Interactive Flat Panel-Based Digital Learning Media for Fostering Critical Thinking Skills of Elementary School Students in Solar System Learning

Abstract

Critical thinking is a key twenty-first-century competency that should be developed from the elementary school level, particularly in Natural and Social Science (IPAS) learning on the Solar System, which involves abstract and macroscopic concepts. This article aims to systematically examine the contribution of Interactive Flat Panel (IFP)-assisted digital learning media to enhancing elementary school students’ critical thinking skills and to identify the research gap underlying the development of BUKITA (Bumi Kita dalam Tata Surya) digital media. This study employed a systematic-narrative literature review of 34 articles indexed in Scopus and other reputable databases, including Google Scholar, DOAJ, ScienceDirect, Springer, and ERIC, published between 2018 and 2026, with emphasis on the last three years. The synthesis indicates that IFP has the potential to enhance Facione’s critical thinking indicators, namely interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, through three-dimensional visualisation, interactive simulations, and direct manipulation of digital objects. The effectiveness of IFP is strongly influenced by the appropriateness of pedagogical design rather than technological sophistication alone. A research gap remains regarding the specific application of IFP for Solar System learning in Indonesian elementary schools. Therefore, developing BUKITA assisted by IFP offers an innovative approach to supporting students in understanding abstract astronomical concepts in a concrete and meaningful way.