Development of Augmented Reality-Based Game-Based Learning Integrated with Character Values to Improve Literacy and Problem-Solving Skills of Elementary School Students

Science learning in elementary schools using the PBL learning model can grow students' higher-order thinking skills, such as problem-solving and creative thinking skills. The purpose of correlational research was to analyze the relationship between problem-solving and creative thinking skills of elementary school students through the implementation of PBL. The predictor variables and criteria in the research were in the form of problem-solving and creative thinking skills, respectively. The population of this study was the fifth-grade elementary school students, totaling 120 students. This study’s sample was 33 students. The data retrieval used problem-solving and creative thinking skills tests on the concept of the human circulatory system. The data analysis was performed by linear regression. The results showed a correlation between creative thinking and problem-solving skills in learning with PBL. There is a strong relationship between problem-solving and creative thinking skills through PBL. The predictor variable contributed 37.8% to the criterion variable. This study recommends that it is essential to familiarize PBL in elementary schools learning to improve students' higher-order thinking skills.

This study aims to analyze the correlation between science literacy and problem-solving skills of elementary school students in science subjects, specifically in the material of phase changes of matter. A quantitative correlational research design was employed, involving 55 students from SD Inpres 12/79 Macanang, Bone, South Sulawesi. The research utilized two main instruments: a science literacy test consisting of multiple-choice questions with reasoning (two-tier) to assess students' scientific understanding and reasoning, and a problem-solving test in the form of open-ended questions. The results showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.65) between science literacy and problem-solving skills, indicating that students with higher science literacy tend to perform better in problem-solving tasks related to phase changes. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing science literacy to improve students' problem-solving abilities in science education. Therefore, it is essential to focus on fostering science literacy in elementary education to equip students with the necessary skills to address real-world problems effectively.

Digital technology is redefining teaching-learning engagements and challenging the professional teachers to match the advancement; such is integration of augmented reality (AR) in education. Apparently, change often encounters reluctance to embrace it. As a lot of teachers still battle phobia for computer technologies, the integration of sophisticated AR could be a problem. No matter the challenges, reliable data could assist in planning towards mitigating the problems. Pertinently, self-efficacy data on teachers as stake holders are relevant to assist in planning, to maximise innovative potentials of AR in teaching and learning. Therefore, this study investigated teachers' self-efficacy on integration of augmented reality in teaching-learning activities among selected schools in Nigeria. In this descriptive survey research, cluster and random sampling methods were used to select sample. The target population was all the secondary school teachers in Lagos state, Nigeria; the sample comprised 178 participants. Validated Teacher Self-efficacy Questionnaire (TSQ) on 4-Likert scale, of 0.89 reliability coefficient, was used to collect data. The data were computed using percentage, bar-charts and Chi-square. The results revealed that differences in the levels of self-efficacy are not enough to make the teachers in public schools perform differently when compared to counterparts in private schools, if AR is integrated into teaching methods. Based on the results, it was recommended that awareness seminars should be organised for the teachers on how to use AR technology in education. Moreover, to ensure sustainability, require software should be made available, and the teachers should be given competency based training to use it.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of student worksheets based on computational thinking in science learning on the problem-solving skills of fourth-grade elementary school students. The type of research used is a quasi-experiment, namely by using an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group is a class that uses student worksheets based on computational thinking, while the control group is a class that does not use student worksheet-based computational thinking. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with a sample of 40 students. Data collection was carrying by giving a pretest and posttest containing several problem-solving ability questions. Data analysis was carrying by using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The results showed that, compared to the control groups whom did not use a student worksheets based on computational thinking, there was an increase in average test scores for higher problem-solving skills among experimental students. In addition, the results of the t-test also showed a significant difference in problem-solving ability between classes that used student worksheet-based computational thinking and classes that did not use student worksheet-based computational thinking. Thus, it concluded that student worksheet-based computational thinking is effectively able to improve the problem-solving skills of elementary school students in science learning.

