Implementation Independent Curriculum in Increase 21st Century Competencies of Students Elementary school

Innovative learning as a strengthening of 21st-century skills of elementary school students

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.

Enhancing Students’ Competence in Curriculum and Material Development through the TPACK Approach in 21st-Century Education

The research shows that the TPACK framework integrates technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge, providing a holistic strategy for creating effective and engaging educational experiences, and empowers students to independently create and manage curricula and learning materials.

Integrated curriculum as the content of educational work in the younger grades of primary schools

The integrated curriculum represents a modern approach in the lower grades of elementary school that overcomes traditional disciplinary fragmentation and promotes the holistic development of students of younger school age. The paper analyzes the theoretical foundations, structure and implementation of the integrated curriculum, with a focus on thematic, problematic and project models of integration. The key values of the approach are emphasized - development of personal and social identity, creativity, responsibility, cooperation, autonomy and experiential learning based on constructivist principles and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. The importance of interdisciplinary planning, connecting areas, thematic organization of content, project-oriented activities and the role of the teacher as a facilitator is particularly emphasized. The paper considers the dynamism of planning (from learning outcomes to evaluation), indicators of success and effects on students’ motivation, critical thinking and social competence. At the same time, limitations and challenges are pointed out: rigid schedule, priority of traditional subjects, lack of resources, insufficient preparation of teachers, institutional resistance and inequalities in implementation. In conclusion, the integrated curriculum shows a significant potential for improving the quality of education in lower grades, but its effective implementation requires systemic support, continuous professional development of teachers, flexible policies and cooperation with the family and community, thus responding to the requirements of the modern European and national educational context.

OF PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN SKILLS IN FUTURE

Innovative science teaching materials based on case-based learning to improve critical thinking skills

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.

ACTIVE METHODOLOGIES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT ON PROMOTING MEANINGFUL LEARNING

The constant social and educational changes have demanded that schools adopt teaching practices that encourage students to actively participate in knowledge building. In this context, active methodologies stand out as important strategies to promote meaningful learning, fostering autonomy, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving. This study aims to share a teaching experience carried out in the 3rd grade of Elementary School I, with 25 students, in the municipal school system in 2025, highlighting the contributions of active methodologies to student learning. It is an experience report, with a qualitative and descriptive approach, based on contemporary education theoretical frameworks. This is an experience report with a qualitative and descriptive approach, based on theoretical frameworks of contemporary education. During the activities, strategies such as problem-based learning, collaborative work, station rotation, gamification, the use of educational games, technological resources, and investigative activities were used, allowing students to take a more active role in the teaching and learning process. The observed results indicate increased interest, participation, and interaction among students, as well as improvements in autonomy, problem-solving skills, and the consolidation of the skills outlined by the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). It can be concluded that adopting active methodologies encourages more meaningful, dynamic, and contextualized learning, contributing to the overall development of early elementary school students.