Abstract

This research investigated the application of team building in the context of social studies learning for elementary school students, focusing on developing their social skills. In addition, the research aimed to examine teachers’ perspectives in implementing team-building activities to improve the social skills of elementary school children. Participants in this study consisted of forty-seven fourth-grade students and five teachers who specialize in social education from an elementary school in East Java. The experimental group consisted of twenty-three students (12 male and 11 female), while the control group consisted of twenty-four students (12 male and 12 female). A mixed methods approach was used, which combined quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy of team building in improving social skills in elementary school students. Research findings indicated that incorporating team-building activities into social studies classes contributes positively to the development of students’ social skills. Interview results underscored the significant positive impact of integrating team-building activities into the education of fourth-grade students, explaining their improved social skills and character development. The results of this research contributed to designing more effective learning methods for developing social skills and laid the foundation for developing a more holistic primary education curriculum.