IJORER : International Journal of Recent Educational Research

The Effectiveness of the Aswaja Character-Based Project-Based Learning Model in Improving the Narrative Writing Ability of Students at Universitas Islam Makassar

2026-02-04T20:29:34+07:00

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PjBL) model integrated with Aswaja character values in improving students’ narrative writing skills. Specifically, it sought to determine whether students taught using the PjBL-Aswaja model show significantly higher writing performance compared to conventional instruction. Method: A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group was employed. The study involved 64 students from two classes of the Indonesian Language Education program, selected through purposive sampling. The experimental group received the PjBL-Aswaja intervention, while the control group received conventional instruction. Narrative writing ability was measured using a performance-based writing test before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, ANCOVA, and effect size calculations (Cohen’s d and partial η²). Results: The findings indicate that both groups improved after instruction; however, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater increase in narrative writing performance (gain score = 11.90) compared to the control group (gain score = 5.06), with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 1.02; partial η² = 0.30, p < 0.001). ANCOVA results confirmed that the PjBL-Aswaja model significantly enhanced students’ posttest scores even after controlling for pretest performance. Novelty: This study highlights the integration of character values from Aswaja within a project-based learning approach as an effective method to foster both cognitive and moral development in higher education writing courses. The findings provide practical and theoretical implications for character-based instructional design in narrative writing pedagogy.

Strengthening Gotong Royong as a Strategy to Improve Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Junior High School Teachers: A Study at the Mardi Yuana Foundation

2026-02-04T20:29:34+07:00

Objective: This study aims to explore the role of gotong royong (the value of local wisdom that emphasizes collective responsibility and mutual help) in improving the Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) of teachers in the junior high school of the Mardi Yuana Foundation. Research considers it important to integrate local values in sustainable and authentic organizational behavior improvement strategies. Methods: Quantitative research with path analysis and SITOREM analysis was conducted on 138 teachers (out of a population of 210) from Yayasan Mardi Yuana junior high schools in West Java and Banten using proportional random sampling. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.966) containing 35 valid question items that measured five variables: mutual cooperation (6 items), organizational culture (7 items), personality (8 items), transformational leadership (8 items), and OCB (6 items). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS with prerequisite test stages, path analysis, and SITOREM analysis. Results: Preliminary survey data showed significant challenges in teachers' OCB: 67.7% faced problems in mutual compassion (altruism), 51.5% with civic virtue, 51.5% with courtesy, and 67.7% with sportsmanship. This gap between the ideal OCB (das solen) and reality (das sein) shows the need for strategic intervention. This study identifies gotong royong as a potential strategy to overcome these gaps through strengthening authentic local values in the culture of educational organizations. Novelty: This research uniquely integrates the values of local Sundanese wisdom (the four pillars of mutual cooperation: silih asih, silih ahon, silih asuh, and silih wangi) into the framework of the universal OCB theory. This integration has not been widely explored in previous education management research. This approach based on local wisdom offers contextually and culturally relevant solutions to improve the effectiveness of educational organizations in Indonesia, with implications for the development of authentic and sustainable educational leadership

Teacher Self-Efficacy as a Determinant of Performance: An Empirical Study of Private Vocational High School Teachers in Bogor Regency

2026-02-04T20:29:34+07:00

Purpose: This study analyzes the influence of teacher self-efficacy on teacher performance and the mediating role of organizational trust among teachers at Private Vocational High Schools (SMK) in Bogor Regency, Indonesia. Method: This quantitative study used path analysis on a sample of 175 permanent foundation teachers at Private Vocational High Schools in Bogor Regency. Data were collected using measured instruments to assess self-efficacy (24 items), teacher performance (36 items), and trust (20 items) on a 5-point Likert scale. Path analysis and the Sobel test were used to analyze both direct and indirect effects. Results: The study found a significant positive direct effect of self-efficacy on teacher performance (β = 0.151, p < 0.05). In addition, self-efficacy positively influenced organizational trust (β = 0.190, p < 0.05), which in turn affected teacher performance (β = 0.325, p < 0.05). An indirect effect of self-efficacy on teacher performance through trust was also found (β = 0.062, p < 0.05), indicating that trust serves as an important mediating mechanism. Novelty: This study expands understanding of the psychological factors influencing teacher performance in the context of vocational education in Indonesia by demonstrating the mediating role of organizational trust in the relationship between self-efficacy and performance outcomes. The findings provide practical implications for school leaders in developing teacher competencies through strategies that enhance self-efficacy and foster organizational trust.

