Students’ Understanding of Local Culture in Elementary School: An Exploratory Study in IPAS Learning

Abstract

Although the integration of local culture in elementary education has increasingly gained attention, previous studies have primarily emphasized its use as instructional media or teaching strategies, with limited focus on how elementary school students develop an understanding of local culture within learning processes. This study aims to examine elementary students’ understanding of local culture in Science and Social Studies (IPAS) learning and to formulate a conceptual framework for culturally contextualized education. This research employed a normative approach using a library research design. Data were collected through systematic literature searches in Google Scholar, Scopus, and SINTA, resulting in 14 selected academic sources related to local culture, elementary education, contextual learning, and IPAS. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis to identify major themes, conceptual relationships, and research gaps. The findings indicate that students’ understanding of local culture is multidimensional, covering cognitive, affective, behavioral, and social awareness dimensions. In addition, this study proposes a hierarchical model of local cultural understanding, illustrating a gradual process from direct cultural experiences to value internalization and cultural identity formation. This study contributes to educational research by positioning local culture not merely as supplementary learning material, but as a meaningful contextual foundation in IPAS learning to strengthen students’ cultural literacy, social awareness, and identity development.