Inquiry-based Learning in the Metaverse: Developing Social Study Teaching Material for Primary School to Improve Critical Thinking and History Literacy

Abstract

Critical thinking skills and historical literacy remain major challenges in elementary social studies learning. Current social studies instruction still emphasizes memorizing historical facts without allowing students to analyze and interpret events in depth. As a result, students fail to develop critical and analytical thinking skills and struggle to understand cause-and-effect relationships in history. Moreover, they often lack adequate comprehension of historical content. Many students experience difficulties reading historical texts, understanding them, and connecting them to present-day contexts. They also lack proficiency in interpreting historical evidence such as documents, images, and artifacts. The rapid growth of digital technology, particularly the Metaverse, offers opportunities to create more interactive and immersive learning experiences. Virtual environments can provide inquiry-based education where students explore historical events, engage with digital simulations, and gain a deeper understanding. Therefore, to strengthen students’ critical thinking and historical literacy, inquiry-based social studies teaching materials in the Metaverse need to be developed. This study applied a design and development (D&D) approach. The participants were purposively selected elementary school students in West Java. The results showed that the developed teaching materials significantly improved student learning outcomes. The N-gain test revealed higher improvement in the experimental group than in the control group, with the experimental group’s average score categorized as high. Student responses to the questionnaire also indicated positive acceptance, particularly regarding more immersive, interactive, and contextual learning experiences. This study highlights the substantial potential of integrating the Metaverse into elementary social studies learning while opening avenues for more innovative educational research and practice in the future.