As the demands of educational world, which emphasizes the importance of problem-solving skills, social studies learning needs to be optimized to equip students with relevant skills for overcoming challenges in society. This study aims to design and develop teaching materials that apply self-directed learning, and also to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of these teaching materials in the context of social studies learning. The form of teaching materials in this study consist of a Student Book and a Teacher Book designed using an approach that emphasizes the development of students’ independence in the learning process. By producing a product that aligns with students’ needs, Research and Development (R&D) employs in this study. In the process of developing teaching materials, media expert and subject matter expert are involved to ensure the quality and success of the products. The effectiveness of the learning materials was tested through an experiment two seventh-grade classes at SMP Negeri 3 Ungaran. This study demonstrates that teaching materials applying self-directed learning can enhance students’ problem-solving skills. This finding is supported by statistical tests confirming the effectiveness of these teaching materials in achieving learning objectives.

The Covid-19 pandemic phenomenon has provided an extraordinary experience for the community. Many people have not been able to forget it, remember the incident as an unusual and frightening phenomenon. This study aims to understand the community's response and adaptation during Covid-19. Qualitative methods were chosen to frame this study, with data collecting techniques through interviews, observation and documentation. The study was conducted from May to June 2021, involving 41 informants from 14 different districts in Central Java. The results showed the responses emerged from the community were very diverse, both within the community and family. Handling of Covid-19 by the community is divided into the scope of self-isolation and isolation at home. The role of the community in handling residents affected is in the form of cooperation and caring for each other. In the family, each family member divides their role, both those who are sick and those who care for the sick. All elements or parties participate in the process of preventing and handling patients or family members exposed to Covid-19. In addition, the adaptation process was also carried out both in social life and in the workplace, for instance avoiding public activities and working from home.

Children of growing age are susceptible to various diseases because their immune systems are still developing. In many rural areas in Indonesia, including Colo Village, Mount Muria, people still use traditional medicine to treat diseases in children. This study documents the knowledge and conservation efforts of the Colo Village community regarding medicinal plants used to treat children's diseases. Data were collected qualitatively through semi-structured interviews with forty residents from four hamlets. The findings showed that the community used fifty-six plant species to treat various children's diseases. The results showed that the Colo Village community used 56 plant species to treat diseases in children, such as the Zingiberaceae family, such as turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val.), black ginger (Curcuma aeruginoasa Robx), ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), and others. Diseases that can be treated are: cough, fever, worms, colds, mumps, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers, convulsions, and wounds. Plant organs utilized include leaves (45%), rhizomes (18%), fruits (14%), tubers (9%), seeds (7%), stems (3%), and flowers (4%). Drug processing is done by pounding (56%), boiling (11%), grating (24%), slicing (7%), and brewing (2%). Most plants are obtained through cultivation (55%), followed by obtaining from nature (29%) and purchasing at the market (16%). The Colo Village community preserves medicinal plants by cultivating them in their yards and gardens and utilizing other traditional methods. Strengthening ethnobotanical knowledge, especially among the younger generation, is key to maintaining local wisdom and biodiversity in this village.