<![CDATA[Heat transfer is a fundamental yet conceptually challenging topic in physics, often taught in abstract ways that hinder students' ability to relate concepts to real-life phenomena. This study investigates the effectiveness of ethnoscience-based learning, grounded in traditional tobacco drying practices in Jember, Indonesia, in improving students' conceptual understanding of heat transfer. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed involving undergraduate preservice science teachers. Quantitative data were collected through pre-test and post-test assessments on conduction, convection, and radiation concepts, while qualitative data were obtained from classroom observations, interviews, and reflective writings. The results show a moderate-to-high improvement in students' conceptual understanding (N-gain = 0.67), with a significant shift from intuitive to scientifically accepted reasoning. Qualitative findings indicate that culturally familiar practices serve as epistemic bridges that facilitate conceptual change and enhance learning relevance. This study concludes that integrating local agricultural knowledge effectively supports meaningful physics learning. The research contributes to science education by positioning ethnoscience as an epistemic foundation in domain-specific physics instruction and by demonstrating its potential to promote conceptual understanding and sustainability-oriented education simultaneously.]]>
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