Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) Vol.
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ISSN: 0215-9643 e-ISSN: 2442-8655 Integrating Local Culture and Ethnoscience in Manggarai-Based STEM Education to Enhance Science Literacy and Scientific Attitudes in the 21st Century Yuliana Wahyua,1,*.
Ambros Leonangung Edub,c,2.
Rei Stefen M.
Taklalb,3 Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng.
Jalan Ahmad Yani 10 Manggarai.
Nusa Tenggara Timur.
Indonesia University of Florida.
Gainesville.
FL 32611 United States yulianaman29@gmail.
com *.
leonangung@gmail.
taklal@ufl.
* corresponding author
ARTICLE INFO
Article history Received January 12, 2025 Revised June 02, 2025 Accepted June 28, 2025 Keywords STEM Ethnoscience Manggarai Cultural Context Scientific attitudes science literacy ABSTRACT Science learning that has been applied so far, especially in science learning in elementary school students, has not integrated culture .
This makes the understanding of science very This study aims to analyze the influence of ethnoscience-based STEM approaches in the context of Manggarai culture on science literacy and scientific attitudes of elementary school students in Lamba Leda District.
This goal was achieved by conducting an experimental study on the integration of ethnoscience-based STEM in the context of Manggarai culture to improve students' literacy and scientific attitudes and using control groups as a comparator.
Statistical analysis used a multivariate variance analysis test.
The results of the analysis of students' science literacy data showed a value of F = 7.
513 (P < 0.
, then H0 was rejected.
This means that there is a significant difference in students' science literacy in the experimental class and the control The results of the analysis of scientific attitude data showed that the value of F = 27,725 (P < 0.
, then H0 was rejected.
The results of this effectiveness test show that the application of ethnoscience-based STEM approaches in the context of Manggarai culture can improve the literacy and scientific attitude of elementary school students.
This is an open access article under the CCAeBY license.
Introduction In the midst of an overwhelming influx of information, people are increasingly inclined to trust viral headlines over seeking scientific evidence.
Personal opinions are frequently conflated with objective facts, while fake news spreads more rapidly than verification efforts.
According to Jean Baudrillard, we are living in a world of simulation, where symbols, images, and information disseminated through media, advertising, and social platforms are mistaken for reality.
In truth, these are merely representations of an objective fact that lies beyond the mediaAos frame.
The reality constructed within the media sphere is not actuality, but rather hyperreality, a fabricated version of truth designed to appear credible and be accepted as such.
This phenomenon not only reshapes the way we interpret information but, more critically, influences how we define our sense of identity and truth.
Increasingly, people strive to appear virtuous and socially acceptable in the digital realm rather than to live authentically in their everyday, offline lives (Antony & Tramboo, 2.
http://dx.
org/10.
17977/um048v31i1p87-94 The rapid advancement of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence and deepfake technologies, has exacerbated this situation.
Virtual realities, crafted through algorithms and digital manipulation, increasingly lead Millennials and Generation Z to engage more with illusions than with factual reality.
Phenomena like "interaction greetings," now common in online communication, have become emblematic of a fabricated everyday existence.
Yet beneath this facade lies a deeper friction: a reflection of the widespread lack of scientific literacy and scientific attitudes.
In a digital landscape saturated with simulation and informational noise, scientific literacy emerges as a crucial compass for both learners and the broader public.
Twenty-first-century science education emphasizes the importance of scientific literacy as a core competence, a fundamental skill that must be cultivated, particularly among students.
This includes the ability to understand scientific knowledge in diverse contexts, think scientifically, and apply scientific reasoning critically (Afriana et al.
, 2.
(Vieira & Tenreiro-Vieira, 2.
Scientific literacy must go beyond simply grasping scientific facts and concepts.
More Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) Vol.
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importantly, it involves the ability to reflect, think critically, solve problems, adopt a healthy skepticism, and identify science-related issues grounded in data and technology (Dewi et al.
, 2.
