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Biology learning in Indonesia is still predominantly teacher-centered, limiting students’ opportunities to actively develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and other 21st-century competencies. Students often receive information passively, resulting in low engagement and limited ability to apply concepts in real-life contexts. Therefore, innovative learning models are needed to support more meaningful and student-centered learning. This study aims to review the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in Biology education and analyze its contribution to the development of students’ 21st-century skills. The study employed a literature review method by analyzing 20 research articles published between 2022 and 2026. Articles were obtained through Google Scholar searches and selected based on relevance to Biology education, focus on PjBL implementation, and open-access availability. Data collection involved identification, screening, selection, and documentation of related studies, while data analysis used a qualitative descriptive approach. The findings indicate that PjBL effectively improves students’ cognitive achievement, conceptual understanding, scientific literacy, creativity, and critical thinking skills. In addition, PjBL enhances collaboration, communication, problem-solving abilities, learning motivation, and life skills through contextual and authentic project activities. Students become more actively involved in investigating real-world problems, designing solutions, and producing meaningful learning outputs. Furthermore, the integration of STEM approaches, digital media, blended learning, and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) strengthens the effectiveness of PjBL in Biology learning. Overall, PjBL is highly relevant for supporting the Merdeka Curriculum and improving the quality of Biology education in developing 21st-century competencies.

This study focuses on examining the effect of using the cooperative learning model type Teams Games Tournament (TGT) assisted by Kahoot in optimizing students’ problem-solving skills. The research method applied was Classroom Action Research (CAR), conducted through several cycles with stages including planning, action implementation, observation, and reflection. The subjects of this study were students of class X.B at SMA Negeri 2 Singaraja. The results of the study indicate a significant improvement in students’ problem-solving abilities after the implementation of the TGT model assisted by Kahoot. In cycle II, the students’ average score reached 88.15, with a learning mastery level of 84.21%. Therefore, it can be concluded that the majority of students had met the minimum learning mastery indicators. In addition, the learning process became more active, interactive, and enjoyable, which increased student engagement in the classroom. In conclusion, the cooperative learning model Teams Games Tournament (TGT) assisted by the Kahoot application has a positive impact on improving students’ problem-solving abilities. Therefore, the use of game-based digital learning models and media is recommended to enhance the quality of both the learning process and learning outcomes.

This study aims to examine the effects of applying a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method combined with PhET simulation tools on enhancing critical thinking skills among eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 4 Singaraja when learning vibration and wave topics. It adopted a quasi-experimental approach with a Pretest-Posttest setup and non-equivalent control group design. The participant cohort comprised 75 students distributed across two groups: the treatment group (n=38) who engaged in learning activities using PBL supplemented by PhET simulation, and the comparison group (n=37) who received PBL instruction without PhET simulation support. Data collection was conducted through essay-type assessment instruments containing 7 questions designed to evaluate critical thinking competencies based on Ennis' theoretical framework. Data processing employed descriptive statistical analysis, N-Gain Score computation and ANCOVA testing were conducted at a 0.05 significance level. Results showed the treatment group's average Posttest score at 84, compared to 66 for the control group. The ANCOVA produced an F-value of 103.701 (p < 0.001), confirming a statistically significant difference in critical thinking skills between the groups. The adjusted mean Posttest scores were 83.99 for the treatment group and 66.01 for the comparison group, reflecting a differential of 17.99 points. Consequently, the findings substantiate that the integration of PBL with PhET simulation demonstrates greater effectiveness in fostering students' critical thinking skills in comparison to conventional PBL implementation without technology-enhanced simulation assistance.

This study examines the implementation of center-based learning to develop critical thinking skills in children aged 4–6 years at TK Harapan Bangsa Jeranglah Tinggi. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, the research involved 16 children and two teachers over six weeks, utilizing systematic observation, assessment rubrics, field notes, and interviews. Data were analyzed thematically and descriptively. Results demonstrate consistent improvement across four indicators: questioning, comparing, problem-solving, and reflective reasoning, with an average score increase of 64.9%. Teacher facilitation strategies, particularly open-ended questioning, cognitive modeling, and responsive scaffolding, emerged as primary success drivers. Spatial constraints and transition challenges were effectively addressed through weekly theme rotation and structured visual schedules. The study concludes that child-centered center-based learning successfully establishes a meaningful play environment that cultivates early inquiry habits and foundational reasoning. These findings recommend strengthening preschool educators’ facilitation competencies and providing open-ended materials to sustain cognitive development.

