Needs Analysis of Problem-Solving Skills, Social Attitudes, and Cultural Literacy for the Development of a Culturally Responsive Teaching Based Biology E-Module

Abstract

Despite the growing emphasis on culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in biology education, empirical evidence regarding students' initial profiles of biology problem-solving skills, social attitudes, and cultural literacy remains limited, even though such information is essential for designing contextually relevant learning materials. This study aimed to identify students' biology problem-solving skills, social attitudes, and cultural literacy as an empirical basis for developing a CRT-based e-module. A descriptive research design was employed to objectively describe students' existing conditions without administering any treatment. The study was conducted during the even semester of the 2024/2025 academic year at Universitas Muhammadiyah Luwuk, involving 68 active students from the Biology Education Study Program. Data were collected using questionnaires developed based on the indicators of biology problem-solving skills, social attitudes, and cultural literacy. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis. The results showed that most students demonstrated moderate biology problem-solving skills (82.36%), good social attitudes (38.23%), and moderate cultural literacy (80.88%). These findings indicate that, although students possess an adequate foundation, there remains considerable room for improvement, particularly in higher-order problem-solving and cultural literacy. Future research should focus on developing and validating CRT-based e-modules based on these identified needs and examining their effectiveness through experimental or quasi-experimental studies across diverse student populations and cultural contexts.