21st-century science education expects the achievement of science literacy skills and scientific Science literacy emphasizes scientific knowledge in various contexts by thinking scientifically and implementing science critically (Vieira & TenreiroVieira, 2.
, so science literacy is an essential skill for Science literacy is a 21st-century skill in science A person who has science literacy skills is able to understand, reflect, reason critically, solve problems, apply skepticism, and identify scientific issues based on scientific and technological understanding (Dewi et al.
Science literacy is the ability of students to solve problems and apply science in daily life (Supriyadi et al.
Experts put forward several definitions of science According to Paul De Hurd, (DeBoer, 2.
science literacy is the skill to understand science and its application to the needs of society.
(McLachlan et al.
Defines science literacy as understanding, using, and reflecting on written texts to achieve one's goals in developing knowledge and potential to participate in Science literacy is the ability to understand and use written language forms needed by society in building the meaning of various science texts (OECD, 2.
Defines science literacy as the understanding of written texts to reflect, develop knowledge, and the potential to participate in society.
Science literacy is a 21st-century skill (DeBoer, 2.
that students need to face the challenges of the 21st The leading indicators of science literacy are:
scientific contexts, scientific knowledge, scientific competencies, and scientific attitudes (Davies & Priestley.
Scientific contexts refer to the understanding of scientific concepts and their application to daily life Scientific knowledge refers to the experience of the content of science and the process of science.
Scientific competencies refer to the scientific processes involved when answering a question or solving a problem, such as identifying and interpreting evidence and explaining Scientific attitudes refer to attitudes towards science related to scientific interests, sensitivity to the environment, and attitudes of responsibility (Davies & Priestley, 2.
Science literacy is closely related to scientific attitudes toward science.
Scientific attitude is a condition of student readiness for a specific type of activity.
Science attitudes show interest or feelings towards learning science (Ragini Singh & Singh, 2.
The scientific attitude of science that is developed refers to several attitudes, namely, .
the attitude to test scientific evidence, identify the relationship of cause and effect, and accept criticism and input to improve the results of findings.
the curiosity to ISSN: 0215-9643 e-ISSN: 2442-8655 understand the new knowledge of science through the scientific process of the "why", "what", and "how" of the observed phenomena.
An open-minded attitude, being willing to revise the results of inputs and conclusions, the desire for new things and new ideas, and acknowledging the concept of conclusions scientifically rather than on personal opinions.
Accept facts and conclusions based on scientific findings, objectivity and scepticism (Sakariyau et al.
, 2.
Improving scientific attitudes is an essential aspect that students must have in facing global challenges with evidence-based thinking and logic.
Scientific attitudes show interest or feelings towards learning science (Ragini Singh & Dr.
Rashmi Singh, 2.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science .
S) identifies the dimensions of scientific attitudes, namely:
honesty, curiosity, openness, and skepticism (Widyasari & Haryanto, 2.
Being a scientist means being able to explain these behaviors and attitudes in approaching and solving problems, which are based on scientific inquiry (Gupta, 2.
Scientific attitudes are attitudes possessed by scientists that can be developed in students through the process of science (Hasan, 2.
The involvement of the science process is an effort to help students find scientific evidence validly, critically, openly, honestly, cooperatively, and with a great curiosity.
However, in reality, the quality of science education in Indonesia is still relatively low compared to other developing countries.
The weakness of education in Indonesia is the low achievement of science literacy levels in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
In 2000.
Indonesia was ranked 38th out of 41 participating countries.
In 2003.
Indonesia ranked 38th out of 40 participating countries.
In 2006, the number of participating countries increased.
Indonesia was ranked 50th out of 57 countries, while Indonesia ranked 60th out of 65 countries in 2009.
According to PISA 2012 data.
Indonesia was ranked 64th out of 65 participating As a result of the 2015 PISA data.
Indonesia was ranked 63rd out of 70 countries in the world (Afriana et al.
PISA 2022 for science literacy scores decreased by 13 points from PISA 2018 (OECD, 2.