This study aims to analyze in depth the effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) and ethnomathematics in improving students’ mathematical abilities through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. This study is motivated by the low level of students’ conceptual understanding, mathematical literacy, and mathematical communication skills, which are still dominated by conventional teaching approaches. Data were collected from ten research articles relevant to the topics of RME and ethnomathematics. The analyzed articles employed various research methods, including experimental research, classroom action research, and research and development (R&D). The results of the review indicate that the implementation of RME is consistently effective in enhancing students’ mathematical abilities, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, mathematical communication, and mathematical literacy. The RME approach, which is based on real-life contexts, helps students understand mathematical concepts more deeply and meaningfully. In addition, the integration of culture through ethnomathematics strengthens the effectiveness of learning by providing contexts that are closely related to students’ daily lives, thereby increasing motivation, engagement, and active participation in the learning process.Furthermore, the findings reveal that the success of culture-based RME is influenced by instructional design, the selection of appropriate contexts, and the teacher’s role in managing the learning process. Therefore, culture-based RME can be considered an effective and relevant approach to improving the quality of mathematics education.

This community service program aimed to improve teachers’ understanding and practical skills in preparing Classroom Action Research (CAR) proposals among senior high school teachers in Semarang City, Indonesia. Classroom Action Research is an essential component of teacher professional development, enabling educators to systematically identify classroom problems, implement pedagogical interventions, and evaluate learning improvement strategies. However, many teachers encounter difficulties in translating classroom challenges into structured research proposals. The program involved 22 teachers from public and private senior high schools in Semarang City and was implemented using a participatory and experiential learning approach integrating theoretical sessions, guided discussion, proposal-writing workshops, and direct mentoring. Training materials covered classroom problem identification, research cycles, proposal structure, formulation of objectives, intervention design, and indicators of success. Program effectiveness was evaluated through direct assessment of participants’ practical outputs. The success indicator was defined as a minimum of 90% of participants being able to prepare an initial classroom action research proposal draft correctly according to the provided guidelines. The results showed that the program successfully achieved its target, with 90.9% of participants able to produce an initial classroom action research proposal draft containing essential proposal components. Participants also demonstrated improved confidence and understanding regarding classroom-based research implementation. This program contributes a practical professional development model integrating research literacy enhancement and hands-on proposal writing practice to strengthen teachers’ reflective teaching and evidence-based instructional improvement capacity.

The implementation of active learning models such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Project-Based Learning (PjBL) at the junior high school level is often constrained by the complexity of instructional time management. This study aims to examine the role of the principal’s instructional leadership in addressing time management dilemmas in the implementation of active learning at SMP Negeri 6 Panyabungan. A qualitative approach with a descriptive method was employed in this study. Data were collected through non-participant observation and in-depth interviews with key informants, namely the school principal and an Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teacher selected as representatives of field conditions. The findings reveal three main results. First, teachers’ time management constraints are caused by weak control of learning activity transitions, noisy classroom conditions during group division, and low initial student learning readiness. Second, the principal implemented several concrete interventions, including the adoption of block scheduling, clinical supervision focused on classroom management, and the optimization of the Subject Teacher Forum (MGMP) or school learning community. Third, these interventions improved teachers’ instructional efficiency, strengthened classroom activity control, and created a more structured active learning process. However, sustainability challenges remain, particularly resistance from senior teachers who tend to prefer conventional teaching methods. This study concludes that adaptive and solution-oriented instructional leadership is a key factor in addressing the complexity of time management constraints in active learning implementation.

