Jurnal Pendidikan Terapan

The Influence of Instructional Leadership and Teacher Digital Literacy on the Quality of In-Depth Learning in Public Elementary Schools

2026-03-24T12:49:49+00:00

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to: determine the magnitude of the influence of instructional leadership and teachers' digital literacy together on the quality of in-depth learning. Methods: The research approach used is quantitative. This type of research uses correlation research. The population of this study was 244 teachers and the research sample was 152 teachers. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. The data analysis techniques used in this study were descriptive data analysis, prerequisite tests including normality tests, multicollinearity tests, heteroscedasticity tests, linearity tests and hypothesis tests including simple and multiple linear regression. Findings: The results of the study showed that: (1) the correlation of instructional leadership on the quality of in-depth learning was 0.824. The influence of instructional leadership had a significant effect on the variable of the quality of in-depth learning by 78.0%. (2) The correlation of teachers' digital literacy on the quality of in-depth learning was 0.960. The influence of teacher digital literacy has a significant effect on the variable of in-depth learning quality by 92.1%. (3) Then the correlation coefficient value r is 0.963. The result of the coefficient of determination of the influence of variables X1 and X2 on Y is 92.7%. Research implications: This study suggests that optimizing principals’ instructional leadership and enhancing teachers’ digital literacy can improve the quality of in-depth learning. Originality: This research uniquely examines the combined role of instructional leadership and teachers’ digital literacy in influencing in-depth learning quality at the elementary school level, a topic rarely explored.

The Impact of Social and Academic Counseling Guidance on Student Learning Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Interpersonal Skills in Indonesian Islamic Senior High Schools

2026-03-24T12:47:41+00:00

Purpose: Guidance and counseling (GC), especially in its social and academic forms, has been widely acknowledged as a key approach to fostering holistic student development. This study aimed to examine differences in student learning outcomes following the implementation of social and academic counselling at different levels of interpersonal competence: high, medium, and low. Methods: This research utilised a quantitative method, namely a quasi-experimental design. This design incorporated the non-equivalent control group method with a two-way factorial design (2 x 3 ANOVA). The study comprised a sample of 200 students. This research encompassed a cohort of 500 students from a State Islamic Senior High School in Serang Regency, Indonesia. The sample design employed cluster random sampling. The intervention consisted of eight sessions (four academic and four social counseling sessions), each lasting 45–60 minutes, conducted twice a week over a four-week period. Findings: The research findings yield three key results: 1) Variations exist in student learning outcomes following Counseling Guidance (Social and Academic) F=18.654 and Sig.=000 . 2) Variations in student learning outcomes exist based on high, medium, and low interpersonal skills, F=80.655 and Sig.=000. 3) The interaction exists between Counseling Guidance (Social and Academic) and the varying levels of students' interpersonal skills high, medium, and low on student learning outcomes, F=6.451 and Sig.=005. Research implications: This study emphasizes the need for differentiated counseling based on students’ interpersonal skill levels and supports the development of integrated, evidence-based counseling practices in schools. Originality: The primary novelty of this study lies in examining the interaction effect between counseling guidance and students’ interpersonal skill levels on learning outcomes. Unlike prior research that treats these variables independently, this study demonstrates that the effectiveness of counseling guidance varies across students with high, medium, and low interpersonal skills, offering a more nuanced and differentiated of learning.

Beyond Screen Time: Content-Based Parental Decision Making in Early Childhood Digital Engagement- a Qualitative Study in Indonesia

2026-03-26T02:13:23+00:00

Purpose: Research on children’s digital media use has traditionally focused on screen time duration, overlooking the importance of content quality and parental decision-making. This study examines how parents make content-based decisions regarding children’s digital media use, moving beyond traditional screen time perspectives. Methods: Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six parents of early childhood children aged 2-6 years in a private kindergarten in Jambi and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings reveal two main themes: content selection by parents and educational purposes of access. Parents actively curate children’s digital environments by selecting age-appropriate, safe, and educational content, rather than focusing solely on limiting screen time. In addition, digital media are increasingly utilized as learning tools to support literacy, language development, and school-related learning. These findings indicate a shift in parental mediation practices toward a more intentional and content-oriented approach to digital parenting. Research Implications: The study contributes to the growing discourse on “beyond screen time” by emphasizing that the quality and purpose of digital media use are more significant than duration alone. It also highlights the critical role of parents as active facilitators of children’s digital engagement. Originality: This study contributes by proposing a process-oriented understanding of content-based parental decision-making, highlighting how parents evaluate, filter, and guide children’s digital media use beyond simple time regulation. The findings suggest that digital parenting is increasingly shaped by content quality and educational intent, emphasizing the role of parents as active facilitators in children’s digital engagement.