Based on the results of the PISA assessment, the ability of Indonesian students in the field of science literacy compared to other developing countries is still low.
One approach that can improve science literacy and scientific attitudes is the STEM (Science.
Technology.
Engineering, and Mathematic.
STEM leads to knowledge that is sourced from local culture .
STEM-based science education can help students access and apply scientific knowledge in the face of Industry 4.
0 (Thao et al.
, 2.
, as well as improve students' science literacy and scientific attitudes (Hanim & Wulandari, n.
However, in its application.
STEM approaches are still often considered less contextual because they do not take into account local wisdom and Yuliana Wahyu et.
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local culture.
To overcome these limitations, the integration of ethnoscience-based STEM in the context of Manggarai culture is an innovative solution to improve science literacy and the scientific attitudes of students in elementary schools.
addition, the results of this research can also be a reference for educators in designing learning strategies that are more , innovative, contextual, and oriented towards the preservation of local culture.
Ethnoscience-based STEM can explain cultural values as scientific practices and sources of knowledge (Verawati et al.
, 2.
Education is not only in the form of knowledge transfer, but also a vehicle for internalizing knowledge sourced from community culture (Murti et al.
Ethnoscience-based STEM can improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills in students (Babalola & Keku, 2.
Ethnoscience-based STEM approaches in the context of Manggarai culture can be developed in teaching modules (Jihannita et al.
, 2.
that can be applied in learning.
The implementation of ethnosciencebased STEM in learning can increase positive student responses (Sudarmin et al.
, 2.
II.
Method Integrating ethnoscience-based STEM approaches in IPAS Elementary as a reference to several existing literature reviews.
The integrated ethnoscience is the revitalization of Manggarai local wisdom in the type of "mbaru niang" as a cultural heritage that contains scientific concepts, especially on the idea of IPAS and the "That is new".
Manggarai Regency is an area with a high risk of earthquakes and tornadoes, so the construction of the house is cone-shaped, namely low impact: more durable skeleton and health & amenity:
through the choice of safe and eco-materials (Murti et al.
This concept is used in IPAS to describe the relationship between nature and human life.
This concept is an ethnoscience learning approach, namely, combining science and cultural learning.
Ethnoscience has the characteristics of presenting cultural topics and being related to science, developing understanding and deepening concepts, and exploration using scientific approaches (Ariani & Hariyadi, 2.
Ethnoscience-based science learning can improve students' critical thinking skills (Khery, 2.
The integration of ethnoscience into science teaching has an impact on improving students' scientific attitudes and student performance (Idul & Fajardo, 2.
Ethnoscience is often integrated into STEM approaches as a studentcentered approach to learning.
STEM, as an acronym for .
cience, technology, engineering, mathematic.
, is an interdisciplinary approach (Ilma et al.
, 2.
that studies various concepts and is connected to the real world.
The application of science approaches has an impact on increasing interest, skills, and high-level thinking (Idris et , 2.
Thus, research on the integration of ethnosciencebased STEM in the context of Manggarai culture in social studies learning is significant to be developed.
This study is expected to provide insight into how this approach can be applied effectively in education and its impact on students' scientific attitudes and science literacy.
The population of this study consists of all elementary school (SD) students in the Lamba Leda District, comprising a total of 39 schools.
For the purposes of this research, a sample of 5 elementary schools was selected using a random sampling technique.
The sampling process involved selecting five schools to serve as research samples: three classes from three different schools were assigned as experimental groups, which received ethnoscience-based STEM instruction incorporating elements of Manggarai culture in social studies lessons.
Meanwhile, two classes from two other schools served as control groups, receiving conventional instruction.
equivalence test was conducted using a t-test at a 5% significance level.
The data collection methods used in this study are .
instrument validation, .
observation, .
test, .
questionnaire, and .
The research procedure is carried out in three stages, namely: the initial stage, the experimental stage, the data collection stage, and the final stage.
The research procedure is carried out in Table 1.
Table 1.
Research Procedure Group 1 (Experimen.
