Cocurricular Implementation in Merdeka Curriculum and Elementary Students' Creative Thinking Skills

Abstract

Low creative thinking skills among elementary school students indicate that project-based cocurricular activities within Indonesia's Merdeka Curriculum have not been fully optimized. This study aimed to analyze the influence of project-based cocurricular implementation on elementary school students' creative thinking skills. A quantitative ex post facto design was employed, involving 20 fourth- and fifth-grade students selected through purposive sampling at a Merdeka Curriculum elementary school in West Java. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.941) and a creative thinking test assessing fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Descriptive statistics and simple linear regression were applied for data analysis. Results showed that 95% of students achieved a high level of project-based cocurricular implementation, and 90% demonstrated high creative thinking skills. Simple linear regression revealed a significant positive influence of project-based cocurricular implementation on creative thinking skills (R² = 0.49; B = 0.572; p = 0.001). These findings confirm that project-based cocurricular activities, embedded within the Merdeka Curriculum, constitute an effective pedagogical mechanism for developing all four creative thinking dimensions. The study contributes empirical evidence to the discourse on innovative learning in Indonesian elementary education.