This study aims to describe a multiliteracy study based on character education as an effort to increase students literacy skills. With the descriptive qualitative literature review method, it is hoped that in the implementation it is expected that multiliterate students will increase and instil strong character education. The data collection technique carried out by the author is through a literature review and field study evaluation of literacy activities in the implementation of Gerakan Magelang Membaca (GMM) in the Regional Education and Culture Office, Grabag District, Magelang Regency. This conceptual study is expected to be useful for teachers as education stakeholders and other parties relevant to this study. The results of the discussion with the analysis of the study that the concept of multiliteracy has been integrated into the education unit level curriculum (KTSP). in the practice of learning, students have gotten used to doing various activities with the basic concepts of multiliteracy. Multiliteracy based on character education has been implemented through character values in the implementation of the school literacy movement. How to improve literacy skills of elementary school students, namely growing awareness of the importance of reading; read 15 minutes before teaching and learning activities (KBM); optimize the role of the library; and make simple writings; and form a reading community. Multiliteracy program with school literacy ability activities to positively shape character and uphold the character values of students so that this conceptual study contributes to improving student literacy.

The low achievement of Indonesian students in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) highlights the need for innovative learning models that not only emphasize cognitive aspects but also foster students’ character development. This study aims to develop a Problem Based Learning (PBL) model integrated with Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and character education to improve the literacy skills of elementary school students. The research employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the ADDIE development model, which consists of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation stages. The study involved 28 fourth-grade students. The research instruments included validation sheets, observation sheets, student and teacher response questionnaires, and literacy tests covering reading, numeracy, science, and digital literacy. The results indicate that the learning model was considered highly valid with an average validation score of 88.5%. The implementation of the PBL-HOTS-Character model significantly improved students’ literacy skills with an average score of 87.5, consisting of reading literacy (88), numeracy (85), science literacy (87), and digital literacy (90). Students’ character education also improved with an average score of 73.4. The two-way ANOVA analysis revealed that the learning model, character education, and their interaction had a significant effect on students’ literacy, with a determination coefficient of 66.1%. In conclusion, the PBL model integrated with HOTS and character education is effective in enhancing literacy skills while strengthening students’ character. This model is highly relevant to support the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum and the realization of the Pancasila Student Profile.

Augmented Reality (AR) based learning provides real experiences for educators and new strategies for presenting physics concepts but also provides opportunities for students to interact interactively, spontaneously, and interestingly. Previous research has shown that AR has many advantages in education, but only a few focus on Independent Learning, such as freedom in problem solving and independent learning skills in physics learning. This study develops an Augmented Reality Integration (ARI) learning application based on the Physics Independent Learning (MPIL) model on the marine physics concept. This application is to explore the influence of ARI on 21st-Century Skills (21-CS) which consists of Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity. A Quasi-Experimental Method was used, and 88 students aged 20-22 were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. After an intervention for 3 weeks, it was found that integrating ARI technology into physics learning can (1) significantly increase students' Creativity Thinking and Critical Thinking on Marine physics concepts; (2) guiding students to further improve in Communication, and Collaboration in solving problems contained in the ARI application; and (3) stimulate students' learning motivation to be enthusiastic about learning physics concepts.

This research is entitled "Analysis of Literacy and Numeracy Ability of Elementary School Students in Solving Mathematical Problems". This study aims to describe how to analyze the literacy and numeracy skills of fourth grade elementary school students in solving mathematical problems. The research that the researchers conducted was a qualitative descriptive study, to obtain the validity of the data the researcher used data triangulation from several techniques, including observation, interviews and documentation. The data source is primary data consisting of fourth grade students and fourth grade teachers. As for secondary data, namely documentation data regarding SD Negeri 2 Gisting Atas. Furthermore, the data were analyzed qualitatively through data reduction techniques (data reduction), data presentation (display) and drawing conclusions. Based on data analysis, it was found that students with good ability criteria from the three indicators were able to apply the three indicators correctly and appropriately. Students with sufficient ability criteria from the three indicators are quite capable of applying the three indicators correctly even though there are a few difficulties.

