The Development of a Busy Book “Kenali Diri, Hargai Sesama” to Improve Understanding of Gender Identity in Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to develop the Busy Book Kenali Diri, Hargai Sesama as an interactive learning medium to improve children’s understanding of gender identity, evaluate its feasibility, and examine its effectiveness. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using Thiagarajan’s 4D model: define, design, develop, and disseminate. A One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design was applied to assess the media’s effectiveness. Participants included two guidance and counseling teachers in the small-scale trial and 47 first-grade students at SD Joannes Bosco Yogyakarta. Data were collected through expert validation sheets, user testing questionnaires, and pre-test and post-test assessments. The Paired Sample t-Test was used to analyze effectiveness. The results showed that the Busy Book was highly feasible based on evaluations from media and material experts, as well as user testing by guidance and counseling teachers. Students’ mean scores increased from 77.043 on the pre-test to 86.085 on the post-test, indicating a significant improvement in their understanding of gender identity. These findings demonstrate that the Busy Book is a feasible and effective learning medium for first-grade elementary students.