Enacting meaningful social studies learning in Indonesian primary classrooms: A multiple-case study in Salo

Abstract

Meaningful learning has become a central concern in contemporary primary Education, particularly in Social Studies, to foster students’ social understanding and civic awareness rather than mere content acquisition. However, empirical evidence on how meaningful Social Studies learning is enacted in primary classrooms remains limited, especially in Indonesia. This study aims to explore how meaningful Social Studies learning is implemented and experienced in Indonesian primary schools through a qualitative multiple-case study conducted at SD 004 and SD 012 in Salo. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers, students, and principals, and document analysis. In addition, data were analyzed thematically using an interactive qualitative analysis approach. The findings reveal that meaningful Social Studies learning is shaped by the degree of contextualization, student interaction, and teachers’ pedagogical interpretations. Schools that integrated local social contexts, inquiry-oriented instruction, and dialogic classroom practices demonstrated higher levels of student engagement, social meaning-making, and perceived relevance of learning. In contrast, teacher-centered instruction constrained opportunities for meaningful engagement and limited learning outcomes to content mastery. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that meaningful learning in primary Social Studies is a pedagogical achievement rooted in contextual and interactional practices rather than curriculum policy alone. The findings highlight the essentials of teacher agency and context-responsive pedagogy in strengthening meaningful Social Studies learning.