The low achievement of students in the subject of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) indicates the urgency of pedagogical innovations that can simultaneously escalate engagement and academic performance. In relation to this, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of implementing the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model in optimizing the learning outcomes of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) for 11th-grade students at SMAS Nurul Hikmah Jonggol. This study applies the Classroom Action Research (CAR) design based on the Kemmis and McTaggart model, conducted in two cycles, where each cycle includes the phases of planning, action implementation, observation, and reflection. The subjects of the study consisted of 36 students, with data collection instruments in the form of learning outcome tests and instructional activity observation instruments. Data analysis was conducted using a mixed-methods approach; quantitative data were descriptively processed to calculate the class average and the percentage of classical learning completeness, while qualitative data were explored to represent the degree of participation and engagement of students during the learning process. The research results confirm a significant improvement in learning outcomes following the implementation of the PBL model. This is reflected in the fluctuation of the average class score, which increased from 72 at the pre-cycle stage to 80 in Cycle I, and reached 92 in Cycle II. In line with this, the percentage of classical learning completeness also experienced a progressive increase from 66.6% to 86.1% in Cycle I, and up to 97.2% by the end of Cycle II. These findings demonstrate that the PBL model is effective in stimulating learning outcomes, active participation, critical thinking skills, and collaborative skills in PAI learning. Based on this empirical evidence, PBL can be positioned as an innovative and contextual alternative learning strategy to continuously improve the instructional quality of PAI at the secondary education level.

This study aims to improve student engagement and learning outcomes in the subject of Natural and Social Sciences (Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam dan Sosial / IPAS) through the implementation of the Auditory, Intellectually, Repetition (AIR) learning model in a fourth-grade elementary school class. The initial problem indicated that student engagement in learning was still low, at 37.5%, with learning mastery reaching only 33.3% and an average class score of 68.0, which did not meet the Minimum Mastery Criteria (KKM) of 75. Therefore, improvement efforts were needed through the implementation of a more active and student-centered learning model. This study employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) approach conducted in two cycles, where each cycle consisted of planning, action, observation, and reflection stages. The research subjects were 24 fourth-grade students. Data collection techniques included observation of student engagement, learning outcome evaluation tests, field notes, and documentation. Student engagement data were analyzed using percentages, while learning outcomes were analyzed through mean scores and the percentage of classical learning mastery. The results showed a significant improvement in each cycle. In Cycle I, student engagement increased to 62.5%, with learning mastery reaching 54.17% and an average score of 74.29, although it had not yet achieved classical completeness. In Cycle II, student engagement increased to 87.5%, with learning mastery reaching 100% and an average score of 85.42. These improvements indicate that the implementation of the AIR model was able to gradually and sustainably enhance both the learning process and outcomes. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the Auditory, Intellectually, Repetition (AIR) learning model is effective in improving student engagement and learning outcomes in IPAS. This model can serve as an alternative learning strategy to create a more active, systematic, and student-centered learning environment.

This research aligns with UMS RIP Theme 5 concerning the improvement of education and learning quality. Socioscientific Blended Project-Based Learning (SSI-PjBL) is a learning model that actively engages students through online and face-to-face activities, including reading, discussion, experimentation, data analysis, and problem-solving related to socioscientific issues in society. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the SSI-PjBL model in improving the higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) of biology education students at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) UMS. This study employed a quasi-experimental design involving two groups of 40 students, consisting of an experimental group (20 students) taught using the SSI-PjBL model and a control group (20 students) taught using the conventional Project-Based Learning (PjBL) model. HOTS indicators measured in this study included critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving skills. Data were collected using HOTS-based pretest and posttest essay instruments. Data analysis was conducted using hypothesis testing and effect size analysis. Prior to hypothesis testing, assumption tests including normality and homogeneity tests were performed. Since the data were normally distributed, independent sample t-test was used as a parametric statistical test. The results showed a significant improvement in students’ HOTS in the experimental class compared to the control class. Furthermore, the effect size was calculated using Cohen’s effect size formula and produced a value of 3,190, which was categorized as high according to Cohen’s criteria. These findings indicate that the SSI-PjBL model has a strong effect on improving students’ higher-order thinking skills and can be considered an effective learning approach to support 21st-century biology education.

The learning orientation is adjusted to the main objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which direct students to solve problems scientifically through critical thinking. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of  the Remap STAD learning model  on the empowerment of students' critical thinking skills. This study is a type of experimental quasy research  and uses a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The population is all students of class XI SCIENCE SMAN 2 Barru totaling 234 students. A sample of 102 students was selected based on an equivalence test to determine experimental classes, positive controls, and negative controls. The instrument used the essay test was in accordance with the Critical Thinking skill indicator and the results were analyzed using the one-path anakova test. The results of the study show that the Remap  learning model is effective in empowering students' critical thinking skills

This study aims to improve students’ learning activities and learning outcomes through the implementation of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model in the fuel injection system material for twelfth-grade Ototronik students. The background of this research is the low level of student participation and learning outcomes in the classroom. This research employed Classroom Action Research with two cycles involving 34 students. Data were collected using observation sheets to measure students’ learning activities and tests to assess learning outcomes. The results showed a significant improvement in both aspects. In the first cycle, 73.52% of students demonstrated active participation, which increased to 97.02% in the second cycle. Meanwhile, students’ average learning outcomes improved from 65.15 in the pre-cycle to 72.20 in the first cycle and reached 77.35 in the second cycle. These findings indicate that the implementation of the PBL model effectively enhances student engagement and academic achievement. Therefore, the PBL model can be used as an alternative teaching strategy to improve learning quality in vocational education, particularly in automotive subjects.  

