<![CDATA[Instruction in Islamic Religious Education, specifically regarding the History of Islamic Civilization (SPI) at the high school level, is frequently dominated by conventional, rote-memorization-heavy methods. This leads to cognitive overload and disparities in learning outcomes. This study aims to empirically compare the effectiveness of the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) learning model assisted by flash card media versus the Snowball Throwing model on students' cognitive learning outcomes. Utilizing a quantitative quasi-experimental approach with a Non-equivalent Control Group Design, the research involved 63 eleventh-grade students from SMAN 1 Batujajar. Data were collected using a validated 30-item multiple-choice test and analyzed using the Independent Samples T-Test, N-Gain, and Cohen's d. The results indicated a significant difference in cognitive learning outcomes (p = 0.024 < 0.05) between the two groups. The flash card-assisted TGT class achieved an average score of 86.91 with an N-Gain of 66.28% (Moderately Effective), outperforming the Snowball Throwing class, which scored an average of 80.81 with an N-Gain of 50.22% (Less Effective). The impact of this research confirms that integrating structured competition with visual scaffolding effectively democratizes student understanding and reduces working memory load. Abstrak Pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam materi Sejarah Peradaban Islam (SPI) di SMA kerap didominasi metode hafalan konvensional yang memicu kelebihan beban kognitif. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkomparasikan efektivitas model pembelajaran Teams Games Tournament (TGT) berbantuan media flash card dengan model Snowball Throwing terhadap hasil belajar kognitif siswa. Menggunakan metode kuasi-eksperimen dengan desain Non-equivalent Control Group, penelitian ini melibatkan 63 siswa kelas XI SMAN 1 Batujajar. Data dikumpulkan melalui tes pilihan ganda yang divalidasi dan dianalisis menggunakan uji Independent Samples T-Test, N-Gain, dan Cohen's d. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya perbedaan hasil belajar kognitif yang signifikan (p=0,024 < 0,05) antara kedua kelas. Kelas TGT berbantuan flash card memperoleh rata-rata 86,91 dengan N-Gain 66,28% (Cukup Efektif), sedangkan kelas Snowball Throwing memperoleh rata-rata 80,81 dengan N-Gain 50,22% (Kurang Efektif). Simpulannya, model TGT berbasis flash card terbukti superior sebagai arsitektur pedagogis untuk mendemokratisasi pemahaman siswa dan mereduksi beban memori kerja dibandingkan model Snowball Throwing yang rentan memicu kelelahan kognitif.]]>
