Differentiated Learning and Critical Thinking in Elementary Indonesian Language

turnitin unesa1

Adapting Literature Circles to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Indonesian EFL Classrooms: A Qualitative Case Study toward SDG 4

Teachers' Understanding of Cognitive Process and Knowledge Dimensions in Learning Tool Development

Despite mandates under Curriculum 2013, many Indonesian primary school teachers struggle to develop learning tools that integrate the cognitive process and knowledge dimensions of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. This study examines the depth of teachers' taxonomic understanding at SDN 3 Lenek Lauk during the 2020/2021 academic year. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Twelve teachers were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via Likert-scale questionnaire, classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of syllabi and lesson plans (RPP). Analysis followed Miles and Huberman's interactive model, with triangulation across instruments to ensure credibility. All twelve teachers (100%) produced lesson plan objectives exclusively using C1–C2 cognitive verbs. None included metacognitive knowledge strategies, and all lesson plans showed evidence of adaptation from external sources without independent Basic Competency analysis. Only 16.7% of informants demonstrated partial independent curriculum analysis. The findings reveal a multi-layered taxonomic literacy deficit operating at conceptual, technical, and epistemic levels. Misconceptions about HOTS being developmentally inappropriate, combined with administrative overload, perpetuate lower-order instructional design. Restructuring Teacher Working Group (KKG) programs with taxonomy-focused modules is essential to bridging the gap between curriculum policy and classroom practice.

Analysis of Differentiated Learning in Indonesian Language Subjects for Elementary School Students

The diversity of learning readiness, interests, and learning styles of elementary school students requires teachers to implement learning that is no longer uniform, especially since the Independent Curriculum requires student-centered learning through a differentiated approach, while Indonesian language learning has tended to be teacher-centered. This study aims to analyze the implementation of differentiated learning in Indonesian language subjects in elementary schools, the forms of content, process, and product differentiation applied, and the obstacles faced by teachers in its implementation. The method used is a library study (library research) with a qualitative approach and content analysis techniques on six articles from accredited national journals published in 2020–2026. The results of the study indicate that all articles report the positive impact of differentiated learning on student activity, motivation, and learning outcomes; process differentiation is most often applied compared to content and product, with diagnostic assessment as a key instrument for mapping student needs; and three main obstacles that are consistently reported are time constraints, large student numbers in one class, and teachers' lack of understanding of student learning styles. It can be concluded that differentiated learning effectively improves the quality of Indonesian language learning in elementary schools, but its success depends on systemic support in the form of continuous teacher training and adjustment of the student ratio per class, so that future research is recommended to use a quantitative design to measure the magnitude of its impact measurably.

Indonesian Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of STEMPreneur for Supporting Computational Thinking in Science Learning

The increasing emphasis on computational thinking (CT) in primary education has encouraged the exploration of innovative pedagogical approaches that integrate scientific inquiry with authentic problem solving. One emerging approach is STEMPreneur, which combines STEM education with entrepreneurial thinking to foster innovation and value creation. This study explored Indonesian primary school teachers' perceptions of STEMPreneur for promoting computational thinking in Primary Science (IPAS) learning. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed involving 50 primary school teachers from Jakarta and Bekasi, followed by semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that teachers perceived STEMPreneur as a relevant and pedagogically valuable approach that supports the development of decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and evaluation. However, teachers also identified challenges related to pedagogical knowledge, instructional resources, computational thinking assessment, and curriculum time. To address these challenges, participants recommended continuous professional development, practical instructional resources, explicit computational thinking assessment, and authentic project-based learning. The study proposes a pedagogical ecosystem for STEMPreneur implementation that provides a conceptual framework for integrating computational thinking into primary science education.

Inquiry-Based Learning in Pancasila and Civic Education: Developing Elementary Students’ Critical Thinking Skills and Learning Outcomes

Critical thinking in Pancasila Education should be developed through learning that allows students to ask questions, use evidence, and justify their reasoning rather than merely memorize values. This classroom action research aimed to improve the learning process, critical thinking, and learning outcomes through Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL). The study followed the Kemmis and McTaggart model in two cycles and involved 17 fourth-grade students at MI Muhammadiyah Cece, Alla District, Enrekang Regency, Indonesia. Data were collected through classroom observations, a 20-item achievement test, and documentation. The observation score for critical-thinking processes and inquiry activities increased from 10/28 (35.7%) in the pre-action stage to 15/28 (53.6%) in Cycle I and 25/28 (89.3%) in Cycle II. Mean achievement scores increased from 52.35 to 70.00 and 85.85, while classical mastery rose from 23% to 53% and finally 100%. The overall normalized gain was approximately 0.70, indicating a high level of improvement. These findings indicate that IBL, when supported by appropriate scaffolding and reflective improvement across cycles, can shift Pancasila Education from information reception toward more dialogic, evidence-informed, and reasoned learning.