Semarang — Laelia Nurpratiwiningsih, a doctoral student in the Social Studies Education (PIPS) Program at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), has developed an inquiry-based learning model rooted in the local wisdom of coastal communities to foster social attitudes among elementary school students.
The model was developed through her dissertation entitled “Development of an Inquiry-Based Learning Model Rooted in the Local Wisdom of Coastal Communities to Foster Social Attitudes among Elementary School Students,” which she defended during her doctoral promotion examination at FISIP UNNES. The study was motivated by the challenges faced by elementary schools, where Social Studies learning remains largely teacher-centered and has not yet optimally utilized the local environment and coastal community wisdom as learning resources.
In her research, Laelia developed a learning model that enables students to engage in inquiry-based learning by drawing on the context of coastal community life. This approach is expected to make Social Studies learning more contextual while simultaneously fostering students’ social attitudes.
The research was conducted at elementary schools in the coastal area of Brebes Regency. The model was developed using a Research and Development (R&D) approach based on the Four-D model, consisting of the stages of Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, documentation, validation, practicality testing, and product trials. The data were analyzed qualitatively using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, as well as quantitatively to determine the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the model.
The findings indicate that Social Studies learning in elementary schools has not fully utilized the potential of the local wisdom of coastal communities. This condition highlights the need for a more contextual learning model that integrates the surrounding environment as a learning resource.
The developed model produced a range of learning materials, including a teacher’s guidebook, teaching modules, student worksheets (LKPD), learning media, and social attitude assessment instruments. Validation results showed that these learning materials met the required validity criteria. Practicality testing also demonstrated that the model could be effectively implemented in classroom learning, while effectiveness testing indicated that the model improved students’ social attitudes, particularly in cooperation, communication, empathy, responsibility, tolerance, and social awareness.
Laelia positioned the local wisdom of coastal communities as an important component of the learning process. Through this approach, students not only acquire Social Studies knowledge from classroom materials but also learn to understand the social and environmental conditions surrounding them. This approach makes local community experiences an integral part of a more meaningful educational process.
The model also provides opportunities for teachers to integrate mangrove ecosystems and coastal community culture into the inquiry-based learning process. Such integration is expected to help students connect classroom learning with the social and environmental realities they encounter in their daily lives.
Within the framework of sustainable development, the research is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education, particularly through the development of contextual, innovative, and environmentally relevant learning. The use of local wisdom as a learning resource also strengthens education that goes beyond knowledge acquisition by fostering students’ character, social awareness, cooperation, and tolerance.
The study’s focus on coastal communities is also relevant to SDG 14: Life Below Water, particularly by promoting students’ understanding of coastal environments through learning activities that incorporate local knowledge and ecosystems as part of their educational experience. Through this approach, education can serve as a means of fostering environmental awareness among younger generations and encouraging greater concern for the sustainability of coastal areas.
During the doctoral promotion examination, Laelia was supervised by Prof. Dr. Rusdarti, M.Si., as Promoter; Prof. Dr. Joko Widodo, M.Pd., as Co-Promoter; and Prof. Dr. Tjaturahono Budi Sanjoto, M.Si., as Co-Promoter.
Her dissertation contributes to the development of Social Studies learning that is more closely connected to students’ everyday lives while highlighting the potential of local communities as sources of knowledge and social development. The development of this learning model is expected to provide an alternative for elementary school teachers seeking to implement more contextual Social Studies instruction while incorporating the local wisdom of coastal communities into the educational process.
Through learning rooted in the environment and community life, students are expected not only to understand academic content but also to develop into individuals who demonstrate social awareness, responsibility, tolerance, and the ability to live harmoniously within a diverse society.
