Implementing Individual Point Rewards to Improve Students' Verbal Courage in Islamic Religious Education

Islamic Religious Education (IRE) aims not only to develop religious knowledge but also to encourage students’ active participation in learning. However, limited verbal participation was observed among Grade X students at SMAN 2 Tambun Selatan. This study aimed to examine the use of the Individual Point Reward method to encourage students’ verbal participation. Classroom action research was conducted in three cycles using the Kemmis, McTaggart, and Nixon model. The participants were 83 students from classes X-11 and X-12. Data were collected through participatory observation and field notes. Verbal participation was identified through three indicators: asking questions, answering teacher-provided questions or case-based prompts, and responding to peers. The number of distinct students demonstrating verbal participation was 3 in Cycle I, 33 in Cycle II, and 17 in Cycle III. These figures represent students observed participating in each cycle, not the total number of students enrolled in the study. Each student was counted once per cycle, even if they demonstrated more than one indicator. Answering questions was the most frequently observed form of participation. Although participation increased from Cycle I to Cycle II, it decreased in Cycle III. Because learning topics, task designs, and opportunities to speak varied across cycles, the observed changes cannot be attributed solely to the intervention. The findings suggest that individual points may serve as a practical way to recognize students’ verbal contributions, while their use should be adapted to classroom activities and conditions.