INTEGRATING GAMIFIED HISTORICAL MEDIA AND CRITICAL THINKING TO ENHANCE HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING IN LAMPUNG ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of gamified historical media and critical thinking skills on the historical understanding of elementary school students in Lampung, Indonesia. In line with the national Merdeka Belajar initiative and the demand for 21st-century competencies, the research addresses ongoing challenges in history instruction, where rote memorization and teacher-centered delivery remain common. A 2 × 2 factorial experimental design was applied with 60 fifth-grade students, selected through cluster random sampling from two public elementary schools in Bandar Lampung. Participants were categorized by critical thinking level (high or low) and type of instructional media (gamified interactive or conventional). Data were collected using two validated instruments: a critical thinking test adapted for elementary learners (Cronbach’s α = 0.84) and a historical understanding test assessing factual recall, chronological sequencing, cause–and–effect reasoning, and perspective recognition (KR-20 = 0.89). Two-way ANOVA results indicated significant main effects for both media type (p < .001) and critical thinking level (p < .001). Students in the gamified media groups and those with higher critical thinking scores achieved better outcomes. A significant interaction effect (p = 0.004) showed that combining gamified historical media with high critical thinking skills produced the greatest gains in historical understanding. These findings underscore the value of integrating engaging, participatory media with explicit cognitive skill development. The study recommends incorporating locally relevant Lampung historical narratives into gamified resources to strengthen both cultural identity and historical reasoning in primary education.