Kognisi : Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Sekolah Dasar

Synergistic Ethnopedagogy for Energy Conservation: Cultivating Character and Culture through Cempluk Dance in Elementary School

Nabilla Fissalma — 2026-06-27

The erosion of local culture in the digital age challenges character education in elementary schools. Research on traditional dance rooted in energy conservation philosophy, such as the Cempluk Dance, remains scarce. This explanatory case study analyzes the internalization of character values through Cempluk Dance ethnopedagogy at Kalisongo Elementary School 3, involving two key informants (a classroom teacher and a dance instructor). Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings reveal that the Cempluk Dance program, as a mandatory extracurricular activity, successfully integrates local wisdom into the Merdeka Curriculum. Internalized character values include self-confidence, cultural pride, energy conservation, and good manners. A key success factor is the strong synergy between the school and the community, which reflects social capital as a theoretical framework. The novelty lies in the energy-saving philosophy derived from the local history of “Kampung Cempluk” and the engagement of students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. This study proposes a Synergistic Ethnopedagogy model comprising three pillars: character value internalization rooted in local history, school–community synergy as social capital, and structured curriculum support. This model offers a replicable framework for integrating local wisdom into character education within the Merdeka Curriculum.

The Effect of the Student Teams Achievement Division Learning Model on Elementary School Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Social Studies

Ester Julia Hendriksz — 2026-06-27

Critical thinking is one of the key competencies required in 21st-century education, particularly in Social Studies learning, which aims to develop students’ analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities. However, many elementary school students still demonstrate low levels of critical thinking due to the predominance of conventional teacher-centered learning approaches. This study aimed to examine the effect of the Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) learning model on the critical thinking skills of fifth-grade students in Social Studies learning at SDN 1 Amahusu. The study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design involving 46 students, consisting of 23 students in the experimental group and 23 students in the control group. Data were collected through observation and essay-based test instruments that had undergone validity and reliability testing. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25 and included descriptive statistics, validity testing, reliability testing, normality testing, homogeneity testing, paired-samples t-test analysis, and N-Gain analysis. The findings revealed that the STAD learning model significantly improved students’ critical thinking skills. The experimental group achieved a mean post-test score of 91.5, compared with 48.2 in the control group. The paired-samples t-test yielded a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant effect of the intervention. Furthermore, the average N-Gain score of 0.8440 was categorized as high. These findings indicate that the STAD learning model is an effective instructional strategy for enhancing elementary school students’ critical thinking skills in Social Studies learning through collaborative and student-centered learning activities.

Exploring the Need for “Omah Baskara” a Local Wisdom-Based Learning Media for Teaching East Java’s Cultural Diversity

Rizki Farista Sari — 2026-06-28

Learning activities in Natural and Social Sciences at the elementary school level still make limited use of local wisdom-based learning media. Most existing learning media do not incorporate cultural elements from students' surrounding environments, highlighting the need for a needs analysis of local wisdom-based learning media. This study aimed to analyze the need for the "Omah Baskara" local wisdom-based learning media for teaching East Java's cultural diversity in elementary schools. The study employed a mixed-methods approach using a convergent triangulation design. Data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews and analyzed using descriptive quantitative and qualitative techniques. The participants consisted of 30 fourth-grade students from SD Negeri Mrican 1, Kediri City. The findings revealed that 77% of the students experienced difficulties in learning Natural and Social Sciences, while 73% reported difficulty understanding the topic of East Java's cultural diversity. In addition, 80% of the students expressed interest in using learning media integrated with educational games, and 83% preferred concrete learning media equipped with educational games. Furthermore, 87% of the students agreed to use the "Omah Baskara" local wisdom-based learning media. These findings indicate that developing the "Omah Baskara" local wisdom-based learning media is necessary to support more contextual cultural diversity learning that is aligned with the needs of elementary school students.