SILENT READING VS LISTENING: PERBANDINGAN METODE BELAJAR TERHADAP MEMORI JANGKA PENDEK REMAJA

Abstract

Short-term memory capacity plays a crucial role in helping individuals comprehend information and materials quickly, thereby supporting an optimal learning process in adolescents. This experimental study aims to determine the difference in effectiveness between silent reading and listening methods in improving short-term memory among individuals aged 18–21 years. The research design employed was a Randomized Two-Group Design, Posttest Only with a between-subject approach. The subjects consisted of 47 individuals selected through purposive sampling, who were then randomly assigned into a reading group (n = 26) and a listening group (n = 21). The reading group was given materials in the form of text to be read independently, while the listening group received the same materials delivered orally through verbal instructions. Short-term memory was measured post-treatment using a recall test based on the amount of information correctly remembered. Descriptive analysis showed that the verbal instruction listening group obtained a mean score of 8.62, whereas the silent reading group obtained a mean score of 8.35. The Mann-Whitney test results revealed a U value of 346.000 with a significance value (Sig. 2-tailed) of 0.106 (p > 0.05). This indicates that there is no significant difference between the reading method and the listening method on short-term memory; hence, the research hypothesis is rejected. Both methods demonstrate relatively equal effectiveness because adolescents at the formal operational stage are capable of processing information optimally through both visual and auditory modalities.