Education plays an important role in shaping the quality of human resources, particularly in developing students' critical thinking skills. In the learning process at school, teachers not only act as providers of information but also as facilitators who are able to create active, creative, and participatory learning environments. However, in practice, the learning process is still often dominated by one-way lecture methods, which tend to make students passive and less involved in the learning process. This condition affects the development of students’ critical thinking skills. Therefore, learning strategies that actively involve students are needed, one of which is through the implementation of Problem Based Learning (PBL).This study aims to analyze the strategies used by Islamic Religious Education teachers in implementing Problem Based Learning and its impact on students’ critical thinking skills at SMA Pembangunan V YAPIS Waena. This research employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis used the Miles and Huberman model which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.The results of the study indicate that the implementation of Problem Based Learning is carried out through several stages, including presenting problems related to daily life, group discussions, problem analysis, and the presentation of discussion results by students. The implementation of this learning model increases students’ activeness in the learning process and encourages the development of critical thinking skills, such as identifying problems, analyzing information, expressing opinions, and drawing logical conclusions. Therefore, Problem Based Learning can be considered an effective learning strategy for improving students’ critical thinking skills in Islamic Religious Education learning.

Academic anxiety is one of the problems commonly experienced by students due to the pressure of assignments, demands for achievement, and concerns about learning outcomes. This article aims to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based counseling in reducing students' academic anxiety and to explain the strategic role of guidance counselors in its application in schools. This study uses a literature review method with a literature review approach. Data were obtained from various national journals relevant to the topics of academic anxiety and mindfulness, then analyzed descriptively and qualitatively through a process of collecting, classifying, and synthesizing the results of previous studies. The results of the study show that mindfulness-based counseling is effective in helping students reduce their levels of academic anxiety through conscious breathing exercises, focusing attention, and accepting learning experiences without negative judgment. In addition, guidance counselors play an important role as facilitators, program developers, role models for mindfulness practices, mental health advocates, and liaisons between schools and parents in supporting the success of interventions. By applying the right methods, mindfulness-based counseling can be an effective alternative service in helping students overcome academic anxiety when implemented systematically and continuously  by guidance counselors in schools.

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) has become a critical requirement in cybersecurity due to the high-stakes nature of security decision-making and the limitations of black-box learning models. This study investigates the construction of an explainable cybersecurity knowledge representation by leveraging standardized terminology from the NIST cybersecurity glossary. The primary problem addressed is the lack of transparent and semantically grounded reasoning mechanisms in existing AI-driven cybersecurity systems, which limits trust, accountability, and analyst adoption. To address this challenge, we propose a NIST-based semantic knowledge graph that embeds explainability directly into its ontology structure and reasoning process. The proposed framework systematically extracts definitional entities and relations from NIST glossary entries to construct a domain ontology and a multi-relational knowledge graph. A rule-based semantic relation extraction method is employed to ensure faithful, interpretable, and reproducible reasoning paths. The resulting knowledge graph contains over 3,000 cybersecurity concepts and approximately 27,000 semantic relations, covering hierarchical, associative, dependency, and mitigation semantics. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that the proposed approach achieves a high level of explainability, with 92.4% of reasoning outcomes being fully traceable and only 1.4% classified as non-traceable. Most explainable reasoning paths are limited to two or three hops, indicating an effective balance between inferential depth and human interpretability. Structural analysis further confirms the presence of meaningful hub concepts that support multi-hop semantic inference. These results confirm that ontology-driven, standard-based knowledge graphs provide a robust foundation for explainable cybersecurity intelligence. The study concludes that explainability-by-design, grounded in authoritative standards, offers a viable and trustworthy alternative to opaque AI models for cybersecurity applications.

