A Slush-and-Burn Cultivation/Shifting Cultivation (Jhum/Ladang Berpindah) as an Ethnopedagogical Learning Resource in Grade 5 Social Studies

Abstract

This study investigates the use of slash-and-burn/shifting cultivation (known as jhum in Northeast India and ladang berpindah in Indonesia) as contextual ethnopedagogical content in a Grade 5 Social Studies lesson. Grounded in Kurikulum Merdeka and the Profil Pelajar Pancasila, and aligned with SDGs 1, 2, 3, and 6 as well as Education for Sustainable Development principles, a two-session learning module was implemented with fourteen Grade 5 students in an elementary school in Surabaya. The first session introduced the ecological cycle and cultural context of shifting cultivation through pictures and videos; the second session engaged students in text reading, comprehension questions, vocabulary matching, reflection items, and a short writing task. Using a descriptive qualitative design with rubric-based assessment, data were collected from worksheets, classroom observations, and students’ reflective writing. The findings show that most students accurately understood the main stages of shifting cultivation, identified both positive and negative environmental impacts, and articulated values such as cooperation, gratitude, and care for nature. Students were also able to link traditional ecological practices to selected SDGs, indicating the emergence of basic sustainability literacy. The study concludes that integrating indigenous ecological knowledge into Social Studies can strengthen conceptual understanding, foster cultural appreciation, and promote value-based learning in line with the Pancasila Student Profile.