Enhancing Fine and Gross Motor Skills through Innovative Plant-Themed Worksheets: A Development Research at TKK Kemala Bhayangkari 08 Bajawa

2026-02-09T15:08:30+07:00

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate plant-themed children’s worksheets (LKA) specifically designed to stimulate the physical and motor development of early childhood students. This study addresses the gap in available teaching materials at TKK Kemala Bhayangkari 08 Bajawa, which previously relied on generic, non-contextual resources that were less effective in engaging children's active movement and coordination. Method: This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the 4-D development model: Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Data were collected through expert validation (media, content, and learning design specialists), teacher interviews, and direct observations. The feasibility of the product was measured using Likert-scale questionnaires, and its effectiveness was evaluated by comparing children's motor skill performance before and after the implementation of the developed LKA. Results: The findings indicate that the plant-themed LKA is highly feasible and effective. The expert validation scores reached an average of 3.38 (good/valid category). The implementation results showed a significant improvement in children's physical-motor abilities, with fine motor skills increasing by 25% and gross motor skills by 29%. Furthermore, the media received high practicality ratings from teachers (95%) and parents (90%), who noted increased student engagement owing to the contextual nature of the plant-based activities. Novelty: This study contributes to early childhood education by providing a context-based LKA that integrates local environmental themes (plants) with specific physical-motor exercises. Unlike standardised worksheets, this developed media bridges the gap between cognitive understanding of nature and physical activity, offering a replicable model for teachers in rural or specific ecological regions to develop localised teaching aids for children.

Application of Digital Visual Storytelling on Kanji Character Acquisition: Effect on Learning Outcomes

2026-02-07T20:05:18+07:00

Objective: This research aims to examine students' learning outcomes using the Digital Visual Storytelling on Kanji Character Acquisition model facilitated by Multimedia Presentations, and to assess the efficiency of this approach in enhancing students' proficiency in Japanese. This study's background indicates that numerous students struggle with learning Japanese due to pedagogical approaches that prioritize memory and are predominantly traditional in nature. This research employs a pre-experimental design utilizing an Intact-Group Comparison methodology. Data acquisition Observation and test administration (Pretest-Posttest). Statistical analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics. This study demonstrates that the Digital Visual Storytelling on Kanji Character Acquisition learning approach utilizing Multimedia Presentations enhances Japanese language proficiency among students. The result is that the Digital Visual Storytelling on Kanji Character Acquisition paradigm utilizing Multimedia Presentations is demonstrably beneficial in enhancing students' Japanese language learning outcomes.

Adopting Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institutions: Benefits and Challenges

2026-02-14T17:26:15+07:00

This study aimed to reveal challenges and benefits that lecturers may face when integrating TPACK in their classrooms. A qualitative approach was employed to gain insight into this study. The participants in this study were English lecturers in Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institutions in Jambi province, Indonesia. There were eight participants in this study. The instruments of this study were individual semi-structured interviews. The technique of data collection was to transcribe the results of the interview. This study used a thematic approach to analyse the data. The thematic analysis of this study involved coding every meaningful statement in the interview transcription data. This study revealed the benefits and challenges of adopting TPACK. The benefits were encouraging students’ motivation, supporting an adaptable and pleasant classroom, and facilitating the lecturer’s creativity. Additionally, the challenges were supporting system, digital literacy, and time constraints. This study fulfills the research gap regarding the contributors and the area of research. The contributors are the lecturers who teach for the English department and the lecturers who teach for non-English department students. The area of this research was in higher education and in the classroom context.

Determinants of Primary School Teacher Resilience in Papua

2026-02-16T19:01:47+07:00

Objective: Papua Province has the lowest education index nationally and lags significantly in educational services compared to other regions of Indonesia. To improve educational outcomes, Papua urgently needs high-quality teachers. This study aims to identify the determinant factors of teacher resilience, a key capability that enables school leaders, teachers, and other educational stakeholders to recover and grow from adversity. Method: A random sampling survey was conducted involving 341 public and private primary school teachers in Papua, specifically in Mimika Regency. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling using Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to determine the relationships among the variables. Results: The study found that spiritual, emotional, and social intelligence significantly influence the teaching motivation of primary school teachers in Mimika, Papua. Motivation, in turn, strongly enhances teacher resilience. Emotional and social intelligence were shown to directly and indirectly strengthen resilience, whereas spiritual intelligence did not have a direct effect on resilience. This finding is particularly significant, as it suggests that spirituality alone does not automatically translate into resilience; instead, its influence is realized only through motivation. In other words, teachers with higher spiritual intelligence become more resilient only when their sense of meaning and purpose is transformed into motivational drive. This highlights the central role of motivation as the psychological mechanism linking multiple intelligences to resilience. Novelty: This study offers a novel perspective by examining how a combination of multiple intelligences—spiritual, emotional, and social—interact with teaching motivation to influence teacher resilience in one of the most underdeveloped education regions in Indonesia. By emphasizing the indirect role of spiritual intelligence, the study not only advances theoretical understanding but also underscores the complexity of building resilient teacher communities in challenging educational environments like Papua.