TEACHERS’ NEEDS ANALYSIS OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES MATERIALS FOR HOLISTIC LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This study investigates the instructional needs of primary school teachers regarding integrated science and social studies materials to support holistic learning. Although the national curriculum promotes interdisciplinary teaching, many teachers still rely on textbooks that separate science and social studies into different semesters. This fragmentation poses challenges for implementing cohesive instruction and limits students’ ability to understand real-world phenomena in a holistic manner. Using a descriptive quantitative design, data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 36 primary school teachers in Central Java Province. The survey examined teachers’ use of official textbooks, perceptions of content separation, and expectations for integrated materials. Findings reveal that most teachers perceive current textbooks as insufficient to support integrated, contextual, and inquiry-based learning. Nearly all respondents expressed an urgent need for thematically structured teaching resources that foster interdisciplinary thinking and deeper conceptual understanding. These insights underscore the need to redesign instructional materials and provide teachers with more effective support for implementing holistic learning at the primary level.