Penerapan Pendekatan TARL (Teaching at the Right Level) dalam Pembelajaran IPAS Terhadap Kemampuan Literasi Sains

Abstract

21st-century education demands that students possess the 4C skills, which scientific literacy includes in it. The lack of ability to understand simple science concepts in fifth grade at the State Elementary School of Sendangsoko needs a responsible solution. A strategy that can be used by teachers in learning is the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach. By using the TaRL approach, students are able to learn according to their individual learning needs. This study aims to: (1) describe students’ existing scientific literacy, and (2) identify supporting and inhibiting factors in the implementation of the TaRL approach. The research used an embedded exploratory mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative descriptive employing several collecting data techniques. The results showed that the scientific literacy level of students was at level three, categorized as functional scientific literacy. The TaRL approach is proven to be effective in improving science literacy skills by emphasising individual understanding, as students and teachers are adequately prepared before learning. Supporting factors for implementing TaRL included students’ readiness to learn, active teacher involvement, and the use of contextual and engaging learning media. Obstacles encountered included time constraints and the personal learning differences among students, which posed challenges. This study concludes that the implementation of the TaRL approach helps students learn according to their levels and learning needs. The researcher recommends the use of the TaRL approach in IPAS (Science, Social Science, and Environment) learning to improve students’ scientific literacy and reduce learning ability gaps.