Toward a Transformative Circular Pedagogy Model: Teacher Agency and Sustainability Education in Rural Island Schools

2026-03-15T11:53:28+00:00

Background: Sustainability education in marginalized rural–island contexts remains insufficiently theorized, particularly where material scarcity and weak institutional support constrain pedagogical practice. Existing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literature predominantly reflects well-resourced settings, offering limited insight into how locally available materials, such as school waste, can be reconfigured as meaningful learning resources. Purpose: This study examines how teacher agency mediates the transformation of school waste into sustainability-oriented learning and develops a context-sensitive model of Transformative Circular Pedagogy. Method: A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted in two public senior high schools in Wakatobi, Indonesia. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo to identify cross-case patterns and construct an integrative model. Findings: The analysis reveals four interrelated processes: (1) waste as epistemic resource, (2) teacher agency as pedagogical driver, (3) experiential learning and student transformation, and (4) institutional fragility and innovation limits. These processes operate within a recursive system in which institutional dynamics continuously reshape material conditions, generating new cycles of pedagogical innovation. Conclusion: This study advances a Transformative Circular Pedagogy Model that reconceptualizes waste as an epistemic catalyst and positions teacher agency as the core mechanism of sustainability learning in resource-constrained contexts. Theoretically, it integrates material, pedagogical, and institutional dimensions into a dynamic circular framework. Practically and at the policy level, the findings highlight the urgency of institutionalizing sustainability education through governance alignment, professional support, and resource provision to ensure long-term scalability and impact.

Evaluating The Policy Impact Of Regional Public Service Agency On Vocational Education Quality In East Java

2026-03-30T06:16:52+00:00

Background: Vocational education is expected to produce graduates who are ready for the labor market; however, gaps between school learning and industry demands remain a persistent issue. Policy interventions such as BLUD have been introduced to enhance institutional flexibility, yet their impact on student outcomes is not fully understood. Objective: This study aims to examine the effect of BLUD policy implementation on students’ job readiness by incorporating key educational process variables, including learning facilities, teaching effectiveness, practical activities, and potential development. Methods: A quantitative approach with a causal-explanatory design was employed. Data were collected from 583 students from 21 vocational school. The model includes six latent variables with 19 indicators and was analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings: The results show that BLUD policy has strong effects on educational processes, particularly on learning facilities (β = 0.728), teaching effectiveness (β = 0.662), practical activities (β = 0.636), and potential development (β = 0.760). The model demonstrates high explanatory power (R² = 0.725). Research Implications: These findings highlight the need to shift policy focus from infrastructure provision to strengthening experiential learning, industry-based practice, and student development programs. Optimizing BLUD flexibility should prioritize practice-based learning systems to enhance employability outcomes. Originality: This study provides a novel perspective by demonstrating that vocational education effectiveness is driven more by process-based factors than structural inputs, challenging infrastructure-centered policy approaches.

Optimizing Students' Language Skills Through a Multimodal Learning Model in Indonesian Language Learning in Elementary Schools: A Systematic Literature Review

2026-03-29T13:00:19+00:00

Background: Multimodal learning has gained increasing attention in language education because it enables learners to construct meaning through text, visuals, audio, gesture, space, and social interaction. However, the literature remains fragmented, and no integrated model has been clearly established for Indonesian language learning in elementary schools. Purpose: This study analyses the conceptual and pedagogical characteristics and design components of multimodal learning, its influence on students' language-skill development, and the conceptual, methodological, and assessment gaps in the literature. Methods: This study used a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design. Articles indexed in Scopus were selected through the PRISMA flow. The search identified 277 records, and 44 reports were included in the final analysis. Findings: The integration of text, visuals, audio, gestures, social interaction, and meaning-making activities within structured instructional designs characterises multimodal learning. Across the reviewed studies, it tends to support reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary development, and communicative competence. However, its effectiveness varies depending on instructional design, teacher readiness, student characteristics, and classroom context. The literature also remains conceptually, methodologically, and contextually fragmented, especially regarding Indonesian language learning in elementary schools. Research implications: The findings provide a conceptual foundation for developing Indonesian language instruction that is more contextual, participatory, and supportive of integrated language-skill development. They also offer guidance for designing more coherent instructional models, implementation strategies, and assessment systems for elementary school settings. Conclusion: Multimodal learning should be understood not merely as media variation, but as a design of meaning and learning experience. Future research needs to test integrated multimodal models directly in Indonesian elementary school language classrooms. Originality: This study systematically maps the conceptual foundations, pedagogical patterns, empirical trends, and research gaps in multimodal learning as a basis for developing Indonesian language-learning models in elementary schools. The review highlights that the existing literature remains fragmented and has yet to produce many fully integrated models for this context.

