Pengaruh Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka terhadap Prestasi Belajar Pendidikan Agama Islam melalui Proses Pembelajaran Siswa Kelas VII SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit Kec. Banggai Selatan Kab. Banggai Laut

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka terhadap prestasi belajar Pendidikan Agama Islam melalui proses pembelajaran siswa kelas VII di SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit, Kecamatan Banggai Selatan, Kabupaten Banggai Laut. Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh perubahan kebijakan kurikulum nasional yang menekankan pembelajaran berpusat pada peserta didik, penguatan karakter, serta pengembangan kompetensi abad ke-21. Dalam konteks Pendidikan Agama Islam, Kurikulum Merdeka diharapkan mampu meningkatkan prestasi belajar secara holistik yang mencakup aspek kognitif, afektif, dan psikomotor peserta didik.
Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian korelasional. Populasi penelitian sekaligus dijadikan sampel dengan teknik sampling jenuh, yaitu seluruh siswa kelas VII SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit yang berjumlah 14 siswa. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui tes prestasi belajar Pendidikan Agama Islam berupa pretest dan posttest, serta dokumentasi proses pembelajaran. Analisis data dilakukan menggunakan statistik deskriptif untuk melihat gambaran data awal dan statistik inferensial yang meliputi uji korelasi Product Moment Pearson serta uji hipotesis.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat peningkatan nilai rata-rata prestasi belajar siswa setelah penerapan Kurikulum Merdeka. Nilai rata-rata pretest sebesar 84,21 meningkat menjadi 85,00 pada posttest. Hasil uji korelasi menunjukkan adanya hubungan positif dan signifikan antara implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka dan prestasi belajar Pendidikan Agama Islam dengan tingkat signifikansi p < 0,05. Uji hipotesis menunjukkan bahwa hipotesis alternatif diterima, yang berarti implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka berpengaruh signifikan terhadap prestasi belajar siswa. Selain peningkatan hasil akademik, temuan penelitian juga menunjukkan meningkatnya keaktifan siswa dalam proses pembelajaran, pemahaman materi yang lebih baik, serta penguatan sikap religius melalui pembelajaran berdiferensiasi dan berbasis proyek. Dengan demikian, implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka terbukti memberikan kontribusi nyata terhadap peningkatan prestasi belajar Pendidikan Agama Islam siswa kelas VII di SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit secara terukur dan berkelanjutan.

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This study aims to analyze the effect of the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum on students’ learning achievement in Islamic Religious Education through the learning process of seventh-grade students at SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit, Banggai Selatan District, Banggai Laut Regency. This research is motivated by national curriculum reform that emphasizes student-centered learning, character strengthening, and the development of 21st-century competencies. In the context of Islamic Religious Education, the Merdeka Curriculum is expected to improve learning achievement holistically, encompassing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects of students’ development.
This study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational research design. The population of the study simultaneously served as the research sample using a saturated sampling technique, consisting of all 14 seventh-grade students at SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit. Data were collected through Islamic Religious Education learning achievement tests in the form of pretests and posttests, as well as documentation related to the learning process. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics to describe the initial data distribution and inferential statistics, including the Pearson Product Moment correlation test and hypothesis testing.
The results indicate an increase in the average learning achievement scores after the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum. The mean pretest score of 84.21 increased to 85.00 in the posttest. Correlation analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum and students’ learning achievement in Islamic Religious Education, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Hypothesis testing showed that the alternative hypothesis was accepted, indicating that the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum has a significant effect on students’ learning achievement. In addition to academic improvement, the findings also demonstrate increased student engagement in the learning process, better understanding of learning materials, and strengthened religious attitudes through differentiated instruction and project-based learning. Therefore, the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum is proven to make a measurable and sustainable contribution to improving Islamic Religious Education learning achievement among seventh- grade students at SMPN Satu Atap Tolokibit.