Suci Perwita Sari

A SPEAK CUSTOM: HOW THE MARKOBAR TRADITIONAL CEREMONY AFFECTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS' SPEAKING SKILL

Introduction

A speak custom: how the markobar traditional ceremony affects elementary school teacher education students' speaking skill. Explore how the Markobar traditional ceremony learning strategy significantly enhances speaking skills for elementary teacher education students, also preserving local culture.

Abstract

Speaking is one way to convey messages and mandates verbally. In this process, the speaker acts as an encoder, using language codes to send messages and mandates. These messages are then received by the listener who serves as a decoder, breaking down the codes conveyed to provide meaning and interpretation. This communication process occurs interactively, with speakers and listeners alternating roles, creating a dynamic reciprocal communication flow. The goal of this research is to ascertain how the application of the Markobar custom be learning strategy impacts the speaking abilities of fifth grade Elementary School Teacher Education. Markobar, an oral tradition from the Mandailing culture, was transformed into a learning strategy that focuses on delivering messages in turns, with politeness and structure. A quantitative approach with an experimental design was employed in this study. Class A, the experimental group, received a learning intervention using Markobar, and Class B, the control group, utilized the lecture method. The data collcetive involved a speaking skills observation sheet that comprised indicators of expression, fluency, sentence structure, word choice, and content accuracy. The outcomes of the tests for normality and homogeneity indicated that the data followed a normal distribution and was homogeneous. The significance value for Hypothesis was 0.000 < 0.05. it means, the use of Markobar significantly affected the enhancement of students' speaking skills. This study's findings suggest that the Markobar strategy is effective for enhancing students' speaking skills and serves as a significant initiative for local culture preservation in education. Deviations from expected outcomes—such as persistent student passivity—can be attributed to heterogeneous student backgrounds, where not all comprehend Mandailing language/terms, coupled with limited rehearsal time for markobar exercises, preventing universal achievement of advanced proficiency levels. Keywords: Speak custom, Markorbar traditional ceremony, Speaking skill

Review

This study presents a timely and innovative approach to enhancing speaking skills by integrating a local cultural tradition, Markobar, into a learning strategy. The research clearly states its objective: to ascertain the impact of the Markobar custom as a learning strategy on students' speaking abilities. The quantitative experimental design, comparing an intervention group (Markobar) with a control group (lecture method), is a robust choice for establishing causality. The identified indicators for speaking skills (expression, fluency, sentence structure, word choice, and content accuracy) are comprehensive. The reported significant positive effect of Markobar on speaking skills, alongside its role in local culture preservation, highlights a dual benefit that is both educationally valuable and culturally resonant. However, the abstract presents a significant ambiguity regarding the study's target population. The title refers to "Elementary School Teacher Education Students," implying adult learners in higher education. In contrast, the abstract states, "fifth grade Elementary School Teacher Education," which is confusing. It is unclear whether the participants are fifth-grade primary school students, university students *in* an elementary school teacher education program, or something else entirely. This lack of clarity is a major methodological concern that hinders the interpretation and generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, while the study effectively 'transforms' Markobar into a learning strategy, the extent to which the deep cultural nuances of the "traditional ceremony" are preserved or adapted for pedagogical purposes could be further elaborated. The acknowledged "deviations from expected outcomes," such as persistent student passivity, language barriers, and limited rehearsal time, indicate that while effective, the implementation faced challenges that might temper the overall success and warrant deeper qualitative exploration. Overall, this research offers a valuable contribution by demonstrating the potential of culturally embedded pedagogical approaches to improve specific academic skills and foster cultural preservation. To strengthen future work, it is crucial to unequivocally clarify the demographic and educational level of the participating students. Future studies could also benefit from a mixed-methods approach to further investigate the 'why' behind the observed effects, exploring how elements like politeness and structured turn-taking specifically contribute to skill development. Additionally, addressing the identified limitations by devising strategies for non-Mandailing speakers or providing more extensive training could optimize the strategy's effectiveness and ensure a more universally positive outcome across diverse student backgrounds.

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