Enhancing Cardiovascular Disease Literacy Through Healthy Lifestyle-Based Biology Learning: A Quasi-Experimental Study of High School Students in North Sumatra, Indonesia

2026-03-25T18:40:44+00:00

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of healthy lifestyle-based biology learning in improving cardiovascular disease literacy among high school students in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest posttest control group design was employed involving 120 Grade XI students. The experimental group received biology learning integrated with experiential health activities (body mass index measurement, heart rate monitoring, dietary analysis, and cardiovascular simulations), while the control group received conventional instruction. Data were collected using a validated cardiovascular disease literacy test covering functional, interactive, and critical dimensions (α = 0.82). Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, ANCOVA, and normalized gain (N-gain). Findings: The results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly higher posttest scores than the control group (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.92). Literacy improvements were observed across functional, interactive, and critical dimensions, all within the moderate N-gain category. In addition, students demonstrated positive behavioral changes, including reduced sedentary time and increased daily physical activity. Conclusion: Healthy lifestyle-based biology learning is effective in enhancing adolescents’ cardiovascular disease literacy and promoting healthier lifestyle behaviors. Integrating experiential health activities into biology instruction provides a practical approach to strengthening preventive health education in schools. Implications: The study highlights the potential of curriculum-integrated health education to address early risk factors of non-communicable diseases among adolescents. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants and their guardians.

Digital Curriculum Integration and Learning Quality in Higher Education: Evidence from a Cross Sectional Survey in West Java, Indonesia

2026-03-25T11:20:42+00:00

Purpose: This study examines why digital curriculum integration has become essential for improving learning quality in higher education, particularly in the context of rapid educational digitalization in West Java, Indonesia. It argues that the effectiveness of digital transformation depends not only on technology adoption, but on the strategic integration of digital tools into curriculum design, instructional delivery, learning activities, and assessment. Methods: The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design involving 356 lecturers and undergraduate students from selected public and private higher education institutions in West Java. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, validity and reliability testing, Pearson correlation, and structural model analysis to test the relationships among digital curriculum integration strategy, lecturers’ digital competence, institutional support and digital infrastructure, and learning quality. Findings: The results show that digital curriculum integration strategy had a positive and significant effect on learning quality (β = 0.421, p < 0.001). Lecturers’ digital competence significantly influenced digital curriculum integration (β = 0.368, p < 0.001), while institutional support and digital infrastructure significantly strengthened the relationship between digital curriculum integration and learning quality (β = 0.187, p = 0.001). The model explained 54.8% of the variance in learning quality. Research implications: The cross-sectional design and self-reported data limit causal inference and may affect generalizability beyond West Java. Originality: This study contributes by positioning digital curriculum integration as a strategic pedagogical and institutional approach to improving higher education learning quality in a regional Indonesian context.

Inquiry-Based Learning in History Teacher Education: A Local History Approach to Prospective Teachers’ Understanding

2026-03-31T08:44:17+00:00

Purpose: Traditional history teaching methods in the social sciences often overlook constructivist and inquiry-based approaches, meaning that trainee history teachers are under-exposed to such approaches. This study aims to evaluate how trainee history teachers understand and apply inquiry-based methods when local history is integrated into teaching materials, as well as to assess the pedagogical effectiveness of local history in enhancing teacher education. Methods: This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach involving history teacher trainees enrolled in a teacher training programme at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Data were collected through focus group discussions, interviews, and classroom-based inquiry activities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in participants’ understanding and perceptions of inquiry-based learning utilising local history. Findings: The findings indicate that integrating local history into the curriculum significantly enhances participants’ engagement and interest. Students demonstrated a deeper understanding of inquiry-based learning, particularly in formulating questions, analysing sources, and drawing evidence-based conclusions. Participants also reported increased confidence in applying inquiry-oriented teaching methods, although concerns regarding classroom implementation remain. Research implications: This study is limited to specific groups and contexts, which may affect generalisability. However, it highlights the pedagogical value of contextual and inquiry-based approaches in teacher education. Challenges such as time constraints and institutional readiness need to be considered for wider implementation. Originality: This research contributes by demonstrating the effectiveness of local history as a pedagogical medium to support inquiry-based learning. It offers a contextual approach to bridging theory and practice in teacher education and suggests directions for future longitudinal research on sustained pedagogical impacts.