<![CDATA[Science literacy is an essential competence for elementary students because it enables them to explain phenomena, use evidence, and make informed decisions in everyday contexts. PISA 2022 reported that Indonesian students obtained a mean science score of 383, below the OECD average of 485. National Assessment data also show that the proportion of Indonesian students reaching the minimum reading-literacy competency increased from 59.49% in 2022 to 70.03% in 2024, although the improvement was not evenly distributed across regions. Against this background, the present study explores how local wisdom-based IPAS (Natural and Social Sciences) learning supports students’ science literacy at SD Negeri 5 Padangkerta. The study employs a descriptive qualitative design using observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The data sources comprise an IPAS teacher and selected Grade IV–V students; the exact number of student informants should be inserted from the field record before submission: [INSERT VERIFIED NUMBER OF STUDENT INFORMANTS]. The data were analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification, supported by thematic coding and triangulation. The findings indicate that local wisdom-based learning, particularly through the Subak irrigation system, school gardens, medicinal plants, and the surrounding village environment, encourages student participation and supports their ability to explain familiar scientific phenomena. However, students’ ability to identify evidence and interpret scientific data remains less developed. The novelty of this study lies in its examination of science-literacy development through the actual integration of Balinese local wisdom into IPAS learning in a rural elementary-school context. Practically, the findings suggest that teachers can use the local environment as a learning laboratory while developing structured inquiry and data-interpretation activities.]]>
