Local Wisdom Integration and Teaching Readiness among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the teaching readiness of prospective elementary school teachers in integrating local wisdom into thematic learning. The study uses an observational design with an evaluative quantitative approach and is cross-sectional in nature. The study participants consisted of 44 final-year students of the Elementary School Teacher Education Program (PGSD) who were selected using total sampling technique. Data were collected through a questionnaire on teaching readiness based on the integration of local wisdom, which covered four pedagogical dimensions, namely lesson planning, lesson implementation, media development, and authentic assessment. Data analysis was conducted descriptively and inferentially using repeated measures ANOVA and independent t-tests. The results showed that students' teaching readiness was in the moderate to high category, with significant differences between dimensions of readiness. The highest readiness was found in the aspect of lesson planning, while the lowest readiness was found in the aspect of authentic assessment based on local wisdom. In addition, students who had teaching experience showed a higher level of readiness than students without teaching experience. These findings indicate that teaching readiness is a multidimensional construct that develops unevenly and is greatly influenced by practical experience. This study has important implications for the development of teacher education curricula that emphasize the integration of local wisdom in an applied and contextual manner.