Designing, Validating, and Implementing the Seumapa Based Problem Solving (SBPS) Model Assisted by Flipbooks: An Educational Design Research Approach in Indonesian Elementary Mathematics

Abstract

This paper presents the design, validation, and implementation of the Seumapa Based Problem Solving (SBPS) model, an instructional framework developed specifically for Indonesian elementary mathematics education. The research is motivated by the persistent challenge of low mathematical problem-solving abilities among elementary students, particularly within the Phase B curriculum. To address this gap, we employed a structured Educational Design Research methodology that unfolded across five iterative phases: preliminary investigation, design, realization, testing and evaluation, and implementation. During the preliminary phase, a comprehensive front-end analysis was conducted to align instructional goals with student characteristics and curriculum demands. The design phase then produced a conceptual model that integrates local cultural elements, referred to as Seumapa, with Polya’s heuristic stages of problem solving. Tangible learning materials, including teaching modules, student books, and activity sheets, were subsequently constructed and embedded within the model. The quality of the SBPS model was rigorously assessed through three dimensions: validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Expert and practitioner judgments confirmed that the model achieved a validity score above the threshold of 3.5 on a five-point scale. Practicality was evaluated both perceptually and operationally in classroom settings, with both metrics falling into the high or very high categories. Effectiveness was measured using normalized gain scores from pre-test and post-test assessments, where an N-Gain value of at least 0.30 was required to indicate moderate to high improvement. The final model successfully met all quality criteria; hence it was implemented in broader school contexts to validate its scalability. The primary contribution of this work is the integration of indigenous cultural knowledge with validated problem-solving pedagogy, thereby offering a replicable framework that balances theoretical rigor with practical applicability in diverse elementary classrooms..