STUDI KOMPARATIF KETERAMPILAN LITERASI SAINS ANAK USIA 4-5 TAHUN DI PAUD INDONESIA DAN THAILAND

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SCIENCE LITERACY SKILLS OF 4-5 YEAR OLD CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA AND THAILAND

Keterampilan literasi sains bagi anak usia dini berperan penting dalam membangun kemampuan berpikir kritis, pemecahan masalah, dan menerapkan pemahaman yang diperoleh dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Berdasarkan hasil PISA tahun 2022, Indonesia mengalami penurunan skor literasi sains dari 396 menjadi 383, sementara Thailand turun dari 426 menjadi 409, menunjukkan pentingnya pengenalan literasi sains sejak dini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan keterampilan literasi sains anak usia 4-5 tahun di PAUD Indonesia dan Thailand. Jenis penelitian ini ialah ex post facto dengan menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif yang melibatkan 41 anak usia 4-5 tahun, yaitu 21 anak di RA Aulia, Surabaya, Indonesia dan 22 anak di Darulmuyaheedeen, Padang Besar, Thailand. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi dan kuesioner. Hasil penelitian dianalisis menggunakan independent samples t-test yang menunjukkan nilai signifikansi sebesar 0,775 yang artinya > 0,05 sehingga dapat dikatakan bahwa tidak ada perbedaan signifikan antara kedua negara, meskipun Thailand memiliki nilai rata-rata yang lebih tinggi sebesar 31,14 dibandingkan 30,81 di Indonesia. Keunikan sistem pendidikan Thailand terletak pada pengenalan tokoh “Father of Thai Science”, Raja Rama IV, serta dukungan program nasional “Little Scientist House” yang memperkuat literasi sains sejak dini, sementara Indonesia telah ada dukungan kebijakan dari pemerintah dalam Kurikulum, namun secara kearifan lokal belum ada. Penelitian ini mengindikasikan bahwa keterampilan literasi sains dapat berkembang di berbagai konteks pendidikan asalkan didukung oleh lingkungan pembelajaran yang eksploratif dan berbasis pengalaman langsung yang sejalan dengan teori konstruktivisme, yang memberikan kesempatan bagi anak membangun konsep secara mandiri berdasarkan pengalamannya dan interaksi langsung dengan lingkungan.

Kata Kunci: Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini; Keterampilan Literasi Sains; Indonesia; Thailand

Science literacy skills for early childhood play an important role in building critical thinking skills, problem-solving, and applying the understanding gained in everyday life. Based on the results of PISA 2022, Indonesia experienced a decline in science literacy scores from 396 to 383, while Thailand fell from 426 to 409, indicating the importance of introducing science literacy from an early age. This study aims to determine the differences in science literacy skills of children aged 4-5 years in PAUD Indonesia and Thailand. This type of research is ex post facto using a quantitative approach involving 41 children aged 4-5 years, namely 21 children in RA Aulia, Surabaya, Indonesia and 22 children in Darulmuyaheedeen, Padang Besar, Thailand. Data collection techniques used observation and questionnaires. The results of the study were analyzed using an independent samples t-test which showed a significance value of 0.775 which means > 0.05 so it can be said that there is no significant difference between the two countries. However, Thailand has a higher average value of 31.14 compared to 30.81 in Indonesia. The uniqueness of the Thai education system lies in the introduction of the figure of the "Father of Thai Science", King Rama IV, and the support of the national program "Little Scientist House" which strengthens scientific literacy from an early age, while Indonesia has had policy support from the government in the Curriculum, but in terms of local wisdom there is none. This study indicates that scientific literacy skills can develop in various educational contexts as long as they are supported by an exploratory and experience-based learning environment that is in line with constructivism theory, which provides opportunities for children to build concepts independently based on their experiences and direct interaction with the environment.

Keywords: Early Childhood Education; Science Literacy Skills; Indonesia; Thailand