This study aims to determine the ability of students' conceptual understanding after the application of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) model on pyramid material in class VII of Muhammadiyah Pagar Alam Middle School in the 2025/2026 Academic Year. The subjects in this study were 30 students using the pre-experimental design method of one group posttest only type. Data collection techniques used in this study include tests and documentation. The data analysis technique is a quantitative descriptive analysis of all collected research data. Starting the stages carried out after learning using the Project Based Learning (PjBL) model, the percentage per indicator of students' conceptual understanding was obtained with the achievement of: indicators restating the concept of 59.12% indicators providing examples and non-examples of 78.33, and problem solving indicators of 83.06%. So it can be concluded that the use of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) model is effective on the conceptual understanding ability of class VII students of Muhammadiyah Pagar Alam Middle School in the 2025/2026 Academic Year with an average percentage reaching 75.91 which is in the good category.

Education plays a crucial and essential role in improving the quality of human resource globally, thus a research was conducted with the aim of producing a product, namely a learning module. This module is one of the learning resources that can be used by students independently. Therefore, the module was developed to function as a learniing guide for students. The lerning model used in this research is Creative Problem Solving. In this learning model, the teacher presents problems so that students can find answers innovatively and sharpen  their critical thinking skills. The suitability of this learning module will be evaluated based on three aspect, namely validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Based on the research sample data, this consists of students from class XI Electrical Power Installation Techniques (TITL) 1 at SMKN 1 Driyorejo. This method uses the Research & Development (R&D) approach. The analysis of differences in learning outcomes was carried out using the One Group Pretest-Posttest Method, the treatment in the form of a learning module based on the Creative Problem Solving model was given to student. The research result show that (1) the modules suitability is stated as very valid wth a score of 89,60, (2) aspect, it is stataed as very practical with a total average reaching 90,60, (3) effectiveness is proven from the improvement in learning outcomes in terms of knowledge and domains with an average pretest score of 51,3, while the average posttest score is 85 with a significance of 0.000.

This article aims to explore the evaluation of the context, inputs, processes, and products of the implementation of Islamic Religious Education and Character Education at SMA Negeri 1 Tikep. Until now, there are still many obstacles faced by a number of educational institutions, especially in the aspects of implementation and evaluation. This study uses a qualitative approach and a type of evaluation research with the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, and Product) evaluation model, which was developed by Stufflebeam. This research was conducted by analyzing the data to answer the problem formulation without testing the hypothesis. The main data from this study were obtained through descriptive analysis, with the data collection process through interviews, documentation, and Post-Test as additional data. The results of this study indicate that from the perspective of the CIPP evaluation model developed by Stufflebeam, the context, input, process, and product aspects of PAI and Budi Pekerti learning based on the 2013 curriculum at SMA Negeri 1 Tikep  are included in the good category.

The increasing sedentary lifestyle in the digital era has the potential to cause various health problems due to lack of physical activity. One approach that can be taken to encourage physical activity is through the use of digital games with body movement-based control mechanisms. This study aims to develop a body gesture-based game character control system using a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. CNN is used to extract spatial features from each video frame, while LSTM serves to model the temporal relationship between frames so that movement patterns can be recognized sequentially. The research method used refers to the Machine Learning Lifecycle stages, starting from data collection, preprocessing, model development, to implementation in the endless runner game genre. Testing results show that the CNN–LSTM model is capable of classifying body gestures and generating outputs that can be used as commands to control game characters. The implementation of this system enables more natural and interactive game interactions without conventional input devices, and has the potential to encourage players to lead a more active lifestyle.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of using vlogs as a Project Based Learning (PBL) media in the Fantasy Makeup course to enhance students’ soft skills, particularly in communication, public speaking, creativity, and problem solving. This research employed a pre-experimental design with a one group pre-test and post-test design. The sample consisted of 25 students selected through a census sampling technique, in which the entire population was used as the research sample. Data were collected through observation and questionnaires administered in two stages: a pre-test before the implementation of the learning model and a post-test afterward. The data were analyzed using a Paired Sample T-Test to identify the mean differences in students’ soft skill scores before and after the learning treatment. The results showed a significant improvement in communication, public speaking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities after the implementation of the vlog-based PBL model. Therefore, the use of vlogs is proven to be an effective and innovative learning medium to strengthen students’ soft skills in the context of the Fantasy Makeup course.