning media that uses concrete/real (authentic) objects that are unstructured and open so that students can develop skills in solving a problem on their own, find solutions to these problems, think critically, and at the same time, be able to develop new knowledge (Ridwan et al., 2022;Wahyuningsih et al., 2020). Image media combines facts and ideas clearly and powerfully by expressing words with pictures (Aprinawati, 2017;Damayanti, 2018;Kartini, 2020). This activity is a process carried out by individuals to obtain changes in new behavior due to the individual's experience interacting with his environment. Through the environment, a process of effort is carried out by a person to obtain a new change in behavior due to his experience in interaction with his environment.
Loose part media and pictures on environmental themes can increase interest in early childhood learning. The condition for effective teaching and learning is students' interest and attention in learning. Interest is a relatively permanent trait in a person. Interest greatly influences learning because, with interest, someone will do something he is interested in (Awe et al., 2017;Widiana, 2022). Conversely, with someone's interest, it is possible to do something. Interest in learning is the willingness of a person to do an activity based on pleasure and sincerity. Besides that, in the media application, the learning process also uses a STEM learning model. STEM is believed to be valuable and meaningful learning for children. Teachers and educators believe using STEM learning can make students more active and think critically in forming their knowledge (Bozkurt Altan et al., 2016;Triana et al., 2020). Based on the results of the descriptive analysis, the t-test showed a significant difference in the use of loose part media on environmental themes and media on pictures on environmental themes on the learning interest of group B students in the Bougainvillea cluster. This is reinforced by experts' opinions and previous research relevant to the same results. Previous research findings state that the STEAM and Loose Parts Methods are important for training children to think critically and develop logical and systematic ways of thinking (Syafi'i et al., 2021). Experimental methods using loose parts media can improve cognitive abilities (Furi JPAI P-ISSN: 2597-8616, E-ISSN: 2549-4589 et al., 2019). Therefore, loose part media on environmental themes and media pictures on environmental themes on the learning interest of group B students in the Bougenvil cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency are proven. So the loose part of media on environmental themes is more effective than media on environmental themes on the learning interest of group B students in the Bougainvillea cluster.

CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the research and discussion that has been carried out under the title The influence of loose part media and environmental theme images on the learning interests of group B children in the Bougainville cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency, it can be concluded that: There is a significant effect of applying loose part media with environmental themes on the learning interests of group students B in the Bougainvillea cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency, there is a significant effect of the application of environmental theme image media on the learning interest of group B students in the Bougainvillea cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency, there is a significant difference in the effect of applying loose part media on environmental themes and media with environmental themes on interest learning of group B students in the Bougainvillea cluster, Kragan District, Rembang Regency.