Contextual Ecological Collage Projects Cultivate Mutual Cooperation In Elementary Education: Proyek Kolase Ekologis Kontekstual Menumbuhkan Sikap Gotong Royong Pada Pendidikan Dasar

Nur Fadiyah Faiz (Program Studi Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo)
Supriyadi (Program Studi Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo)

Indonesian Journal of Education Methods Development
Vol. 21 No. 2 (2026): May

General Background: Twenty-first-century education prioritizes collaboration and mutual cooperation as fundamental competencies for elementary school students. Specific Background: Lower-grade learners frequently demonstrate passive behaviors during group activities, heavily relying on active peers rather than participating equally and sharing responsibilities. Knowledge Gap: While the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach has been extensively researched for upper elementary grades, its specific application using tangible environmental projects to build teamwork among early-grade students remains underexplored. Aims: This research investigates the application of a CTL model based on an ecological collage project to foster cooperative attitudes in second-grade students at SDN Barengkrajan 1. Results: Utilizing a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design with 21 participants, the intervention yielded a statistically significant mean score progression from 54.43 to 58.14, accompanied by a moderate Cohen’s d effect size of 0.768. Novelty: The pedagogical intervention uniquely combines contextual learning with an ecological collage activity utilizing school waste, requiring young learners to directly practice role division, active coordination, and mutual assistance. Implications: Integrating tangible, environment-based group projects into the curriculum offers lower-grade educators a practical pedagogical alternative to build essential social interactions and collaborative character aligned with the Merdeka Curriculum. Highlights: Contextual teaching models successfully translate abstract cooperation concepts into tangible collaborative behaviors. Ecological collage projects facilitate active role division and peer coordination among young learners. Group-based environmental activities produce a significant positive shift in student social interaction scores. Keywords: Contextual Teaching And Learning, Mutual Cooperation, Ecological Collage, Project Based Learning, Elementary Education