Literacy and numeracy are one of the critical thinking skills in solving daily life problems that must be possessed by every individual. Based on data obtained from PISA, the level of literacy and numeracy skills in Indonesia is still relatively low, which ranks 62nd out of 70 countries. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve literacy and numeracy skills, one of which is through Differentiated Learning Activities. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of differentiated learning implementation in improving students' literacy and numeracy skills. The subjects of this study were fifth grade students one of elementary school in Pasuruan with a total of 18 students. The instruments used in this study were pretest and post-test sheets, observation sheets, and documentation. The method used in this research is an experiment with a pre-experimental design (One Group Pretest-Posttest) using the t test. Data collection techniques are observation, tests (pretest and posttest), and documentation. This study found that the application of differentiated learning can improve the literacy and numeracy skills of elementary school students. This is obtained from the results of the t test which shows that literacy skills obtained a significance value = 0.04452 and numeracy skills obtained a significance value = 0.000938 with α = 0.05. Based on the test criteria that the significance value <0.05 means that differentiated learning can improve students' literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, the average score of the post-test results on literacy skills is 73.611. While the average score of the post-test results on numeracy skills is 70.277 so that the average result of normalized gain with a literacy ability value of 0.53 and a numeracy ability value of 0.58. The differentiated learning activities that have been carried out can improve students' literacy and numeracy skills.

This study aims to examine the effect of Augmented Reality (AR) technology-assisted learning on the critical thinking skills (CTS) of elementary school students in mathematics. A quantitative research approach was employed, using a post-test-only control group design involving 61 fifth-grade students with an average age of 11 years. The experimental group ( = 31) received AR-assisted instruction, while the control group ( = 30) received conventional teaching on the topic of spatial volume. Following a three-session intervention, data on students' CTS were collected through six descriptive test items, developed based on Facione’s essential indicators of critical thinking. The instruments demonstrated content validity (0.736), face validity (0.645), and a reliability coefficient of 0.86. Data analysis included both descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using an independent samples t-test at a 5% significance level. The findings revealed a significant difference in CTS between students taught with AR-assisted learning and those taught using conventional methods, indicating that AR-supported instruction positively influences elementary students’ critical thinking skills. However, two specific indicators—evaluation and inference—remained low across both groups. Therefore, future research should qualitatively explore these two dimensions to better understand how teachers can utilize AR technology to enhance students’ evaluative and inferential thinking abilities. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2025-09-02-014 Full Text: PDF

This study integrated the augmented reality (AR) technology into the “Coding Ocean” board game to provide players with real-time simulation of ship paths and learning scaffolds. Combined with Scratch block-based programming, an interactive learning environment is developed to assist elementary school students in learning coding skills from the unplugged board game to enhance their computational thinking concepts. The AR board game is focused on the programming concepts of sequential, and/or and loop. Through the process of treasure hunting, the basic concepts of computational thinking can be developed, i.e., abstraction, problem decomposition, pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking. In order to investigate the learning effectiveness of the AR board game on computational thinking and programming skills, a number of 51 third graders from an elementary school were recruited as research samples. The experimental group (n = 26) used the AR board game and the control group (n = 25) used the traditional board game for game-based learning. The experimental results indicate: (1) the learning effectiveness of computational thinking for the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group; (2) the learning achievement of the block-based programming skills for the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group; (3) the cognitive load of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The AR technology can combine the unplugged board games with plugged learning modules to assist students in game-based learning, which is useful for enhancing computational thinking abilities while reducing the cognitive load.

Introduction: Physical education interventions outside of school that use augmented reality mobile learning can be an effective method to improve students' gross motor skills in primary school. The novelty of this study, learning media is packaged into an application that runs on a mobile device. Objective: The aims of the study was to prove that interventions of physical education by using augmented reality based mobile learning can significantly improve gross motor skills in elementary school students. Methodology: The study examined the effects of physical education by using augmented reality based mobile learning. This study used 60 participants who were divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The instrument used was the Test of Gross Motor Development Second Edition (TGMD-2) to evaluate the growth pattern of gross motor skills. The data analysis techniques used were normality test, influence test, and independent samples t-test. Results: The results showed that interventions of physical education by using augmented reality based mobile learning, provided a greater improvement in gross motor skills. The control group showed the least change. Discussion: The interventions of physical education by using augmented reality based mobile learning can significantly improve gross motor skills in elementary school students. Conclusions: These findings may guide options for those looking for effective ways to improve gross motor skills especially for early childhood. The interventions of physical education by using augmented reality based mobile learning can significantly improve gross motor skills in elementary school students.