X1 (Ethnoscience-Based STEM Approach in the Context of Manggarai Cultur.
Group 2 (Contro.
X2 (Conventional Learnin.
(Science Literacy and Scientific Attitude.
(Science Literacy and Scientific Attitude.
In the beginning, the research developed a grid of instruments to measure science literacy, namely the four dimensions of science literacy: the dimension of scientific contexts, the dimension of scientific knowledge, the dimension of scientific attitudes, and the dimension of scientific competencies.
In addition, developing a grid of scientific attitude instruments from Wynne Harlen (Kane et al.
, 2.
, namely, .
curiosity, .
respect for data, .
hesitation, .
critical reflection, .
perseverance, .
creativity and discovery, .
open thinking, .
sensitivity to the environment, .
Descriptive analysis is in the form of data presentation with frequency and histogram distributions, means, medians, and standard deviations.
Descriptive statistical analysis is used to describe students' scientific attitudes and science literacy.
Qualifications are described on the Integrating Local Culture and Ethnoscience in Manggarai-Based STEM Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) Vol.
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ideal mean score (M.
and the standard deviation or ideal standard deviation (SD.
After that, it is followed by prerequisite testing of data analysis, which tests data normality, data homogeneity, regression linearity, and data linearity.
At this stage, the validation of science literacy and student learning retention instruments was carried out, which was analyzed using the RASCH model.
The research hypothesis was analyzed using the following steps: .
compiling the MANOVA table by calculating JP treatment, .
calculating residual JP, and .
calculating total JP .
Once compiled in the MANOVA table, the following calculation I* with the formula:
OO =
ISSN: 0215-9643
e-ISSN: 2442-8655 yuycu" Oe ycy Oe 1 1 OeOO ya=( ( O .
ycy O Testing hypotheses 1 and 2 was followed by an effectiveness test with an effect size test, namely: Es = t, with the effectiveness categories presented in Table 2.
Table 2.
Category Effect Size .
cO| .
aA ycO| No.
Category Information Es O 0,2 Es O 0,8 Es > 0,8 Low Enough Tall i.
Results and Discussion Figure 1 presents the research results on the average score of each dimension of science literacy, namely scientific contexts, scientific knowledge, and scientific Then, it was carried out by testing the hypothesis with the formula:
Conventional Learning Ethnoscience-Based STEM Approach in a Cultural Context Scientific Compitencies Scientific Knowledge Scientific Contexts Fig.
Average Score of Dimensions of Scientific Contexts.
Scientific Knowledge, and Scientific Competencies The dimension of scientific attitude was measured using student performance observation sheets.
Figure 2 presents a recapitulation of the average score of the scientific attitude dimension.
77,59
Sensitivity and responsibility 82,79 79,99 Conducting science inquiry 84,79 80,15 Science Interests 85,49 Conventional Learning Ethnoscience-Based STEM Approach in a Cultural Context Fig.
Average Score Dimension of scientific attitude Yuliana Wahyu et.
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ISSN: 0215-9643 e-ISSN: 2442-8655 Figure 3 presents the differences in the curve graph for the scientific attitude in the experimental class and the control class.
The curve graph .
shows that the statement given is so good that it can validly collect information.
Statements given to students produce optimal information when given to individuals with moderate abilities.
The curve graph .
shows that the statement given is not good.
Statements given to students result in suboptimal information when given to individuals with moderate Figure 4 presents the average score of the scientific attitude dimension of students who participated in science learning with ethnoscience-based STEM learning in the context of Manggarai culture and conventional learning.
Fig.
Experimental class curve graph and .
Control class
curve graph
27,48
30,33
Hesitant and open
22,99
25,53
19,91
23,43
22,95
24,47
23,42
26,06
Cooperate Critical reflection, sensitivity to the environment Curiosity, perseverance, and curiosity andA Respect for data Conventional Learning Ethnoscience-based STEM in the context of Manggarai culture Fig.
