Ade Yulianto, Wahyu Sopandi, Riandi, Ghullam Hamdu
The low scientific literacy of Indonesian students, as reflected in the results of PISA 2022 and INAP 2019, highlights the urgent need to strengthen the quality of science learning in elementary schools. Teachers play a strategic role in fostering students' understanding through mastery of the Nature of Science (NOS), science process skills, and the implementation of innovative learning models such as Read-Answer-Discuss-Explain-Create (RADEC). This study aims to map elementary school teachers' understanding of these three aspects using Rasch analysis. A cross-sectional design was employed involving 133 elementary school teachers selected through purposive sampling. The instrument consisted of 27 closed-ended items covering three constructs: NOS, RADEC, and science process skills. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model via Winsteps software to obtain the distribution of teachers' ability and item difficulty levels on a single logit scale. The results indicated that the average teacher ability (0.50 logits) was slightly higher than the mean item difficulty (0.00 logits). Teachers were classified into three categories: high (21.8%), medium (66.2%), and low (12.0%). The instrument demonstrated adequate reliability, with person reliability of 0.76 and item reliability of 0.79. The findings further revealed that teachers were relatively more proficient in basic science process skills (67.6%) compared to NOS (51.5%) and RADEC (52.3%). However, misconceptions regarding the tentative nature of scientific knowledge and limitations in the prelearning stage of RADEC were still prevalent. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for differentiated and continuous professional development programs. Teachers with high levels of understanding may serve as mentors, while those at medium and low levels require targeted support. Strengthening the implementation of RADEC and providing adequate practical facilities are key strategies to enhance meaningful, inquiry-based science learning that aligns with 21st-century competencies. © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.
Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia; Department of Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia; Department of Elementary Teacher Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Tasikmalaya Campus, Indonesia
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