Riverbank sanitation is a socioscientific issue that students in Indonesian river cities encounter first-hand, yet validated instruments for assessing how students perceive it are scarce. This study examined a 22-item instrument and how two dimensions, perceived sanitation conditions (KS; 8 items) and perceived government policy (KP; 14 items), constitute students' overall perception (PM) of sanitation on the Kuin River, Banjarmasin. Seven experts reviewed the items before administration. After screening 300 returned questionnaires and removing 49 duplicated records, 251 responses from students at three universities adjoining the Kuin riverbank were analysed. PM was specified as a reflective–formative higher-order construct and estimated with PLS-SEM (5,000 bootstrap resamples). Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's α = 0.715 for KS, 0.831 for KP and 0.866 for PM; composite reliability = 0.800 and 0.865) and discriminant validity was supported (HTMT = 0.791), but average variance extracted was below 0.50 (0.33 and 0.32). Both dimensions contributed significantly to overall perception: perceived policy (β = 0.725, 95% CI [0.677, 0.774], p < .001) and perceived sanitation conditions (β = 0.374, 95% CI [0.327, 0.420], p < .001). When the two dimensions were given equal numbers of items, however, their weights converged (0.59 vs. 0.54), indicating that much of the apparent dominance of policy reflects its larger item set. Students' overall appraisal of riverbank sanitation therefore draws on both institutional and physical appraisals, with a modest edge for perceived policy. The instrument offers a starting point for diagnosing such perceptions in place-based science education, pending further validation.
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) requires elementary science instruction that develops not only conceptual understanding but also students’ learning independence. However, previous studies have predominantly examined Outdoor Study and Problem-Based Learning as separate instructional approaches, leaving limited empirical evidence on their integrated application in elementary science education. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of integrating Outdoor Study with Problem-Based Learning in supporting conceptual understanding and learning independence. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was conducted at SD Negeri 3 Nglengkir (n = 19) and SD Negeri 2 Nglengkir (n = 17), Blora Regency, Indonesia. Data were collected using a conceptual understanding test and a learning independence questionnaire, analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, and MANOVA. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher conceptual understanding and learning independence scores than the control group (p < .001). MANOVA also revealed a significant simultaneous difference between groups, Wilks' Λ = .241, F(2; 33) = 52.061, p < .001, partial η² = .759. These findings indicate that the integration of Outdoor Study and Problem-Based Learning offers a promising approach for strengthening science learning outcomes and learner autonomy. The study contributes empirical evidence for competency-oriented elementary science instruction aligned with SDG 4.
This study aimed to develop and evaluate a Problem-Based Wordwall Edugame instructional package for sixth-grade Science and Social Studies (IPAS) and examine its association with students’ critical-thinking performance. Using a research-and-development approach guided by the ADDIE model, the study incorporated a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest comparison involving all 30 sixth-grade students at SDN 3 Sendangrejo, Indonesia, assigned by pretest scores to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. Data were collected through expert-validation sheets, classroom observations, teacher and student response questionnaires, and critical-thinking tests, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption tests, paired- and independent-samples t-tests, and normalized gains. Expert validation yielded 87% for content, 89% for media, and 88% for learning devices; implementation reached 92.76%, and teacher and student responses each reached 93%. Mean critical-thinking scores increased from 56.80 to 89.87 in the experimental group and from 53.73 to 68.87 in the control group; normalized gains were 0.77 and 0.33, respectively. The posttest group difference was significant, t(28) = 12.73, p < .001. These findings are consistent with constructivist and problem-based learning research and suggest that pedagogically integrated gamification can support critical-thinking development. However, the single-school sample, nonrandom group allocation, and combined intervention limit causal inference and generalizability; larger controlled studies should test individual components and longer-term effects.
ABSTRACT This study examined differences in sixth-grade students’ conceptual understanding and critical thinking between Problem-Based Learning (PBL) supported by an Augmented Reality (AR)-Based Book and conventional instruction in Solar System learning. A quantitative quasi-experimental study employing a nonequivalent pretest–posttest control group design involved 35 students from two elementary schools in Blora, Indonesia, comprising 17 experimental and 18 control participants. The intervention was implemented across three instructional sessions. Data were collected using validated essay-based assessments and analyzed through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for pretest performance. The experimental group achieved higher posttest means in conceptual understanding (86.71 vs. 72.67) and critical thinking (85.82 vs. 70.17). ANCOVA revealed significant adjusted between-group differences in conceptual understanding (mean difference = 13.87, 95% CI [11.45, 16.29], p < .001) and critical thinking (mean difference = 15.38, 95% CI [12.19, 18.57], p < .001). MANCOVA confirmed a significant multivariate difference (Pillai’s Trace = .862, F(2, 30) = 95.34, p < .001). These findings suggest that integrating AR-supported visualization within structured problem-based inquiry may support conceptual learning and evidence-based reasoning. Nevertheless, the small sample, nonrandom allocation, and school- and teacher-level confounding preclude definitive causal conclusions. Larger multisite and factorial studies are recommended.
Enhancing conceptual understanding and critical thinking in elementary science requires meaningful learning experiences supported by appropriate instructional media. Examining the effects of integrating Deep Learning approaches and audiovisual media on students’ conceptual understanding and critical thinking was the primary aim of this study. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental matching-only design involved 30 fifth-grade students, comprising 15 students in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. Data were collected using conceptual understanding and critical thinking tests, with reliability coefficients of 0.84 and 0.86, respectively. Data analysis employed ANCOVA and MANCOVA. Results showed that the experimental group obtained higher posttest means in conceptual understanding (91.47) and critical thinking (89.72) than the control group (72.47 and 68.47). ANCOVA indicated significant effects on conceptual understanding, F(1,56) = 86.57, p < 0.01, η²p = 0.59, and critical thinking, F(1,56) = 72.43, p < 0.01, η²p = 0.56. MANCOVA also revealed a significant simultaneous effect, Pillai’s Trace = 0.68, F(2,56) = 58.72, p < 0.01, η²p = 0.68. Overall, integrating Deep Learning approaches with audiovisual media substantially improved both outcomes within the studied context.
