Analysis Of The Experimental Scientific Approach In Improving Science Literacy Among Elementary School Students

Scientific literacy is a fundamental competency in 21st-century education, yet Indonesian elementary students still demonstrate low performance in this area. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of integrating a scientific approach with hands-on experimentation to improve science literacy among fourth-grade students. Using a qualitative phenomenological method, the research involved one science teacher and students from a public elementary school in Cirebon Regency. Data were collected through participatory observation and semi-structured interviews during lessons on the topic of light and its properties. The instructional design followed the five stages of the scientific approach: observing, questioning, experimenting, reasoning, and communicating. The findings reveal that this integrated approach significantly enhanced students’ conceptual understanding, scientific process skills, and learning motivation. Students actively participated in experiments and were able to connect science concepts with everyday experiences. The study concludes that the combination of scientific inquiry and contextual experimentation fosters deeper engagement and improves science learning outcomes. This research contributes to science education by offering a practical strategy to enhance early scientific thinking and address gaps in elementary-level implementation an area that remains underexplored. The approach is especially relevant for the 2013 Curriculum and supports the development of meaningful, engaging, and inquiry-based science learning.