Efforts to strengthen evidence-based education leadership continue to be encouraged through the activity “Dissemination of Best Practices and Research by KREASI Partner School Principals in Pesisir Barat,” held on 9 March 2026 in Pesisir Barat. The event brought together dozens of school principals from KREASI partner schools to learn together from the classroom action research conducted by two principals in the area.
This activity encouraged school principals not only to carry out school management, but also to conduct simple research based on real problems in the classroom. Through this research, school principals are expected to make more accurate, evidence-based decisions to improve the quality of learning in their schools.
A total of 31 school principals from PAUD, kindergarten, elementary school, and madrasah levels attended the event. They took part in a series of sessions ranging from presentations on the research process and findings to focused group discussions (FGD) on the possibility of applying these good practices in their respective schools.
The first study was presented by Lestari, principal of a kindergarten, together with her team of teachers, who researched improving children’s fine motor skills through collage activities using natural materials for Group B2 students.
This research stemmed from the finding that classroom learning activities had so far been limited to drawing and coloring. In fact, children’s fine motor skills require not only those activities, but also activities that train hand-eye coordination in more complex ways, such as pasting, arranging, and manipulating different materials.
In this classroom action research involving 24 children, Lestari and her team implemented collage-making activities using natural materials such as dried leaves and seeds. The research method was carried out in two cycles, each consisting of planning, action implementation, observation, and reflection stages.
In the first cycle, teachers began introducing collage activities to the children by providing simple examples and prepared materials. The children were asked to apply glue and paste the natural materials according to the shapes in the pictures provided. Although some children still had difficulty applying the glue evenly or attaching the materials neatly, the activity began to show increased student engagement in the learning process.
Strategy improvements were made in the second cycle. Teachers gave clearer instructions, provided a wider variety of natural materials, and gave children more opportunities to independently arrange their work. The results showed a fairly significant improvement.
The percentage of children who reached the categories Developing as Expected (BSH) and Developing Very Well (BSB) increased from 50 percent in the first cycle to 79 percent in the second cycle. These results show that collage activities using natural materials were able to train hand-eye coordination, accuracy in applying glue, precision in attaching materials, and the neatness of the children’s final work.
In addition to improving fine motor skills, this activity also encouraged children’s creativity and independence in completing learning tasks.
The second study was then presented by Hefzon Kurnia, a principal from an Islamic elementary school (MI), who researched the implementation of the Love-Based Curriculum (KBC) through the Project Based Learning (PjBL) model to improve students’ interest and achievement in mathematics, particularly on fractions in Class III A.
This research was motivated by students’ low interest in learning mathematics. Learning that was still teacher-centered made students tend to be passive and less interested in participating in classroom learning.
Through classroom action research involving 28 students, the teacher applied a project-based learning approach combined with the principles of the Love-Based Curriculum, namely learning that emphasizes positive relationships, empathy, and an enjoyable learning atmosphere.
In practice, students not only learned the concept of fractions through the teacher’s explanation, but also through project activities related to everyday life. For example, students were invited to create simple projects involving the division of objects or food in order to understand the concept of fractions concretely.
Through these project activities, students worked in groups, discussed, observed results, and presented their findings. The teacher acted as a facilitator who helped students understand mathematical concepts step by step.
The research results showed a significant improvement in both students’ interest and learning achievement. The average score for learning interest increased from 60.36 in the first cycle to 88.04 in the second cycle. Meanwhile, the average learning achievement score increased from 52.14 to 80.36, with the mastery learning rate reaching 89.29 percent.
These findings show that project-based learning combined with a more human-centered approach can make students more active, more interested, and better able to understand mathematical concepts.
Through this dissemination activity, school principals not only listened to the research findings, but also discussed the challenges they faced in their respective schools. In the group discussion session, participants were invited to reflect on whether the good practices presented could be applied or adapted in their school environments.
This activity became a shared learning space for school principals to exchange experiences, ideas, and solutions to various learning challenges in schools.
Through a simple research approach like this, the KREASI program hopes that more school principals will be able to develop effective, evidence-based learning practices, so that the quality of education in Pesisir Barat District can improve more evenly and sustainably.
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The Program of KREASI or Kolaborasi untuk Edukasi Anak Indonesia (Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children) is funded by the Global Partnership for Education, developed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. KREASI in Pesisir Barat is being implemented by Save the Children and local implementing partner Yayasan Guru Belajar, support by the Government of Pesisir Barat with aims to improve the quality of education in Indonesia by strengthening teaching, learning, and student development.
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Writer: Michelle Gabriela | Editor: Andika Ramadhan | Photo: Michelle Gabriela/KREASI/Yayasan Guru Belajar/Save the Children