Development and Effectiveness of UN-MATH Cards in Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills for Elementary School Students. Objectives: This research aims to develop a UNO media called UN-MATH (Uno Mathematics), which is used in game-based learning to help fourth-grade students improve their problem-solving skills in addition and subtraction materials. Methods: The type of research used is Research and Development (R&D). The research design applied is the ADDIE design, which consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The data collection techniques used in this research consist of test and non-test techniques. Test techniques include pre-test and post-test, while non-test techniques include observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. Findings: Based on the validation results by media experts, content experts, and language experts, the following results were obtained: the assessment from the media expert is 90% (very feasible), the content expert is 93.1% (very feasible), and the language expert is 92.8% (very feasible). The assessment from the three experts indicates that the UN-MATH card media is suitable for use. The data analysis techniques used in this study include normality tests, t-tests, and N-Gain tests. The results of the normality test show that the significance value (Sig.) > 0.05, which means the data is normally distributed. Based on the paired t-test results in the control class, a Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.000 was obtained, indicating that the average post-test score increased compared to the pre-test score. Next, the N-Gain test results for the control class were 0.5630, which falls into the moderate and fairly effective category. The same thing happened in the experimental class, where the paired t-test results showed a Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.000, which means the average post-test score increased compared to the pre-test. Additionally, the N-Gain test results for the experimental class were 0.7004, which falls into the moderate and fairly effective category. Conclusion: Thus, based on the results of the data analysis, the UN-MATH card media has proven effective in mathematics learning to enhance problem-solving skills in addition and subtraction materials. Keywords: learning media, un-math cards, problem-solving skills.

Character or morality is very important in Islamic education. There are many ways or media for character education for children in Islamic boarding schools, one of which is by implementing the guardian pilgrimage routine. The guardian pilgrimage is carried out to instill the religiosity of children as well as to increase their spiritual nature. In addition, guardian pilgrimage activities can also be applied character education for children when they mingle with the surrounding community. The objectives to be achieved in this study are to answer the formulations that arise, namely: To find out the media for character education of students through the guardian pilgrimage routine at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem, to find out the implementation of the guardian pilgrimage routine as a medium for character education at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem, to knowing the value of character education through the guardian pilgrimage routine at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem The type of this research is qualitative research, the research was conducted by taking 12 pesantren administrators and 3 students as respondents. Data collection methods were obtained from the results of observations, interviews, and documentation. The results of this study indicate that: The media for character education for students through the guardian pilgrimage routine at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem is carried out with several character education media, namely: Habituation, Exemplary, fostering student discipline, practice. The implementation of the guardian pilgrimage routine as a medium for character education at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem is: through Dhikr and Tahlil, Telling stories and showing the history of the guardian, showing the legacy of the guardian. The value of character education through the guardian pilgrimage routine at the Pondok Pesantren Al Hidayat Lasem, namely: The value of discipline character, The value of the character of curiosity, The value of the character of responsibility, The value of polite character, The value of religious character.

This literature review is motivated by the fact that students' speaking skills in elementary schools are still relatively low. Speaking skills are very necessary for elementary school students, to increase their self-confidence. This review aims to identify the influence of picture storybooks on speaking skills in elementary school students. This review uses a systematic literature review method using PRISMA, which was carried out on 23 articles obtained from Google Scholar via Publish or Perish. Keywords in the article search are "speaking skills," "speaking skills of elementary school students," and "picture story books." The results of this review are that picture story books are proven to significantly improve students' speaking fluency and make them more confident in telling stories. Students who initially felt embarrassed or afraid of making a mistake became braver in trying to tell the story again because interesting visuals supported it. The implications of mastering speaking skills since elementary school have a long-term impact on student development, both in academic, social, and community life. The conclusion from this literature study is that picture storybooks influence elementary school students' speaking skills. The recommendation of this literature review is that picture storybooks can be used as alternative learning media used in the learning process.