The Effectiveness of Understanding Historical Short Stories using Discovery Learning Model

This research is motivated by the low ability of Phase F eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 7 Padang in comprehending short stories with historical backgrounds. This lack of proficiency is attributed to several factors, such as low reading interest, students' lack of focus during teacher explanations, and difficulties in interpreting implicit meanings within lengthy texts. The primary objective of this study is to describe the effectiveness of the Discovery Learning model in improving these abilities. Utilizing a quantitative approach with a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design, this study involved students from class XI F.7 as a sample out of a total population of 259 students. Data was collected through objective tests administered before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the implementation of the learning model. The results indicated that the average pre-test score was 62.90 (Fair category), while the average post-test score increased to 79.36 (Good category). Despite this improvement, the N-gain test resulted in a score of 44.37%, which falls into the "less effective" category. This limitation was due to the time-consuming nature of the data collection stage and the excessive freedom given to students, which led to a lack of focus during learning activities. These findings conclude that while the Discovery Learning model can enhance comprehension, its implementation possesses significant limitations.