Game-Based Learning Effects on Holistic Outcomes in Pencak Silat Instruction

Background. Pencak Silat instruction in Indonesian secondary schools remains predominantly teacher-centered, limiting student engagement across cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Objectives. To examine the effects of an explicitly progressive Game-Based Learning (GBL) sequence based on modified Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) games on holistic learning outcomes in Pencak Silat instruction. Materials and Methods. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed with 60 ninth-grade students assigned to an experimental group (n = 30; eight-week progressive GBL sequence) or a control group (n = 30; conventional instruction). Cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes were assessed using instruments validated through expert content validity (Aiken's V), pilot testing of internal consistency, and dual-observer inter-rater reliability. Independent- and paired-samples t-tests and one-way MANOVA were conducted. Results. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on cognitive (d = 0.579), affective (d = 4.580), and psychomotor (d = 4.294) post-test scores (all p < .05). MANOVA confirmed a significant simultaneous group effect across all three domains (Wilks’ Λ = 0.128, F = 131.68, p < .001, η² = .872). Conclusions. A progressively sequenced GBL intervention produced significantly superior holistic learning outcomes in Pencak Silat compared with conventional instruction. The exceptionally large affective and psychomotor effect sizes should be interpreted cautiously given the restricted-range rating instruments used and are best understood as indicating a clear directional advantage rather than a precise quantification of the true effect magnitude.