Smart Game and Qur’anic Learning: An Effort to Enhance Students’ Learning Interest at SDN Pataonan 03 Bangkalan

Qur’anic learning at the elementary school level plays a crucial role in developing students’ religious literacy, moral growth, and foundational reading skills. However, many primary schools still implement conventional approaches that emphasize repetition and teacher-centered instruction, which often fail to sustain students’ learning interest, particularly among digitally oriented young learners. This study aimed to examine the effect of smart game–based Qur’anic learning on students’ learning interest at SDN Pataonan 03 Bangkalan. A quantitative approach with a quasi- experimental, non-equivalent control group design was employed, involving 45 students from grades IVa and IVb. The experimental group participated in smart game–based Qur’anic learning, while the control group received conventional instruction. Students’ learning interest was measured using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test. The results revealed a significant increase in learning interest for the experimental group (M = 78.26) compared to the control group (M = 65.14), with Z = -4.22 and p = 0.000. These findings indicate that smart game–based Qur’anic learning effectively enhances students’ learning interest, transforming situational interest into more enduring individual interest and providing an engaging, interactive, and motivating learning experience. The study highlights the pedagogical value of integrating technology and gamification strategies in primary school Qur’anic education to promote student engagement, motivation, and positive attitudes toward learning.