Average Score of the Dimensions of Students' Scientific Attitude Data analysis using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) with the SPSS 16.
0 application.
The results of data analysis showed that F-Pillai's Trace.
Wilks' Lambda.
Hotelling's Trace, and Roy's Largest Root were 13,786 (P < 0.
, so H0 was rejected.
This means that there is a significant difference in science literacy and scientific attitudes between students who participate in science learning with ethnoscience-based STEM learning in the context of Manggarai culture and students who participate in science learning with conventional learning.
The results of the analysis are presented in Table 5.
Table 3.
Manova Results Recapitulation for Hypothesis Testing 2 and Hypothesis Testing 3.
Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Interce Learni Error Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Source Correc Model Depend Variabl Science Literac Scientif Attitud Type i Sum of Squares Mean Square http://dx.
org/10.
17977/um048v31i1p87-94 Total Science Literac Scientif Attitud Science Literac Scientif Attitud Science Literac Scientif Attitud Science Literac Scientif Attitud Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) Vol.
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Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Correc
Total
Science Literac
Scientif
Attitud
ISSN: 0215-9643
e-ISSN: 2442-8655 STEM approaches.
Thus, the ethnoscience-based STEM approach in the context of Manggarai culture is very effective in improving science literacy and scientific attitudes in science learning in elementary schools.
IV.
Conclusion The results of the test of between-subjects effects on the difference in science literacy between students who participated in science learning with an ethnosciencebased STEM approach in the context of Manggarai culture and students who participated in science teaching with conventional learning, showed a value of F = 7.
513 (P <
so H0 was rejected.
This means that there is a significant difference in science literacy between students in the experimental class and the control class.
The results of the pairwise comparisons test showed that the average difference in students' science literacy between the experimental group and the control class was 3.
768 (P <
, so the science literacy of students who participated in IPAS learning with an ethnoscience-based STEM approach in the context of Manggarai culture was significantly higher than the science literacy of students who participated in IPAS learning with conventional The results of the test of between-subjects effects on the difference in scientific attitudes between the students of the experimental class and the control class showed a value of F = 27.
725 (P < 0.
, then H0 was rejected.
This means that there is a significant difference in scientific attitudes between students who take part in learning IPAS with an ethnoscience-based STEM approach in the context of Manggarai culture and students who take part in learning IPAS with conventional learning.
The results of the pairwise comparisons test showed that the average difference in students' science literacy between the experimental group and the control class was 9.
635 (P <
, so the scientific attitude of students who participated in IPAS learning with ethnoscience-based STEM learning in the context of Manggarai culture was significantly higher than the scientific attitude of students who participated in IPAS learning with conventional learning.
The results of the effectiveness test showed that the value of Es = 0.
31>0.
8 was categorized as high.
The findings of this study are in line with the results of research by Kane et al.
, which concluded that there is an increase in high-level skills and science literacy from the application of ethnoscience-based STEM learning.
The characteristics of ethnoscience-based STEM learning place more emphasis on self-discovery of concepts and problem-solving through cultural integration in science The findings of this study are also in line with the results of research by Izzah et al.
, namely that there is an increase in students' critical thinking skills and scientific attitudes after integrating ethnoscience-based Based on the results of hypothesis testing as described, it can be concluded that science learning with STEM based on ethnoscience in the context of Manggarai culture can improve science literacy and scientific attitudes of elementary school students.
In more detail, it can be concluded, namely.
there is a significant difference in science literacy between students who participate in science learning with an ethnoscience-based STEM approach in the context of Manggarai culture and students who participate in science learning with conventional .
there is a significant difference in scientific attitudes between students who participate in science learning with an ethnoscience-based STEM approach and students who participate in science learning with conventional learning.
there is a significant difference in science literacy and scientific attitudes simultaneously between students who participate in science learning with ethnoscience-based STEM approaches and students who participate in science learning with conventional learning.
The results of the effectiveness test show that the application of ethnoscience-based STEM approaches in the context of Manggarai culture can improve students' literacy and scientific attitudes.
References