21st-century skills are essential competencies that need to be developed from the elementary school level to prepare students for future challenges. This study aimed to explore the role of innovative learning in strengthening 21st-century skills among elementary school students within the context of the Merdeka Curriculum. This study employed a qualitative case study design. The participants consisted of three elementary school teachers from two districts in Bogor Regency, Indonesia, who had implemented innovative learning practices in their classrooms. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and thematically analyzed in NVivo 12 using the stages of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The findings revealed that innovative learning practices, such as project-based learning, problem-based learning, collaborative discussion, and the integration of digital media, contributed positively to strengthening students’ critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Innovative learning also encouraged active student participation, increased students’ confidence, and created more meaningful and student-centered learning experiences. Teachers played an important role as facilitators, guiding students through collaborative, context-based learning activities. However, the implementation of innovative learning still faced several challenges, including limited learning facilities, time constraints, and differences in students’ learning abilities. This study concludes that innovative learning plays an important role in strengthening 21st-century skills in elementary schools and highlights the need for continuous teacher support, adequate learning facilities, and collaborative learning environments to sustain implementation.
2026 February httpdx.doi.org10.33578 Jurnal Pendidikan Guru, jpfkip.v15i1.192-213 Waode Sitti Fatimah et al. Sekolah Dasar, Wiworo Retnadi et al.· Primary Jurnal Pendidikan Gu...· 0 citations
The development of critical thinking skills among pre-service elementary teachers remains a persistent challenge, particularly given the limited availability of instructional materials that explicitly integrate higher-order thinking processes into science instruction. While case-based learning (CBL) has been widely recognized as an effective pedagogical approach, its systematic integration into structured teaching materials in elementary teacher education contexts remains underexplored, especially in local Indonesian settings. This study aims to develop and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of CBL-oriented science teaching materials designed for pre-service elementary teachers. This research employed a Research and Development (R&D) design based on the Borg and Gall model, involving multiple stages of product validation and field testing. The participants consisted of undergraduate students from a Primary School Teacher Education program. The effectiveness of the developed materials was examined using a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest control groups. Data were collected through expert validation instruments, response questionnaires, and a critical thinking skills test, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-sample t-tests, and normalized gain (N-gain) scores. The findings indicate that the developed CBL-based teaching materials are highly feasible, as demonstrated by expert validation scores across language, content, instructional design, and practitioner assessments, all categorized as “excellent.” Furthermore, the materials were effective in improving students’ critical thinking skills, as evidenced by a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups (p = 0.00 < .05) and a moderate learning gain. This study contributes to the field by providing empirically validated, context-specific instructional materials that integrate case-based learning into science education for pre-service elementary teachers. The findings highlight the potential of structured CBL materials to enhance critical thinking and support the preparation of future teachers capable of implementing higher-order thinking-oriented instruction in elementary classrooms.
2026 February httpdx.doi.org10.33578 Jurnal Pendidikan Guru, Taty R Koroh Sekolah Dasar jpfkip.v15i4.909-921 Fembriani, T. R. Koroh· Primary Jurnal Pendidikan Gu...· 0 citations
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